Love & Family photos

We received these picture frames as wedding gifts--funny enough, from two separate people. We had already decorated our apartment at the time we received them, but I liked them, so I hung onto them in the hopes that I would be able to use them at some point in the future.

Of course, moving into our house meant that we had a lot more wall space. (A LOT more wall space.) After sorting out where all our current wall hangings would be placed, I determined that I wanted to use these frames at last, and place them on the walls of our office. I actually hung them last week, in time for a housewarming party (and our video tour) even though the frames were still empty. Or rather, the frames were still full of generic shots of strangers.

I spent an afternoon earlier this week carefully selecting the photos I wanted to go in each frame. I followed the "Love" and "Family" themes, and filled one frame with pictures of our families, and the other frame with pictures of us. (I'm just vain, I guess. And really in love with my husband.) The photos came today, and I am completely in love with the results! This is our "Family" frame:

Top (L to R): my brother Kyle and his wife Kristi, my parents Don & Kathryn, my Grandma Mechling, James' parents Gene & Charmaine, James' brother Patrick and his wife Shaylee.
Bottom (L to R): my family (James & I, my parents, Kyle & Kristi), James & his best friend Damian, us, and then the entire Holley clan (Timothy, Daniel, Shaylee, Valerie, Charmaine, Gene, Brendan, Victoria, Matthew, Thomas, Nicholas, Tristan, Sean, Patrick, James, Caidin, Tyler).

I am just in love with this collection of photos. It displays the people who are most precious to me and to my husband. Family is so incredibly important to us both, and I love having their pictures hanging on my wall. Then I guess I'll show you the "Love" frame, even though it's entirely pictures of us:

Top (L to R): Our NYC trip in April, riding the Screamer at Lagoon in May, from my sister's wedding in October, James' 2nd degree Black Belt test in January, one of my favorite engagement photos.
Bottom (L to R): random photo I love from a lunch at Applebee's one Saturday afternoon, Halloween at a masquerade ball, our mutual favorite wedding-day photo, and my favorite photo of us from Mechling family photos in May.

I wanted pictures that represented the span of our relationship, and the variety of things we've done together. Travel, Taekwondo, our wedding, and just time spent enjoying one another's company. Photographs are very important to me, and a very tangible way that I keep memories. So, this frame may be a little egocentric, but it also makes me very, very happy every time I look up at it. :)