It’s not that I didn’t have anything to say. It’s that I couldn’t get it down or pinpoint what I wanted to say. It’s happened so much so that this post is a few days late…..being posted the second day of the new year when I wanted to see it up a few days before the end of the year. But things happen for a reason, right? I needed to find that moment still.

So off to the pier we went. We left what was a very thick and yummy game of Horse Lovers Monopoly spread out on the dinner table, to catch the first sunset of the year. The girls got ready in record time. I changed out of my pajamas (yes, it was 5:00 and I was still in my PJ’s), and actually got lucky and found a parking spot close to the pier. And off we went.

The pier was amazingly packed with people. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so full of life and activity and energy as I saw it today. And as we walked down the length of the pier, stepping out of the way of people taking pictures, kids chasing each other, fishing poles being cast, people shouting and laughing at each other I really started to feel the power of what a New Year means.

Little moments together. Special looks. Beautiful places. The light when it hits your beloved’s face. A special hug from a friend. That look he gives you. That sweet smelling hair after a bath. A caring arm around your shoulder. That special text that makes you feel remembered and appreciated. The breeze on your face. The work that is so challenging but makes you feel alive. The family that makes your head dizzy but you wouldn’t know where you would be without them.

Life is all around you and those little moments are what makes it all worthwhile. As I look back on 2011 and despite being filled with personal and professional challenges, it was a year that made me realize how happy I am in my skin and in my life and in the moment.

While very imperfect, it’s perfect for me. I’m happy with this mess of a life that I call mine. And I’m happy right now. I love where I live, what I do and the people that surround me. And my New Year’s wish is that everyone can find that perfect mess for themselves, too.

All the best and Happy New Year……Astrid and René

I went back today and re-read my December/New Year post for 2009 and so much of it rings true now a year later. We are so thankful for a year full of wonderful clients who trusted us with one of their most important days in their lives. We are thankful for having wonderful friends in the industry who are always ready to lend a hand, ear or shoulder or lens if need be! And of course, we are most thankful for our mothers, family, our children and each other. Life really is only as good as the people you have in it…..and our life is rich, rich, rich.

So we just wanted to send a big heartfelt thank you to all of our family, friends old and new and to our dear clients. Thank all of you for inspiring us, challenging us, supporting us and being in our lives! We wish all of you a prosperous, healthy, happy and successful 2011!

~ Astrid and Rene ~

As we end the year, Rene and I want to thank all of our friends, our family, and our clients for all of the support, challenges and excitement they have brought us.

Aside from our children and each other, our lives are full because of the many faceted relationships we’ve built this year. We’ve met so many new friends in the wedding industry here in Southwest Florida. New friends who have treated us as friends instead of competition and have welcomed us with open arms, great advice and a shoulder to vent, cry and laugh on! Never forget that in business as in life, if you build an island around yourself, you won’t get far. Letting our guard down has been the best thing we could have done for our business this year and we thank all of our new industry friends!

This year we’ve met beautiful brides and grooms beginning a new life together. Brides and grooms who don’t know us but yet trust us with one of the most important days of their lives. They’ve given us the opportunity to participate in a day so special, so unique and so important that for us, that in the end it’s a humbling experience. Rene and I want to thank each of you for letting us be a small part of that special day. For us there is no greater joy than hearing that our work will remain in your hearts and in your family’s hearts for generations to come.

And we’ve grown older with our families by our sides this year, too. Both Rene and I consider ourselves very, very luck to have both of our mothers here in Naples. Without them, we would not be able to do the work we do. Leaving our two girls with our mothers gives us the peace of mind we need in order to do the job we love to do. Thank you to our mothers for all the hard work they do for us and for their granddaughters. We are so lucky to have such beautiful, smart, hard-working, patient and loving mothers who serve as the very best role models for us and for our girls. We never take for granted all that you both have done for us. We love you both so much!

In the society we live in, it’s easy to forget what life is really about. The grind of daily life takes us over and we lose ourselves in work and responsibilities and the material things that so easily come in and out of our lives. For the New Year, Rene and I plan to strengthen our efforts in becoming better stewards of the Earth, stronger supporters for our friends and colleagues and even better image makers for our brides and grooms! These are no easy feats! But what does make it so obtainable a goal is that the people in our lives make it easy to want to be better.