We are family | Inspirational Connect Retreat couples

Photo from Kari Bowman of KariMe Photography

With THAT many photographers in one place (46 couples) at the Connect Retreat last week, you can guarantee there was some photo-making going on! We even had a scheduled portion of one evening fully dedicated to photo swaps for couples. Chad and I had the privilege of capturing some sweet images of Crisanta and Mark, who were also in our Connect small group for the week. We got to meet these good-looking Californians last year at the retreat, so it was certainly a treat to get some more hang-out time with them. God is doing some really cool things in their business and in their lives lately! And, for a quick few minutes, we got to photograph Paul and Mary-Claire from Ohio as well. My favorite thing about those two is that they are happily married with EIGHT children. We were so inspired by their stories and honored to meet them this year.

I put this post of image highlights together as a celebration of marriage and healthy community. These couples—and SO many others we met—are like us in many ways (marital status, workflow, entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, home office setup, faith beliefs, struggle for healthy work/life balance) so we can relate to them deeply on many levels. Yet, what draws us to them as friends are the areas in which we're different (home city, interests, experience levels, business ideas, marriage advice, children, upbringing) so we can learn from one another and draw inspiration for our own lives.

Connect group, you are truly family to us and the life-change that happens in less than a week together is the highlight of our year—every year. Thank you for inspiring our love, life, and business. Cheers & laughter to you each, until we meet again next year!