Just in case you thought I may have fallen off the face of the earth... these these the little mooshies that have been keeping me busy. We just had a little family reunion over the long weekend and my Montana nieces stayed at our house. Waking up to these hearts, well, it melts mine. Today I'm playing catch up...

Well, it's exciting to say that my project has officially begun and I've been so blown away by the responses that I've already received by so many people. I'm most certainly still in the "getting organized" phase of things, but it's been beyond encouraging to be affirmed by all these emails... hearing that there are people who want to share their stories! Now I am just hoping and praying like crazy that I can do this justice! I desperately desire to capture the range of impact that Lost Valley has had across the generations.

As promised, I want to share bits and pieces of my story along the way... so here is a journal entry from that first summer I was there.

June 9, 2001
I sit here on the rickety little bridge that crosses the creek, then leads to the pond, and the glory of this places fills my eyes and my soul. The full moon from last night still lingers with its translucent outline against the glowing morning sky. The clouds are few, but beautiful... their undersides still purple. Goose Creek flows calm, yet firm, smoothing the tops of protruding rocks and making the ever changing ripples along the surface. Steam is still rising off the top of the pond and through it's veil I can see the brood mares and their babies graze quietly, peacefully. What an amazing way to start my day. I'm realizing that part of the reason that I'm here is that this place is restoring my joy. This is a place where my busy tendencies and frantic to-do's are stripped away and replaced with a simplicity of life and purpose. Being here I am able to take off the blinders, and take in the raw beauty that surrounds me. Focus on people and relationships... focus on developing myself into the person that I have the potential to become, realizing the purpose of my unique gifts and talents.... and focus on being fully satisfied in that purpose.

Notes from a talk from Bob Foster Sr.- the importance of foundation
"You will only go up in direct proportion to how much you go down. People don't see your foundation, they see what you are able to build as a result of that foundation."

" Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

During my stay in Greenville I had the opportunity to re-connect with the Warren family, which was such a joy since they've added a little girl to the family since I saw them at the beach last summer (here). And can I just say how much I love getting to photograph kiddos as they grow and change?!? Little Charlie has grown and changed so much in the last few months... from the moment I came in the door he was proudly chatting with me, showing off his muscles and the new tent he got for Christmas. And baby girl, Riley, well its just amazing to see what a beautiful little butterbean she has become in just a few short months.

Seeing these precious little ones is just a reminder to me about how the days pass so quickly and I long to enjoy each day... not rush it away waiting for the next big trip, travel or adventure. So that is why I love the above quote... I want to write on my heart that each day is the best day, and to live like I really mean that.

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." - Coco Chanel

If anyone I know embodies this description, it is the newly married Mrs. Whitney Sturge! I just got home from a fabulous weekend in Greenville, SC celebrating Whitney and Andy's wedding extravaganza. These images are from oh-so-fabulous and completely unforgettable bridal luncheon, which I absolutely loved photographing... almost as much as I loved getting to be a guest at their uber-elegant, traditional Southern ceremony on Saturday night. It was surely the social event of the season!

I sat there on the wooden plank stadium-style seats that had been cut into the hillside, feeling strangely at ease despite the fact that I was out in the middle of nowhere, across the country from home, and surrounded by relative strangers. It was the summer after my sophomore year of college and through a divinely orchestrated series of events I had been hired to work at Lost Valley Ranch. I'd never laid eyes on the place before that day and unlike most of the other college-aged staff who surrounded me, I didn't really even know anyone who had worked here before or who had even been a former guest. Like I said, just my presence there was a mini-miracle in and of itself, and is another story all-together.

As I looked around at the rocky peaks that surrounded the valley we were nestled in, I remember marveling at the rich tones of the sky as day turned to dusk... how the remaining light of the day played on the mountains. Little did I know how much I would grow to love evenings spent sitting in this spot alongside Goose Creek. But that night, my very first night at the ranch, the purpose of the evening was to provide some initial orientation to prepare us for the summer ahead. After nervously singing along to 'Home on the Range' and a few others Lost Valley classics, Bob Foster Sr. took the stage and began sharing the tale of how he and his wife dreamed and prayed their way into owning this valley over 30 years ago. And as I sat on that plank of wood, my eyes began to sting with tears because, in that moment, I felt the magnitude of how my life was all the sudden intersecting with the vision that had been cast those many years ago by one man. Somehow my life had just been plucked out of "just a fun summer adventure" and into the script of a much greater purpose... a purpose of creating a place and space for families to come have an unforgettable experience, and beyond that, a legacy of turning guests into friends and friends into family. God felt very real and very near in that moment of realization.

I think it's safe to say that I quickly fell in love, hard and fast, with Lost Valley and everything about it! I spent 3 summers and a full year living, working and breathing the mission of the Ranch. And no, LVR is not perfect, but I can safely say, it is the place that has had the greatest impact on my life. Everything from work ethic/attitude, learning how to live in a close knit community, seeing the humble effectiveness of servant leadership, making lifelong friendships, taking my relationship with God to new heights and depths, and of course the common thread that ultimately wove Ross and I together (although that took more than 6 years after the first summer we met!).

Over the course of the next few weeks I'll be sharing some of my favorites moments or memories from my time at the Ranch, so those of you who don't know anything about it, can hopefully get more of taste for this place that I hold so near and dear to my heart!

My goal is take on a long-time dream of creating a coffee table book that creates a beautiful visual and emotional tribute to the legacy of Lost Valley and the stories of the people whose lives have been profoundly impacted by the ranch. So what I'm asking is for YOUR story about Lost Valley Ranch. How did LVR impact you or your family? (There have been families going to the Ranch for over 30 years, wow.) Anything from funny anecdotes to heart-felt dramatic stories of the role that this very special and unique place has played in your life. Please email them to me (amy.noon.free@gmail.com) with the subject line {Lost Valley Ranch} - and please oh please, help me spread the word!

Also, I will be starting to plan my cross country travels to photograph some of the people who submit their stories, so please let me know if you are interested in having me come to see you! Here are some of the places I am already planning to be:
Atlanta area
Nashville area
Indianapolis area
Kansas City area
Colorado Springs/Denver area
LA/San Diego area

** Some old film images that I scanned in! I'm in the top two...