We're Moving! | Kelsey & Nate Move to Forest, Virginia

I’m not sure what the bigger news is: that I blogged, or that we’re moving to Virginia. 

Still, it’s appropriate to give both of those things their moment. *Celebratory pause for blogging* and now, on to Virginia. 

Saying goodbye to our house in Charlotte after we walked through it and bawled our eyes out from the memories.

The Backstory

Near the end of 2020, with Nate’s job at Till Agency being completely remote and my continuous travel to VA for weddings and photographing family and engagement  sessions, we re-evaluated our life in Charlotte and asked “what’s keeping us here?” 

I mean there’s incredible benefits of living in a major metropolitan area. We’re in the midst of 7 different Targets, 5 movie theaters, 2 Trader Joes, and 1 international airport. However, the main reason we’re in Charlotte right now is because of family. Which, by the way, is a good enough reason to move/stay anywhere and that principle happens to be part of our family values. So why the move then?

Because, another part of living out our values is creating a habitat for our family, for our children to grow and thrive. A safe haven for them and others needing respite to experience peace and refreshment. We’re constantly fighting to be intentional and unhurried in a culture that promotes busyness. To help combat our own inclination for busy, we want to live in an environment that aids in deep breaths and togetherness. We know this will not only help our children, but our marriage and family thrive in this season. Even more, it sets us up to give to others what cannot be bought — peace, rest, restoration, and love. 

In short, our current location and space isn’t as conducive for us to live out these values in this season. I hope it’s clear that this isn’t what everyone should do right now. Heck, we won’t always occupy the space we’re moving into because our next step after this is to find land (like lannnnnd) and build. But this is what benefits us most in this season; just like North Carolina did these past 4 years.

We’ve been out and about for a month and visted Sarah Pascutti and she grabbed these treasured photos on Sullivan’s Island.

SO. We’re moving to Forest, VA into an already redone 1880’s farmhouse on the most beautiful, peaceful, and still 2 acres. The cows are our neighbors and I’ve imagined our kids climbing in and playing under the giant weeping willow and running down the tree-lined driveway. We also have a vision for how to make the space our own and I’m honestly excited for those projects. Aside from the house itself, there are mountains there -- “Hills” for my West Coast Friends -- which are incredibly grounding for me. (Don’t worry, still an Anna Maria Island beach girl at heart forever and ever. and ever.) AND we have community. It’s been 4 years since we moved from our Downtown Lynchburg Loft to NC and our community is still strong there -- another incredible treasure that cannot be bought. Lastly, Kelsey & Nate is still rooted in VA and I cannot TELL you how excited I am to keep growing our business, serve more families & couples, and use our property for photo locations. 

gIDEON rain & afton Mercy — we were privileged to bring both babies home to our first house

Afton at 2 weeks old and again at 2 years old celebrating a pandemic birthday while waiting for her brother to be born

Some General Q & A’s

Will we miss our family?
Are tankless hot water heaters the best? If you don’t know, you’ve never had one and I can’t answer this question without crying.

Will we ever visit North Carolina?
Absolutely. We still have family, weddings, friends, family, counselors, an airport, Madewell, fave restaurants, and did I mention family there? Right now I’m driving on 29N at least once a month so we’ll just flip that and reverse it. 

Can you take our photos?
HECK YES. I’d love to. Contact me here and let’s get you set up!

Can we visit you?
Again, heck tankless hot water heaters yes. We’ll be adding onto the house after we move in so we’ll have a completed and separate guest space for you. Another one of our values is hosting so having a place for you is v important to us. 

How did you find this slice of heaven house?
Through our incredible realtor & friend Johanna Calfee. We’ve known Johanna for years and even traveled with her to Thailand to do photo/video work for Freedom 424. When you go around the world with someone, you get to know them pretty well so it was an easy decision to work with her to find this amazing place that never went on the market -- that’s how good she is.

Well friends, if you live in Virginia, we’ll most likely be seeing you soon. Mainly because there’s one Target. If you have more questions, drop them below and I’ll answer!

Much Love, 

Kelsey & Nate, Afton & Gideon, & Henry

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Annnnd Baby Schwenk is a ... | Charlotte, North Carolina | Film Photographer

Nate moved to Charlotte and I stayed in Lynchburg for a couple weeks wrapping things up before heading to Chicago via Richmond for #Hamilton.

The DAY before I left Richmond I found out I was pregnant. That Sunday morning -- just me and Henry in our empty, but dearly loved downtown loft. I cried in disbelief when I saw the positive test and then disbelief turned into wonder. (Read why here). Obviously I had to tell Nate asap...so I facetimed Kathryn. I knew Nate would be working that morning and I couldn't just text him. I figured this was the type of news you tell your husband, the father to your growing baby, in person. Kathryn and I brainstormed ways to get to me charlotte and back in one day but nothing was feasible. So I lived the longest week of my life (eating the best pizza and fulfilling my broadway dreams with my friend Sarah) and planned for how I would tell Nate when I arrived in North Carolina.

Every year we pick out an ornament that represents a special memory from that year. So I let Nate know I had found the perfect ornament in Chicago aka Hallmark online. It was a rocking horse that said “Baby’s First Christmas 2018.”

I knew it was important to Nate to capture this news on video. He had been veeeeeery clear about that. So I schemed with Kathryn and Drew and they got Nate to set-up his own video equipment under the guise that he’d be recording something for them. So as the video begins, that’s where you find us. Sitting on the couch pretending to be Drew and Kathryn so they could see the video frame and approve the crop. And it worked like magic.

As for the gender, thanks to SneakPeek, we found out at 9 weeks was baby Schwenk was. We received an e-mail, had Drew print it, and place the results in an envelope for us to open. And well, we’re excited. Thank you friend for being part of our journey. Our baby is already loved by so many - we could never begin to adequately thank you.

So, were you surprised? Any suggestions for me now that we know? We welcome any and all tips and advice!

We're Pregnant! | Charlotte, North Carolina | Film Photographer

Photo by Halee b photography | Film School '17

Remember when we moved to Charlotte/Slash when Nate moved to North Carolina and I joined him two weeks later? Well I found out I was pregnant when I was still in Lynchburg. RIGHT before I was flying out of Richmond to spend a week in Chicago.

We’ll story-tell later on how I kept the news from Nate for a whole week and how I ended up telling him – spoiler alert, it’s all on video. For now, though, we’re excited to share this miraculous gift with you and we’ve answered some commonly asked questions below!

How far along are you/when are you due?
15 weeks today! | April 10, 2018.

How are you feeling?
Well there’s a good dose of extra hormones coursing through my body which makes me feel things even more deeply than I already do. Navigating them has been new for both me and Nate and he’s handled both of us like a champ. As far as straight-up sickness, I have some off days/moments where I’ll feel incredibly nauseas but won’t throw-up. You know, the pain without the relief. And sometimes I get reaaaaaaal tired. I like to describe it as if you drank a whole bottle of NyQuil and you’re ready to fall asleep for three days but, surprise!, it’s daytime and you have to function. My sense of smell has turned into a superpower and poor, sweet Nate has had to change body wash 5 different times.

While I want to share what my experience is like, know that I’m not complaining about this child. I have friends living far harder stories with miscarriages and infertility battles and my heart is for them and their families. As well, I get the privilege of automatic perspective living with my sister Kathryn who has HG and my pregnancy is nothing near what she’s experiencing.

Will you find out what you’re having?
Actually, we already know. Thanks to our friends at Sneak Peek, we’ve known since I was 9 weeks (Which is Craaaaaazy). We’ll be sharing the gender of Baby Schwenk soon. And you guessed it, it’s on video!

Will you still be shooting weddings?
Um, Absolutely! This little baby has already been to 6 weddings, multiple family sessions, and had a root canal...okay that was just me. We’ll continue doing families sessions as well as The Ordinary Workshop in early 2018. I will take some time after the baby is here but I’m open for Pre-Spring, Summer and Fall 2018. So hit me up here to get your date on the calendar!

Wait, I thought you couldn’t have children?
Honestly, we didn’t think we could either. Shortly after we got married I learned I had an allergy to the protein in the semenal plasma. In short, an allergy to sperm. With this diagnosis we assumed it would be painful on my part to have kids but it could still happen. However, after meeting with specialists in Charlottesville, we learned that my body literally would not let an egg become fertilized – that it would self-sabotage to protect me from something it saw as harmful. There were a couple medical intervention options we could try but we decided to hold off for a while. So while we were trying and praying that getting pregnant could/would happen, we were still shocked, stunned, and overjoyed that it actually did.

If you have any other questions, drop them below! We're excited for this new season and even the unknowns that it brings. Thank you so much for being part of our community -- online or in person. You're part of the celebration and that makes it more full for us.

So much love, Kelsey, Nate, #ourdoghenry, and baby. 

So, We're Moving!

We’re moving to Charlotte, North Carolina.

We didn’t expect this to happen so fast so we’re sad about the things we didn’t even realize we’d miss. It’s like even though hearing people chew is my NUMBER one pet peeve (To the point where I get angry), I find myself saying, “Lynchburg, I don’t care if you chew with your mouth open, I still love you!”

Yesterday Nate and I talked about how there wasn’t time to mentally prepare for all of our “lasts” here. That if we had known that it was our last time at the Market, our last snow day, the last time our community group met, or the last time enjoying our favorite meals with friends then we would’ve savored those times more. But maybe there’s a sneaky lesson in there – not the cliché live every moment like it’s your last – but live in every moment because that’s where joy is found. In the ordinary moments that are so familiar, they are often overlooked. When we learn to embrace, pause, and welcome them, we’re freed up to live in joy.

Lynchburg is all our marriage has known. I mean we moved 2 days after we got married! Lynchburg is where we grew our business – where we met incredible #kncouples and were privileged to celebrate the start of their marriages. It’s where #ourdoghenry joined our family. It’s where people we love live.

The great news is that Charlotte is the ONLY airport that Lynchburg flies to aaaaand if you play your cards right, you might get stuck there. Now, you’ll have a friend to call when you do.

When are you leaving?
Okay take a deep breath with me. We’re leaving tomorrow – as in Saturday. Nate starts his new job on Monday so as soon as this post is up, I’m going to finish packing the kitchen.

That’s not enough time?!
I KNOW. But we’re still okay with it. It’s been about 10 days since we were 80% moving and 5 since we were 100%. If we had any doubts that this isn’t what we’re supposed to be doing, I would protest. But we know that we know that we know that this is our next step.

Will you be back?
You can’t keep us away from this little slice of off-highway heaven. Again, people we love live here and we still have sessions and weddings all over Virginia. AND there’s a workshop that I’m over the moon excited about.

Will you still run your business here?
Absolutely! Since I have sessions, I’ll be back up for a week at a time until December. So my “goodbye” is drawn out and I’m okay with that. We’ll still service Virginia (Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, DC) while expanding to Charlotte. SO – if you know people in Charlotte, start sending them our way!

And The Ordinary Workshop?
So glad you asked! It’s still happening and you can early-bird it and sign-up here!

Where will you be living?
We’re moving in with our favorite 16-month-old, Linus. My sister Kathryn and her husband Drew have so graciously opened their home to us while we search for a new #schwenkspace. This makes transitioning so much easier because we’re not forced to reactionary buying. It also means that we get to be a part of Linus’ growing up and that is invaluable. We’re also looking for renters to take over the best loft right on Lynchburg’s Main Street – you can e-mail me here if you’re seriously looking!

What will you be doing?
I’ll still be doing this! Families, couples, weddings, and film photography – that won’t change! We’ll still do wedding films (as in video) as well! Nate will be working full-time at Elevation church managing the social media for Elevation Worship. I’m incredibly excited and proud of him as he continues to grow his gifting and passion for communications and marketing.

And finally, why Charlotte?
Because it’s the happiest place on earth! Just kidding – that’s the beach. We knew we wanted to stay on the East Coast because being close to family is a priority for us no matter where that is. (Check out this article that solidified our thoughts last year) Moving further north was not an option because winter. We wanted to still be able to service VA with our business and live close to an international airport. When Kathryn and Drew moved to Charlotte, we already knew eventually we would make our way down to the Carolinas. I just never thought it would be this soon.

I’ve felt the feelings in a week I normally feel in a month; so if you catch me tearing up, you know why. We’re excited, incredibly hopeful, slightly overwhelmed with packing up our loft that we’ve loved so much, sad, and confident. We’re confident that this is our next step and new home. And really Charlotte isn’t that far…from anywhere because there’s an airport that has more than one airline which will be one thing we will NOT miss.

So if you’re reading this, chances are we love you and are grateful for you investing in our lives and we’ll see you soon.

Much Love,

Kelsey, Nate & Henry.