Live Life, Celebrate Life

This past weekend I was given the opportunity to photograph a beautiful Engagement Party for some vey close family friends that I so love and adore. We have been friends since I was a kid. In fact I babysat the soon to be groom and his brother when they were kids. Not only that but once I showed up at this event I felt right at home. Many of you know that I come from a big Italian Family. You may see a lot of photos on my Facebook or Instagram of my family because my immediate family is all I have in AZ. I never grew up with cousins or distant relatives. I have one Uncle that lives in Arizona who is the coolest guy you will ever meet and sing just like Frank Sinatra. I had one set of Grandparents on my mothers side who lived in Arizona as well. My grandfather passed when I was in Jr. High and my grandmother passed when I was in college. Eventually my other set of Grandparents on my father side moved to Arizona and I was able to spend many precious years with them too before they passed. Originally with family being from Italy most of our family migrated primarily to the Chicago, IL area and to Canada. Thankfully my mom worked for the airlines so growing up we traveled a lot. My sisters and I LOVED Summer vacations. It never failed the night before a big trip us sisters wouldn’t be able to sleep because we were so excited to go see family. When we returned home from our trips my parents would hear endless cries that were more like sobbing as if we were mourning a death. OH BOY! Did we ever pile on every kind of guilt trip you could imagine as to why we had to leave and why, OH WHY, Did you make us grow up in Arizona??!! Oh goodness it was awful. Just thinking about it I have to say I’m so sorry mom and dad. But I know my sisters would probably say “nope we aren’t sorry," LOL! We still have our moments trust me. Just last week my sisters and I were talking about our childhood memories visiting family and no joke we were all in tears. 

But somehow, someway my parents made a way to integrate the Italian culture even though we were FAR from it living it the sunny state of AZ. We attended lots of Italians gatherings and had a lot of friends we called Aunts and Uncles and their family we would call our family. If you know anything about the Italian culture you know we do everything BIG! The food is a BIG, our music is a BIG, the memories we create are a BIG, which makes our celebrations VERY BIG, which then leads to the LOVE we feel, express and give is VERY BIG too. To people we might sound like we are yelling at each other but all that is, is the passion we have to LOVE so BIG that we just can't help but to yell and sometimes YES when there is a disagreement that breaks out you better believe there is some REAL YELLING going on too, haha! There is no shame in hiding or expressing our feelings. 

Every culture has something we gotta work on right, haha!    

I say all this to express the joy I felt attending and capturing this beautiful engagement party. It felt like home to me, the minute I walked through the doors people I didn't even know were greeting me with hugs and kisses and even the soon to be Brides Nonna starts speaking to me in Italian. I would just smile and node my head just the way I used to do with my grandmother and what was so great is she even did what my grandmother used to do, she would grab my face and think the world of me too, lol! I left with my heart filled to the max and the minute I walked out of those doors I called my mom and went straight to my parents house to give them a hug. I know family is something not everybody has nor do you stay on good terms with. Trust me we have plenty of that in our family too. But can I just say no matter who you call family make time to hold them close. If you have kids teach them the essence of what Family looks like and teach them to celebrate life, food, people and culture in a healthy and beautiful way. It may be foreign to you or it may be very close to you. Either way I encourage you to discover it and create it today. We can all learn from each others ways and see culture and diversity as a beautiful thing. So, today I am happy to share my beautiful culture with you along with some very beautiful people that have worked so hard to be where they are today. 

Meet Evan and Erika, they have been dating each other for nine years. Over Christmas Break Evan propose to Erika in the beautiful Napa Valley, CA.

Evan Graduated from ASU with a four year degree in Criminal Justice with moving onto one year in the Police Academy. Erika has a Masters in Speech Pathology from ASU, and studied abroad three different summers in Italy. To see their family and friends come along side them, support them and now celebrate them was a very beautiful thing to witness.

All the food and pastries you see was all made from scratch even down to the herbs and lemons straight from the backyard and much much more. I shot over 500+ images and somehow narrowed it down to 230+ but here on the blog I am sharing as many as I can with you. This celebration was one to remember and I hope as you look through these pictures you are inspired to celebrate life, share life and create one beautiful life to live. 

Thank you Brenda for this wonderful opportunity to allow me to capture a very special moment in your family's life. Evan and Erika I will always and forever remember this beautiful celebration. What a beautiful life you have ahead of you. Wishing you the very best.  

And Nonna thanks for making snagging me away to capture this sweet moment with you. I felt my grandparents smiling down at me this evening and it felt like home.  

Why I Love This Time of Year...NOW

Why do I love this time of year NOW? 

Because I remember all the years I didn't enjoy it. I mean there were aspects around this time of year that I did enjoy but for the most part when this time of year rolled around, let's be honest, I didn't enjoy it. Our schedules were bombarded with an immense amount of duties. From one event after another, from one party to the next, family time was clouded with other priorities, readjusting the actual celebration of Christmas was missed due to an overloaded career that YES we chose but also when I think back our whole life was twisted in every which way. The lifestyle we had caused a lot of friction not only in my family but it trickled down into our extended families. Celebrating Christmas with my family and my husband's family was honestly not pleasant. It was stressful. I can ramble on and on but when I go to post pictures about my family I understand how it can appear as though life is just honky dory. 

What is easily ignored is how hard of a fight it has been to create what "family" actually looks like on both sides. Pictures and social media is funny like that. So can I just say it has been quite the journey to NOW be able to post an honest and real photo of happiness, this is pretty neat. 

This happiness I am talking about is why I believe we actually celebrate Christmas. It's not to gain more presents or things or to set new goals to hopefully obtain. It is simply to celebrate a life that was born that truly changed every ounce of why we are here. It's about a life that we should take time to honor. Realizing that we all have a responsibility as to why this time of year is enjoyable or not is simply up to us. Either we create what this season is all about or we allow a million other things to cloud our mind with filtered unrealistic thoughts that detour us only away from what the true meaning of Christmas is. This season can bring a lot of heart ache, it can cause emotions to rise up about the ones that are no longer with us, it can cause us to look at everything we don't have or are unable to give. Can I just say I get it. All of those thoughts and emotions are so normal. I think we should sit around a table and think of those we miss, talk about them, remember them. I think we should think about what we don't have and be grateful for what we do have. This time or year does not always bring happiness but it sure does remind us of a high power that is much greater than us. Even if that higher power is Santa at the moment hey that's a start. He is good and jolly, he is magical and fun. But the greatest gift of all is Jesus in my life. He is my higher power and my savior. He saved me and my family from a lot and now during this season I am reminded about how he truly turned my life around. We've taken some time as a family to not partake in the busyness this season brings BUT to enjoy it as a family because there was a time we never were able too and now we get to and for that I am grateful. 

My friends whatever this season may look like for you know that the very one who saved you is with you. You may not know it yet but I strongly believe He wants you to know He is there. Jesus was born for you and for me to save and to heal, to restore and to mend, to bring life and not death. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

 I just want to say I love you Jesus and Happy Birthday to you. 

This time of year I truly enjoy because of you. 

WAKE UP AMERICA

Last time I checked a man or a woman does not dictate how I wake up in the morning regardless of his or her position, power or control. 

Although, I do remember a time in my life where men and woman did dictate pretty much the way I lived my life, my beliefs and my responses. How did that happen? Well, I allowed it. I cared so much about what those men and woman said. I put all my hope and trust in them. I tried living my life up to the standards that were portrayed on a platform setting and not in an everyday life setting. The limelight of their world out shined mine. So much so that I took on their characteristics, the way they talked, dressed and lived. Therefore, I forgot who I was. I didn't know my value and I didn't know my place and I didn't even know my own home. I had forgotten my roots and took on a very prideful way of living where I thought my thoughts, my beliefs and responses were all right and true. I thought I was living an amazing life until I lost everything in my life. 

Sometimes I think it takes loosing something for our eyes and ears to be open to really see and hear the environment we have chosen to live in for what it really is and not for we wished and hoped it would be. I wish it didn't have to take a loss, or a lost battle, or life altering situations to determine these things, but in reality that's just the way life goes sometimes. 

If I have learned anything from my own experience just a few short years ago, that is to NOT repeat that cycle of my life ever again. Now, I can feel a man or woman's control and I can feel any kind of limelight put on a person and, quite frankly, I HATE it with every ounce of my human existence. Maybe one day I will find a happy medium again, but for now this is where I am at and this is what I have seen taken place in our world today with this presidential election. We have placed a man and a woman in the limelight that is outshining who we are as human beings and we are forgetting very quickly that we have all been here before. Our life is not held in the parties that we vote for, but we are acting as though they are. My kids will not be conformed by a man or woman because neither party is raising them. I am, and my husband is. My job, my income, where I live, where I visit, my friends, my family does not fall on the weight of politics, but on the weight of the love I choose to give. Last I recall every presidential election was ALWAYS a big deal and so what makes this one any different? NOTHING! Why? Because it's another human being that will be in office for 4-8 years and guess what? We will be moving on to the next election. 

It's my job as an American Citizen to stay constant and consistent in my world. The job I've been given is my job and no one else's. If I want to make money, I make it. If I want to teach my kids to love or hate, forgiveness or resentment then I will teach them. One thing I must remember is my actions speak much louder than my words. It's up to me to do my due diligence and play a part in this world just like you do too. 

If you feel like you lost in this election I am very sorry. I know what it is like to loose and it is very painful. But I also know what comes after pain, and that is there comes SO much beauty. I pray your eyes and ears will be open to see and hear that your true responsibilities are not in the arms of Donald Trump or if this was switched around they would not be held in the arms of Hillary Clinton either. I also pray that the beauty you receive is knowing who you are and what a difference you make in this world. 

I will ask you the same question I asked myself today when I woke up. “Am I still the same person I am when I went to bed after I heard who was president or did I wake up a different person?” 

My response was YUP! I am still Gina Dobmeier and YUP! I am still a mom and a wife. I made my kids breakfast, I packed them their lunch, took them to school, picked them up from school, took them to dance class, fixed dinner and in between all that got some work done, encountered great people with a smile on my face and loved on the people that I was able to love on today. HECK! I might even have sex with my husband tonight too (yes I just said that) and guess what? No woman or man can stop me from doing ANY of these everyday things. And I most certainly bet you woke up as the same person too. 

When we take a step away from the promises of a "MAN" or a "WOMAN" then those promises won't matter or dictate our life or the way we respond or the way we wake up day to day. Living and thinking this way is what makes a difference and this is what creates change. Everything we do starts within the home. So why not start there. WAKE UP AMERICA IT IS UP TO US, WHAT WILL YOU DO? And WHAT WILL YOU CHOOSE? BE THE CHANGE, it all starts with me and you. Reality check: Our kids will follow, they are watching and listening.  

With Love,