I am finally to the last blog of our trip.. and to the whole reason we planned the trip to begin with!

When Wes Wages arrived for the first time at his dorm at UNA he noticed the names on the front door

Akihiro

Seishiro

(another Japanese name they can’t remember)

Wes Wages

He knew things were going to be interesting for sure.

Aki later joined his fraternity & became his designated “little brother.” Even after Aki moved back to Japan they remained friends and when he asked if we wanted to travel over for his wedding, we couldn’t say no.

We were able to spend the day in Kyoto with Aki and his bride, Aya. I was so thankful for this day, one of my favorites from the trip. This sweet couple is so cute I can hardly stand it! Everything about them is so wonderful. Aya shared so much about her culture and heritage with us, it was a unique experience to have someone show us apart of their country… not just a place they give tours of.

Here are a few shots from the day.

The wedding was two days later, and were we in for several surprises. Japanese weddings are made up of different parties… on their day Wes and I attended the 3 formal parties. The first being traditional Japanese at a local shrine. We didn’t understand anything that happened & just tried to watch and do like they did. I think we did ok for the most part. Hopefully we didn’t embarrass Aki too much.

But the day was something I will remember forever. The Japanese traditions and customs are so different than what we have here. And I love love, I love it in any form, any color, any language… and you could see the love radiating from this bride’s face. And that was worth the whole process. Wes wrote on our envelope in Japanese! He did so good (at least from my translation of it… haha..)  Even I said a little something after I won a game of bingo… haha… yup. And I can’t remember what I said, but it looks like I was quite the hit ;) And lastly a kiss… this is rare. But when the crowd cheers and begs, I guess you have no other choice. And I am sure Aki didn’t mind kissing his bride ;)

This trip was full of so much happiness. We experienced the love and gentleness of working with elephants, 3 earthquakes, ran from a potential tsunami, wore kimonos, and experienced love and friendship in a whole new way. It was truly a remarkable journey. So thankful to have been able to obtain a dream. And it reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from of course one of my favorite men…. Walt Disney.

If you can dream it, you can do it.

Dream and do. But most of all, Be Happy and Love each other!

T

It is time to strap on the backpack and follow us on another journey. This time we are taking you somewhere a little less travelled…. where rice is in abundance & the animals are big…. real big. The photo above is the first documented moment that I saw an elephant for the first time. I actually learned just this year that it wasn’t the first time I ever saw one. But as you can see, I was mesmerized. You would have never known that I was travelling here to this zoo with 8 other kids and at least 2 adults…. while they were off playing, this is where I stood. Still.

Growing up I always knew I loved elephants, but I didn’t understand how strong the love was until I saw photos like this and heard stories about me watching them taking baths in Guntersville Lake before I was even 2. Apparently these large animals worked their way into my heart as a small child… and well… I couldn’t just push them right out.

The point of this story?

Well, Wes and I will be spending the next month in Thailand and Japan. The very first week we will be volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park…. sleeping in a hut, scooping poop, cleaning mud pits, and going to the bathroom in a hole in the ground. It is going to be magical!!! I absolutely cannot wait. I have dreamt of working with elephants since… well… you saw the photo. And now I am crossing it off my list.

After the nature park, we will be travelling to Phuket for a relaxing time on the beach… I had to take Wes somewhere nice after barely bathing for a week ;) Then off to Japan, where we will celebrate with a friend getting married and explore his country.

I am so excited. And if you have any suggestions for us for our travels, please, please leave a comment.

While we are gone, don’t worry… we have someone holding down the fort. I am FINALLY happy to introduce you to our new Best friend and a huge addition to Armosa…. Rachel Harbin. She has been working with us for just over a month (even though we have only gotten to see her about 4 times) and she is solely responsible for keeping me sane… haha. When I interviewed her, I asked, if there is anywhere you could travel where would you go right now…. her answer… Italy. Of course, she was meant to be apart of our team. Especially considering our name is based on our Italian honeymoon spot ;)

I cannot tell you how excited I am to have her on. I am sure I am already driving her crazy, and she probably thinks I am nuts… haha… it has been a crazy roller coaster month. But I know she is getting in the groove and ready to meet brides and help make their experience with us even that much better!

So I now introduce… Rachel! Say hello to her! Yes, leave a comment. I know it takes 30 seconds of your time… But she is saving more of mine so I can bring you more blogs! So tell her hello. Welcome her to our world we share together.
And now join us for another adventure. This one will surely be interesting. I am pretty positive about that.

And our adventure starts now… Yup, the next blog you see from me will be from a far away land. And if you want to follow us with even more photos, follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/armosastudios

Be happy and Love each other.

T

Last years blog was pretty epic. So if you are new to our journey. Take a look back. But for me today, I am going to keep it short and simple.

You are the best gift God ever gave me. You are my best friend, teammate, travel buddy, alarm clock, soulmate, extra 12 inches of height, challenger, business partner, and comedian. You make me crazy and fill me up.

You are the best part of me.

Marrying you 4 years ago is the greatest moment of my life. And choosing to still love you every day is the happiest thing I have ever done/will ever do.

Thank you for your patience, for your unconditional love.

Here is a photo from our wedding reception where Wes announced he was taking me to Italy for our honeymoon. This ties in great with this week because we will be announcing our next destination to many of you! Sunday we will be in a new country, blogging about big, exciting things. So… you may not be quite as excited as I appear below… but I hope you are pretty dang thrilled to join us again.

Photos taken by Authentic Photography; Cover photo taken this year by Gabriel Ryan Photography

Stay tuned for exciting announcements this week. Big things.

To The Ends of the Earth, Bub. I love you. Happy Anniversary.

Be happy and love each other

T

Sometimes our worse fears are fears that are inevitable, you can’t stop them from happening. You just have to learn to stand there and look it in the face… with tears streaming down your own… and know that you will  make it through it.

My first and biggest fear is losing someone that I love. The problem with that is I am a major melancholy. When I love, I love big. I love deep. I love in a way that is beyond my control. I wish I could change this about myself. I would be able to deal with life much easier… I wish I could turn my heart off sometimes, but I can’t. This is a blessing and a curse.

From as young as I can remember, I had a mad love for a man you have all read about. My Tuto. I would wake up early on Saturday morning (which if you know me, you know I don’t wake up early on any morning for anyone) but for my Tuto, I would wake up. I would be wearing a Tuto T-shirt (one of his white undershirts) and we would sit at Nana’s table as she finished preparing breakfast. We would drink our “coffee” (mine consisting of 90% milk, 9% sugar, 1% coffee). But we would sit together and hang out. Then I would have my first round of breakfast…. go lay back down for a bit, and get up for round two.

Then we would either watch the Price is Right or go outside sit on the front porch and watch cars drive by. Some days we would sit on the picnic table and shell peas. This was my most favorite task.

This man became the one of the pieces of foundation for my life. I was even called Tuto the Second. He was someone who held my heart and I loved with every single ounce of my being. He was funny, and smart… truly one of the hardest workers I know. He was working up to the day he passed. He was in the nursing home, but if you asked him what he was doing that day he was in his garden or shed putting something together.

On Saturdays, the nurse in the front of the home would bring him up there and he would inspect the people coming in. He won everyone’s heart.

Last Monday, my Tuto, went to be with Jesus. It was a whirlwind experience. One second I watched his breath and the next it was no longer. He left me, my two cousins, and my nana standing there. Suddenly so alone. It was the strangest moment of my life. It was a sadness I have never experienced. But my very first thought, the first image I had was him standing at Heaven’s gates, giving my Aunt Jane a hug… an embrace they have waited for for almost 5 years.

I was able to cope with this, because I have faith. Because I know my Tuto is with Jesus. Because I believe in Heaven…. but only for those who also live a life with Christ as their center. I don’t believe everyone goes there. But my Tuto believed. And that brought me more comfort than I ever knew it would. I can’t imagine experiencing death without Christ, that would be a pain that is unimaginable.

It is still hard, there is no denying it. I can’t think of it for too long or I may break. I can’t look at my dad without feeling an undescribable ache. I know his pain is far worse than anyone else’s.

But I am thankful for the family he gave us. I know none of us are alone. I am thankful for my Nana, my parents and cousins who I spent every day with for a week. I am thankful for my niece’s and nephews who knew we were hurting and would love us extra big. I am thankful for the life I got to witness, the love I got to experience, and the pain that comes with it. I know it was real because it hurts so bad.

Tuto, I love you. And I am so proud to be yours. I am so thankful you chose to love me. I will carry on your legacy. Love.

I want to say a special thank you to my in-laws, Denise and Bo Wages, Maggie Bea Ray, Kasey & Stewart,  Jordyn Dean, Bethany Oliver, & Erin Letson for going above and beyond the call of duty to show love to me. You lifted me up and encouraged me more than you will know. Your support helped me during the hardest week of my life thus far.

I also want to thank all of you who left me comments, emails, tweets, and extra love. Thank you for sharing in this walk with me.

Love someone extra big today.

T

This wedding was a super special, super awesome day for me. This is a couple that is not only perfect for each other, but they hold a lot of people’s hearts.

Joseph and Bre. I couldn’t be more happy for you. You both are such special people. I am truly honored to not only have been able to shoot your wedding, but also to be able to call you a friend throughout the entire process. Bre, I am so so so so glad that Joe found a woman as amazing and truly beautiful as you are. You completely him in so many ways. I can’t say people weren’t worried about him settling down for a bit, but I can see how you have won his heart and how you are so perfect together. Joe, I am so happy for you, thanks to you and your family for always showing me kindness. I love each one of you.

I hope you enjoy looking back on this day. It literally couldn’t have been better. Here is your sneak peek!

We all love some Natalie Faggioni. Such an amazing artist. Having her presence here is so calming and warm…. and she gets extra points for not hiding Bre’s pretty freckles ;)  Their cake topper has history. A few summers ago, Joe went away to boot camp (or something of that nature) his band mates created “Flat Joe”… he went everywhere with them that summer, events, weddings, restaurants… and it was all documented. Flat Joe became infamous. And it may have been during the summer of his creation that he met his future “Flat Bre” Now, I have to share with you a few personal moments of this night that were EPIC for me. First, if you know me at all, or follow me on twitter, you know that I absolutely am in love, obsessed with cookie cake. When I spotted this one on Joe’s table, my first thought was…. good thing I will be standing right there when he cuts it. And well, it was even better than that! Joe shared his cake with his bride, then gave it to me! Best moment ever. And ladies and gentlemen, you now know the real reason I shoot weddings…. fatty over here is all about the cake ;)  Lucky for us, the Midnighters stepped aside and let Joe and his band do a little jam session…. or a long jam session ;) It was truly one of the best moments of the night. As a matter of fact, it was almost 4 years ago that I was dancing to them at my very own wedding. Needless to say, these guys hold a very special place in my heart.  I can’t help it…. “Hey, Jude” does it to me every.single.time. And I always love when Richard joins me for the dance :) (Loving you back there Kelly!)

Be happy and love each other,

T

Life.

So I have been doing a TON of thinking lately. Ok. I know that is scary but I have come to a conclusion.

Life is freaking hard.

I have learned that at just about any stage of your life, you think it is the hardest part of life. Here is a quick timeline…

5 years old- your life is the worse because you can’t spend the night with Lulu anytime you want. Nobody loves you. And why do I have to go to bed? This stinks.

10 years old- Lulu is now Sara’s best friend because she has more barbies at her house. Why can’t I have more? You don’t understand…. I need more barbies.

13 years old- 16 years old- what the crap? I hate everybody and no one understands me. YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! Leave me alone.

15 years old- I am the last of my friends to kiss a boy. The very.last.one. No one will ever love me.

16 years old- I am in love. Yes I am. We are getting married. Oh, mom, you don’t get it… it is because you didn’t fall in love like I am.

18 years old- Biggest decision of your life. (At least you think) College? Degree? Moving? Graduating? Life. Who the crap am I? Oh, and I suddenly find out my BFF Lulu has secretly hated me since kindergarden because I “stole” her boyfriend. Alone.

20 years old- Break up with your high school sweetheart. College depression has set in. Freshman 15 is no longer cute. Is any boy ever going to notice me? Do I need to drink to fit in? Yes. I do. Guess I’ll decide not to fit in. Who am I? Heartbroken and Alone.

22 years old- early life crisis. Graduated. Now what am I suppose to do? Insurance? Feeling crazy in a huge world. Someone tell me which path to take!! Who am I suppose to be?

25 years old- Where I am now. Where I am swimming with my head above the water. Married. Not having babies. Our friends are now having multiple children. I think I am starting to figure out who I am… but is it really who I am? I suddenly understand what my parents ment when they were saying… just wait til you pay your own bills! I look at my grandparents and my heart aches with such pain I can’t even describe. My parents are starting to ache more and more everyday. Their friends are starting to get cancer and scary things I haven’t even thought of. When did life get so fragile and serious?

I want to FREEZE this moment. Stop it. Hold still. NOBODY MOVE. Something may change. Someone may get sick. Life may get harder.

That is how I have felt. I want to freeze life. As John Mayer would say it… Stop this train. Stop it right now. I have every member of my family who I love with me. Healthy. Alive. Breathing. And to be honest… every single morning I wake up I am scared. Is my dad going to call and say Tuto is having a bad day? Do I need to come home?

This is all the truth. I feel every single emotion times 100. I literally can’t listen to my beloved John Mayer without crying.

And the scary thing is… they say it only gets harder from here. Kids. More bills. Economic worries. Responsibility. More cancer.

BUT this is the beautiful thing they call life.

I am starting to ask myself. Is it really that hard? Or am I making it harder than it has to be?

Shouldn’t we just sit in the happiness of each stage?

As aware as I am of how fragile life is at this moment, I am also the happiest I could possibly be. Truly amazingly happy.

And we all can be. No matter we are doing. We just have to see or create the happiness in the moment. We can CHOOSE happiness. Whether you are climbing up the highest mountain or sitting in the lowest valley… you choose whether to keep looking up…. whether to strive to be content with just living in that moment.

I want to just live. I want to be here right now. I want to breath in life the way my eyes are seeing it RIGHT NOW… on the good days and the bad days. I am going to stop (try to stop) worrying about what the next day, month, year will bring. Because today is good.

Yes today. The day we are sitting watching tornados rip through Tennessee Valley. It is good. You are alive. I am alive. It is a good day.

I am going to choose happiness and not fear. I am going to enjoy 25. And someone remind me to enjoy the rest from here… no matter what life brings me.

Why?

Because it is beautifully hard. And that makes it worth being proud of.

I love the photo below because I truly feel it describe’s Wes and I. Open road. No directions. Just us. Side by side. 

Thank you to Aubrey of Green Anchor Photography (blue dress) and Abraham Rowe (orange dress) for the photos for this blog. Thanks for taking my camera and capturing us where we were in that moment.

Be happy and love each other.

T