More Then I Dared to Ask {Personal}

he never ever saw it coming at all,
he never saw it coming at all

regina spektor | hero

Growing up I was a bit of a know-it-all goody-two-shoes.
I thought I was the ideal good girl. 
A's in school, no "trouble" at all, wanted to live with mom + dad until I got married at 20.
(Maaaaaybe 19.)
I was a brat ;)

(Not saying that all girls who want that are brats,
just so happened that my heart and attitude about it was very "Aren't I sooOoo good?")

God has taught me a lot the last few years.
I'm know I'm still a brat at heart.
But I honestly don't think about that so much.
There's no beating myself or gnashing of teeth,
because God has shown me in dazzling colors how good He is.
He is sooOoo good.

In my plans of old, I would have never dreamed of living on my own.
But God had good plans for me and last year I moved into an apartment on my own.


This little house has become my friend.
It really, really has.
I've never felt like this in a home
(maybe because of my big family, there was never too much personal space)
but I feel like the walls "know" me.

I know, I know, I know... sounds dumb.
Try not to vomit in your mouth.
It's true though.
As my life has just gone so shockingly different then I thought it would,
my home has been a little haven.
It had very humble beginnings.

As late summer turned into fall I geared up for my first Thanksgiving "by myself."
(my siblings flew up to celebrate with me.)

I've loved having family, friends and little kids come to my home.

Many nights I would get in from the day and sit on my couch,
drinking water,
listening to cars drive by,
watching the sky melt into night.
It made me feel safe.

Winter called for my first Christmas Tree.
That baby was up a good seven weeks!
I would always make sure to turn the lights on before I left,
so when I came home there would be that magical Christmas glow :D

This winter was a bit of an emotionally hard one for me.
Sometimes you just realize a lot about yourself and it's hard.
It's hard to know that we can hurt people, it's hard to be hurt by people,
it's hard to grow up and not live in la-la-land.
It's hard to have regret, but it's sweet to be forgiven.
It's hard to cry tears, but it's so sweet to see them redeemed.
I had a lot of alone time being snowed into this apartment,
just me and my walls :D
An incredible "perk" this winter was my basketball team.
We had a handful of pizza parties over at my place, and boy did my neighbors hate it ;)
The squealy, excitable, funny girls blessed me so much.
It was so fun when they would "oooo!" and "oh my gosh I want to live here!" when they visited.

Thankfully winter always turns to spring,
and somehow the physical surroundings always lend to an emotional transition too.
Hope, ideas, creativity, excitement!

(ahem. excuse the picture quality, but this is me standing on my friends shoulders trying to climb into my apartment after I locked myself out.  I HATE LOCKS.)

Weekly for almost a full year my dear small group from church met at my house.
We'd spend hours eating, talking about God + life, playing games and making memories.
I would love it when I'd go to bed and people would still be out talking.
I already miss it and it's barely ended :D

Freshly motivated and alive, spring started strong.
Social activities, decorating, work, travel plans... Oh boy it was fun!

I am so grateful for every single person who has come to my house.
I really am.  My mind floods with memories of visitors.
With helpers.
With baked-goods-deliverers.
With friends.
With concerned neighbors (my fire alarm is needy, one could say.)
With family.

Shortly after these pictures were taken, my life headed down a deliciously sweet time.
Summer of 2011 is one I'll never forget.
It's been my favorite summer of my life.







I go to sleep content, and wake up smiling. 
My little house has been a part of that.
It's been a part of my growing up, it's been a part of my mess, it's been a part of the beautiful.
It's been such a physical representation of what has gone on inside me.
I will forever love this little oddly shaped home of mine.

But it's time to go.
It's time for a new home, with a new "family."
(I canNOT wait to live with people again!!!! ajakjasjakjaskja!!!! YAY!)
As much as I loved living here, and inviting friends over, I'm ready to have "home" include permanent and dear  residents.  I don't just want "room mates."

And God worked it out perfectly - literally down to the hour - that I could move in with my favorite Klesses. It's a story, I think, worth reading :D 

- Back in 2007 after I graduated highschool, these newlyweds (for one year!) became my small group leaders.
We met in their rented basement apartment with our group, and always teased them about having children.
- Through 2008 and 2009 I learned more and more about them through their open-ness, love of Adams-Morgan pizza, kind texts, prayers, tough love, photography, heart ache, looooots of laughs (mostly thanks to Dre) and time.
Some of the biggest "desires of their heart" included
a career in the FAA for Dre (not just "jobs"), a home of their own and children.
- In 2010, right after my family moved away to Florida, the Klesses left for Oklahoma.
Dre, after literally years of waiting, had been accepted into the FAA.
He needed to train in Oklahoma for about 5 months.
- After they left, I moved into my apartment on August 21, 2010.
- Between 2007 and 2010 Becca + Dre had become such sweet and important friends in my life.
I honestly had no idea how much I'd need them, or that I had room for more "best friends."
But God worked it out :D
- Now, a year later, Becca + Dre own their own home about five minutes from my current house,
Dre has a full-time job with the FAA,
and Becca is pregnant with a baby boy due in Decemeber.
AND they just so happen to have an extra bedroom + empty basement for a certain someone ;)
So many prayers answered in that last sentence. So so so many.

The cool thing was that they had put an offer on their house this past winter,
BEFORE Becca was preggo,
but for whatever reason the house wasn't accepted/confirmed with bank stuff until July 1, 2011,
AFTER Becs was a few months along.
July 1, 2011 happened to be the deadline I had with my apartment building to re-new my year lease.
If Dre and Becca didn't get the house, I was gonna stay.
Cause I love my apartment.
If they did get the house, I was gonna move.
Cause I love them.
And at 2:00 pm on July 1 I got a text from Becca "Go down to your leasing office! We got the house!"
I ran down their lickety-split,
officially told them I was leaving, with about three hours to spare ;)

So this weekend "my apartment" will no longer be "mine."
And I'll be the new addition in the Kless household, eagerly awaiting their real new addition.
I'm excited about baby showers, baby home-welcomes, days of working with a friend, meals,
movie nights, stinky diapers and anything else that comes along the way :D

My quote for this year has been one from Martin Luther:

"All who call on God in true faith, 

earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard,

and will receive what they have asked and desired, 

although not in the hour or in the measure, 

or the very thing which they ask. 

Yet they will obtain something greater

 and more glorious than they had dared to ask.”

That is how I'd describe my life right now:
more glorious then I dared to ask.

I've made mistakes, I've worked hard, I've not gotten things I've wanted, I've lost things I love,
but God in His kindness has only poured out more.
And it's been perfect.
He is sooOooo good!

George + Melissa {Collingwood Museum + Library}

"a thousand words just like you"
goo goo dolls | thousand words


george + melissa's wedding was one of the most animated and emotional i've attended.
this post is quite wordless because,
as we all know,
a picture speaks a thousand words.

enjoy their joy!
and be sure to look at their faces very carefully.

| becoming a groom. and becoming a bride. |

| sneaky pictures of the brides butt. oh girls ;) |

| gifts for each other | | sorority girls candle pass | | seeing daddy || ceremony time, but it looks like rain |



| and the rain came down |





| the first few minutes of being married |



| celebration time |










| for the last song, all the guests got kazoo's.  it was a mad house in there ;) but very happy. |

congratulations george and melissa! you two are two tons of fun.you'll have the best life together.
:D

James + Julie {Bethany Beach Proposal}

    there is nothing for me but to love you, 

and the way you look tonight.
frank sinatra 

May 9, 2009

jewely: are you still up?

me: sure am :D

jewely: so i had to work till 3:30 

then james came over and was the sweetest everrrr

me: aww!!!!! tell me about it!jewely: we hung out and studied together then i had a soccer game

and just about 5 mins ago he put on "the way you look tonight" and we danced to it in my family room. 

while he sang it to me :)

yeah...me: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!that actually gave me tears in my eyeswhy am i so lame? wow THAT is adorable.jewely: awwww :)no you are not lame at all!!!!

 me: hahah that is so so sweet julie

jewely: it was so so cute. 

we were sitting across from each other doing homework 

and he just kept looking at me and was like will you dance with me?

i was like heck yeah i will!  me: ohhhh my word so so sooo fun
 jewely: :) :)
 me: :) :) you have a good boyfriend, lady
 jewely: oh my gosh do i everr!me: um yeeeaa
 jewely: i'm a big fan of his :)
--
One of my best friends, and favorite people on this whole earth,Julie,accepted a marriage proposal (and RingPop...and diamond ring) from her boyfriend and best friend, James. 
I got to be there to take pictures and celebrate with her.I'm pretty sure it was a highlight of my life.

Because, you see, before there was "James and Julie" in my life,
there was "Julie."
A loud, athletic, funny, laugh-y, junk-food-lovin', talkative, happy, joyful, brave Julie.

And one summer, in 2006, her life headed down a road -
one she didn't really know she was on -
that would change her life forever.
With our church youth-group on a Missions Trip to Mexico,
Julie started crushing on James.
(Bee tee dubs, we pretty much built that little wooden thing right there.
with 12 other people.
And we didn't finish it.
But it was fun pretending like we were really helping.)

I noticed James chilling around my girl at the beginning of the trip
(gotta love group trips wearing matching shirts! ow ow!)

And then I noticed Julie cozying up to James by the end of the trip.
Hmm.
They look great together.

And pretty much from that summer in 2006... "the rest was history."
Obviously there is more to the story then that.
Their wedding won't be until six years later...
you can bet your bottom dollar there is more to the story ;)

But in good time there will be an engagement and wedding blog-post to tell that story.
For now, there is the story of how they got engaged.

The little Team Proposal Crew started to set up James' adorably perfect "love boxes."

On the most perfect night of life, no less.

James had various boxes filled with things Julie loves.
Sour Patch Kids, cause she loves candy.
Soccer ball, cause she loves soccer (duh.)
A blue cross, cause she loves Jesus AND the color blue.
These little love boxes (that actually started earlier in the evening...
he gave her a few on his own, before they got to the beach) were laid out in a path on the beach.


The last box was at the end of the sand "path,"
waiting for the big question.
Let me say real quick:
James nailed it.
Man does he know that girl.
This is SO a Julie-proposal.
The beach, the "craft-ness," the game/hunt-for-a-box element, sunset.
It was perfect,
right down to the somewhat elementary but COMPletely adorable love boxes,
where stickers, colored pencils and sticky rhinestones decorated each box.

Once everything was in perfect place, our sneaky group had to wait and wait.

And wait.

And waaaaAAaaait.

And then the tide was rising too fast, so we had to move everything back,
make a new "path"
and cover up the old "path" with sand.
It was rather epic and incredibly adrenaline-rush-y.

We nestled down to wait some more...

...and then some more.
I was getting nervous.
"This is gonna happen in the dark! James WOULD be late to his own proposal!"

And FINALLY we had a siting.
(turns out they were right on time.
But hey, time moves slow when you are waiting for your bff's engagement to happen.
Sue me.)

I was hoping Julie wouldn't "take her time" at each box,
but that was NOT a problem ;)

She'd hop right up, run to the next one, and show off her mad sprint-skills.

(I liked this moment.  I couldn't hear anything they were saying,
but I heard her say "It's BLUE!"
Apparently James said "Yeah, your favorite color!"
Lovelovelovelovelovelasjakakaj)

However, this was no time to slow down because of a color.
And just like *that* she was off again.

Completely, fully and excitedly ready to get to this last box.

After she squealed in delight over her RingPop,
James asked a very simple
"Julie, will you marry me?"
and presented her with a stunning diamond ring.

Julie yelled "YEAAAH-ES!"

Followed very closely by a giant collapse into his arms ;)

The waves turned,
and a few beach-anchored onlookers cheered,
but other then that there was silence under the pink moon.

Just some lovin'...

...and some bling checkin'-out-in'.

Happily, Julie didn't see us hiding (she was never the most observant girl ;)
but how could she?
She was totally in the moment.
So was James.
It was flawless, beautiful and breath-taking.

A few minutes later it was pitch-black.
We snuck away to let them enjoy each other.

Julie and James, I'll never forget the way you both looked that night.
Not to creep on your romance or try to insert myself in a special song,
but seriously...
I have never seen the two of you happier.
"God has done this.  We are glad."

Bring on the weeeeeedding!

  

Hello, World {personal}

"i saw it glitter
as i grew
and loved it,
boy, i never knew.
this place was heaven sent
but now it's just a monument"

she&him | i thought i saw you

I wonder where you are going?Why did you just get your nails done?Is that just the type of thing you like to do weekly?Or do you have somewhere fun to go tonight?Do you like the forest green color of your little old car?Probably not.
Forest green is kind of a strange color for a car.It's a great color for a forest, though!Did you get your nails painted forest green?Or hot pink? (cause it's summer.)Or light grey? (cause it's trendy.)Or a french manicure? (cause old habits die hard.)
And you two! I'm gonna guess you are walking to dinner.You look like the burger-type.You both look like it's been a long work day.I'm gonna guess you've been dating for a good while now.And you're tired today.And ready for a burger. Yup, you just entered Elevation Burger.I like that place a lot too.  Yummyyummy.
What makes you cry?And what makes you laugh so hard you can't breathe?Did you have a wonderful childhood?Do you want to be a doctor when you grow up?Are you afraid of the dark?Or afraid of commitment?Do you love the beach, or the mountains, or the city?How did you come to Maryland?Where you born here?Do you want to die here?
Who are you, people outside my window?What's your story?Who are you?I love to watch and wonder and guess.
Sometimes I'm supposed to be vacuuming,but I get distracted with crafting your life storyline(based on all I can see: what you are wearing, who you are with,where you are going, your body language, and occasionally your conversation[but that's only if you talk really loud and my windows are open.])
Anyways, "hello!"It was nice to people-watch you.I do truly hope you have a lovely day.I promise I'm not a creeper, I just like to watch.I could sit by my window for hours and just watch.Enjoy your evening and your painted nails!
"...I lose myself in a daaaaydream..." taylor swift | speak now

Thoughts From a Single {part 4}

I'll end my Real Personal Super Deep and Genuine Posting About MenAndSingleNessAndStuff now. 

That's enough deep for the time being.

:D 

My final thoughts on this issue have to do with basketball.  

I've spent my whole life watching, learning, and playing basketball.

When I watch a legitimately great athlete play basketball,

(let's say during a March Madness Championship game,  or highschool championship, 

just to set the stage)  there are a few things that are clear:

- the goal (to win)

 - the preparation (the practice is obvious, the plays, the the organization, the roles... this is well rehearsed)

- the determination + dedication

- the element of self-sacrifice.

You watch those games and men will literally flatten themselves,

and break themselves, for the sake of the goal. 

For the good of the team. 

They'll do whatever it takes. 

No qualms, no queries, no "what if I take this charge and fall over and get hurt really bad?"

The risk is worth the reward, the possible pain is worth the possible prize. 

It's bulldog-like. 

Hungry, passionate, unrelenting drive.

Just TRY to stop them.  TRY to detour them from the goal.

Try to convince an athlete playing in the game of his life that winning this game doesn't matter.

That they should walk away from it. That the practice wasn't worth all this.

Do I need to rebound? I'll rebound.

Do I need to pass? Get this ball out of my hands.

Do I need to make a free-throw? I'll make a free-throw.

A 3? Get me the ball.

Do I need to pressure the ball? I'll pressure it so dang hard.

Do I need to sit on the bench and fetch water bottles? Bench me.

Tell me what to do and I'll do it.

And if you can't tell me, I'll figure it out.

And I'll do it.

End of story.

What's the goal I am talking about? The prize?
It's not a wife.
It's not securing a woman.
This basketball analogy is not "how I want a guy to date me."
It's how I want a guy to live.


"...forgetting what lies behind 
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
 I press on toward the goal for the prize 
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

The prize is knowing Christ,
answering His call,
being a recipient of His love,
enjoying His goodness through and through.
That's the prize!

I have faith that there can be stronger, braver, more passionate Christian men in this world.
Daniel's and David's and Paul's and Timothy's and Shadrach, Mesach and Abendego's.

Men who love godliness and true beauty,
who aren't trying to get into bed with a girl,
nor find a replacement mother,
nor making a girl's attention and affection an idol,
nor who are too timid to take a risk,
nor who are too scared of the sacrifice of marriage that they would rather stay single.

I believe there are strong, brave men of God who need strong, brave women of God beside them.

Someday I'll meet an imperfect man, 

who will commit to imperfect me, 

and we'll have an imperfect love created by our Perfect King.

We'll live and laugh and hurt and love and eat and grow and wrinkle until one day,

we will be united with Love Himself.And our weak little image of love will disappear,

like a drop of water plopped into a river, because we will enjoy Love in it's vast fullness.

And in the presence of God we'll realize more then ever 

how He was the one who brought us to that day,

because of His courageous, selfless love for us.

Thoughts From a Single {part 3}

"I went looking,

I wrote out a list,

I drew an image.

I bled a poem of you.

You were pretty.

You were clever.

But you see,

love,

I did not love you,

I loved me.

You were a tool I used 

to fix myself,

to fool myself,

to redeem myself.

You have slid up warmly to the man I wanted to be,

the man I pretended to be,

and I was your Jesus,

and you were mine.

I am scared of me.

But I want to be known and loved anyway.

Can you do this?

Is this God's way of teaching us the labyrinth of His love for us?

I will love you like God,

because of God,

mighted by the power of God.

I will stop expecting your love,

demanding your love,

trading for your love,

gaming for your love.

I will simply love.

I am giving myself to you,

and tomorrow I will do it again.

I suppose the clock will wear thin its time

before I am ended at this altar of 

dying and dying again.

I will risk myself on you.

And together,

we will learn to love."

d. miller

Key words here:

Love like God,

because of God,

mighted by God.

Brave because of God, mighted by God.

Confident in God, because of God.

Servant like God, mighted by God.

It's all about God.

It's all a reflection of His love for His people.

It's all for His glory.

It's not always romantic and lovely.

Sometimes it's romantic and lovely.

It's not always hard and draining.

Sometimes it's hard and draining.

Our God spans from heaven's lovely to the cross' gory.

And marriage and men and women and love get to join in all of that.

To God be the glory!

It's a good thing to know and fully believe a man will never be your Savior.

Man is messed-UP.

Yet there is more grace.

So it's also a good thing to require a man to be a man.

(Remember: being a man is not being perfect.)

It's good for a woman to not settle.

I don't mean "I always wanted a brunette and now I'm settling with a blonde."

I mean it's good for a woman to require manliness,

not babyness,

not little-boy-ness,

not dream-hunk-from-my-dream-ness,

not-someone-JUST-like-my-father-ness,

but manliness.

Require a man to be brave.

However because he is, after all, just a man,

encourage him to be brave.

Point out his potential.

Build him up!

Just don't settle.
Don't settle for butterflies.
Don't settle for someone to touch you.
Don't settle for company.
For "not being the only single one."
Wait for love.

Brave, selfless love.

You know when a man is being a coward.

At least I do... now.

In return I would feel guilty, make excuses for him,
 try to fix it myself, make it easy for him.

I would do what he needed to do
because I wanted to attention and potential security and relationship.

I've learned to not fool myself.

It's not worth it.

The most helpful thing I can do is require a man be a man.
Be "hard to get" not in the game-playing sort of way,
rather in the diamond sort of way.

Quality, persistence, effort, value.
I want to be like the peak of a mountain,
not the base.
"It's wonderful up here, but you will have to hike, sir.
And maybe sweat.
And maybe breathe heavy.
And it might not be a smooth breezy path.
I'm okay with that.
Figuring out how to climb will make you a man."

Encourage, but not flatter.

Have high standards and actually hold to them when push comes to shove.

Love character more then attention.

Laugh and live and serve and walk away from little boys by being a woman.

Don't wait for perfection,

wait for a man.

I keep playing your part
But it's not my scene
Won't this plot not twist?
I've had enough mystery.

I'd wondered why'd it taken me so long
But Lord knows that I'm not you
And If I was I wouldn't be so cruel
Cause waiting on love ain't so easy to do

jack johnson | sitting waiting wishing


It's just a worth it thing to do.


(to be continued a teensy bit more)

Thoughts From a Single {Part 2}

{explanation + part one right here...}

I read this on Jessica Claire's blog a little while ago and saved it.  
It changed something in me.  
I don't know why, because it's not like I hadn't heard this before.  
But it stirred something in my heart in a new way:

"I've had relationships over the years… 

but none of them ever felt very permanent. 

I always had the feeling that we were just one fight away from breaking up, 

or that I was just one mistake away from ruining things. 

There was just no sense of 'we'll get through this together'.

When I met Jeff, things were different from the start. 

Although I didn't know Jeff as a friend before we started dating, 

he was my friend from the start. 

Where I normally would have analyzed every phone call, text, and date, 

I didn't have to 

-- he always let me know where he was in his feelings for me.

Here's the thing about Jeff: 

In the ENTIRE time I've known him, 

he has never once pushed me away in ANY way. 

He is a constant, steadfast, brilliant presence in my life. 

I had no idea that it was possible to love someone 

so honestly,

so straightforwardly, 

and so clearly. 

And I had no idea it was possible to be loved the same way back...

I felt so securely in love…I had no misgivings, iffy-ness, or nerves about marrying Jeff.”

A favorite quote of mine is this anononymously spoken one:

"True courage is not the absence of fear – 

but the willingness to proceed in spite of it."

Being a man is scary.

Being a leader is scary.

I know it is.

And opening yourself up to a man is scary.

And this is coming from a girl who has never been in love,

and is never been in a true, committed "relationship."

And I think it's scary, so I can't imagine what it must be like ;)

But there is constant, calm, bold, steadfast, secure confidence (or "courage" or "bravery")

I'd love in a man.

Not a man who isn't afraid.

Not a man who doesn't feel emotion.

Not a robot who simply operates.

But a man who IS afraid,

yet proceeds in spite of it.

Who will lay his heart on the line,

take that risk and fear,

to protect me.

Who will bear the burden of fear,

and lead me through it.

Not pass the burden on to me.

It's hard to be a man.

And marriage is a miracle.

I don't know how anyone does it.

And I know there are moments of weakness,

moments where raw emotion comes out

and I'll "be strong and brave" for my guy.

But the over-all character quality? 9 times out of 10, he should be brave.

Not unafraid.

But brave.

Who will take my hand,

and lead the way to a Rock greater and safer then ourselves.

David said to Saul, 

“Let no man's heart fail because of Goliath. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

 Saul said to David, 

“You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth!” 

David said to Saul, 

“Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

The Philistine cursed David. 

“Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field."

David said to the Philistine, 

“You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel... For the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hand.”

What confidence!

What masculinity!

I don't think for a second that David's heart wasn't racing out of his chest,

beating like a tribal drum,

stomach churning into itself.

But he acted brave,

despite what he felt.

He could have died.

Like many others had at the hand of Goliath.

But something needed to be done.

Someone needed to brave.

So David did it.

But the battle was the Lords,

not Davids.

Being brave is much easier when you know the Lord.

(to be continued...)

Love and All It's Stages {Personal}

"give me something fun to do,like a life of loving you."brooke fraser | something in the water

"I truly do wonder what in the worldit was we thought we had when we married.
I suppose it was a love, of sorts.
But when I compare it to what we share now,I guess it was a bit immature.
Or just a different season in our lives.Kind of like the tree in winter or fall,as opposed to the tree full of blossoms and fruit in spring.
So, yes, it was love.It was love at it's beginning.
And I guess what we have now islove in the middle.
Which makes me marvel imaginingwhat love will be like in the end." alyssa welch
I have this quote on my website, and I come back to it weekly.It's exactlyexactlyexactly what I want my business to be.
Meeting, learning, listening to, photographing, be-friending those in lovein the beginning,in the middle,and at the end.
Maybe not so much a wedding photographer.A love photographer?
I like that.

iPhone + Quotes + Loves {Personal}

"The moon was up, painting the world silver,
making things look just a little more alive."
nd wilson

"I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate"
julia child

Loved the asparagus-dandelion-root-grilled-turkey scrambled eggs. Well, I loved eating them.

"Home is the nicest word there is."
laura ingalls wilder

Loved being home after three weeks of traveling.

"One Original Thought is worth 1000 Meaningless Quotes."

banksy

Oh Banksy ;) Loved seeing Lydia Jane's original, conceptual photographs at her UMBC Art Show.

"Bein' rich is having leftovers.
Good leftovers make yo' tongue fly outta yo' mouth and smack yo' brains out."
paula deen

Loved chicken + rice soup leftovers, and apple-cilantro salad first-time-ness.

Daisy: What kind of a garden do you come from?
Alice: Oh, I don't come from any garden.
Daisy: Do you suppose she's a wildflower?
alice in wonderland
Loved picking peonies with at an orchard with Becs, Jan + Audrey.

"I see nothing in space as promising as the view from a Ferris wheel."
 e.b. white

Loved seeing the hot air balloons. I bet they have the next best view.
"Here Spring just grows and greens and warms, spreading life, wrapping us in her arms, until suddenly we realize that she's not a girl anymore.
She's a woman.  A woman named Summer." nd wilson
Loved the summer heat. I wish it was always summer.


Any new quotes or loves in your world?
:D

Ron + Lauren {Shade Tree and Evergreen Wedding}

and if you saw my Love
you'd love her too.
  i love her.the beatles | and i love her

The weather forecast for May 15 was rainy, cloudy and scattered thunderstorms.The weather forecast for May 13, 14 and 16 was also rainy, cloudy and thunder-y.
I know, because I was checking.

I knew Lauren's wedding was going to be at the lovely outdoor venue,
Shade Tree and Evergreen,
and we had been having some REALLY strong rain.
And the predicted forecast was no help.
It wasn't a cloud with a little sun in the corner.
No, it was a cloud with rain and lightning under it.
Please, Lord, help the rain wait.
At least for the ceremony.

By the time I arrived at the wedding to see the bride-to-be
(and past brides Elise, Pami and Other Lauren!)
I had totally forgot about the weather.
I was having too much fun chatting with all the girls,
who are also great friends.

Who are also very tiny.

We laughed about Godspell music, Other-Lauren's clumsiness and Pami's excitement about mimosa's.

Everyone hugged and teared and squealed.

We all forgot about the weather.
Because we were just so happy.

(ps. Lauren carried her grandfather's key on her flowers,
and wore her grandmother's jewelry.
I love details like that.
I also love that I definitely wrote "flowers" instead of "bouquet" because it's too hard to spell.)

Lauren and her bestbestbest friends walked around with me in the cloudy humidity,
genuinely enjoying the day with Lauren.

And while I've always thought Lauren was beautiful,
she - as most brides are - was especially radiant on this day.
She was classic, elegant and oh-so-herself.
Stunning.


In their engagement shoot post,
I mentioned how Bride Lauren is best friends with Other Lauren.
Other Lauren is married to Paul.
Paul is Groom Ron's best friend.
So the married couple were their besties maid of honor and best man.
PHEW.

All day long I found it especially sweet how excited Other Lauren was for her friend.
It was almost like she was getting married herself!Such a sweet friendship.

I also have to give a big shout-out to the girls for their details!
Y'all are styyyyylin!


I just had to take a few more of the bride.
She was too camera-tasty not to ;)



Then wedding-witching-hour was upon us.
You know that restless chunk of time?
Pictures are done,
everything is ready,
guests are arriving,
and you just have to waaaaaaait.

And waaaaaaaaaait.

Aaaaaand wait.
(ps. This is Groom Ron with his best man, Paul,
Other Laurens husband.
You following this?
Phew.)

I think that period of time is the longest part of the wedding day for me, too.
But good things in life are worth the wait ;)

And eventually ceremony time always comes.

In the meantime, I got to take lots more detail pictures.
Lauren and Ron had some EXCEPTIONAL details.

(I'm going to eat those baby's with a spoon.)

Classy, classy, classy.

BOOM!
It's gametime!
BOOM!



I didn't even realize it until this very moment,
as the music built
(so important to have a good song for your entrance, brides.
Makes a world of difference.)
Ron quivered on the brink of tears,
and Lauren was escorted by her dad,
that the weather was PERfect.

I was ready for some Wizard of Oz storm weather, folks.

And we ended up with Paradise Falls Silk Happiness from Dreams weather.

I got chills, even in the sunny warmth.
What an almost sickeningly perfect wedding.

And what a happy, happy, happy bride.
And blessed, blessed, blessed groom ;)

Though I don't think I'd do it myself,
I have such incredible respect for couples who save their first kiss until they are married.
It's a very honor-filled moment to be able to take that picture.
Their very first.
Ever.
Wow.

Um, hello.
This might be my favorite from the day.

Awwwwwww. They lub each other vury vury much.

Mmmmm,
keeeesing eees niiise.



Lauren ans I were in an little group of girls from church who met monthly,
and I remember the first time she brought up Ron to us.


We sat at Starbucks and this usually very poised, demure woman
talked about Ron like a carefree, bubbly little girl.
I remember being like "Huuuuh..." ;)

At that time Ron had only begun to change her life,
and to turn it upside down with his kindness, care and heart.
But, oh, how fun it was.

Lauren later told me how her mom would rave about Lauren's dad.
"He is such a kind man."
And her mother gave her some wise mom-advice
"Marry someone who is kind to you."

Before I had even heard that story,
I would have described Ron as kind.
Though I only had heard and seen bits of him,
he just seemed so nice.
Unassuming, humble, sweet.

No wonder Lauren fell wildly in love with him.

This Nicholas Sparks quote from The Guardian reminds me of them:
"Oh, he'll never let you down.
That boy's got a heart the size of Kentucky, and he loves you.
That's important.
Take it from someone who knows."

"God forbid, anything ever happened to me,
I don't think he'll be able to go on.
And that guy would risk his life for mine in a heartbeat."

In a world of entertainment,
pomp,
extravegance
and selfishness,
I couldn't help but be so moved by Ron and Lauren's simple, deep love.

They give to each other freely,
the love each other truly
and they have waited for each other patiently.

I could have spent much more time shooting them,
but with the impending storm clouds, we had to scoot.
After all we went from this:

To this:

in a matter of minutes ;)

But it was okay, because guests were ready,
decor was perfect
and it was time to par-tay!
(under the pavilion-covering, of course.
Because it was pouring.)


I don't even need to caption these.
They just speak for themselves.



(So symbolic.
They met at a wine-tasting.
Loooove.)




As the rained poured and poured...

...and poured
(just like the little cloudy forecast said)...

There was a major celebration going on under the safety of the old greenhouse!

It was wonderfully joyful.

I love these two shots of the best friends.
What an awesome story they have!
I love the work of God's hands and the stories from God's mind.


Seriously,
Other Lauren was just the sweetest maid-of-honor of life.

Perfect.
(I've used that word a lot in this post...)


Nothing beats ridicuously happy people.



Well, maybe ridicuously in-love people.
But those sorts of people are always ridiculously happy.
"You’re always gonna love me like nobody’s loved me,
Come rain or come shine.
Happy together, unhappy together,
And won’t it be fine?

I’m with you rain or shine,"

Noah and The Whale {Travel + Music + Personal}

Oh well in five years time 
We could be walking 'round a zoo

With the sun shining down 
Over me and you.

5 Years Time - Noah and The Whale

--


Quick update!
WiFi hasn't been super accesible this trip
(which in almost every way is wonderful)
so I have much to post later,
but just a teeny shout-out to Noah and The Whale!

Jamz found last minute tickets for their live show at The Academy for a great price.
I'd never heard one of their songs before,
but now I'm smitten.
Very classy, friendly, talented band. With great LYRICS.
You know how I love good lyrics ;)

OH. And the venue was rad.
Two stories.
The second story loft required more expensive tickets we didn't buy.
But the guy let us up anyways ;)
Score! So we had a great view.
Yeah. Just a great night.

One of my fave songs of the show

(check out the funky un-embed-able real music video here.)

Oh well, I look at you and say

'It’s the happiest that I’ve ever been'

And she’ll say

'Yah, well, I feel all pretty happy too,

And I’m always pretty happy 

When I’m just kicking back with you.'

Although maybe all these moments are just in my head

I’ll be thinking ‘bout them as I’m lying in bed

And all that I believe might never really come true

But in my mind I’m havin’ a pretty good time with you.

Matt + Amelia {National Aboretum Engagement Photograph

you don't know how lovely you are.
  i had to find you,
tell you i need you.
coldplay | the scientist

I set my alarm for 5:00 am.

I knew I would snooze until 5:45 am.
But.
I thought it was worth a try?

Regardless of when I ACtually got my butt out of bed,
I left my house at 6:00 am,
and headed for the southbound highway towards Washington DC...

... With every other commuter in the area.
I don't know how you all do it.
I could never commute to work.
I would just be a poor person with no money.
Because that drive.
So ew.
Stop and go,
radio travel updates,
honks,
police traps.
It's just not a healthy way to start a day.

    But 25 miles and hour and fifteen minutes later,
I found myself well... I found myself in a KFC parking lot
streaming the royal wedding from my phone.
But at 8:00 am I found myself in a different world ;)I turned off busy, noisy New York Avenue,
and entered the National Arboretum.
Acres and acres of lush spring green,
anchored in the middle by the original Capitol columns.
Aside from an occasional distant lawn-mower or bird-chirp,
it was silent.

Instant peace, instant relaxation, instant sigh-take-a-deep-breath-and-chill.

Which, ironically, is exactly the experience you have with Amelia and Matt.
They're buds.
They just are comfortable.
They aren't forced.
They're easy and peaceful.

Amelia isn't the kind of girl to stress a guy out.
She makes it easy to just hang out and laugh.
Matt isn't the kind of guy to rub a girl the wrong way.
He is just nice, kind and cheerful.

They weren't all fussy and primp-y and overwhelming.
I felt like I was in their living room with them just enjoying a Sunday afternoon.

Considering their life,I think their laid-back quality is very important ;)
They recently moved from New York City to Washington DC.
(ha.)

(ps. sometimes you just gotta kiss it out.  It's the best option of all the options. The end.)

And Amelia is a sports trainer for University of Maryland.
(One of her players is actually lacrosse superstar Max!
Remember him + Abby?)

This shoot was scheduled around travel, tournaments, and other intense situations.
Basically crazyness.

Amidst "life" Washington DC morning traffic,
Matt and Amelia are peaceful for each other.



Truly.
The.
Most.
Lovely.
Place.
In.
The.
Distriiiiiict.





If the park in all it's green glory wasn't enough,
the azaleas were in peak bloom!

The beauty was just overwhelming.
Especially because it was JUST us.
We snuck in before the crazy Azalea Festival and Garden Sale.
So we could literally go wherever we wanted.





We definitely did not stay on the marked path ;)Oops!

Can I build a house right there?
And live there with some fairies?


They're cute.
Amelia and Matt, you all are cute.

Haha So adorable.
Amelia needed a little help with the bow on her dress.
"Yeaaah, he doesn't have sisters.
He's learning."
Good job, Matt ;) Keep it up.



Guys, it was just two tons of complete fun on this shoot.
I am SO looking forward to your Glen Echo wedding!

Woot woot!

Little Lives {Personal}

"And I learned what is obvious to a child. That life is  a collection of little lives, each lived one day at a time...
(pic from a wedding two years ago.)That each day should be spent finding beauty in flowers and poetry and talking to animals. That a day spent with dreaming and sunsets and refreshing breezes cannot be bettered. "nicholas sparks
Unless those breezes come from air in Ireland.Three.more.days.
;)

Disney + Deschanel {Personal Inspiration}

Woke up todayIt was another lovely dayTo watch the sunRise and fall againzooey deschanel | cotton songThis past week I went back down to Florida to visit mi familia.As always, we had to spend some time at Disney.Disney, for my family, isn't just a theme park or a vacation pit-stop."It's a whole neeeew WORLD!"My grandparents took my mom as a baby and it's pretty much in our blood to love this place.The creativity, the details, the joy, the enthusiasm.Walt was a dreamer, a family man, devoted to excellence and creative as heck.His parks show it.
It's been a long time since I've gone to the Hollywood Studios park,but this trip just had my jaw-dropping right and left.I freaking love EVERYthing about it.I was so inspired I could have just sang.But there was a Disney Cast Member singing and whistling next to me,so I had to take a picture.Another major source of inspiration for me is the lovely Zooey Deschanel.(who I first learned about in this movie. An all-time fave.)Her fashion is to die for.I love how she is so feminine, colorful, creative and original with her clothes.And brave.And classy.And I love her hair.I put all my new Disney-inspiration cell-phone pictures in a folderand found that a lot of them "matched" my Zooey pictures.Funny ;)Love every single pattern and texture in this set:Love the "GIFTS" font, the white lines in the grey building and the black lines on top of the white building.And everything about Zooey.I'm SO stealing this in my house someday.Maybe a backsplash?Or bathroom floor?I love the three different blues all mismatched.With a pop of yellow?Maybe some daffodils on the counter?Or a lemon-colored bathroom mat?Yum.The skirt.The salmon color.The font.The slight touch of Tiffany blue(her shoes + the cross on the lamp.)Mhhhmmm.Such a fan of salmon pink and teal blue! GAH.I'm a sucker for some good, bright colors.
Another font I heart.

Perfection.Can I get an "amen" for the metallic gold?And the red lips?

I just want to go decorate something! Or design something!My juices are flowing like a creek post April showers.
Anything particularly and consistently inspire you?

Max + Abby {Glen Echo Engagement Photography}

the first time that i met her,
i couldn't say a word.
she knew what i was thinking
and I'm not sure how it worked.
josh kelley | baby blue eyes

Once upon a time there was Abby.

 Abby was adorable, smart and Texan

Abby was a gymnast.

Abby's hard-work got her a scholarship to University of Maryland.

Abby took Spanish at University of Maryland.

Once upon a very similar time there was Max.
Max was funny, strong and an Ohio-an.
Max was a lacrosse player.
Max's skills got him a scholarship to University of Maryland.Max took Spanish at University of Maryland.

All the way across the room,
on the first day of Spanish Class,Max was...well... quite taken with Abby,all the way on the other side of the room.

Max geared himself up.

He put on his big boy shoes.

And the following Spanish class...

he sat right behind Abby.

Not all the way on the other side of the room.

And they met for the first time.

That chance meeting, in a random class, in a random state,was the hand of God at work.
He brought Max + Abby together just over a year ago.

After their sweet and gushy Disney Channel-esque meeting,
they dated, fell in love and now they are engaged.

"She's just the girl for me.
I don't know how else to say it it.She's it.
She's the girl for me."

Max knew the right when he met her that this girl was different.
He even called his mom and told her
"I found the girl I'm gonna marry."

And let's be honest...
Abby is a catch!
Gorgeous, athletic, smart - she has a lot going for her!
I'd be willing to bet those things intimidate a lot of guys.

And maybe it was that jocky-confidence,
that led Max to be sure he would marry this girl.
Or maybe he was a normal guy,
who was a 6'4 bundle of nerves,
but was not willing to let his fears ruin this. 


He wanted that mini-Texan.
He became friends with her,
and they haven't parted since.
Badda-bing, badda-boom.

One area they both really bonded over was their athletic careers.

Max and Abby are passionate about doing what they are passionate about.
They did not want to miss the chance to play the sport they loved.

And they played HARD.
I love everything about that :D

But I also love how peaceful Abby was with her gymnastics season ending.

"I have Max now.
And a wedding to plan,
and life is moving forward!
It had to come to an end sometime...

... but I have so much to look forward to!"

"When I met Max, I wasn't looking for anyone."

(sidenote: people say that aaaaaalll the time. Noted.)

(other side note: they have the cutest arms!)

"I really loved where I was at,
and I wasn't looking to add anything to my life!
I was so happy!"




"But I didn't realize how much I was missing.
He brings out in me what I didn't know I needed.
It's so complete to have him."

"And I truly didn't know I needed it."

(Another side-note: Abby told me that he was the "cute one",
while she was the "smart one".)

(Don't get me wrong - she is smaaaaaart.
But also pretty ridiculously cute.)

See? Yeah. Hello.



"Hey Ab,
are you Vogue-ing it up or what?""Hahah yeah, I'm Vogue-ing it up, Max."

I love these next shots, mostly because of how they "came to be."
That stone wall is the base of a giant old bridge in Glen Echo.
I wanted Max + Abby to go stand on the rocks while I shot from up high.
"It won't be that hard getting down there!"

Um.  It was that hard getting down there.
The hill was quite steep, but also really soft with new spring ground.
It was a thorny, humid, rocky, bumble-bee-y hot mess.
Abby wore her stiletto's and used them as spikes to secure herself.
Max was sweating through his nice button-up shirt.
I was the brilliant, sneezing, make-up-less, allergy attacked wonder following behind.
Max wanted to carry Abby.
Abby didn't want to be carried because she didn't want them both to fall.
I sneezed.

A crowd gathered on the bridge, watching us participate in such a feat.
Once we made it safely to the bottom a friendly soul called out
"There is an easier way on the other side of the bridge!"
We looked over, and sure enough there was a
smooth, slightly inclined, clear, dirt path.
"We coulda used you five minutes ago!"
and everyone laughed.

But it all worked out.  So well.

And it was a sweet little view into their world.
Max, the kind, brave leader... who wants to protect Abby from all harm.
Abby, the helpful, loving support... who wants to make them both a success, even if risk is involved.
And they happen to be madly in love.



I merrily skipped up the easy path to get the shot I was envisioning on top the bridge.
Love how it came out!


Afterwards Max + Abby came up the easy path too.
They look way too good for how humid, sweaty, pond-wet, thorny and mountain-climby
the last few minutes had been.
Y'all should teach a class.
You'd make mad dough.

Or you could kiss each other.  That is a great idea too.

I had so much fun with you both - lets hang out again?
And I'm so excited that God allowed your lives to intersect,
and that He's taking you on a new road together.

:D

Month Update

Sweet Betty, 

Won't you show us who you are?

brooke fraser | betty

Ahem. A few thoughts:

- Sarah Barlow really is the bees knees. AND the bees ankles.

- Might have made up the part about Africa.  But I can't remember...

- Trying to decide if I should do another FunShop?

Guess we'll see how this one goes... ;)
- Today I look like I have been sobbing for hours.
But I haven't been! I'm happy! But allergies are here.  And I love them. 
Because it means summer is almost here.
- I'm going to Ireland? Wait, what?
- What are you doing this moooonth?!

:D

I Love + I Look {Personal}

I was a little girl alone in my little world 

Who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees, 

And fed my houseguests bark and leaves

priscilla ahn | dream

--

One sunny California day about 12 years ago,
I sat in the back of the family station-wagon,
"finishing" my math homework.
My parents were taking us to Disneyland for the day.

I remember very clearly having this back and forth "conversation" in my head with myself.
"I like that I'm going to Disneyland and I'm just a kid,
buuuut I am gonna be really glad when I'm done with school."

I started thinking of things I really loved right now,
but also thought of things I looked forward to in the future.

That car ride came to mind the other day.
Lots of things I wondered about back then have happened!
It's so fun!
So I decided to play to the "I love now-I look forward to later" game again :D

I love that I have so much freedom to baby-sit and enjoy other families these days.  See all the babies in the frames?  It's so much fun, it's so entertaining and I can't imagine my world without little people.I look forward to being able to put the faces of my own little babes in those frames.  And spend time e-mailing looking for babysitters.  And then come home to find out from the babysitter that my kids broke the frames and ate the newspaper.  Or something?

I love being able to decorate a single girl's home.  I love that one morning when I wake up I can decide to rearrange the whole living room.  Just on a whim! New pillows? Whyyyy not!I look forward to decorating a home for a family - that probably won't include a glass coffee table. But it'll be a fun challenge to kid-proof a house that a man wants to come home to that I like to look at. Hmmm.

I el-oh-vee-ee LOVE having friends over for dinner.  Even if it's just heating up leftovers, I love that people can come eat dinner, talk about their day and kick back at my house.I look forward to being able to make my hard-workin' boy meals.  So that after a long day he can come home eat dinner, talk about his day and kick back at our house.

 I love that if I'm out, I get to come back to my home.  I can be out as late as I want, I have no one to report to, and I don't have to be quiet so I won't wake anyone up. I love walking in here at the end of the night. I look forward to the day when someone is here waiting for me. 
And he will lock up, and turn off the lights, and sleep on the side by the door in case someone breaks in.
I love learning more about fashion, being creative with my outfits and brainstorming options.I look forward to kicking myself in the butt for wearing mom-jeans that I swore I'd NEVER wear.  Come on, every mom goes through that stage at some point, right? ;)
I LOVE that my bathroom is MINE.  I have a bathroom "thing."  It's like my nest.  And it's pink.
I can light my mandarin orange candle, keep my matching yellow razors in the tub and take as long as I want to get ready. I'm looking forward to days when three quiet minutes in a bathroom with kiddie-toys in the tub, pee-stains from the newly potty-trained, and no toilet paper is a blissful haven.

  I love that whatever happens in my house, happens because of me.  In the good ways - what is cleaned up, what is organized and what is personal.  But also the bad ways ;)  When I make messes, when I lose things, when I break things... it's alllll my fault haha But I love it because it's helping me become much more responsible.I'm looking forward to other people living with me.  Growing up in a house of nine people, I loved the chaotic "Who moved my purse?!" as well as the blessing of someone else emptying the dishwasher for me every day.  I love that I've managed to put EVERYthing in my house together + hang EVERYthing on the wallswith just these "tools" (plus a borrowed drill haha).  Yup. That's my tool box.  And my Creative Memories hammer.
I look forward to having a garage or shed or even just a normal tool box with real man tools in them.
I bet you my frames will stay up better in the future.

I love that my schedule is about me.  That might sound selfish, but it's true.  There is only one persons schedule on my calendar! My shoots, my meetings, my travel days, my dinners.  Not gonna lie, it's fun!I look forward to filling my life with other people's schedules.  Color-coding the good ol' iCal for date night and soccer practice and doctor's appointments.  My "me" time will probably be scheduling when to grocery shop.  Or when to vacuum the car. Woop it up.
I love sitting on my porch, watching the families walk by.
I look forward to being in my own family walking by.

I love walking down across the street for pedicure when I feel like it,
just because I have a free afternoon.
I look forward to spending free afternoon's painting my little girls toes.

I love the stillness, the peace, the quiet, the time I have these days.  I have been able to read, pray and focus more then I ever have in my life.  It's been lovely.
I look forward to being able to bring to mind what I'm learning now, especially on days where I won't have a quiet moment to stop and slow down.  I'm learning to store + treasure up the current times so I can use them in future times!

I love my ridiculous and feminine zebra rug.I look forward to taking my kids to see zebras at the zoo.

I love going a whole day putting NO make-up on, not showering and possibly being a little smelly.I look forward to the day when I'll know I really should freshen up cause my man is coming home.

I love that my carpets don't have stains on them.I look forward to carpets being ruined by stains.  I hope there are some good stories to tell!

I love dreaming about the future, imagining what my life could be like 12 years from now.
I look forward to dreaming about what my life could be like 12 years from 12 years from now.

I love this life God has given me right now, and I wouldn't change a single thing for this time.But I look forward to the future. I really do. Come what may!

John + Whitney {Washington DC Engagement Photography}

"I've got halo's made of summer,

Rhythms made of spring

I got crowns of words a woven 

Each one a song to sing."

brooke fraser | something in the water


--

I had only e-mailed Whitney a few times,

and she was a girl who knew what she wanted.

A sunrise engagement, 

with the pretty light, 

at the Tidal Basin,

with the cherry blossoms.

That was that.

So early Sunday morning (my alarm clock definitely went off at 4:30 am),we met at the break of dawn.The kind of dawn that is muted, and a tad chilly.The kind of dawn that is still grey,and rubbing it's eyelashes while it wakes up.And this bombshell,with her sweet, architecture-major fiancee' hit the day running, with smiles, light and joy.Whitney and John started dating last January,and got engaged a few weeks ago.And it was adorable
While we waited for our sparkly yellow light,Whitney + Jon told me their engagement story."I wanted to ask her before dinner,so that I would be able to enjoy dinner and not have that on my mind.But it ended up not working out.So it was on my mind all dinner."Whitney piped in "And I figured if he was going to ask,it would be at dinner!  So when it didn't happen,I convinced myself that it wasn't happening tonight."Typical ;)After a few mis-haps,John ended up taking her to a special place in the city,with all the stunning DC lights illuminating the night."He was kissing me - which is very typical -and he pulled away and...asked me a question! I said yes yes yes!"You're not getting the full effect of how sweet it was,because you aren't hearing Whitney describe it.Or watching John watch her describe it.She's a firework.A brilliant, excitable, contagious woman.He's a fire stone.Solid, warm, strong.They literally danced and sung and laughed their way through DC.There were actually a handful of other couples,getting their engagement pictures done at the same time.As we passed them,and I saw the awkward body-language,heard the awkward silence,felt the unease,I was so stinkin' grateful I was shooting these two ;)They are birds of a feather.They fell in love together."Give me long days in the sun, Preludes to the nights to come... ...Previews of the mornings laying in all laaaazy ......Give me something fun to do, like a life of loving you......Kiss me quick! Now baby I'm still crazy over you..."That's how I would describe them:crazy about each other.People say that a fair amount in my line of work,and I'm sure they mean it when they do!
But I just felt it with them especially.
She is ca-RAZY about him.He is caaaaaarazy over her.

And they love hugging and kissing.

And being together.

That was that.

:D

Congratulations you two!

Home {Personal}

"Home is the nicest word there is."

laura ingalls wilder

(pc. lydiajane.com)

Back from vacation.

Back to regularly scheduled blogging.

Back is peeling from sunburn.

:D

(And I miss you already, too, mom.)

Airplane Thinking {Personal}

As I get on the 707 
Ridin' high I got tears in my eyes 
You know you got to go through hell 
Before you get to heaven 

steve miller | jet airliner

I'm still trying to figure out what it is that happens when us humans get on planes.We start getting all deep and thoughtful;looking out a plane window ignites some of our most inspiring thinking!We're so cute.
The last few days I've had some serious airplane time:Sunday was 10+ hours of flying (Baltimore, to Newark, to Seattle, to Vancouver.)Tuesday was wonderfully only about 6 hours (Vancouver to Chicago to Washington DC)and then yesterday was Baltimore to Tampa (felt like a walk to the bathroom! so quick!).
You know what that means?LOTS OF DEEP THINKING!And lots of water from a tiny plastic cup.And lots of hiding my phone from the flight attendants so I can take pictures during take-off.
I did have a mini airplane revelation about myself, though.It might be a little cheesy,or cliche',but at the moment I was sitting there it seemed ridiculously profound.
Here it goes (don't laugh):During life I like to see what's going on.I like my familiar world."Hey look! There's my highway. I know this place."I'm comfortable,I feel safe,I feel somewhat in control.Then the impending grey clouds creep.This, well, is when I start to react."What they hey! Get out of here! I can't see!"Fear creeps in,thoughts swirl."Maybe it'll just stay like this.This isn't TOO bad.I can still kind of see."I find my comfort and safety in my ability to "see."And before long,I'm in the throes of "zero visibility."I literally wouldn't know if I was going up or down or sideways.It's confusing in complete grey.I freak out.I want to go back.I want to see my highway again.This is ugly.I don't like it here.It's dark.And I don't like turbulence. It makes my stomach turn in sick knots.This is the worst. By the time a "new" scene comes,I don't even notice the beauty,because I'm just SO RELIEVED to be out of the grey.It's easy for me to miss the process that just happened.The leaving behind the old, the comfortable, the familiar,being tossed into storms cloudswith the purpose of taking me somewhere new. Despite my doubting + freak-out-ing,the new place is always so stunning.The horizon of two skies meet,brilliant marbled blue on top,golden kissed air spun to make miles of puff underneath,greet each other with colorful strokes of light.It's beyond breath-taking.The sun has been shining all this time.  And this new place has been here all this time, I just couldn't see.
In a very literal sense,I had to go through the storm clouds to see this new glorious stage.I had to go far away from my highway,my world,my safety net.
This particular beauty isn't there!It's somewhere else!When the time comes to go,I must embrace the going.
When clouds are thick and awful,I must choose to believe this is only part of the ride.
New is coming,this won't last!I'm going to fly above the clouds and see the sun.And it's going to be better then what was left behind.
"For we walk by faith, not by sight.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God." 2 cor 5 | verses 7, 17 + 18