The Johnson Family

The past two years, Matt and I have been involved in the awesome Lifepointe church. From day one, the pastor, Jamey, made us feel super welcome and has offered lots of energy and enthusiasm to the church community. He and his wife, Crystal, as well as their kids Chloe, Max, and Josie, have been a pleasure to get to know. I enjoyed having the opportunity to capture this beautiful family on camera this weekend.

Baby Beeler is on the way!

I had the pleasure of wandering all over downtown Louisville this weekend with TJ and Erin, finding oodles of neat spots to take pictures of them in all their expectant-parent glory! They're so excited about Baby Peyton joining them soon!

I was stoked when we found this spot with the big "Dreams" sign. TJ and Erin have been waiting and hoping, and are now seeing their dreams being fulfilled.


Erin has gorgeous eyes!


Comparing their bellies:



One hot mama:




I wish I could say I made this delicious lighting, but I didn't. The sun was actually reflecting off a huge glass building. I couldn't get over how perfect it was!





Thanks for letting me capture this time in your lives, TJ and Erin! I can't wait to meet Peyton!

Oliver Rush

I met Shea through church, and once we started hanging out we really connected. She's been such a great friend to me. When Shea and Matt had their son, Oliver Rush, he quickly gained a spot in my heart. He's been a joy to watch as he grows! I took Ollie's seven-month pictures last week. Here's just a bit (there were so many good ones!) of Ollie for you:


Ollie loves his glow worm:


Smiling at Mommy:


Shea fed Ollie his favorite--pumpkin baby food. These pics were taken in three consecutive seconds. It cracks me up!


You can't tell me this is not completely adorable!


This is Ollie after a long day of drumming:


I was laughing so hard when he did that I almost couldn't take the picture! He really knows how to rock! I sense a drummer in the making...

So what are the chances that you'll get a 7-month old and his mommy both looking at the camera and smiling at the same time?? One in a million, I'd say. So, Shea, here's your one-in-a-million shot. You deserve it!

One year later...

Last week, I spent a wonderful few days with my friend, Megan, and her hubby, Andy, out in Colorado. It was a fantastic time! While there, I got to shoot Megan's Rock the Dress pics! So, almost a year after their wedding, Megan totally rocked it in her dress--she went hiking through Palmer Park in Colorado Springs and looked gorgeous while doing it! Here are just a few from the shoot. Keep an eye on my Facebook page to see more!

Facebook!

Are you my fan on Facebook yet??? If not, search for Stephanie Koshay Photography or click on the link below and become a fan! I only post a few pics on here from photo shoots, and then post more on Facebook later, so if you want to see more, check it out! I'll be posting lots of pics soon, and you won't want to miss it!

Stephanie Koshay Photography on Facebook

Love. Joy. Peace.

This year has been a year of growing for me—growing in my understanding of God, my love for Him, and His love for me. I feel like for the first time in my life I’m finally getting it. Knowing how infinite God is, my finally “getting it” is probably just one grain of sand on the whole huge beach. None the less, it’s been amazing.

One of the things I’ve come to understand this year is that living for God isn’t about rules and regulations. It isn’t about a code of morality that you adhere to. Yeah, that stuff is most definitely a part of the whole. But it’s not the whole at all. I think I used to follow God and His rules because I was supposed to. Yes, I loved Him, and it made sense to me, but a lot of my motivation was that it’s what I was supposed to do. But this year, I have started to see that it’s about the relationship. I’ve heard that before, and I’ve always agreed with it, but I’ve seen the reality of it so much more. The interesting thing is, the relationship ties in with the “rules,” per say. You can’t really have one without the other. Hmmm… I’m losing how to say what I’m thinking here… This is where a good quote can step in (as usual with me!):

In Searching for God Knows What, Donald Miller says:

“The hijacking of the concept of morality began, of course, when we reduced Scripture to formula and a love story to theology, and finally morality to rules. It is a very different thing to break a rule than it is to cheat on a lover. A person’s mind can do all sorts of things his heart would never let him do. If we think of God’s grace as a technicality, a theological precept, we can disobey without the slightest feeling of guilt, but if we think of God’s grace as a relational invitation, an outreach of love, we are pretty much jerks for belittling the gesture. …When I run a stop sign, for example, I am breaking a law against a system of rules, but if I cheat on my wife, I have broken a law against a person. The first is impersonal; the latter is intensely personal.” (p. 438-439 in his Greatest Hits collection)

Just the other day, I was talking to a friend about how when we sin we’re essentially cheating on God. And I’m not really talking about those blatant sins we think of when we talk about sinning (although that applies too). I’m talking about the sins of the heart: Bitterness, and Self-Hatred, and Jealousy, and Fear… When we entertain those sins, we are choosing Satan’s lies (his Law) over God’s truth (His Law). And when that’s all broken down into formula, theology, and rules, it’s really not that big of a deal. But when we realize it’s about a relationship, it becomes a big deal.

A few months ago, I made a huge effort to finally get rid of Fear in my life. I decided that I was sick of accepting what Fear had to say above what God had to say. It hasn’t really been about “rules” or doing “what I’m supposed to do.” I chose to let go of Fear because I chose to believe that God is God, and I am not, and He deserves to be followed and believed and loved. And the most amazing thing has happened. Every time I repent of Fear and Stress (and I do mean multiple times—it’s not easy!), He replaces all that with the craziest, biggest sense of Peace and Joy and Love that I have ever felt in my life. And I haven’t repented in order to get that—I haven't even expected it. I repented because I decided to choose God. And He surprised me with that blessing. Either I’m manifesting Satan’s kingdom (Bitterness, Rejection, Fear, Self-Hatred, etc.) or I’m manifesting God’s kingdom (Love, Joy, Peace, etc.). By removing Fear, I’ve made room for God’s kingdom.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

His Peace truly does transcend all understanding. My situation doesn’t necessarily change, but when I choose God, my heart is filled with His Peace, Love, and Joy. It’s incredible and undeniably amazing. I am finally just beginning to grasp how much He loves us, and I can’t help but share it.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 4:17-19)

A Bit of Heaven

I just got back from an absolutely fantastic weekend in Michigan! As usual, we crammed everything possible in--which left us entirely exhausted and yet so fulfilled. We also had some co-travelers this time--my brother, Shannon, and his roommate Alabbas--which helped make the drive more bearable (and I always love spending time with Shan!). Alabbas is from Saudi Arabia and hasn't been in the States all that long, so it was fun to learn about his culture and show him ours.

We spent most of Saturday at the park and the beach with Matt's family. The weather was 75 and sunny! Couldn't have asked for anything better. I really enjoyed swimming in Lake Huron. Even though it was cold, I've missed the water so much I didn't care! And we got to catch up with family and see how much all of the kids have grown since we last saw them.

This is Mackenzie, our newest niece--such a cutie:


One of the older nephews, Jason, decided to have a little fun with the sunscreen!


Madelyn and Nathaniel had lots of fun together. That little guy has changed so much since our beach outing last year--but still just as cute!


Our newest nephew, Jeremiah, is so adorable!


On Sunday morning, we go to go sailing!!!! I totally love sailing, and was psyched that we got to fit that in! Our family friend, Ralph, took us out on his Catalina. I grew up sailing with him and his family, and it's always nice to see him again. After some initial misty rain, it cleared up perfectly and the water was soooo smooth.

That's me at the wheel, with the huge smile I couldn't wipe off my face the whole time!!


Shannon and Alabbas in the cabin (wasn't much room for everyone to sit!):


My dad, who taught me the joys of sailing:


After that, the four of us southerners headed on the road, stopping quickly in Gross Pointe to visit my grandparents, and grabbing oh-so-yummy, highly-recommended lunch at La Pita in Dearborn (had to get some authentic food for Alibas!). We got back super late, but filled with lots of excellent memories. Oh to have a weekend like that again! :)

More exciting things are on the way this summer. A couple more visits up north are in order, and I'm also taking a trip to Colorado in August! I'm going to visit my friend Megan, get some quality girl time in, and take some Rock the Dress photos!

As always, I'm excited for whatever God has in store for the future. I'll keep you posted!

Summer Savings!

Hey everybody! Sorry I haven't been updating things lately. Hopefully soon I'll be filling you in on everything! I just wanted to share a great deal with all of you Louisville area people. Summer is a fantastic time to get photos taken, with all the sunshine and great weather going on. So, here's a little something to bless your pocketbook:

Book your portrait session before July 25^th, and get $25 worth of free prints for every $50 ordered! Or, get $50 worth of free prints with the purchase of all of your images on CD (includes permission to print)! Sessions may be scheduled through September. E-mail me or contact me through my website to get your session booked today!

Meet the Browns

A few days ago, Matt and I got to hang out with the Browns, an awesome family we know from church. They're such a joyful, warm, and friendly family. It was great to spend time getting to know them better. I also got to take pictures of them on their large, country property. This is one of my favorites:

Land Between the Lakes

I just had a fantastic week with my family! Once a year, my parents come down from Michigan to do some vacationing with my brother, my husband, and me. Last year we had a great time in Gatlinburg. This year, we met up at Land Between the Lakes, in western Kentucky. It's a really pretty wildlife area, with lots of water (us Michiganders love water and sailboats!), trees, trails, and the like. As always, we made tons of yummy food, relaxed at a nice cabin (I would highly recommend the Lake Woods Log Cabin), and enjoyed laughing and talking together.

Our first evening there, we made sure to visit the Elk and Bison Prairie at dusk so that we could spot the animals. We definitely saw quite a few elk and bison. It was hard to take pictures because it was so dark, but I did manage to capture the neat textures and colors in this one:


Matt and I were off to the side, viewing the animals, when I decided to take a picture of Shannon, my brother, and my parents looking out at the prairie. Then they spotted us!


On another day, we hiked around a small lake. There was this neat area where you could walk across stepping stones at the top of a waterfall. Matt went to take a picture of the four of us, and while he was walking away, we set up in the YMCA stance! He got a kick out of that when he turned around! We're so silly.

This one shows the waterfall:

There were tons of butterflies all over the trail. They gathered in little clumps a lot.

We had fun playing put-put golf at Maggie's Jungle Golf, and then checked out their Jungle Run, which is filled with lots of crazy animals, from emus to goats to donkeys to a camel.

I think this is an emu:


They had peacocks EVERYWHERE!!! I asked the owner how many they had and he guessed it was around 28 to 30. Crazy!

The camel liked to have food thrown in his mouth!
After the awesome weekend, my parents spent a few days in Nashville with Shannon. Then they came back to visit us for a couple of days as well. We did some shopping, lots of eating (as always!), and a little sightseeing. We stopped in at the Jim Beam distillery, and checked out the Bernheim Forest. Both are places I'd like to visit again--especially since they're just 20 minutes down the road!

I'm always thankful for time I get to spend with my family, and this week was no exception. It's great to get together and talk, experience life together, and encourage eachother in our walks with God. It's such a blessing! I wonder what we'll do next year!