2024 was one for the books—full of growth and plenty of pivots to keep up. 😵‍💫 Honestly, in this economy, I wasn’t expecting another year of expansion, but the school side of my business took off, and this little company grew another 25%. While I’m incredibly grateful, the fall was a lot. Juggling schedules (yes, my kids totally complained I had abandoned them), chasing daylight, and editing until my eyes went wonky.

So now, as things slow down, I’m channelling my energy into working on my business instead of in it. I’ve been busy streamlining (I learned how to write code!), tweaking, and generally trying to make my future self’s life easier. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned as a small business owner these last 11 years, it’s that you can never be prepared enough.

On a personal note, I wrapped up 2024 with my family on a trip to Texas and a Disney Cruise. Talk about checking off a bucket list item! (Never in my life did I think I’d be walking down cruise ship stairs and have Mickey Mouse just casually walk by me in his tuxedo. 😍). Now I’m back, refreshed, and ready for a year that promises fresh new babies, countless family moments, and even more school kids (pass the boogie wipes!).

And because numbers are my love language, here’s 2024 by the numbers:

• 2,897 students photographed
• $8,120 donated back to the community (more than I made in my first three years in business 🫣. This blows my mind.)
• 990 boogie wipes used (it’s not always glamorous)
• 4261 a-la-carte prints + 602 print packages delivered
• 47,980 photos hand-edited (so, yeah, my coffee budget tripled)
• 2,274 km driven
• 1 new camera purchased (welcome to the family, Nikon Z6iii, you’re in good company)

I’m so grateful to everyone who made this year possible. Here’s to another year!