Taylor

My second oldest sister and occasionally my partner in crime…Aka five feet and seven inches of sarcasm. She is the most gifted writer I know, and I love her free spirit. She fights passionately for what she stands for and does not back down.... She's been riding for close to ten (what?! time goes by too fast!) years, and adores every second of it. I loved visiting and shooting at her beautiful barn, and I'm dying to go back!

Minneapolis | Officially Moving

I shared the news of our move back in November but had no idea of when, how or even where we would be moving within the Minneapolis area… My goodness gracious, life has changed drastically since then. This move will be, by far, one of the hardest for me, but I can honestly tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is exactly where God is calling me for this stage of life, however long that is. I wish I could share with you all of the doors God has opened, or the ways he has made this so clear for me and my family right now, but we will save that for another day!… Moving is difficult, emotional and hard. After five moves (and rapidly approaching the sixth) in seventeen years, I can't possibly tell you anything different. In seventeen years though, God has blessed my life in some of the greatest ways

 through those moves and changes. 

My reminder for this move- decide you want it more than you are afraid of it- is something I discovered a while back. I didn't realize how desperately I needed to hear this until last week…. It suddenly hit me that I was moving across the country...far away from the familiar, and most importantly, far from what is comfortable. I found myself stuck between nervousness, excitement, and, quite frankly, panic as I questioned whether or not this move is right. And for the love, I couldn't tell what I was really feeling between it all! We've made hard decisions these past few months, one of them being that my mom and youngest brother will stay in North Carolina while our house is on the market; and I will be moving up early to rent an apartment with my dad while we all finish deciding on a house. I, by nature, like

 to do things within my comfort zone, and let me just tell you, I don't think moving is in anyones comfort zone. I keep reminding myself though, that if this is exactly where God is calling me, then it is worth every single messy, emotional, rough moment, because nothing can compare to living in His will and plan for my life. So, I want this.... I want this because nothing worth having will ever come easy, and fighting to find relationships there and consistency could be one of the greatest most adventurous things I ever experience…. Because God has not called me to live a life of complacency or comfort, but one that is challenged and changed and glorifying to Him. 

The wonderful news is, I have an official move date- June 24th! Yes, three weeks away… Two of which will be spent in Europe starting this Sunday! I will be sharing more in the weeks ahead, but I will be off of most social media during our trip. A huge thank you to all of my friends and so many incredible people within this industry that have encouraged and challenged me through this. I am so, so thankful for you!

-MACKENZIE

This Season | Preparation & Waiting

   I love everything about the Spring. The sun peeks its head out just a little longer.... The scent of

 damp, freshly cut grass fills the air. Beaches fill up as we soak in the warmth and hope for the slightest bit of a tan.... And most importantly, Spring symbolizes new growth. We see the beauty of change all around us as nature discards last years blooms and creates fresh new growth. Spring, for me, has been a time of preparation before big changes this summer. Amidst it all, I've been learning the importance of patience…

After attending the incredible Making Things Happen Conference in March, I was so ready to come back and conquer all of the dreams I had immediately! Unfortunately, I got a huge slap in the face when I realized that I still had this lovely thing called school in my life… I was stuck in a place of frustration knowing that this very season,when others are jumping into their dreams head on, I need to prepare and

wait.

Waiting.... Goodness gracious, as much as I am a planner, I do not like waiting. This summer holds so much adventure with moving to Minneapolis(more info on when coming soon!), a trip to Europe, and shooting weddings in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Minneapolis… The things ahead are SO very exciting…The difficult thing is, I can't start them now. I have to wait, and sit here, and pray, and trust that

 my waiting makes those dreams and adventures so much more beautiful... It's all a matter of patience and trust as I depend on Gods timing instead of my own…

Don't forget the importance of the season of preparation. Chase after your dreams with reckless abandon, but remember, God makes everything beautiful in time…sometimes we just need to wait a little bit longer to be blessed more in the long run. 

Be patient when God tells you to wait and plan....

Cheers!

MACKENZIE

P.S. I'd love to hear what you are waiting on and what you are jumping into head on.....

April Goals

I hope you all are having a lovely week! This past weekend was busy with a wedding, and today is full of homework from my classes this semester.Life is busy, but I'm so thankful that I get to do what I love! It's all about priorities and balance, and I'm discovering that more and more this year.

March was a whirlwind with travel, classes, friends & family, life, and business. Here's a recap on the all that I accomplished in March and what's ahead this month!

March // Goals (All finished!!)

Fly to Tennessee for a sweet friends wedding

Chloe and Pearce's engagement shoot in Nashville 

Prep for Sarah and Ciera's visit

Be a part of the Making Things Happen Intensive (Highlight of my year so far!)

Travel to DC 

April // Goals

Finish freshening up the new site

Prep for this semesters finals

Plan our trip to Europe in June!

Get back into running 3x a week

Start a new Bible study with Bethany Aleshire

What are your goals for April?

-MACKENZIE

Making Things Happen | Business & Life

Before you start, go grab a cute mug and fill it with coffee, tea, or whatever floats your boat...Once you discover what

 I'm about to share, you will be here for a while......

It is almost here! The Making Things Happen conference is less than two days away, and I am amazed that I get to be a part 

of it along with the 100 attendees, the incredible guest speakers, and the woman leading it... Gina Zeidler , Emily Ley, and 

Lara Casey (founder of Southern Weddings Magazine and the entire MTH movement)! I'm going to be a helper/assistant and

 anything in-between for the two amazing days, and I am dying in anticipation! All I can say is, it is going to be two jam 

packed days filled with motivation, excitement, decisions, and inspiration! I cannot possibly do it justice, so to truly understand 

MTH, go explore their site for a bit! If you have never heard of these amazing ladies or incredible conference and you

 didn't already do so... You need to go grab that cup of coffee and settle in, because you can get lost in these lovely

 blogs for several hours.... 

If you are looking for motivation and encouragement you need to go search through Lara's blog. I've never found a

 blog more deeply rooted in Jesus, and I love every bit of it! 

If you are searching for the prettiest southern planners, notes, and more, you need to search through Emily's site! 

And, if you need gorgeous inspiration or, like me, love seeing couples in love... go visit Gina's blog which is filled

 with beautiful weddings and sweet families!

Here's a list of the incredible ladies involved in MTH this year....

I cannot wait for all that's ahead! I'm praying that it's a refreshing time for for each and every person attending, and I cannot wait to meet them all!

Have a beautiful night y'all! 

cheers,

MACKENZIE