Melanie Swan Photo

Well, we did it. We have officially moved! Let me tell you, it was a loooooong time in coming. At the end of October, Rich and I unpacked in a new city just outside of San Antonio, Texas. That’s right. We aren’t actually in the city. We’re country folk now. If I’m lucky, every now and then at night I can hear an owl hooting, and if I’m up early enough I can hear roosters crowing and cows mooing. At first it was a bit strange for this city girl, but I love it (as long as the less appealing animal/insect life stays under control)!!

We enjoyed hosting Thanksgiving in our new home (surrounded by boxes yet to be unpacked, of course), and then spent a very quiet Christmas together, just the two of us. We are immeasurably blessed.

To my Dallas area clients, you will still get as much of my attention as you want! I plan to travel to Dallas fairly often to meet with clients and potential clients, so don’t let my change in location stop you from contacting me! And, of course, I’m excited to build a San Antonio clientele as well. There are SO many great locations in the San Antonio area for weddings and portraits! I’m excited to make use of them (and already have)!

All of my contact info. remains unchanged. I can be reached by phone at 817-975-8341 and email at melanie@melanieswanphoto.com.

I hope that you are all enjoying a blessed Christmas season!

Rich and I in front of the Alamo the day after Thanksgiving. Taken by my sister-in-law.

Friends – I’ve been a gone a long time here, mostly for reasons too numerous to name. BUT, all is well. No worries on that front! You may think my absence here means I haven’t been shooting, but you’re mistaken!! My cameras, lenses, flashes, etc. have remained my close friends and traveling companions throughout the summer and fall! And I PROMISE to post some of the images taken during that time.

But not today. Instead, can I just talk? I’ve been thinking a lot, and for the most part I always come around to how thankful I am to God for….well, pretty much everything. The good things and the bad. It is always a struggle for me to reach a point of thankfulness when it concerns something that is painful, or difficult, or just not to my liking. My human nature is selfish, controlling, and rather demanding. And I get angry when I don’t get what I want, when I’m not in control, and when my “demands” aren’t met. But when I actually stop and reflect on my life, I am forced to realize that the times in my life when I get exactly what I want and feel supremely in control….aren’t necessarily the happiest. I would venture to say it is a false sense of happiness, and generally very meaningless.

Instead, I’m happiest when I allow God to be in control, trusting Him for the best, and accepting that I may not always get what I want. And that is HARD. But it is also SO necessary and SO much more fulfilling.

During this Christmas season, I AM thankful. I’m thankful for a hard-working husband, a home, loving friends and family, an anointed church home, and each thing in my life that is difficult…because each of those things is refining me.

His mercies are new every morning….  Lamentations 3:22-23