My year in photos

Today kicks off Think Kit, for which I'll be attempting to blog on a new assigned topic every day in December. Go here to find out more. It's never too late to jump in and sign up too, if it sounds like something you would enjoy.

I couldn't pick just one photo to encapsulate my year, but I was able to settle on these two:

This picture was taken from the edge of the property my wife Abby and I purchased this year. I never imagined I was actually going to buy a house, let alone one with this much space and potential. I had been opposed to it for years, mainly because I was afraid of the commitment and financial responsibility. But I finally pushed some fears aside, paid attention when Abby told me we could handle it, and took a leap of faith. I love this house and property. It's taking some getting used to, but it's everything I ever wanted in a place to live. And I can't wait to see what happens with it in coming years!

And it's going to seem vain I know, but this one is me on the cover of NUVO, for a feature story about the work I've done with Musical Family Tree this year. I'm not just including this picture because I'm so proud to be on the cover (I'm actually kind of self-conscious about having my face posted all over town like it was); there are a few deeper reasons that this picture is important to me.

First of all, the photo  was taken in our yard at the new house - again, one of the biggest decisions I made in 2012. That's also significant because it means we plan to stay in Indianapolis for a long time - another big decision. Next, the story tied in with my job, which has been an incredible experience in some really unexpected ways. I feel like I've gone through a lot of personal growth this year, and a lot of it had to do with becoming the director of MFT. Finally, this picture matters to me because I'm holding one of my guitars. Music has always been important to me, but this year it became my "reason for being" more than ever before (even though I probably performed and composed less music than I have in a long time). But I still love making music, listening to it, and promoting it as part of my job, and this pic reminds me that it's a central part of who I am.

And well, since I kinda already did more than I needed to for this post, I'll throw in one more photo that makes me know this was another awesome year to be alive. I sure love this lady:

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This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Today’s prompt: “Your year in photos. Did one photo encapsulate your year? Maybe it takes a gallery. Go out and take a new one that represents your year if you need to. Let’s see those photos.”