The Girl Who Thought I Was Annoying



It was 7th grade art class in Stoughton, Wisconsin. There was this girl — brown hair, big bushy eyebrows, loud — and on this particular day she was spinning around on a stool trying to get the attention of a cute boy. And then there was another girl sitting nearby who found that to be just about the most annoying thing she had ever witnessed in her life.

That annoying girl spinning on the stool? That was me.

The girl who was annoyed by her? That was Elisabeth.

And I guess she decided I was worth keeping around anyway — and that is what brought me to writing this blog today.

We Were Absolutely Inseparable and I Have the Stories to Prove It

From that day spinning on that chair we became completely inseparable. If I was there Elisabeth was there, and if Elisabeth was there I was there. Most of my middle school and a good chunk of high school had Elisabeth right in the middle of it — and honestly I would not have it any other way.

Take the football game for example. I walked around a corner and out of nowhere this girl punched me. Now listen — it was not the hardest punch in the world, but what I did with it? That is where my dramatic side really shined. I turned that punch into the story of the night. For the rest of that football game people kept coming up to me asking if I was okay and Elisabeth had to stand there every single time and listen to me tell the whole thing all over again like it was brand new information. And if that was not enough — we went back to her house for a sleepover and our other friend was there and they started acting the whole thing out with stuffed animals. One stuffed animal goes "oh my gosh Rachel are you okay" and the other one goes "oh my gosh yes it hurt so bad" — and honestly I thought it was hilarious because I was eating up every second of it. She has never let me forget it and I do not blame her one bit.

And then there was the boy situation. We were sitting at her dinner table one day when she told me she had a crush on a boy from youth group. And I got mad. Like genuinely upset. Because I had decided approximately ten minutes before that conversation that I liked him too — never mind the fact that just the week before I had told her I liked someone else entirely. Listen, I never said I had it all figured out. I was young, a little boy crazy, and I had absolutely no idea what I wanted. I remember standing up on that table and yelling something dramatic at her and she just looked at me and said "Rachel, you cannot have them both."

Honestly I do not even remember how we handled that little dilemma — but that is just how our friendship was. We never let boys, punches, or anything else get in the way of what we had.

The Miles Got Longer but We Never Let Them Win

After my sophomore year of high school I moved to Colorado. And honestly that was really hard. Leaving behind the people I had grown up with, starting over, trying to figure out how to make new friends all over again — it was a lot. But the one thing that never changed was Elisabeth. If anything the distance made our friendship stronger. When you are not seeing someone every day you have to put in the effort and we were always willing to do that. It was always worth it.

As the years went on we stayed pretty close. Some seasons were a little quieter than others, just checking in here and there, and some seasons were loud and full and we were talking all the time. But no matter what we were going through the other person was always on the other side of the phone ready to listen. Boy problems, new jobs, family drama — we were always there. So when I met Aaron and we started dating and eventually got married Elisabeth was there for all of it.

And by there I mean on the other end of a phone screen. Because that is just how it has always been for us. Every big moment in my life Elisabeth found out through a text or a phone call. A photo of a pregnancy test sent through a message. A guess what typed out with shaking hands while I waited for her to respond. That is the hard part about having your best friend live far away. The big moments still happen, life does not wait — so you learn to celebrate through a phone screen and you are just grateful she was always there when you called.

Something Felt Off and I Could Not Figure Out Why

So when Elisabeth told me that her and Bryce were coming to Colorado for a wedding I was so excited. It had been two years since we had seen each other in person and I could not wait. When she walked through that door I threw my arms around her and I was just so happy to have her right there with me.

But something felt a little off.

Like she was not really excited to see me, or maybe she was upset about something. But how could she be upset with me? She had just walked through the door. There was no boy drama, no spinning around on a chair in art class, and nobody had come out of nowhere to punch me. I could not figure out what it was.

I tried not to make it a big deal — maybe she was just tired from the flight, maybe two years apart just made the first few minutes feel a little weird. But that did not really make sense either because it had never felt weird between us. Like ever.

So I just let it go and we started talking outfits because I was going to take some photos of her and Bryce while they were in town. She pulled out a couple of options and held them up and then she said — oh wait I actually have a third one let me grab it.

She started pulling it out and something in my brain just stopped.

Why is that so small.

Then she held it up, and it was a onesie! it said Baby Bischel January 2027.

Two Whole Weeks You Guys

I could not even believe it. I just stood there staring at this tiny little onesie and I honestly could not even process what I was looking at. I knew how much this moment meant. I had been on the phone with her through all of it — the hoping, the waiting, the I cannot wait to be a mom conversations. We even used to laugh about how she would probably have all girls because she is the most girly girl I know and that would just be so perfectly her.

And now here she was. Standing right in front of me holding a little onesie.

We laughed and cried at the same time and I looked up at her with tears in my eyes and said — that is why you were being so weird! I thought you were upset with me or something!

She told me she had known for two whole weeks and it had been so hard not to pick up the phone or send a text. But she knew how much more fun it would be to tell me in person.

And honestly I am just so glad she kept that secret from me because that moment was completely worth the wait. Some things are just better in person. Now this session was supposed to be a simple couples session — but the second she pulled out that onesie it became something so much better. As a baby announcement photographer in Boulder, Colorado this is exactly the kind of moment I live for and I could not believe I was getting to experience it with my best friend.

I Was Nervous and I Am Not Going to Pretend I Wasn't

So we loaded up and I drove us to our location — and before we took off I looked at Elisabeth and said don't worry I have gotten so much more confident with my driving. She looked back at me and said oh, well that's good. I glanced at Bryce in the back seat and I am pretty sure he was wishing he had just driven himself.

And honestly the nerves started creeping in on the way there. What if I freeze up? What if I have no idea how to pose them? Photographing someone you already love is just so much harder than photographing a stranger.



When we got there I told them straight up — I am nervous, I will probably talk fast and loud and I am already sorry. But the second I picked up my camera the nerves just disappeared and I remembered why I do this. It just feels like me.

The Session Was Everything

And honestly the second we got started I could not even remember why I was nervous in the first place. We were all just laughing and having so much fun. Elisabeth and Bryce were so natural in front of the camera — they moved through the poses I suggested and it always felt easy and fun and never forced.

But what I also loved was that Bryce had some posing ideas of his own. And I think that is so important. A lot of the time guys do not really have strong feelings about how they pose but Bryce wanted these photos to be great — he wanted something special to share with his family and friends and I made sure I captured every single one of those moments for him.

And Elisabeth — she has always been a natural in front of the camera. It was just so fun to laugh and hang out together the way we used to when we were young. It always feels like the years are passing us by but sometimes when I am with her I still feel like we are those same two girls sitting in that art class. Maybe just a little less dramatic.

Maybe.

This Is Why I Love What I Do

As the sun started to set I decided it was probably time to call it. And as I was looking back through the photos I just felt so grateful. Elisabeth has shown up for me through every pregnancy and every season of raising little ones without ever hesitating. And now it is her turn. I get to be so happy for her. I get to show up for her the way she has always shown up for me. And being able to do that through these photos — that just meant everything to me.

And it would not be a typical Rachel and Elisabeth hangout if we did not end the night with ice cream. So that is exactly what we did. We may have gotten a little lost along the way — some things never change — but we got our ice cream and I got to spend the evening with my best friend. And honestly that is all that mattered.

Let's Capture Your Story Too

If you are looking for a baby announcement photographer in Boulder, Colorado who will show up for you the way a friend would, head to my contact page and let's chat!

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