First off, I wanted to share that I moved all my photos to Smugmug (bryanwebb.smugmug.com). From Facebook, to Google Photos, to Flickr, every single album I’ve shared since 2013 will be found there.

It was quite the undertaking, but I think it will serve clients, friends and family, and myself well moving forward. And now…onto my year in review.

New Home

Purchasing a home was not on my agenda at the beginning of the year. It was on the back of my mind, especially since my roommate and I decided not to renew our apartment lease, but I didn’t think it would happen. That all changed when my parents and Ashley’s parents gave us their blessings to look for a home together. In the blink of an eye, we found a townhouse and were signing a contract. It really was a hectic time, and there were some doubts, but everything worked out and we absolutely love the place.

The Proposal

During the home buying process, another thing was going on in the background (well…Ashley’s background). In March, I started looking at engagement rings and in May, I finally had one in my possession. Note: Checking your bank account after buying a house and engagement ring almost simultaneously is not a fun time.

Planning the proposal went surprisingly smoothly. I knew I wanted to do it on a vacation, and our first trip of the year was to Boston/Maine. I found the spot I wanted to do it at (in Acadia National Park) and called up Reed to see if he wanted to be a part of the proposal.

Of course, nothing really goes as planned and we had to navigate through some obstacles while we were in Acadia. Weather was brutal and finding a break in the rainstorms was starting to get bleak. On the second to last day there, the clouds cleared up for a few hours and the plan was a go. The next obstacle was finding the proposal spot. What we though was going to be a brisk walk turned into a 30-min hike straight up a mountain. Just when I was about to call it quits on the day, Reed pushed forward and found the spot. The sun was quickly going down, so I called Ashley over and we did it!

Other Highlights

Purchasing a new home and getting engaged were the two biggest milestones of the year, but there were many other highlights I was able to capture through my camera lens:

• My dad retired from teaching

• One of my best friends, Kevin Yawger, got engaged

• Ashley’s best friend graduated from pharmacy school

• Ashley and I were able to visit Vegas and spend time with Lindsy and Austin

• Ashley’s family traveled to Disney World (Dominic’s first time there)

• I organized an inaugural golf trip with my friends

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