In 2025 my phrase for the year was “send ittttt.” And boy did we!

The tension I often feel in my life is this - how can I be faithful with the work God has given me to do while also honoring rest & margin? To take this life right where I am & make as much of it as I am able, while also resting in God’s love & finding my worth there in the depths of it. I want to be a good steward of the time and the gifts and the opportunities and the blessings He has given me! But I want to move out of a place of rest, not a place of striving.

Here’s a glimpse at what our 2025 looked like:

This year we moved from the home we brought all of our babies home to. Cue the tears. I could have seen us living there the rest of our lives! But when an opportunity arose to fix up a house on the same street as family nearby, we went for it. We renovated a 100-year-old house over several months and finally began our new chapter there this fall. I love the charm of the old house. I love the explosion of daffodils that the previous owner planted every where. I love the chicken coop in the back that we plan to fix up one day. But more than anything, I love that my kids can walk to their cousins’ and grandparents’ house. I love that we live on a street where they can ride their bike and play and have a little more independence. It has been such a blessing.

As I look back, renovating our home was a huge creative outlet for me this year. Though I work in a creative field of photography, I always enjoy having a way to exercise my creativity outside of my job. As I was telling my husband I didn’t feel like I had created much outside of work this past year, he reminded me about the house renovations and a light bulb went off! Duh, that was a huge and new way for me to stretch my creative muscles. Choosing paint colors and tile and stain for the floors, hardware and cabinets, even balusters and newel posts - whew! I loved exploring the world of home renovations and interior design for a season. Sometimes it felt stressful trying to weigh all the options financially, but overall when I look back on the process, it was so much fun.

October of this year, marked two milestones for me in business - 9 years of Suzy Collins Photography and 1 full year since opening my second HighLight Studio location. October tends to be my busiest time of year with photography in general so when reflecting on the year, I realized I didn’t even stop to celebrate these milestones. I regret that because as a small business owner and entrepreneur, I think it’s so important to celebrate our progress along the way. It’s easy to put our head down in the grind and never look up. But stopping to celebrate is a great way to cultivate thankfulness for all that we have and how far we have come! So here’s me doing that for just a moment.

My husband Harrison worked hard & started a new side business, Hark Outdoors, that was born out of his love for hunting. He launched his first product there which is a really beautiful scratch off print that allows you to scratch off the different ducks you’ve harvested. He wanted to create an artistic way for hunters to pay homage to their hunting adventures and have something to hang in their homes/offices. I for one love it because it means that instead of ducks mounted all over our walls, we can have a really cool framed print instead, hehe. I’m super proud of him and excited to see where it takes him in the future!

This year was so much fun with our four kids. They are at really fun ages, currently the girls are 7 & 6 and the boys are 3 & 2. Watching them grow up is both amazing & depressing all at once. I’m sure you other mamas can relate! Our favorite way to spend time together as a family is being outside - hiking, walking, biking, or even just playing in the backyard. It’s always easier to connect when we’re out in nature (and off of our phones.)

In May, Harrison and I celebrated 10 years of marriage - whoa! Time has truly flown. The more time that passes us by, the more thankful I am to be married to my best friend. We’ve got ups and downs, it’s no where close to perfect. But I love doing life side by side and I’m so thankful to have him as my teammate.

This doesn’t cover it all, how could a blog ever do that? But thanks for letting me share a little snapshot of of my work & personal life in 2025 with you.The new year is ahead of us and it’s always my favorite time of year. Time to refresh & reset. Thank you God for 2025, the good and the hard! Help us make much of this life you’ve given us and more importantly, make much of You! On to 2026.

Happy new year to you & yours! xo, Suzy