Dream It Photo Studio

10/21/2026

Another Incredible Day Exploring Ancient Maya History in Mexico! 🇲🇽

Today's adventure took me deep into the jungles of Chiapas to explore two fascinating Maya archaeological sites: Yaxchilán and Bonampak!

🚤 Yaxchilán — Located along the Usumacinta River near the Guatemala border, this ancient Maya city flourished over 1,200 years ago. Its incredible temples, stone carvings, and hieroglyphics tell stories of powerful rulers, battles, and sacred ceremonies. Walking among these ruins surrounded by dense rainforest felt like stepping back in time!

🎨 Bonampak — Famous for some of the best-preserved Maya murals ever discovered! These remarkable paintings, dating to around 790 AD, still display vibrant colors and depict royal ceremonies, musicians, warriors, and everyday aspects of Maya culture. It's amazing how much history has survived!

What continues to impress me is the ingenuity of the Maya civilization and how much we can still learn from what they left behind.

🙏 A special thank-you to my new friends who helped translate throughout today's adventure! Meeting great people along the way and sharing experiences like this makes traveling even more memorable. I truly appreciate your kindness!

🌎 Incredible history, beautiful landscapes, new friendships, and memories that will last a lifetime. This is why I love to travel! 📸

LacandonJungle AncientHistory TravelPhotography ExploreMexico TravelAdventures MakingMemories

10/19/2026

Exploring the Lost Maya City of Palenque, Mexico! 🇲🇽

Today I explored the incredible ancient Maya ruins of Palenque, hidden deep in the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico.

At its peak around 600–700 AD, Palenque was a thriving center of Maya civilization, known for its remarkable architecture, engineering, astronomy, and spiritual traditions.

A few fascinating things I learned on our tour:

🔹 Temple of the Inscriptions — Home to the tomb of King Pakal, one of Palenque's greatest rulers, who governed for an incredible 68 years!

🔹 The Red Queen — An ancient royal burial discovered with remains covered in red cinnabar, a mineral associated with important burial rituals.

🔹 A City of Color — These temples weren't always gray stone. Many were once covered in elaborate stucco and painted vibrant reds and other colors.

🔹 Hidden in the Jungle — Only about 10% of this massive archaeological site has been explored. So much history still lies beneath the dense rainforest!

One of my favorite parts was hiking through the jungle, seeing massive trees growing over ancient structures, and learning how deeply the Maya connected nature, astronomy, and spirituality.

It's incredible to imagine what this city looked like over 1,300 years ago—and how much knowledge and craftsmanship went into creating it.

Another unforgettable experience exploring the history and cultures of our world! 🌎📸

TravelPhotography Wanderlust MexicoAdventures

10/05/2026

Selena + Nathaniel said "I do"!

It rained most of the day... and not one person cared. ☔ (Rain on your wedding day is good luck, so these two are basically set for life.)

This day had everything. Mom on dress-buttoning duty. Private vows that pulled on the heart strings. A dad who needed all the tissues. And a sanctuary full of sage green and people who showed up to love these two.

Right above the altar hung the perfect reminder: a cord of three strands is not easily broken. 🙏

Which slide got you? Be honest... it was Dad. 👇

09/21/2026

Had a great wedding at Peebles Country Breeze Barn!

09/13/2026

Today I had the honor of participating in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Lambeau Field—a powerful reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and selflessness shown on September 11, 2001.

I climbed in memory of Firefighter Joseph J. Angelini, Sr., Rescue 1, who gave his life helping others that day. Carrying his badge was a humbling reminder that behind every name is a person, a family, and a story that should never be forgotten.

To our firefighters, first responders, military members, veterans, and everyone who chooses to serve others—thank you for your courage, your service, and the sacrifices you and your families make.

Joseph and the ones in the towers that day , thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice. 🇺🇸

We remember. We honor. We will never forget.

LambeauField StairClimb HonorTheFallen

07/12/2026

07/02/2026

Day 2. ❤️🏡

Today was the day everything came together.

We finished the roof, completed the walls, set up the beds, table, and chairs, and watched an empty structure become a home. While we were putting on the finishing touches, the family was taken shopping to fill their new home with food and the everyday essentials that so many of us take for granted.

One of my favorite moments was seeing Damian receive a brand-new soccer ball, jersey, and cleats. His smile said everything. ⚽❤️

Then Jonathan shared his story.

Years ago, he became involved in a gang. One day he was shot 12 times, with five bullets striking him. Today he is a quadriplegic, but his strength, humility, and gratitude were far greater than the tragedy he endured.

As if we needed another reminder of why we build these homes, the family shared something that stopped us in our tracks.

When it rains, their old roof leaks directly onto Jonathan's bed. Every storm meant his bed would become soaked, forcing his family to move him into a corner just to stay as dry as possible.

Today, they thanked us because, for the first time, Jonathan has a dry bed to sleep in.

Sometimes the greatest gift isn't a house.

It's safety.
It's dignity.
It's peace of mind.
It's knowing that when the rain comes tonight, your family doesn't have to worry.

That's what Homes of Hope is really about.

I'm incredibly grateful to serve alongside Mission Uprising and YWAM San José, Costa Rica. Thank you to everyone who gives, prays, volunteers, and supports this mission. You are changing lives in ways that are hard to put into words.

And somehow, every build changes ours too. ❤️🇨🇷

Hope FaithInAction BuildHope Volunteer Community ChangingLives LoveInAction Soccer Gratitude Home

06/30/2026

🏡❤️ In just 2 days, a patch of dirt becomes a place a family can finally call home.

This week I had the privilege of serving with Mission Uprising and YWAM San José, Costa Rica, building a Homes of Hope house for an incredible family. Every wall, every nail, and every prayer was a reminder that hope isn't just something you talk about—it's something you can build.

Homes of Hope brings volunteers together to build a safe, secure home from the ground up in just 48 hours, then gifts it to a family in need. What starts as lumber and concrete becomes a foundation for a brighter future.

There is something incredibly powerful about handing over the keys to a family who never imagined they would have a home of their own.

Grateful for every volunteer, every donor, and every person who makes moments like this possible. This is why I keep coming back.

If you've ever thought about serving on a build like this, do it. It will change a family's life—and yours too.

🇨🇷❤️🏠

ServeOthers BuildHope GiveBack FaithInAction Hope Volunteer Community HomeBuild LoveInAction

05/03/2026

Day 6 after building 14 houses in 5 days, we cleaned up the base and headed to the beach as an award! It was good down time for everyone. I was able to spend some time with the builders and volunteers before everyone heads home tomorrow. What a great week and I cannot thank YWAM, Why Not International, Mission Uprising and Operation Blessing for all of the great work they do! Thanks again to the YWAM builders for their hard work and dedication! Thanks to the volunteers that gave up a week with their families, I will cherish the memories and friendships I have gained!

05/02/2026

Day 5 - final day of building thai week - another 3 homes today! Cannot say enough about the people that were there to help! Just amazing workers and people! Couple challenges today as we are running low on supplies. We built the gable ends on site today and lifted them as a team straight up. Myself and another volunteer ran back to the base so I learned to drive on the left side of the road and stick from that side of the vehicle - good challenges! The funny part is we navigated back to the site via memory of land marks because we didn't have gps - gps had taken us downtown Montego Bay - wow what an experience 🤣