"But when you are attracted to someone, it's because of the details...their kindness, their eyes, their smile, the fact that they can get you to laugh when you need it the most." - Unknown

Albuquerque engagement photographer - ccliberman photography

I met my husband in high school. He sat next to me in English class, was later a friend, then a boyfriend, now my partner in life and in "crime" and parenting (which might be the same thing, we're still not sure). I didn't know way back then that flirting outside a classroom on Parent's Night would change the course of my future. Or that when I imagined walking down the aisle, it would be to him. Or when I dreamed of my babies, they would look a little like me and lot like that shaggy haired guy in the bomber jacket. And that when we chatted our long chats as friends about sitting on a porch and watching kids play in the yard, it would be OUR porch and OUR kids. Our love story was a journey down a long and winding road, one that of often makes me look back and say "huh, who knew?" And in fact, most of my life has been one "huh, who knew?" after another.

Albuquerque engagement photographer - ccliberman photography

When I met Amy in college, she was a fearless and fun-loving Nebraska girl who packed up her car, her best friend and her big brother to follow her sister to school. We had good times together and know more about each other than either of us would probably care share as adults. We were casual friends. I didn't see or hear from her much after college. She got married. I ran into her once at the mall, she had just found out she was pregnant with her first son. Not long after, I ran into her again, she had just found out she was pregnant with her SECOND son. Later, I heard through the grapevine she'd gotten divorced but was doing great. So when I ran into her while I was Christmas shopping last year, the first thing I said was "are you pregnant?!" She assured me she was not, which led me to ask what big thing was going on her life. I pointed out that I only ran into her - always at the mall - when her life was about to change in a big way. She kind of shook her head and laughed, said "nothing really." I prodded her a little more, and she finally said "well, I just met this guy." And she went on to tell me about this guy with a parachute who just fell out of the clear blue Balloon Fiesta sky. She liked him, he was good to her kids, overall a really good guy...and then she told me all the reasons why he was completely wrong and it would never work...he lives in another state, blah blah. Now it was my turn to shrug, and I said "I'm not saying you have to marry him or anything, but maybe you give him a chance...I only run into when your life is about to change." I figured she might look back on the day they met in the oddest of ways and say "huh, who knew."

Albuquerque engagement photographer - ccliberman photography I did an engagement session with Amy and her new fiance Tom in January. They were still unsure about when or how they were gonna tie the knot, they laughed a lot and made me laugh. I enjoyed my time with them. When it was over I told Amy to give me a call next time she needed family pictures. So when she asked me to do a pre-wedding family shoot in March, I was a little freaked out. I don't shoot weddings. I love them. I love love stories and vows and dresses and flowers, and I especially love CAKE, but I do not love that kind of pressure. I left pressure behind with my journalism career. It took some convincing for her to get me to say "I do" to her proposal. But she assured me "no pressure," just a regular session with her in a dress and him in a suit...really, no pressure. She was completely wrong, I've never been so scared in my life. Or so exhilarated. Or had so much fun. Or been so tired and hungry when I got home. It felt a little like labor, painful but with great anticipation, and my baby was this collection of amazing pictures of an amazingly cool couple with two amazingly cool sons (both of whom might have futures as photographers, if the their great joy at playing with my camera is any indication.) And now I look back on our college days and think about how I got to be a small part of this incredibly special day, and I think ... "huh, who knew?"

Albuquerque engagement photographer - ccliberman photography So I raise my glass to Amy and Tom and make a toast in the words of George Sand, "There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved."