Sweet Summer

Monday during my lunch break I slipped over to the Robin Starr SPCA, not far from where I worked at the Science Museum in Richmond.

I was looking for a dog.  We just didn’t have the time to devote to training a puppy, and for that matter, were hardly ever home together.  Robby was then a night shift manager, and I was working regular hours plus some evenings for events.  Generally our paths crossed in the early morning hours and on weekends.

This meant I was home alone most evenings – which is uncomfortable anyway, but it was also rural with no one within yelling distance.

My trip to the shelter on Monday was unsuccessful.  There were a few older dogs, but none that felt like a good fit.

I left my number with a friend who worked there and asked her to call me if she met someone who she felt could be a match.

She called on Thursday.

“Come get your dog,” she said.

I left work early and headed that way – NO idea what was waiting for me there.  I was lead to a visit-room with a bench and told to wait – they would bring her to me.

When the door opened, Summer came charging in and right up to my lap.  She threw her paw up on my leg and looked right in my face as if to say – “high five! – now let’s get out of here.”

We hung out all of five minutes, but I knew she was the one.  I signed papers and promised I would be the best caregiver I could possibly be – and while she was a bit overweight, I could tell I had big shoes to fill.

As I read her history, I learned she was five years old, her owner had recently passed away and a neighbor had brought her to the shelter.  She had a good bill of health (besides the weight thing) and one of the friendliest personalities I had ever met.  She was used to being loved.

Brother Oliver, Summer, 2010

And evidently, quite comfortable in a vehicle.

I bought a new leash and collar (with lighthouses, because I thought that fit “Summer,” which was her given name and the one she recognized) and we headed out to the parking lot.

I opened the passenger side door and she climbed right in – and then over to the driver’s seat.

After some negotiating, (and a treat courtesy of one of the shelter volunteers) she finally moved over.  We left and headed to the plant where Robby was working so she could meet the other half of her people.

It was love at first sight for him as well.  When it came to first impressions, Summer was the master.

Home we went – having just about every night to ourselves, we bonded quickly.  And she happily accepted her appointed bed shifts – the first few hours with me, out when Robby got home, and back in when I left in the morning.

Summer, brother Oliver, 2010

Whenever possible, she was with us everywhere we went – even if only to the grocery store and back.  In her mind she belonged in the passenger seat – not stuck waiting at home.

Tricks and retrieving were not her thing – but that didn’t stop her from loving the water.  In lieu of splashing and making a scene, she would wade in just over her knees and lay down.

The world was her hot tub.

The rest is history – and God, what a history it is.  Summer moved with us 5 times and survived every other obstacle a newly married couple encounters in their first 8 years and then some.

Our first, real long-term responsibility, she taught us more about ourselves than we ever would have learned without her.

Fiercely loyal, loving, affectionate and forgiving, Summer never said a word in her life, but still managed to change me like no human being I’ve ever known.

I found myself wanting to be the person I know she believed I was – and if I ever get there I can assure you I will have accomplished something great.

These days I tend to shy away from making my opinions absolute for fear of being judged or criticized – but this I know for sure – if you’ve never allowed yourself to be completely vulnerable and surrender to the unconditional, no-strings-attached love of a dog, you’re missing out on one of the sweetest, most rewarding gifts life on this planet has to offer.  And quite possibly the chance to be a better version of yourself.

Such a gift does not come without a price – rarely are we afforded the luxury of outliving these amazing companions – even domesticating them over the years hasn’t changed the fact that their time isn’t our time.

Which is likely why God didn’t burden them with a psyche and all the clutter and crap with which we tend to preoccupy ourselves, taking for granted the little things like fresh air, long walks and cuddly, lazy naps.

No…time isn’t something they waste.  They’re too busy loving us in spite of ourselves.

Summer, cousin Rocco, brother Oliver, 2011

Summer had a stroke a little over a year ago – we made it through and she returned to almost normal, but we were told to listen carefully to her needs – that she would let us know when she was ready to leave.  About a week ago she started rationing meals – a sure sign something wasn’t quite right.  Summer loved us – but she loved her meals too.

She had been living with my Mom, only a few miles away, since about the end of fall, because she wasn’t allowed inside in the home we rent now.  It was just as well – not many parents can compete with the love and attention of a grandparent – not to mention an abundance of treats and a leather couch in front of a warm fire.

Indeed, she lived her last several months in the lap of luxury.  And she deserved every last moment of it.

I was out of town this weekend, and so was my Mom.  When Robby went by Sunday morning, she was exactly as he left her the night before – curled up in her bed.  Only this time, she was gone.

The selfish, petty side of me is crushed that I wasn’t there.  That the next time I visit she won’t greet me at the door.  That she didn’t save me one last “high five.”

But the person she raised me to be knows I should be grateful for our last evening together – when she was lively and loving, and I hugged and kissed her because I wanted to, not because I thought I had to.

And more importantly, I couldn’t have asked for anything more than a peaceful exit.  One without suffering for either of us.  No long good-byes.  No agonizing decisions.  Just her agreement with God that her work here was done and she was ready to go home.

My heart is broken.  And there isn’t a positive attitude out there strong enough to stop the tears that will inevitably continue to fall for the days and weeks to come.

Like I said – the price for the experience is high.  If you do it right – the pain is unavoidable.  And maybe even a little unbearable, but not at all in vein.

But while good-bye might be inevitable – what they leave behind is forever.

Here’s to one of the best dogs to ever walk the earth.

We love you Summer.  High five.

Summer, 2010

Richmond and Central VA brides, be sure to check out Richmond Weddings on Facebook & Twitter.  You can also find out where to pick up a copy of the magazine here.

AND – our friends at Kim Moody Design are featured on their blog today – RE Total Wedding Event Design.  Congrats Kim!

Cheers!

Featured on the cover, "Fall in love with wedding photography" by Susan Bolling

Richmond Weddings, winter/spring 2012 "Style & chemistry 101" by Susan Bolling, page 158

Kenbridge Construction - new website

Congratulations to one of our wonderful commercial clients, Kenbridge Construction, on the recent launch of their new website and logo.

We are pleased to have several images featured on their new site, with more to come in the future – including a shoot for one of their signature projects tomorrow.  Check out the new website here.

Many thanks to great group of local folks – it’s truly a pleasure working with you and we look forward to documenting your continued success in 2012 and beyond.

We’d also like to send a shout-out to our friends at Dogwood Graphics for their work on the new logo – way to go Robin and team!

Below are a few (and just a few…there were many) of my favorite shots from last year – including several from the Prince George Public Library, (part of the Appomattox Regional Library System) which I’m sure you’ll agree is simply beautiful.

Cheers!

Robby

Kenbridge Construction, Prince George Public Library Copyright Robby Bolling 2011

Kenbridge Construction, Prince George Public Library, copyright Robby Bolling 2011

Kenbridge Construction, Prince George Public Library, copyright Robby Bolling 2011

Kenbridge Construction, Lakeview Elementary, classroom, copyright Robby Bolling 2011

Kenbridge Construction, Lakeview Elementary, media center, copyright Robby Bolling 2011

This award is based on solely on your reviews and your support.  We are honored, thankful and really looking forward to another fantastic year!

Cheers!

Susan & Robby

{VIRGINIA – NORTH CAROLINA} – January 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce Susan and Robby Bolling Photography has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Photography!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization,Susan and Robby Bolling Photography was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

Susan and Robby Bolling Photography is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Susan and Robby Bolling Photography for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Susan and Robby Bolling Photography is one of the very best Photographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today.

To learn more about the Bride’s Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.

Fabric flowers were scattered about tables, with a small bowl of pins so that guests could enjoy wearing them as well.  In lieu of flower centerpieces, they opted for trays of pastries and jars of homemade preserves.

Everything about this day was memorable, so I’ll let the images tell the story.  But probably the most inspiring moment of the day for me was during the ceremony.  Kurt’s sister read an excerpt from the Velveteen Rabbit – a story I hadn’t heard in years but that I remember fondly and love dearly.  It was refreshing and really put the day in perspective.

Cheers again to these expert hula-hoopers!  :)

Susan

What a way to warm up the day – cheers!

Susan

Hampton Roads Bride Magazine, Spring/Summer 2012

For a while our previous website and blog will be up if you’d like to take a look – www.susanbollingphotography.com.

Previous website, www.susanbollingphotography.com

But eventually that link will redirect you here.  Out with the old and in with the new!

Also take note of our contact information – a convenient toll free number – 888-423-3836.

Email
susan@susanandrobbybolling.com
robby@susanandrobbybolling.com

Mobile numbers are the same
Susan – 434.480.1345
Robby – 434.480.1345

Cheers!

We turned around and in the blink of an eye, 2011 was outta here.  Is it just us, or does anyone else feel like the holidays have a way of making the last three months of the year feel shorter?  Shouldn’t the season of giving and abundance include the addition of daylight hours?

That said, it was a wonderful year of growth and change for us, and we couldn’t be more excited about 2012 and what it has in store.

First – you’ll notice that where there was one there are now two.  Susan Bolling Photography is now Susan AND ROBBY Bolling Photography.  Why the change?  Well for one, it’s never only been Susan.  Robby has been an integral part of this business from its beginning.  Many assume being a photographer is simply about being behind the camera – in fact, being in the business of photography is not unlike any other business.  There are nuts and bolts that hold it all together – accounting, financials, insurance, taxes, planning, legal matters…without him our nuts and bolts would be tossed in a bowl.  Because of him, our business runs like a well-oiled machine.  {If you’d like to see this point illustrated via a pie chart, please click here.}

As a photographer, Robby’s eye for detail is invaluable – at weddings and otherwise.  In 2011 he ventured off on his own with commercial and architectural photography.  This work is quite possibly a perfect match for the self-proclaimed left-brain of our business.

Commercial Photography - copyright Robby Bolling 2011

Most importantly, we wanted to be as straight forward as possible with our clients and friends about who we are – and that is a happily married team of two photographers.  Not one photographer and an assistant  – which makes a difference when considering things like wedding day coverage.

In other news…2012 has something extra special in store for us, and we are delighted to share with you that we are expecting our first child in June.  For a brief time in June/July several talented photographers will work with Robby and stand in while Susan prepares for and recovers from our little one’s arrival.  We simply could not be more excited!

Thanks so much for being with us on this incredible journey over the last several years.  Stand by – the best is definitely yet to come!

Cheers!

PS – many MANY heartfelt thanks and admiration for Joe Akers of Brainchild Collective for our AWESOME new logo.  We wanted a mark that felt like US, and he delivered.   Thanks Joe!