A New Year and a Year In Review

January 1st, 2009 - my sweet Simon and I take a walk in the forest behind our house. We were walking along to go visit our favorite spot along Robinson Creek where the water turns and the river rock rises high about the riffles. I'm rambling on about my new business - this was when I started Jessica Benton Photography. Simon was about to start his own business, Chatham Environmental Consulting, so we had a lot to talk about. 2009 looked like the year of big change for us, we were moving from the commuter lifestyle, Simon heading off to Raleigh, and me off to Elon, to working in our own town. My head was already spinning with things to do and thoughts of possible starvation.

We made it to our beautiful spot along the creek, balanced on some rocks in the middle and watched the water flow by. Simon then asked to talk to me, he started talking about our life, and our future. He then asked me to marry him! I thought about it (remember, there was a lot to think about) I started bawling, and said yes. Naturally I had to turn around and ask him the same question, which he also said yes to. Simon had spent a year and a half panning for wild gold in the surrounding waters, including in the creek we were at just then. He showed me this gold that later became the lining to my wedding band. He also pulled out my Grandmother's engagement ring, which I then wore as an engagement ring. We walked back from the creek under the beautiful blue sky and my head ached for three days solely due to being completely overwhelmed and filled with emotion.

The year naturally was very busy. I worked very hard to get my business off the ground, and with the help of family, planned a wedding that was the wedding of my dreams. My friends Steve Exum, Joey Seawell, GriffIn Davis, and Will all came out to photograph our September wedding. It was a day that I wished I could have everyone attend and that I wished would last forever! But alas, wedding days only survive in the pictures and memories.

For an entire year, I struggled about whether or not to change my name. I am a very independent person in some ways and am not of the belief that there is a "head of the household." Therefore, I wasn't sure if I should change my name. What I do know though is that Simon and I are a family now, we are committed to being together for life. If we ever have children, we want them to share the same name as us, but what would that name be? Finally, after polling all of my loved friends and family and changing my mind about ten thousand times, I decided that I could have not only three, but four glorious names. I have now officially changed my name to Jessica Massey Benton Lobdell. (To me it sounds like a queen's name!) While I was at it, I decided also to change the name of my business to Jessica Lobdell Photography.

Thank you to everyone who has made this first year of Jessica Benton Photography wonderful. I can't wait to see how 2010 and Jessica Lobdell Photography goes! Also, thank you to everyone who supported Simon and me in this important transition in life.