My ideas for a beautiful, stylist shoot in the snow went out the window the second we opened the door and felt the single digit temps outside. Caroline already had her boots on so she insisted on going out for a minute, although she also insisted on grabbing handfuls of snow with her bare hands and shoving them in her face.

Once again, I feel the need to mention the snow falling from the sky is fake. There was snow falling, but it didn’t show up like that in my photo so I faked it. I’m a big fakey faker who got some free snow overlays and can’t stop using them. I don’t think it makes her face any less authentic.

Early in my high school days, I was very involved in a small group Bible study through my church, led by a lovely couple named Fred and Janet. They encouraged us to keep a journal of ideas and verses we discussed, our own personal thoughts and a running list of prayer requests. Going to this small group was the highlight of my week and it was the first place I felt like I was allowed to ask real questions about God and religion and beliefs.

Don’t worry, this post isn’t about all that. And no, I’m not going to try to convert you.

In the back of this journal full of Bible verses and deep thoughts like “Where did dinosaurs come from????” I kept a list of things I was looking for in my future husband. I wish I could find this journal to show you just how ridiculously specific some of my requests were (like, “must be taller than I am but not too tall it hurts my neck to look up a lot” and “older than me same age as me two years younger ok definitely older”) and I KNOW I still have it, but my attic is cold and the boxes of Christmas decorations are heavy and I have better things to do with my time than open five hundred tubs of depressingly skimpy sundresses and tank tops to find the one containing my Pink Box of High School Ridiculousness.

So you’ll just have to take my word for it that right at the top of my list, underlined twice, it says “Red hair so future children have red/blonde hair too”.

I think this is what they call a wish come true.