Caleb + I both agree that the couple on the blog today — for our age — has had one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, impact on our lives as a married couple. The best part is that their impact has been completely unintentional. We feel SO lucky to call Ryan + Kari friends, + by simply living their lives — not trying, unintentionally — these two continually impact + inspire us as husband + wife.

When it comes to priorities, Ryan + Kari have it figured out (okay, they don’t have it FIGURED out … no one ever has it “figured out” … but you know what I’m trying to say here, I hope!!). Their faith + their marriage are THE GREATEST + most important things in their life, by FAR, + that is obvious to anyone who knows them. AND, this reality shows significantly in their lives. I feel so thankful that I was able to authentically capture their love for one another during their 2nd Anniversary Session, + I feel proud of these images because I really do believe they do just that. I feel confident that these images will speak for themselves, + I CANNOT wait for you to meet this extraordinary couple today : )

1. Where do you two live + what is one of your favorite things about your city?

We recently moved to Evansville, WI + although we haven’t been here long, we love being able to live in the country + still be close to everything we need in town.

2. How did you two meet + how long have you been married?

We actually met in our 8th grade Spanish class! : ) We were seated next to each other + from the minute I met Ryan, he couldn’t stop making me laugh!  The rest is history, I guess 🙂  We “officially” began dating during our Sophomore year of high school + have been together ever since.  We will be celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary on October 25th of this year.

3. Ryan, what is one of your favorite things about Kari? Kari, what is what of your favorite things about Ryan?

K:  It is so hard to choose just one thing!! But if I have to, I’d say that Ryan has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met.  Whether he is enjoying a conversation with a friend or listening to me tell him about my day, I always know that I have his full, undivided attention.  He listens intently, asks great questions + always has amazing insights into life.  His ability to be present + patient in every moment is such an extraordinary gift to our marriage + has not only allowed us to grow together but we also have a ton of fun!!

R:  Kari is so kind + sweet that it actually challenges me to be a more patient + caring person.  She cares deeply about our marriage, + she’s constantly working to create a better life for us —from little things like making sure we have clean laundry for the week ahead, to big things like taking time on a busy day to talk + be together.  She’s always been my best friend, + she’s always there for me when I need her.

4. What has been a day-to-day challenge of marriage that you weren’t necessarily expecting? How do you battle that challenge? 

When we got married, we both knew that we wanted to spend as much time together as possible.  But as soon as we got back from our honeymoon, we felt the pull of so many things: work, seeing family, balancing friendships, growing together + as individuals — the challenges that we all face in life.  We found that if we didn’t make quality time a priority, the world would schedule our time for us.  We’ve both realized that life will never really “slow-down” + that we have the freedom to design a life that works for us.  With all of the wonderful opportunities out there, it can be hard to say ‘no’, but we’ve realized that our lives are much more fulfilling once we learn to say ‘yes’ to the right ones.

5. What is one of your favorite things about marriage? What do you love about it?!

Road trips!!!!  We love driving places together.  Singing songs in the car, chatting about life, picking out the best snacks at the gas station, + checking out local breweries along the way.  A McGrath road trip is never dull.  The small, everyday moments are definitely our favorite!

This magical spot is just down the road from where Ryan + Kari live!!!

Ryan + Kari just moved out to their new home out in the country about a month ago, so we had to do a few photos here — of course!!