Friendship is a privilege to be treasured always. There are many different types of friendships--work friendships, best friends, the friendship you share with your parents and significant other...the possibilities are almost endless. 

How many of you stayed in your home town after high school and college? Did you put down roots where you grew up, or did you start fresh somewhere new? For Ali, the answer was hitting the road and settling down in a new place: Denver, Colorado.

So often with this job, I am rewarded with the company of wonderful, amazing, kind-hearted people. I don't know how I got so lucky, but boy am I thankful for it. Sam and Kaitlee are two of these aforementioned people, and I'm pretty smitten with this pair.

When I think of Liz and Bob, so many wonderful traits and qualities come rushing to mind. Their zest for life, their love of Green Bay and the Packers, their laughter and honesty, and how important their family is to them.

I really believe that Dot and Dan complete each other. Not in the flowery, theatrical sense, but it a matter-of-fact sort of way. He puts up with her sass and gives it right back. She reaches for his hand and gently swings their arms while they walk. Their laughter is contagious, and their shared smiles are like a secret only they are privy to.

Love is such a beautiful mystery. It can be all-consuming, fleeting, passionate, and sometimes it just sneaks up on you. It can be tragic, unrequited, painful, and misunderstood. With all of that, I do believe that love, true love, is the greatest thing that can ever happen to all of us. But what if you met the person you were going to grow old with when you were just a teenager? How would you know, what would you do to preserve that relationship and make it stand the test of time? It may not have been clear to Megan and Lane in the beginning how to make it all work, but they've definitely done something right. This July they will be celebrating eight years together, and their journey as husband and wife begins on New Year's Eve.

I get the chance to work with some of the greatest, most adventurous, most unique clients out there. I love getting to spend time with my couples shooting their engagement sessions, too, because it gives us a chance to get to know one another without the pressures of their busy wedding day. We reach a certain comfort level that goes way beyond the photographer-client constraints.

Krystina knew Dustin was "the one" during her freshman year of college. Dustin was coming home from leave, and she remembers how excited she was to see him, a different excitement than she had felt before. Fast forward to this January when Dustin and Krystina went away for a weekend skiing in Houghton, Michigan. Krystina couldn't understand why Dustin was kneeling in a snowbank on the deck of the restaurant where they had just shared a romantic dinner together. Dustin asked Krystina to be his forever, and she happily said yes.

Their friendship sparked years ago, but who could have known the fire that had been ignited? Perhaps it was the way Josh made Sam laugh, or maybe it was the way Sam tossed her long, blonde hair over her shoulder when she turned to look at him. Their chemistry was undeniable, and their hearts soon began to call to each other.

Rain sprinkled lightly outside the large windows of the Oneida Country Club clubhouse. It hardly felt like December outside, but inside the clubhouse, Christmas trees adorned with warm white lights and a roaring fire. Brad and Jessica snuggled close to one another, gazing into each other's eyes, lost in their own little world.

When one of my best friends, Stephanie, told me Dalton had asked her to marry him, I shrieked with happiness. We had all been waiting for this day. Steph and Dalton have been together since high school, and we have all known they would be together forever. While I've only known them since college, they're love for each other has been obvious to me from the beginning.