We’ve moved!!! (As told by ‘A Christmas Story’)

Merry Christmas, everyone!!! Tis’ the season, so for my blog post announcement today, I will be festively narrating via
A Christmas Story, a.k.a. one of my favorite movies of all time! I feel a little like Ralphie writing his C+ theme, may the words pour from my penny pencil…

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About two years ago, we found out we would be moving away from our adoptive home of Stevens Point back down to the Milwaukee area where both Zac and I grew up. We were both dreaming of what our new adventure would bring yet we knew we would miss life in Point, our home and the wonderful community that we happily chose as ours after college.

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Even though for roughly six months out of the year you have to dress like Randy, we love it up here!

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We ran toward our new life:

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(I’m really trying to work in a shot of Scut Farkus and Grover Dill, but we didn’t have any bullies chasing us out.)

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We lived life for a while in a little town just north of the city, trading tall pines for Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan was beautiful, but I really missed those tall pines. Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf…

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Fast-forward to this fall. Life threw us a wonderful, surprising turn-of-events, and we got an opportunity we could not pass up that would take us back up to Point! We felt like the Old Man getting his telegram about his major award. Hot damn’ it’s comin’ tonight, tonight:

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“Fra-gil-e…it must be Italian!” (Again, in no way relates but I must obviously include.)

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I am fortunate to have the business I do in that it’s not really affected by where I’m physically located. Point is where I started my business seven years ago and began driving all over our gorgeous state of Wisconsin for weddings, so back-to-Point just means a little more driving for this girl again! Not a problem. Unless I get a flat…oh fuuuuuudddggeeee.

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A-Christmas-Story-Carly-McCray_Photography_madison_wedding_photographer_18*Please note, this has never happened to me.

My clients are so sensational. They didn’t even bat an eye when I told them we were relocating back to Central Wisconsin…all I received were the kindest notes of, “Of course you are! Congratulations!!” and “We are so, so happy for you and your family!” They know me. No decoding needed!

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That’s why I am so grateful for each and every one of the people I work with and have worked with. I mean that. They are amazing, really. Not at all like a crummy commercial. Son-of-a-bitch…

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Our friends and family have been very supportive too. When we told everyone we were moving back, no one looked at us like the “I like the Wizard of Oz” kid. He’s super-weird.

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And I wasn’t lying on my Facebook Page. I really do have so many more photos to post from this fall. It’s ridiculous. They are filled with people in love and happy families. The good stuff. It’s been killing me. I haven’t gone colorblind. (This one is a stretch, but I love that line. Zac and I fight about color more than is normal.)

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Our time away has had its highs and lows. We had a lot of fun at points, and we had times where I wanted to beat the proverbial sh*t out of life. Who hasn’t at some point? Coming back up without a very special dog has been the hardest part.

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Most days now though, it’s been like snow on Christmas morning:

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Not a pink nightmare:

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Thank you Santa, this is already shaping up to be a fantastic Christmas and new beginning!

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You still with me? Don’t let the Bumpass hounds get your turkey while you’re distracted, before you can get worms.

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“Deck the hollls with barws of horry, fa-ra-ra-ra-raaa, ra-ra-ra-ra”

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“No, not ‘Fa-ra-ra,’ ‘La-la-la’!”

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I hope you’re still smiling at this. Thank you for indulging me.

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Merry Christmas, Everyone! From our family to yours! Now if someone could just help us find that perfect house…

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Holy crap, I almost forgot!

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Don’t shoot your eye out.

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“Wow, that’s great.”

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* All of this greatness in imagery is copyright Warner Bros. and MGM (I think)…though I wish I could have somehow dreamed this movie up. It delights me far more than should be allowed.

Milwaukee Lifestyle Photography | Zoe on Film

My girl, a roll of Fuji 400H, and a good spot of light on one of our last long summer days!

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Our sweet Chomper

I don’t know where to begin writing this. I don’t want to say it out loud because it makes it real.

This past week we unexpectedly had to send Chomper back to heaven. She was only seven years old.

Chomper lived life to the absolute fullest, at a 110% high-octane level. She was so full of spirit and zest for life, and was equally full of zest and love for our family.

She had her own voice, numerous catch-phrases and endless nicknames. Chomp, Chompooz, Pooz, Poozie, Baby Pootie, Baby Beefers, The Beef, Beouf…the list goes on. She had an under bite and she’d always have her ‘two toofers’ hanging out. She was pure white (and 100% pure beef) with only a black stumpy tail, and as she got older she got more and more black spots all over her skin. We’re pretty sure she was half pig. When she’d start out barking quietly, it sounded like she was saying, “beouf…beouf…” She honked instead of whined. She thought of herself as ‘the coolest dog who ever lived.’ She pretended to be so tough, yet was widely known as the nurse as she cared for our kids unconditionally. She was Zoe and Gray’s best friend. She was our extreme cuddler. (Everything she did was extreme.) She was Parker’s obnoxious yet devoted little sister and best friend. She was the project manager, always at our sides no matter what we were working on. She was our flight risk and went on quite a few adventures around our neighborhoods. She would chew her Nylabones down to shanks and hide them in her kennel. She was always on the hunt for a good snooze and a patch of sun. She was our bed-warmer. Our pillow-smasher. Our dog-dreamer.

She was always underfoot…specifically mine. She was my shadow, my assistant, and my caretaker. When I was pregnant, she napped wedged between my swollen legs. She tried to tell me I was having twins long before I knew by honking at me for hours beginning at 3 p.m. daily. She cuddled me through my postpartum. She got little white hairs everywhere. She was the coolest dog that ever lived. She’s made us laugh so hard and brought us so much happiness.

These are just a few shots from our daily life–snapshots, cell phone pictures, and a few Instagrams. The kinds of moments I’ll truly miss the most…hanging around the house together. Her puppy pictures are packed; here’s a picture-of-a-picture of Puppy Pooz:

Our sweet Chomper, always one ear up, one ear down…

Two toofers:

Snack Pooz:

Cuddle Pooz:

Project manager, sleeping on the job:

Nurse Pooz:

Boppy Pooz:

Lookin’ tough:

Making shanks:

How I will always picture her, bounding full-speed, full-throttle, full of life and pure joy and making me smile:

Last week she got a fluke injury while roughhousing with Parker, and lost use of her back half. Choosing to relieve her pain was one of the hardest things both Zac and I have ever had to do. I don’t know as if I’ll ever wrap my head around how quickly things happened and that I won’t get to squeeze her face anymore. We will miss her forever. Her uneven ears…black lips…two toofers…little paws…all of her spots, and that little black tail. I am a pretty private person and try not to get too personal on my blog , but I want everyone to know how awesome Chomper was and what an amazing life she lived! I want to celebrate her as best I can and as she deserves, and I wanted to share a peek into the life of Pooz. The Coolest Dog that Ever Lived.

My heart is so broken. We love you so much, Chomper. We know you’re with us every day in a different version now. I know we’ll laugh again soon enough in your honor…we all miss you like crazy.

 

Est. 2007

Carly is a light + airy Wisconsin wedding photographer specializing in intimate weddings throughout Lake Geneva, Door County + beyond...

PH: 715.630.5449