Mr. & Mrs. Diaz | Year Three
I'll admit, I've been terrible about writing personal posts in the past year since Arturo and I have focused so much of our energy in growing Shaina Lee Photography. For a long time, I didn't think too many people would have much of an interest in our personal lives, but it turns out that our clients and readers alike enjoy learning about us and our interests just as much as we love learning about them!! I figure today's post about our third year of marriage is a wonderful way to introduce some of our new readers to the two people behind SLP as we celebrate our wedding anniversary! It will also be one of the few posts that you'll see some less-than-professional photos from my cell phone -- ha!
In the past year, we traveled to Hawaii, Florida, and Spain! Last November, we celebrated Arturo's birthday on the Big Island of Hawaii while visiting family there. I was so excited to take him on his first helicopter ride over the very active volcano, Kilauea, where we saw lava entering the Pacific Ocean and creating new land! Florida was also in our hearts as we visited more family and took my step daughters, Marisa and Delilah, to Disney World. Last August, Arturo surprised me with a trip to Spain, somewhere I'd wanted to visit since I was thirteen!! We both experienced the beauty of Europe for the first time together as we explored the amazing cities of Madrid and Barcelona. It was an experience I wouldn't trade for the world!
Getting ready to see the volcano from above!
Mad Tea Party ride in Magic Kingdom with these little ladies!
The European architecture made my jaw drop! I especially loved the Royal Palace in Madrid!
As you know, we moved into our first studio at 305 Knowlton in Bridgeport, Connecticut in late February. It was a space that Arturo and I had visited three or four years ago when one of his friends from middle school was a tenant at 305. I fell in love with the community of artists as well as the old charm of the building itself and imagined having a studio there someday. Fast forward to the evening before Valentine's Day this year, Arturo and I were in our home office chatting about some business goals we wanted to achieve over the course of 2017. His phone rang, and he excused himself from the room, so I went back to editing an engagement session until he returned to finish our conversation. When he walked in the room, he said, "I wanted to wait to surprise you tomorrow, but we have an appointment to look at some studios at 305 Knowlton on the 15th." I jumped into his arms with excitement and a bit of shock! We found the perfect space filled with natural light and moved in the following week!
The morning on Valentine's Day, Arturo surprised me once again (do you see a theme here?)!! When I woke up he handed me a card with a sweet, romantic and heartfelt message written inside, along with an illustrated Bruno Mars (one of our favorites!) Valentine that gave me a good laugh. Underneath the valentine were two pieces of paper folded up, which I realized were two tickets to a Bruno Mars concert at Barclays Center in Brooklyn that just happen to perfectly fall on our third wedding anniversary!! Once again, I was in shock! We had seen him perform just over four years ago in Pittsburgh, and my heart has been yearning for another one of his concerts ever since. Tonight we'll be celebrating our love by singing and dancing along with one of our favorite musicians and performers!
This man is definitely my travel partner, life partner, and soulmate. He continues to surprise me, keeping me on my toes as we travel through life together. Arturo, I am endlessly grateful for you, and cannot wait to see what the next year had in store for us! Happy Anniversary my love! Lots of love to you forever and always!
Wedding Photograph by HT Photo
