Joy

photo blog

2009-06-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Hello lovely blog friends. I am sure you have noticed that I have been MIA on the blog scene. If you arent subscribed to my photography blog, you might want to go ahead and do that! I have been updating it way more often and will probably stay super slow on this one for a while anyway. Please be sure to check it out and tell all your friends!

www.joywilson-photography.blogspot.com

Family Vacation

2009-04-20T07:26:00.001-07:00

I have taken an unintentional month long hiatus from blogging. I have a list a mile long of things I want to blog about, but seem to never find the time. You would think now that I am not working a 9-7 job that I would have all the time in the world, but it is much to the contrary. I have found myself getting busier and busier with photography work and I am loving every minute of it!

My fabulous parents decided to take advantage of the fact that none of their children had regular jobs (except matt...he puts us all to shame) and take us all on a vacation! We piled on the bus and headed to Miami to catch the Freedom of the Seas. We are a cruise lovin' family so we were ready for 7 days filled with fun and relaxation. Over the course of this cruise I took over 500 pictures....so sitting down to blog about it has been a daunting task. I uploaded some to facebook, so if you want to see them check out these links:

Album ONE

Album TWO

Meet Loretta

2009-03-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

I posted some new photos of Loretta, go take a look.

facebook is for everyone!

2009-02-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

About a year or so ago, I signed my Mom up for the ever fabulous Facebook. She never, ever, ever checked it....except when she decided to to delete it. A couple of months ago, I thought it time to try again. I see people of all ages enjoying the fun of Facebook and didn't want to see her miss out. So, I signed her up again and this time it seems to be working. I wanted to share her first exciting Facebook story with you, oh loyal readers of mine.

I can't remember if she called me or emailed me with her fun story, but it went something like this (paraphrased of course). "Oh Joy! You will never believe what just happened on Facebook! I got a message from my very first best friend from Greenville (in Alabama where she was born and raised). We were best friends in first grade until she moved away with her family. I had a baby doll named Rhonda Sue and she had the exact same doll that she named Donda Sue. She found me on Facebook!"

I laughed at first, at the fact that her friend named her doll Donda Sue! Then I realized how cool it was that her friend, Deborah, found her on Facebook. We aren't exactly sure how she found her because my mom's maiden name isnt listed, nor her hometown...so we might need to ask what detective work she did to find her. Maybe there just aren't that many people named Annabeth. Either way, it made my mom's day to hear from her. They have now started up a little email correspondence via Facebook. They had kept in touch through the years, up through college, etc but lost touch over time.

The coolest part of this story comes in with these pictures below. Shortly after my mom told me the story of Rhonda Sue and Donda Sue, she found this picture!!! My mom and Rhonda Sue are on the left.

She also found this precious article in their town newspaper (yes, this was apparently really news worthy) about the going away party my mom hosted for Deborah before she moved away. It was "Valentine's Day" themed. It outlined the food they had at the party, the decor, and the guests. What a fun article! Shows how much the news has changed in 50 years.

So, this goes to show you are never too old for Facebook. My mom is finding all kinds of friends! :)

the Goodwins are officially....rednecks!

2009-02-17T14:11:00.000-08:00

So, Let me take you back to Christmas of 2008. What a wonderful year that was. We were surrounded by the people we love most in the world, watching each other unwrap gifts, enjoying the festivities when my Dad gets up to go get a "surprise present" for my mom. I love surprise presents, because usually I have helped him pick them out for her, but this time I had no idea what it would be. He brings out a rather large, long box and I am trying to think....a new gardening tool? A pretty bridhouse for her sunroom? What could it be? I looked over and saw my brother, Matt, grinning and I was immediately curious because- how could HE know what it is if I dont? I always help Dad with presents (well, at least with the ones Mom doesnt end up buying herself). Then she unwrapped something I would never in a million years have expected my mom to have.....A GUN! What?? My suzie homemaker mom has a gun? AND SHE IS SMILING ABOUT IT? This is no ordinary gun people, this is a certifiable redneck SHOTGUN. What has living in the country done to these people? I immediately got uncomfortable, I do not like guns. I do not like the sight of them, the sound of them, the stories about them. Nothing about them makes me warm and fuzzy. I did not even want to hear the rationalization as to WHY they got this gun (something about her not feeling safe while my dad is out of town and she is all alone in this big house in the woods...blah blah blah). Anyway, as soon as they put it away, I hoped I would never see or think of it again.

That brings me up to last week. Now that Brad and I are "home" for a while, we are enjoying the many amenities the Smith Road B&B has to offer. Movie theatre downstairs, pinball machine, pool table, fabulous sun porch, unlimited groceries at our disposal, etc. I never thought I would get involved in the entertainment of target practice! Matt was helping my mom clean her gun (that sounds oh so classy) and he mentioned that we should go shooting. I did not immediately knock the idea, which quickly reassured me that we are getting too comfortable here. I decided if mom could do it, I could do it. (I need to post a picture of the first time she shot at the target...when Matt and Dad only hit the target once out of ten tries, mom not only got it 3 out of 3 tries, but one was a BULLSEYE!) I wanted to prove that I was an equally strong woman, so I told Matt I would go. Mom, Matt, Brad and I walked down to the target practice area (yes, they have an area solely devoted to this new activity) and Matt got the guns (plural, Matt brought his pistol along just for fun) ready for us. Mom went first- see her photos below. After Matt, it was my turn. I was extremely nervous, understandably so. He got the shotgun loaded and ready, all I had to do was cock it. YIKES. that is scary. I felt like a bad guy, and I did not like the feeling. It took me forever to pull the trigger once, and as soon as I did... I started to cry! I am not a strong, woodsy lady. I am a puny, scaredy cat. I handed the gun over to Brad and let him try. Then I thought for sure that the pistol would be better than the shotgun, so I tried that. Nope, not any better. I cried both times and am glad I know now, I will never pick up a gun again. Now my mom on the other hand....just be sure you don't cross her in a dark alley.

Special Session Price!!!

2009-02-10T20:09:00.001-08:00

I have an "I am back in town" offer on my website, check it out and tell all of your friends! $150 portrait session!

paint

2009-02-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

Brad told me the other day that I should keep up with painting, he knows how much I enjoy it. However- the things I end up painting aren't necessarily things I would hang in my house. I love those whimiscal trees and the other things I have done, but I am drawn more to abstract paintings personally. The problem is that I cant paint the things I like! I have tried but it always ends up looking like I tried too hard. I won't give up on that just yet, but in the meantime I want your help. So, to all of you that said you liked my paintings- do you have any suggestions of something you would like? I am open to trying anything so send all suggestions, ideas, thoughts my way. otherwise, I will end up doing another whimsical something just for jollies.

Eden Jozef Tichy

2009-02-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

I just posted some new photos on my phography blog. Check them out HERE!

I shot the president!

2009-02-04T09:45:00.000-08:00

I was honored to be asked to photograph Pastor Johnny Hunt for his headshot for the wall of presidents for the Southern Baptist Convention. Ms. Janet saw that I was coming home from Tennessee, and contacted me right away! I felt honored that she would ask me, so of course I said I would! Even though studio shoots are not usually my "thing" I was up for the challenge. I was able to use the media room at church and we got some great shots. She even took one of me while I was working.

I hope the fact that I had a shoot (and an important one at that) on my second day back in town is a good sign of how busy I will be in the coming days. I am working on some pricing specials for shoots booked in the next month or so, so if you or your friends are interested, please contact me!

moving

2009-01-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

So the past few weeks I have been slowly cleaning and packing, getting ready for our move. I have cleaned out drawers, cabinets, and random baskets full of things. I threw the majority of it away, so I felt like I had made some progress. I thought I had made a pretty good head start....that is until my Mom came to help and ended up packing 90% of our apartment all by herself! I had no idea how much there was to do! I have lived in a total of 5 different apartments in my life, and this was by far the largest pile of stuff that I have ever had to pack up. My mom is amazing and helped so much....we wouldnt have been able to do this without her! SHE ROCKS! I am now sitting in an almost empty apartment, putting the final cleaning touches on before I leave for good. I am hoping to pull out of here on Friday, Brad will follow on Saturday and then we will be GA residents for what will hopefully be a very short time. More updates to come!

so, apparently I love coffee mugs more than I knew. This is only a THIRD of the ones I own.

I love her.

seasons

2009-01-28T16:18:00.000-08:00

I love to paint. I have never really pursued it but it is so much fun I might have to reconsider. I painted these as a gift to my coworkers. We had some hideous plastic covered dollar store paintings (no offense to whoever bought them) hanging in the clinic and I wanted to give them something as a "parting gift" that might bring a smile or two. I painted two of these months ago, and finished the other two as my mom and I were packing up our apartment. The ugly pieces of "art" that needed to be replaced are hanging in four rooms so I wanted to do something as a series of four. Seasons was the first thing that came to mind. These painting turned out a bit more whimsical than I had originally intended, but they are fun just the same.

SPRING

SUMMER

FALL

WINTER

2 weeks down, one to go

2009-01-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

So, I have ONE more week left at my job. Technically 6 more days, then I am officially unemployed, or self-employed as I like to think of it. I have no real updates for you as far as where we are going yet. I promised several of you that I would let you know as we found out updates, but there is no news yet. This is hard but exciting at the same time. We are moving forward with packing up our apartment, figuring out what to keep and what to get rid of, and will tentatively move down to the good ol' peach state to stay at the Smith Road B&B for a little while (my parent's house). This time will be bittersweet for us, as we will enjoy being back with family but we are so anxious to know where the Lord has in store for us to move next. I am sure my mom will love having me there to help her around the house with various projects, I just hope we dont get on their nerves! It will surely feel nice to be able to sleep in or go to lunch with friends or curl up and read a book, those are the things I look forward to on our "break" at the B&B. I just keep praying that the Lord will open that perfect door sooner, rather than later. We are so grateful that my parents have opened their doors for us to come stay for what we hope is this short season of life. Brad will continue to work for Sony and will come back up to Nashville once every couple of weeks, so we are thankful for that continued income (as small as it may be). I hope to grab as much business in Georgia as I can while I am there to help supplement the income as well. I have also considered going back to my roots and working at a local coffee shop...mmm...I would love that! As soon as we get there and settle in, I will commence the blogging- but for now, I will probably take a short break since there wont be much to update you all on in the near future (and we will be cancelling our internet soon!)

Please keep us in your prayers as we move back to GA. Pray that the Lord will use this time for us to refresh and recharge, but that HE will quickly open the next door for us.

3 weeks notice

2009-01-06T22:11:00.000-08:00

So, it finally happened. Yesterday I put in my notice at my job! I have been waiting for three years to be able to do that...and now it is done! January 23 will be my last day with Results Physiotherapy. I have put in some long, hard, unsatisfying time there...but the Lord has used this job to provide for our family and has provided me with some great friends! So, all in all I will say I may actually miss it! The scariest part of all is that we don't know for sure what our next step is. Brad has his resume out to all kinds of people and we are praying that the Lord will open the perfect job for him by the end of the month. We have to be out of our apartment by January 31, so we have four weeks to pack up and move on. Please keep us in your prayers as we seek the Lord and trust Him completely to provide. I will keep you updated as we find out any news. Until then....the countdown to quitting time is on!

Let me introduce you to Fuji.

2009-01-04T16:16:00.000-08:00

Meet Fuji- my new boyfriend. I have a feeling my husband may be jealous of the amount of time I am going to spend with this handsome guy...but hopefully he will understand.

Seriously, I am in love. I have two amazing people in my life that love to encourage me in my passion for photography and continue to bless me with unfathomable gifts in order to help grow my business. It started out several years ago with a new camera, then some new equipment here or there, a laptop a couple of years ago, and now the most beautiful computer I have ever seen. They throw in a little love and some really kind words all along the way, and they are my biggest cheerleaders. Could a girl be any luckier?? I think not. I have offered them a lifetime supply of free photos anytime they want it. I know all they want are more grandbabies, so I hope to pay them back in that way one day as well. I love you mom and dad!

I hope I can make you proud.

Days 3-6

2009-01-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

Whew, what a week! I love my new wii fit. I have used it every day (except days 8 and 9,the two this weekend when we were out of town). The thing I love most about it is that it makes me want to do more. I mean, you can work out some serious fat and muscles just on the game alone, but it makes me want to go out and walk, get some fresh air, etc. If only the weather would cooperate maybe I could add some new things on to my daily routine. My wii fit age went down from 35 to 25, so I must be doing something right!

I will keep you posted on the progress of me and my mii, but for now- I suggest you go get one! One week down....lots more to go for me.

Day 2

2008-12-29T19:10:00.000-08:00

December 29, 2008

fit age: 35

The fit told me I had lost weight since yesterday, I highly doubt it but it is always nice to hear.

All day long at work today I kept thinking about the wii. I only played for a half an hour or so last night, but I am already feeling addicted. This could prove to be a very good thing! I also think it would be beneficial for my clinic to have one. Clearly people with shoulder injuries would benefit from playing wii tennis right? maybe not...

My prediction of the sore shoulder was spot on. My right arm, actually my entire right side, was a bit sore today. But it was the good sore, not the bad sore. It was the " no pain no gain" type of sore. I love it.

As soon as I got home, I kissed the hubby, hung out for a few then hopped on the wii as quick as I could. I did 33 minutes of yoga, strength, and balance. I tried lunges (ouch) and some ab workouts. I must have not done the ab exercises correctly because all I could feel was my back hurting. I must learn to do that accurately. My trainer (who randomly enough sounds exactly like Jessica Biel to me) kept telling me I was doing it right, but my body was saying otherwise. I guess time will tell.

I am off to eat some cereal and an apple for dinner. Yum.

Day 1

2008-12-29T19:04:00.000-08:00

December 28, 2008.

Today I set up my Wii Fit and made my little Mii. or should I call her....big fat tub o lard mii? As soon as I put my mii in the fit, she shrunk down several inches and became fatty-bo-batty. :( I clearly should not have been surprised, there is no way to hide the truth with this game system. Time to throw my pride out the window with the practicality.

Here is my Wii Mii. Her name is Joyful.

I will try to get a better photo another time, she would not cooperate. I think she was feeling a bit embarassed, and did not want her photo taken. I can relate.

My BMI is....well, bad to say the last. I will be working on that asap. I made a goal to lose 22 lbs in 6 months. It would not allow me to lose more pounds, so I did the most it would let. I think 6 months is a very reasonable goal, and hope to surpass it. But, let's not get too hasty. I will take this Wii Fit business one day at a time.

My fit age on day one was 35. Not too bad, since I just turned 28. I guess 7 years older is not as bad as it could be I suppose...or is it?

I did some yoga today, and some tennis with Brad. He kept laughing at me because I would run in place, and lunge for the ball with my entire body, I couldn't understand that I needed only to use my arm. I couldn't help thrusting my entire body to the imaginary ball and swinging with all my might. I fear my right shoulder will be sore tomorrow.

Mii wii? let's see...

2008-12-29T18:57:00.000-08:00

Brad and I were surprisingly blessed this Christmas with so many amazing things from our families (thank you thank you thank you!!!). One of the things that surprised us was a Nintendo Wii and a Wii Fit sytem. I had played with my parent's Wii on occasion, but had never thought of owning my own. I was instantly excited at the thought of having a Wii simply for the Wii Fit! Brad and I played around with the idea of keeping the Wii, or trading it in on something more practical. We already have SEVERAL video game systems in our house (playstation 2 with all kinds of guitar hero, nintendo 64, an old school super nintendo, and more controllers than one house should ever have) and did not think we wanted to add any more games to our collection any time soon. I know I don't want to be one of those families (no offense if you are one...) that does nothing but video games with their children. We have even talked about eliminating all video games from our house once we have children old enough to play them....Brad may not fully agree with my logic, but at least we have time to figure it out! :) He would obviously miss them more than me...

(this is about a third of our stuff!)

However...I was really intrigued by the Fit and knew I would want to use it to the fullest! So, I packed up the Wii and threw practicality out the window on my way back to Tennessee! I instantly made a promise to myself (and my parents who paid for this game!) to use it for 30 days and see if it made any difference in me physically. I am going to blog about my progress, but may not post some of these until I am further in. So, if you see these posts come up in a week or so- dont be alarmed. I have a plan.

Im an auntie again!

2008-12-23T19:07:00.001-08:00

Well...come next july I will be! Will and Jamie surprised us all tonight with their exciting news! Baby #3 is on the way! We all screamed and cried and hugged and cried! We are all so excited for them and their third bundle of joy. Congratulations Will, Jamie, Ean and Spencer. We love you baby Goodwin!

Graduation Day!

2008-12-15T08:28:00.001-08:00

It all began shortly after Brad and I were married. We were sitting in our precious little apartment in Vinings, thinking about the future when out of the blue I mentioned moving to TN.

Brad had gone to MTSU for one semester right after we began dating. He had gone to a local community college to get his grades up after high school and finally was accepted into his dream school- Middle Tennesse State University! His mom and I packed him up and moved him there one snowy night in January 2004. It was sad to drive back to GA, because we had only just begun dating, but I knew he would have the time of his life. And he did just that! He loved being in college, the dorm life, the late night chats with odd roommates, the flag football at midnight, the milk chugging contests, the radio station...he loved it all. However, he loved me so much more that he "quit" to come home and marry me. I loved being married and loved the life we were building, but I couldn't shake the fact that I felt partly to blame for cutting his college career short. I had been thinking and praying about it for a while and one day out of the blue, I mentioned to him that we should move to Tennessee so he could finish school.

He was obviously surprised by the fact that I would voluntarily suggest to move away from our family and friends and go to Tennessee. We prayed about it, sought wise councel, and began the three year journey that has now come to an end. We packed up our cute little first home (which has now been completely demolished and turned into fabulous condos!) and moved into our second home where we have been for the past three years. Our transition to Tennessee was a hard one, but so rewarding in tons of ways. We stepped out of our comfort zone and began a new journey in a new place. I had a rough few months of looking for a job before the right one opened up. The Lord blessed me with a job that would provide for our family for the entire length of our time here. Although it has had terribly unsatisfying moments, I am so grateful for this job. I have made some of my closest friends while working here, Maya and Summer have been my saving grace! Brad picked right up where he left off at the radio station and became the Music Director. He took such pride in the station and I know that was one of the hardest things to say goodbye to. He has worked so hard in his classes and has enjoyed every second of it. I am so glad we made this move and stuck it out through the hard times and relished in the good ones. I am so proud of Brad and this wonderful acheivement he has made. I am anxious to frame his diploma and hang it up!

We are now in another in between phase where we are waiting on the Lord to direct our next move. Brad has been getting his resume out and talking to all the connections he has made. He has built an incredible resume, so I can only assume that the Lord will use that to open the perfect door for him. With Christmas right around the corner, we assume the job will not appear until the first of the year. So in the meantime, Brad will continue to work with Sony BMG and I will stay at my current job. Our lease is up in our apartment at the end of January, so we hope to have a plan lined up by that point. We are so excited about what the future holds. My friend Michele said this is the beginning of a new adventure, and she is right! We have NO idea where we will go and NO idea of what we will be doing, but we know that the Lord will guide our steps and we are ready to see all that is to come. I ask that you pray for us as we seek the Lord, and pray that HE will give Brad an amazing opportunity for work. We are so grateful for our friends and family that we know will lift us up as we await the news of our next step.

Congratulations Brad! I am so proud of you!!!

He was sitting on the front row. So handsome!

The moment we have all been waiting for!!

his proud mama.

i just love Jan!

Proud pops

Class of '08!

I am so proud of him!!!

The whole Wilson family!

woohoo!!

His whole family chipped in and got him an awesome piano!

his graduation cake I made him. in honor of his radio show, "your favorite Mix-tape"

My grdauation gift for Brad. A vintage radio from the 1940's, it works and sounds amazing! My very kind Uncle Wayne helped us get this.

making a wish for his future!

my precious mom.

I love him!

Thursday 13

2008-12-11T15:03:00.001-08:00

Given this wonderful season we are in, I will list my 13 favorite things about Christmas.

1. Dad reading Luke 2 to the family.

2. Hearing Linus's version too, and the whole Charlie Brown Christmas.

3. Mint nougat.

4. Stockings, and all the little treasures that hide inside them on christmas morning!

5. Giving; and choosing just the right gifts.

6. The smells: cinnamon, pine, hazelnut.

7. Tacky christmas sweaters.

8. Mistletoe.

9. Carols.

10. Driving around looking at lights.

11. My Birthday....even though this year makes me one year closer to 30...im in my late 20's now...sad

12. Looking at my mom's "angel" Christmas tree. it has photos of us from our first christmas up to now, all in matching frames, its beautiful and embarassing all at the same time. I will carry this tradition on with my family.

13. being around the people I love!

What are your favorite things about Christmas?

game night extravaganza...

2008-12-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

Otherwise known as "Brad's GRADUATION party!". We had some friends over on Friday night for a game night and graduation party for Brad. This is Brad's first graduation party, the next will come NEXT WEEKEND when he actually graduates! I am over the moon excited about it, can you tell?? Anyway, here are just a few pictures of the fabulous graduation tooth picks I have been waiting all year to use. Aren't they precious? I even got MTSU cups for the party as well. I ran out of time before I could make the amazing cake....but check back after next weekends party and you should see a photo of his super fabulous graduation cake. I think I am having more fun with this graduation thing than Brad!

I am so proud of him!

My friend Summer is excited about the cups!

This is our "YEAHHHHHH" for graduation picture. :)

Disney World '08

2008-12-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

Every year my fabulously wonderful parents like to take us on a trip either at Thanksgiving or Christmas. In years past we have gone to New York City, last year was Washington D.C., and this year we ended back up at Disney World! The last time we went was 5 years ago, when Ean was one, Spencer wasn't here yet, and Brad and I had just started dating so he wasnt allowed to go. This year, the entire family got to go! Not only was it Spencer's first time to the happiest place on Earth, but it was Brad's first time as well! He only waited 25 years to make it to Disney World. I have been looking forward to this trip for so long, because I knew how much he would love it. He is a big kid afterall, like most men, so I knew it would be a blast. We drove down SUPER early on Wednesday morning, spent the entire Thanksgiving Day at the Magic Kingdom, then Friday we were very ambitious and went to all three of the other parks! Brad, Matt, and I got up earlier than the rest of the family to go to the Animal Kingdom. We then met up with everyone else at MGM, which they now call Hollywood Studios, then ended our day at Epcot. We had such a great time, it was a blast to see the boys have so much fun, and Brad got the turkey leg he was so looking forward to. All was well in the world....well....except for me. As happy as Disney world is....it stresses me out beyond any reasonable comprehension! As my close friends and loyal readers know, I am a very high strung, stressed out individual. I do try, but I am incapable of chilling out.(any suggestions you have on how I could Put that personality in a situation with: a group of 9 people who all want to do different things at different times and cant seem to make a joint decision, crying children at every turn of the sidewalk, the worlds entire supply of monstrous strollers all within touching distance, people stopped in the MIDDLE of the walkway causing everyone to detour around them to continue on course, more obnoxiously large strollers dominating every inch of walking space, and being the fastest walker in our group which causes me to be one of those people that stops in the middle of the sidewalk to look for my lagging family: there is bound to be chaos. I, dear friends, am the chaos. But on top of all the stress I carry, the way things annoy me that shouldn't, and how slow (i think) my family moves...it was a really wonderful trip. I love my parents dearly for taking on such a task as a family vacation. I don't know how they do what they do, or why they do what they do, but the bless us far beyond what any of us deserve. So, a couple of weeks late: I am thankful for a family that: loves despite, laughs because, forgives all, hung the moon.

The World's Best Grandparents!

We stayed at the Pop Century Hotel, very cool.

Look how hard he is concentrating on driving!

Minnie told me that she often feels neglected, because all the attention is on Mickey, I tried to make her feel special.

Cinderella's Castle

Ean making all of the other kids (and grown-ups) jealous of his mad hula hooping skills!

Brad's thanksgiving turkey leg he had been waiting for!

Poor Matt...all alone at the animal kingdom. To all you ladies out there....he has a seat next to him open just for you!

so all of the sudden I had orange hair in this picture.

Prince Caspian

by far, the coolest ride at Disney World! The new Toy Story one, awesome.

see, even Mom and Pops liked it!

Spencer got to meet his hero!

at the end of the day, they let me hop in for a ride...thanks boys!

call me Spielberg, Joy Spielberg.

2008-11-24T06:47:00.000-08:00

My company had our holiday party on Saturday night. Our clinic has been working on a video that I am sooo proud of! We wanted to do something pheneomenal that would make the whole company laugh, and let me tell you...they loved it! We got a standing ovation after our video was done playing. It was fabulous! Now I am just waiting for an offer for a corner office and a promotion to creative director.....after all....a dream is a wish your heart makes right??

ENJOY!

Watch it Here!!!

I couldnt get the video to post on the blog, so go to youtbe to watch it!

snap judgement bumper stickers

2008-11-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

Some may say I am an agressive driver. Impatient perhaps. Either way...I often lose my cool with other drivers when I am on the road with them. I noticed today that I make snap judgements about people, their driving skills, their competence, etc. but that can all quickly change if they have certain bumper stickers on their car.

For instance- this morning, I was driving to Cool Springs for a 7 am meeting (yikes!). My coffee hadn't kicked in yet so I was going on yesterday's coffee. I hopped on I-65 and as soon as I started speeding up....as you should when you are on the on ramp....some slow poke pulled over right in front of me, causing me to put my brakes on, something I hate to do lately since I am never sure if they are going to work or not! I was fuming, "how dare you pull over in front of me...just let me get past you then you can come over!" until I got close enough to read his bumper sticker that said... "READ YOUR BIBLE...it's the best instruction manual". Immediately I felt bad for thinking ill of the other driver. I kindly tapped my breaks and slowed down, and allowed the steam to quickly escape my head and suddenly pleasant thoughts appeared of the other driver. How kind of him that he would put that bumper sticker on his car! I wondered how many people have picked up their Bible and actually started reading it after seeing his sticker? Do bumper stickers really do any good? Do people read them? I surely did, and instead of driving by and giving him an evil look (somehow a scene of Cruelle DeVille pops into my head when I think of myself driving by with an evil look on my face...)I kindly drove past with a smile on my face. I am sure that same sticker gives other people the complete oppostie opinion that it gave me. Just like I can be turned off by certain political bumper stickers as well.

So tell me- do you have bumper stickers? What do you think of other peoples? Whats the best or funniest one you have ever seen?

Fun in the Boro

2008-11-11T10:44:00.000-08:00

the video ends with THE END...i didnt know how to cut the music short. sorry.

Beach Boy

2008-11-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Brad is a huge Beach Boys fan, always has been. My brother even made him a fabulous Pet Sounds t-shirt that he wears all the time. A last minute amazing opportunity came up for brad a couple of weeks ago to do a phone interview with Brian Wilson, it lasted about 4 minutes but Brad rocked it. Then on Sunday, Mr. Wilson was in Nashville for an in-store at Grimeys and Brad got to meet him! He said it was awkward, and he did not even say a word to anyone there, but it was still THE Brian Wilson! He got an awesome signed poster for me (i adore interesting concert or event posters) , well it wasn't actually FOR me, but I am going to frame it and pretend it's for me. Brad's gift came last night when he got to see Mr. Wilson at the Ryman. After the show he went backstage and got him to sign his Pet Sounds vinyl. What a treat! He also got a poster of the show at the Ryman that was made by Hatch Show Print- one of the things on my list of Nashville to do's. I know he didnt get that for me either, but I am going to pretend! :) We get to share since we are married right? What's his is mine? Ok, I'll take it!

fun filled saturday

2008-11-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

Brad surprised me on Saturday with a really wonderful and much needed fun filled day! I had a family shoot super early on saturday, and after I got home he told me to get dressed and get ready to go. Go Where I asked? He did not tell me where we were going, but of course I had my suspicions. I assumed that he had read my blog with my Thursday 13 of the things I want to do in Nashville, and assumed he was going to do some of those things. Well...as we got closer and closer to the city, I figured my assumptions were right. Little did I know that he had something planned before he even read my blog! We pull up to the Frist ( on my list ) and I was excited, but didnt feel like I was really in a "museum mood" if there is such a thing. Then, much to my surprise he tells me what kind of exhibit we were getting to see! It was an exhibit called "The Best of Photography and Film" from the George Eastman House collection. How perfect! Love it! I had seen this exhibit advertised in Washington DC last year when our family went for Thanksgiving, but no one wanted to go in and see it. I had no idea it was in Nashville! So, we spent a couple of hours walking through the museum looking at all kinds of fabulous old cameras, famous old photographs, and I was oohing and aahhing over all of it. Brad was even interested in it as well. It was perfect. After the exhibit, I walked through the gift shop and bought myself a pinhole camera....I plan on having all kinds of fun with that, so stay tuned for some of those photographs. After the Frist, we went on a beautiful drive to the Loveless cafe! (also on my list) The drive was beautiful (on the Natchex trace parkway - also on my list!) and the cafe did not disappoint. Brad and I are HUGE Cracker Barrell fans...but I have to say that the Loveless is right up there....the biscuits may have even been...dare I say...better! My family is coming in town this weekend and I hope to take them there and see what they think. I was pooped after our fun filled day, so after dinner, we just went home and relaxed. It was such a great day! Thanks love for surprising me with THREE things off my list. 9 more to go! :)

me and my best friend.....ha ha

Thursday 13

2008-11-06T07:08:00.001-08:00

Brad and I have been in constant prayer mode the past couple of weeks. His graduation is in.....drumroll please....5 weeks! That translates to exactly 37 days from today! So, we are trying to seek the Lord and His perfect direction on a job for Brad, which inevitably means a move. I will write more about this once we know more details, but do please keep us in your prayers as we try to figure out the next step on our journey. I do fear that our next home will be in a land far, far away.....

But until then, I want to live it up in Nashville! I started out being a little cold and uneasy about being here, but Nashville has really grown on me and I love it here now. it will surely be sad to go (if we do end up leaving) but there are a few things I have to make sure we do before we leave! I can't believe we have been here for 3 years and havent done some of these things. I guess when you live somewhere, you dont take advantage of the goods like tourists do. Oh well, that is all about to change!

1. Eat at the Bluebird Cafe

2. Go line dancing at the Wild Horse Saloon!

3. Buy my very own pair of cowboy boots, and actually wear them.

4. Visit the Opryland Hotel at Christmas time. (I have done this before, but not since we have lived here)

5. Eat at the Loveless Cafe

6. Walk around downtown and photograph the city. I want to create a photo book for every city we live in, because I think there will be some good cities along the way. Atlanta- check! Nashville-check! what's next..?

7. Go to a Titans game. I actually hate football, but I feel like we should go to one game since we live here, you know?

8. Drive part of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Now would be a fabulous time to go...maybe this weekend actually...

9. Picnic in Centennial park. This never gets old.

10. Visit the Frist Center for Visual Arts

11. Walk across the walking bridge in downtown.

12. Ride the General Jackson showboat.

13. Buy a really fabulous print from Hatch Show Print. Possibly go to the Country music hall of fame to see their exhibit, but definitely buy a print. Perfect way to take a little bit of Nashville with us when we go...

brain farts and granny panties

2008-11-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I seriously had a senior moment the other day. I came to GA for the weekend, as I do most weekends, and I did not fully check my suitcase before coming down here. I have one bag that I usually bring, and I keep some essentials in it so I can just add some clothes and go when its time to hit the road again. Well, apparently I had not replenished my supply of clean undies so I came with only the pair I had on. I stopped by Wal-Mart on Saturday morning and bought a pack of cheap cotton undies. I usually prefer pretty lacy little things (sorry for those readers that could care less!) but figured it would be smart to get some comfy cotton briefs for a change. I also usually purchase my unmentionables at places where they come in Small, Medium, or Large size...not usually a number size so I was not paying attention when I grabbed the pack I ended up purchasing. I got the number size of pants I wear....which was a mostrous mistake! I wear a 12 (and am proud to have stayed the same pant size for 10 years...even though there are days they may fit tighter than other days). So, I grabbed a size 12 pack of cotton undies. Yes, those of you that buy the number sized panties know my mistake without even looking at the photo! You can imagine my surprise when I pulled these out....wow....not what I was expecting! I immediately remembered what size I usually buy in numbered panties. I now know my mistake, and will quickly and quietly roll these back up and return them to the store. It is a good laugh though!

Thursday 13

2008-10-23T06:22:00.001-07:00

Today will be an easy one, 13 things I love about Brad. He is out of town this week for CMJ in New York. I miss him.

1. His desire to be a man of God.

2. The fact that he loves me, he really loves me.

3. His love for all things nostalgic.

3. His passion for music. (you should see him when he gets a new record he has been anticipating, it is like Christmas!)

4. How competetive he is when we play games...this is a love/hate of course.

5. His family. I adore his family!

6. The way he takes longer to get ready than I do. I don't like leaving the house when he looks

7. His perfectly straight( no braces ) pearly whites.

8. The way he always wants to open doors for me, to the house, the car, everything.

9. How he converts all licorice lovers to become fans of Aussie red licorice.

10. The way he encourages me to do the things I enjoy.

11. The way he loves my friends as much as I do.

12. The fact that he will forever be a 12 year old kid disguised as a man. Seriously, who over the age of 12 plays Tecmo Football all day long....over 12 hours straight...

13. How hard he is working to pursue his dreams. (the Tecmo is just a break every once in a while, not every day folks!) :)

unglorious, glorious day

2008-10-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

I am now the proud owner of a beautiful apple iphone 3G! Ah....and it feels as good as I thought it would! Actually, that is a lie. I had been counting down to this day for almost a year. I knew my Nextel expired on October 20, and on October 21 I would go get my new phone! I had it marked on every calendar I own. My coworkers even knew this was the day. I assumed that it would be a spectacular day. I imagined that when I walked into the store to purchase the phone, and transfer my service to ATT, that I would be greeted by a regal looking butler of sorts that would kindly check my coat and offer me a nice warm cup of cider or coffee. He would then lead me over to a super comfortable chair where I would get a massage and a manicure. (my hands have to look fabulous while holding my new phone right?!) I would then tell the attending sales person that I was there for- my very own iphone (said with a ridiculously large, yet charming smile on my face). He would then quickly bow as any gentleman would, and say, "of course ma'am, anything you wish, we are at your service" and would quickly scurry off to find me the shiniest and newest phone in the store. I would be escorted from my comfortable pamper chair to the enormous marble counter where the nice gentleman would present me with my precious phone. As soon as the phone would make contact with my newly polished hand, trumpets would sound and a choir would round the corner to sing the Hallelujah chorus for me. All of the other patrons in the store would turn in awe and do their most courteous and impressed applause as I look down at the precious piece of equipment in my hand. I would then leave the store, walk down the sidewalk and begin a very beautifully choreographed dance with the other people on the street. The traffic would stop and everyone would get out of their cars to see the commotion. We would run from the sidewalk to the middle of the street, standing on cars and singing at the top of our lungs, and everyone would cheer with glee! The choir would come out to join the fun, and the trumpets would join in as well. The drum line would come from down the street and a full on parade would commence. I would be escorted to a vintage convertible where I would sit on the back with my newly acquired crown (bejeweled with apple shaped diamonds of course) and we would drive through town as I waved to all of the townspeople, who looked at me in awe of the new phone I had in my hand...

Well, let me just say that all of those dreams were crushed when I walked in the ATT store and there was not a soul in sight. I walked into the vastly empty store and waited with the chirping crickets for a sales person to come out. Clearly the process from that point on was nothing short of disappointing. The guy got me a phone, took it out of the box, plugged it in, did some typing on the computer, took my credit card, swiped it unceremoniously, and out I walked with my new phone. No chorus, no trumpets, no fanfare. I do like my new phone, it will serve its purpose well of making and taking calls, and helping me stay organized. But, the life lesson here is- don't set unrealistic expectations of ordinary situations. It can cause a sad and depressing letdown.

Dear readers, do you have an iphone? What is your favorite feature? Any fun tips you can share with me?

**Matt- you rock for being the first person to answer when I called on my new phone..... you = trumpets in my book.

new photos

2008-10-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

I added some new photos to my photography blog. Check them out!

across or beside?

2008-10-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Brad was his normal sweet self and took me out to dinner last night. We had originally planned to go see the movie "Fireproof" as we have both heard so many good things about it, but it was sold out! We were a bit surprised that it was sold out, given that it is not necessarily a blockbuster type movie, and it has been out for a couple of weeks, but it looks like more people want to see "good" movies than we thought! That is a great thing and we will see it soon. In lieu of the movie, we went to dinner. I have not been feeling well (what's new) so I did not really have an appetite, but the thought of spending a couple of hours with my husband was appetizing enough for me. We went to one of our favorite restaurants, and were seated in a booth. We sat across from each other, like we always do. As I was enjoying my muffin appetizer, Brad started laughing. I thought he was laughing at me, but brushed it off as he likes to laugh at me often. When I was getting a bit self-conscious from the laughter, I asked him what was so funny? He explained that he was surveying the restaurant and he saw three couples in the restaurant sitting on the same side of the booth! This was funny to him because we don't like sitting on the same side of a booth. He thinks it looks cheesy, sortof high school first date-ish. I agree, and I find it difficult to have a comfortable dinner if we sit on the same side of the booth, or table. Don't your elbows hit? Don't you have to turn your head sideways to see your partner while in conversation? Doesn't it look like you are waiting for someone else to join you? Brad says when he sees a couple sitting on the same side of a booth, he wants to go over and slide in the other side and join them, and say "hey, sorry I'm late, thanks for waiting on me!" Now, I know this may make me sound insensitive and unromantic, but that is not the case. I love my husband, but I love to enjoy my food too. So tell me- are you a sit beside or a sit across couple??

Thursday 13

2008-10-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

a day late again...

13 of my favorite websites, that i check almost daily

1. Etsy, all things homemade and vintage

2. Popsugar, all things celebrity

3. Geeksugar, all things electronic

4. Anthropologie, all things chic. I like the sale section...

5. Lilsugar, all things babies. No babies, and I am not pregnant, but I love to read all about it!

6. People. I like celebrity news

7. Twitter. I am still getting used to it but so far I like it...

8. Casasugar. All things home

9. Remax. I love looking at houses

10. Re-nest. all things green

11. Regions. gotta keep an eye on the balance

12. Facebook. i love connecting with friends, old and new

13. Citizensugar. all things soceity, politics, news.

my new locket

2008-10-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

I love etsy.com so much and spend rediculous amounts of time on there. Today, I thought of how badly I want a nice locket that I can wear on a regular basis. I have a super small silver one that Brad got me, that I love dearly. However, I have been wanting a large one, possibly gold, that I can put a visible photo in. I rave about etsy.com's handmade goods, but they also have a very large section of vintage goods. This is where I searched for my locket. I found this one as the third down on the list. I loved it immediately because of its size and shape, but realized how perfect it was when I read the description which says "...the locket has a very large and elaborate engraving of the intials BMW on the front...." I ordered it immediately because my husbands name is Brad Mark Wilson. This is my new perfect locket, and I love it!

Thursday 13

2008-10-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

I am no musician, obviously, but I do love to listen to music. My brother and Brad have very different tastes in music and they try to educate each other on their favorites, even when their personal tastes clash. Matt just sent Brad his top 5 cd's of all time which I thought was so nice! In light of that, I will share the 13 most played artists on my ipod.

1. Hope Floats soundtrack

2. Ray Lamontagne, Till the Sun Turns Black

3. Etta James

4. Copeland, Beneath the Medicine Tree.

5. Bethany Dillon

6. Dave Barnes

7. Jason Morant

8. Martina McBride, greatest hits

9. Brad's mix tapes....they are the best

10. Journey

11. Good Luck Joes

12. Love song Mix (all kinds of great Frank Sinatra-esque songs)

What are your top plays?

I have been tagged...thanks Courtney!

2008-10-08T23:00:00.001-07:00

Courtney tagged me on her blog, so I have to list 6 random things about myself that most people don't know....I am an open book so let's see if I can come up with some news for you people....then I have to tag 6 more people to do the same thing...

1. I am two years older than Brad.

2. I have broken my right wrist twice, and sprained it twice. I may be a little accident prone.

3. Brad and I shared our very first kiss on our wedding day. yes, in front of everyone we knew, and let me tell you, he did not mess around with that kiss!

4. I had two baby teeth left, until I was in college and had them pulled on 9/11. now I have two fake teeth implants.

5. I love to wear aprons when I cook.

6. Pumpkin Spice is my favorite candle scent...for fall or any other time of year.

Ok, now I tag- Jamie, Mom, Matt, Alissa, Candace, and Bekah.

Jackson Waters

2008-10-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

Brad and I just got home from a great show that I want to tell you about. It has been so long since we have been to a concert for fun, not for work or any other reason than just for fun, so this felt really nice. It was even a show I told him about, which is rare! My friend Summer's husband is in a band, and I have been really wanting to go check them out. Brad has too, as he and Toby are on their way to becoming friends as well. If only Brad's injured head hadn't interfered with their basketball game they might be best friends by now....that's another story!

Well tonight was our night to see them play! Jackson Waters played at the Exit/In in Nashville, and it was a really great show. I honestly don't know much of their music, but I was really impressed! Even though their own songs are fabulous, my favorite song was their cover of "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone", one of my favorite songs of all time. The entire show was really awesome, I would recommend you go see them if they are in your town. Be sure to check out their website and their new EP! Being at the show tonight reminded me of the days when we first got married and went to shows all the time in Atlanta. I miss those days (even though Brad still lives them every day). It dawned on me the other night at dinner with my girlfriends....I was the only one of the girls that isn't pregnant or has a baby. I am young (sortof) and should have an actual night life of some sort. So, tonight was me turning over a new leaf. Tonight starts a new tradition of going out on a "school night" even if I have to be at work early the next day. Now is the time to make memories, enjoy it being just me and Brad, live it up while I can. Ok, enough of that.....its almost 1 am, I'm pooped....gotta succumb to my old age and go to bed. It was good while it lasted. :)

Check out Jackson Waters

the end of Girls Weekend....

2008-10-07T17:46:00.001-07:00

After our perfect night of lounging, eating, and loving on each other, we got some much needed sleep. We all got to sleep in on Sunday which was so nice. We didn't necessarily want to skip church, but it was too tempting to relax and lounge at home for the morning. I am so glad that we did because I felt like I had my own Sunday lesson on the screened in porch that morning. My parent's screened in porch is my favorite place in their house. I usually do not have time on the weekends I go home to even enjoy the space, but this weekend was a different story.

I was working on Zach and Stacy's photos while Bekah and Fox chatted away. I piped in every once in a while, but for the most part I was just listening to them. Some lessons I learned from their conversation:

- Wants do not equal Needs. I often buy something I want without giving it a second thought. I do love to buy gifts for other people, but I also love to buy things for myself. Small things here and there, but in total they can really add up. They have such a selfless perspective that I wish I had more of. They think of the people in the world that are lacking things, or how much that $10 could bless someone else before buying a treat at Target. I loved hearing that and being challenged by it. I pray that I will be able to be more selfless in my desires, learning the difference in a need and a want.

- God provides. Bekah and Andrej sold most of their furniture and "things" before coming back to the states. They came here needing to furnish and apartment, find a car, and get all the things for the baby. God has been blessing them left and right! I love hearing how many things they have been given, and how many opportunities they have been given. I love to see two people who really deserve it, to get blessed!

- Inhale vx. Exhale. Michele told me about two types of relationships. There are inhale kinds- where you simply inhale from being around a person, full of encouragement, challenge, refreshment. There are exhale relationships where you pour into someone else. I have never thought about it like that, but I love the analogy. My girlfriends are my inhale relationships.

- My friends rock. As I sat there and listened to my old college roomies talk about love and life, I was so encouraged. It was bitter sweet because I knew our time together would only last through that afternoon, but was already looking forward to our next visit. Every time I hang out with Bekah and Fox, I leave feeling so encouraged in my life, my marriage, my walk with the Lord, my friendships, my dreams, every part of me is encouraged. We may not see each other every day, or even every month, but the times that we do share are so deep and so important that I never walk away empty handed.

I think Brad loves my girlfriends as much as I do because he sees how happy they make me. He loves the time I get to spend with Bekah, Fox, Stacy, Stephanie, and all the rest because he knows I come home a happier person. This only makes me wish that I lived at least in the same state as any of of these girls, but I believe the old saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder. With each of these ladies, I can go any length of time without talking to them, but as soon as we do connect, we pick up right where we left off. It is never forced, never fake, always real. It doesn't get any better than that.

We ended our time together by going to my favorite little coffee place for tea, coffee, and treats. Here are a few photos, just for jollies and laughs.

mine is cool.....hers is WAY cooler

laughing at the other tattoo....i love it

xoxo

my besties

sneak peek

2008-10-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

I am so anxious to share some photos from Zach and Stacy's shoot, but I can only show this one....its one that they saw on my camera right after I took it. I love it, seriously love this photo.

I had an amazing time with Zach and Stacy while taking these photos. It is obvious that Stacy is gorgeous, but something about her bring pregnant just came across as intoxicating on camera. I knew halfway through that the shoot would be a complete success. I loved watching the two of them just laugh, joke around, and love on each other. I love Zach and Stacy, there is no other couple in the world quite like them. I know that little Loretta will surely love her parents! I cannot wait to see who she looks like, and more importantly...what her hair looks like. With parents hair like that, you can only imagine she will have a head full of beautiful dark curls. Even if she comes out bald, she will be precious and she will never have one doubt of how much her parents love each other. Zach and Stacy = a perfect fit.

Girls weekend continued

2008-10-06T06:48:00.001-07:00

Friday night was really a sweet time of reconnecting with my friends. We all live in different cities, so its a treat for all of us to get together. It was a nice time to be excited for Bekah and Stacy and their pregnancies, and talk all kinds of mommy talk. I loved just listening to them share their bits of information they have learned from being pregnant, and Steph and Fox after having babies. I love that I get this free course on parenting before its my turn. I will surely be prepared.....well....as much as one can be. I know it's one of those things that you never know until it happens to you. But listening to them is great just the same.

After dinner on Friday night, we went to Coldstone for some yummy ice cream, then Bekah and Fox came back up to my parents house with me. I have been trying to find a name for my parents house, something cute, that we all call it. Nothing has ever sounded right until Fox called it the "Smith Road Bed and Breakfast". Perfect!!! We woke up on Saturday morning to a fabulous southern breakfast. Grits, biscuits, muffins, breakfast casserole - my favorite. What a great way to start the day! After being lazy for a little while, we got dressed and headed down to Woodstock for Stacy's shower. This was yet another time of catching up with friends. Stacy got some sweet gifts, and little Loretta will surely be one lucky baby. Here are a few photos of the shower.

The shower hostesses (me, my Mom, Dawn, Stacy, Devin, Stephanie, Terrie)

Matt and Zach made an appearance.

After the shower, Fox and Bekah got some time to themselves, hitting up Wal-mart and Starbucks, while I took Stacy's maternity pictures.....they are beautiful! I will post some of those after Zach and Stacy see them....but do check back!

We got home that night to find my parents in the keeping room playing the Wii......awesome!

Then we went downstairs to watch a movie, with every kind of junk food a person can imagine...it was wonderful!

to be continued....

Girls weekend

2008-10-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a very much needed time of rest, relaxation, connection with friends, and great conversations for me. Two of my best friends are pregnant, and due within one week of each other! While planning a shower for Stacy, we decided to get all the girls together for some girl time. We all met up about a year ago and it was wonderful to reconnect with everyone again. Fox drove down to Nashville and rode down here with me and Brad. Once we got here, Brad sortof disappeared so we could have girl time....he is so wonderful and understanding of how important this is to me! We arrived late Thursday night and woke up on Friday at the Smith Road Bed & Breakfast to mom's homemade blueberry muffins. Our first spot on our agenda for the weekend was pedicures and manicures! The best place in town for a pedicure is up here off Riverstone Parkway and Mom and I frequent it. We loved getting pampered for that short hour we were there.

When Mom first heard about our girls weekend, she asked if she could take Michele and I out to lunch and of course we agreed. The three of us met up with Jamie there, and we all had the most girly lunch imaginable. We went to the classic Tea Leaves & Thyme in downtown Woodstock. We got to pick out hats, gloves, shawls, the works! Here are a few photos of our fun afternoon tea. Not only was the food as good as always, but the laughs were even better!
Jamie did not like this first hat I picked out for her! ha

We always knew there was a prim and proper Fox hiding under all that rockstar facade!

After lunch we met up with Stacy, Steph, and Bekah and went to dinner at Papasitos. Bekah's little pregnant belly was craving mexican! It is always such a fabulous time hanging with these ladies, I just love each and every one of them. I will write more about our weekend soon...

Thursday 13

2008-10-05T09:46:00.001-07:00

A few days late once again....but in light of this girls weekend, I am going to write 13 of my sweetest memories of me and my girlfriends....these are a few that first come to mind

1. walking to get coffee and scones with Bekah and Fox in Boonsboro Village.

2. Going on a million cruises with Stephanie when we were younger (except the freshman year of college cruise....craziness)

3. photographing Bekah's wedding in Europe.

4. late night chats and a fun photo shoot with Stacy at 900 Sycamore lane

5. Sunday afternoon times with all the girls piled on the sofa bed watching movies in mine and matt's apartment in college. "it reeks of laziness in here" - matt.

6. riding around the burg in Fox's porsche.

7. the fabulous friendship with mandy that randomly came about after college, through email. love it.

8. getting to be a part of the day Michele and Freddy got engaged....i don't like keeping secrets though!

9. watching my friends find love, get married, and have babies.

10. all the memories of laughing at each other, but loving each other just the same. (pink scrunchie comes to mind!)

11. Driving four hours out of the way with bekah on our way to see fox.....very long night....but totally worth it

12. having every one of my sweet friends stand with me as I married my love.

13. still being best friends today with the very first friend I ever had, and all of the memories that are still to come. (this isn't a memory but something I am thankful for)

yummy!

2008-09-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

I had another busy weekend which I am anxious to blog about...so check back soon. I had a wedding on saturday and it was beautiful and wonderful, but they always take so much out of me physically. (I talked briefly with their videographer, and he said the same thing, that he is always so tired after a wedding, no one understands, they think he is just out of shape. it was a great moment of realizing I am not alone in the world of aches and pains after a long day of shooting!) I had a good friend of mine (Maya) come down with me (along with my great friend Kerry as well!) to help at the wedding, but she needed to get back by lunchtime today so we woke up pretty early and hit the road. I usually like for Sunday be my rest day after a wedding but I always end up booking at least one shoot (usually two) on a sunday despite my desire to rest. So since we woke up early and came back, I decided to take advantage of the sunday afternoon with none of the usual photo shoots, and take a nap. I slept for a couple of hours, no cat naps allowed for me! Brad had gone to church with a friend of his and then to lunch so he was not home when I got here. When I woke up from my wonderful nap (seriously, what is better than a Sunday afternoon nap??) I walked in the living room and saw Brad sitting on the couch, watching football of course, and then my eyes looked over to the kitchen bar. To my wonderful surprise...I saw this!!!!!

I looked back over at Brad and he had a huge smile on his face, he is sneaky! This was such a sweet surprise! We have both been SO busy lately, we havent had much time to spend together so he said this was a small way to just let me know he loves me and wants to make me feel special. It really made my whole day! It is true that we have been so busy. Brad is still in school, while working as the music director at the radio station at school, DJ'ing a show, interning at Tooth and Nail records, and working part time for Sony BMG. He has SO much on his plate, we both do. I work full time obviously, and basically do photography "full time on the side" if that even makes sense. So we both use every minute of our spare time for work. Just another reason I am counting down the days until he graduates, in the hopes that both of us can but back on one thing or another and actually see each other. We will have kids in the semi-near future but I don't want to have any regrets with each other. We want to really take full advantage of it just being the two of us. So, for today, it's just us, relaxing on a sunday afternoon, nibbling at delicious fruit dipped in chocolate.....ahh.....this is the life!

thanks Love for spoiling me with such sweet treats...they are yummy!

I am a superhero!

2008-09-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, so apparently I have too much time on my hands while at work (dont tell my boss!) and I found this and it made me laugh so hard that it made my cough about ten times worse. But....laughter is the best medicine they say, so hopefully if I keep watching it will get better. for your viewing pleasure....

SUPER JOY!

Thursday 13

2008-09-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

Today will be 13 things I love most about photographing weddings

1. Getting to be an important part of such an intimate day in a couple's life.

2. The smiles I see through my lens, when people don't know the camera is on them, that are more genuine than any smile you get from saying "say cheese". (seriously...I can't stand the strained smile some people immediately give when they see a camera pop up...I must train my children otherwise!)

3. The smell of the beautiful flowers and how no bouquet ever looks the same as those from another wedding. A friend recently blogged about how she wishes you could box up a smell because it triggers memories, and I couldn't agree more. There is a distinct smell from a bouquet of wedding flowers that the same flowers in any other situation wouldn't smell like. Sounds crazy, but I have the worlds most sensitive nose, I know these things to be true. :)

4. The unique touches each couple puts on their day.

5. Wedding music (in the ceremony). even if I have heard a song a thousand times, it will surely still make me smile.

6. First dance songs. With ALL of the weddings I have done, I have never had two couples choose the same song! I am always surprised to hear a new song at each wedding. side note: the wedding I did last weekend totally did a "rock the reception" first dance. it was awesome!

7. Wedding cake. More the way they look than how they taste, I often feel bad eating cake at the weddings I photograph.

8. Hearing a bride say "you captured every detail of my day, I feel like I am reliving my day through these photos!"

9. Getting to relive my wedding day in my mind and realizing that I would not change one thing about it. perfection.

10. Watching old people dance!

11. Making new friends. I really do feel like I become friends with my brides! I am blessed.

12. The way a groom smiles at his bride.

13. The fabulous night of sleep I get after shooting a wedding...no better sleep than those nights....pure bliss

Spencer turns 4

2008-09-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Spencer man! Precious baby spencer is a baby no more. He is 4 years old!!!! I had such a busy weekend planned, I did not know if I was going to get to see the little guy and wish him a happy birthday and this made me very sad. However, when Brad and I rolled into town around 8 on Friday night, we walked into mom and pops house and from the kitchen I heard the sweetest sounds.....it was the babies!!! I squealed, and ran to see if they were both there! YES! They surprised me and were all there waiting for us. Will, Jamie, Ean and the birthday boy himself. I love love love it when they run to me and hug me. Well, Ean runs and hugs me with the sweetest hug a person has ever felt, while Spencer will run and abruptly stop before an actual hug takes place making me reach out to grab him and kiss him with that wonderfully annoying auntie kiss. I love the babies! It was such a treat to get to see them that night, and wake up on Saturday together (Spencer's actual birthday) and have breakfast. Mom made the usual grits and eggs for the boys and also some pigs in a blanket which were conventiently used for Spencer's birthday cake. We always get an interesting treat to blow the candles out with- pigs in a blanket, a biscuit, cinnamon rolls, really whatever is around. I love that tradition. Here are some quick pics of Spencer on his 4th! Love you buddy!

three busy weekends

2008-09-18T08:15:00.002-07:00

I have a fairly busy schedule coming up which is exciting but a bit overwhelming at the same time. Brad and I are packing up once again for another weekend in Atlanta. I have a photo shoot in the morning, then a wedding for the rest of the day on saturday. I had a shoot scheduled for Sunday but it is sortof a breath of fresh air since they had to cancel at the last minute. Now I will hopefully find the time I need to celebrate the hundreds of birthdays that need to be celebrated this weekend as well. Well, not hundreds...just a handful. I usually equate December with being busy with birthdays but September is a close 2nd. In September we have 7 birthdays to remember! Brads sister and Dad, my Dad, my nephew Spencer, and some of my best friends- Stacy, Candace, and Steph's little girl Mimi. its a busy month for birthdays! Next weekend I have another wedding on saturday, then the following weekend will be a girls weekend full of baby showers, girls night out, and a couple of photo shoots as well of course. I am excited that so many weekends are full becuase it feels like the time is going by so fast. The count is on- we currently have 85 days left until Brad's graduation! So I welcome the busy weekends! If only I did not have a full time job during the week to slow me down...

Thursday 13

2008-09-18T08:15:00.001-07:00

A friend recently asked me what my favorite movie was. It is hard to name ONE favorite movie, so today you get my top thirteen....in no particular order. What are your favorites?

1. Notting Hill

2. Shawshank Redemption

3. Pollyanna

4. Rudy

5. Stranger Than Fiction

6. Disney's Cinderella

7. Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken

8. Back To The Future

9. That Thing You Do

10. Hope Floats (my favorite movie soundtrack of all time as well)

11. American President

12. Moulin Rouge

13. Forrest Gump

Thursday 13 (on friday)

2008-09-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

I have been sick this week so I thought yesterday was wednesday and today was thursday, somehow a day slipped by without me knowing. So, here is my thursday 13 a day late.

These are 13 places that I want to visit. Some I have been to before, but I really want to go back with Brad so we can experience it together. My parents always took us on amazing vacations and I pray that we will be able to do some of the same things for our children one day. Even though I am sure my parents' memories arent quite as fond as mine, it has taken some years for me to really appreciate all of the work and planning tney did to make our vacations so special (and educational...thats where we would all whine and complain of course, causing the unpleasant memories for mom and pops). I am so grateful for those wonderful trips now!

1. London - have never been but it is top on our list.

2. San Francisco - I went when we were little, but Brad wants to go see where the "summer of love" took place.

3. Greece - never been, hear its the most beautiful place on Earth.

4. Italy - we took a mediteranean cruise and it was one of the most wonderful trips I have ever been on. I seriously have some of my sweetest memories of my family from this trip. Jamie was pregnant with Ean, so it was our last trip with just the "grown up kids". We would tour all day and go back to the boat and play cards, sounds simple but it was such sweet time. If I go back, I would love to spend several days in Rome, gorgeous. That was my favorite day of the trip.

5. Hawaii- went right after I graduated high school, but went with a chip on my shoulder so I would love to go back and really be able to enjoy it.

6. Costa Rica - Brad's brother, Brian has spent the past two years there doing mission work and I am so mad that we were never able to go visit him. We still would really love to go and see what some say is a place more beautiful than Hawaii.

7. Colorado- I went when I was in high school and fell in love with the parts of Colorado I saw. My sweet friend Michele is from Colorado and she thinks its the next best thing to Heaven. :) I want to go skiing somewhere fancy and beautiful and serene and Colorado is alot more convenient than Switzerland. Brad has bever been skiing, so we will start with Colorado and move our way up from there.

8. The Grand Canyon area- another one we went on when we were younger. I want to go and spend more time here, camping and white water rafting, really taking in all of the natural beauty.

9. Key West - This is one place Brad and I have been together. We went on a cruise with my family a couple of weeks before we got engaged. I have always loved Key West for all of the colors, laid back feeling, and even the strange people. It feels like a world of its own and I love it there.

10. Prague - Brad and I were so close yet so far away when we went to Slovakia and Vienna last year, but could not make it work to go to Prague. It is another location that some say is the most beautiful city in the world.

11. Paris - cliche I know, but everyone has to put this on their list right?

12. Seattle - I picture going to Seattle and getting a great hotel by the water, sitting on the balcony reading a book while it rains, then going to get a great cup of coffee, and just enjoy being together. This seems like a place I could enjoy living.

13. Big Bear, CA. This is where Brad and I spent our honeymoon, and we would love to go back. It would also be a great excuse to see our friends Kyle and Alissa and their sweet baby Kaitlyn. Maybe venture down to LA again and relive our honeymoon.

I want to start packing my bags now! :) Tell me, where would you want to go?

Etsy

2008-09-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with www.etsy.com. I love arts and crafts and baked goods and cheeky fun things. This website is FULL of those things. If you ever need to kill some time, which I seem to do alot lately at work, check out this site. I have ordered gifts for myself and for friends from this site, and have a wish list of about 100 things that I might email to Brad in case he ever needs ideas for me. :) I found these today and am in love with them. They combine two of my favorite things- baking and photography!

we will rock you

2008-09-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

My mom rocks!!! My parents came in last night to visit for the weekend. They actually came in town to hang out with my aunts and uncles for a grown-up Neuendorf weekend. My Uncle Wayne lives here in Franklin, Uncle Dale and Aunt Mary came in from Birmingham and Uncle Ron and Aunt Nancy came up from Decatur. Mom is the baby of the family, just like me. :) Getting to see us is just an added bonus for their fun filled weekend. Matt and I were hanging out playing guitar hero before we went to dinner and mom was looking at the TV with wide eyes, like a little kid. We could tell how anxious she was for her own turn! So matt quickly handed over the guitar and she proceeded to rock out! My mom is officially the coolest mom around.

you're on my heart just like a...

2008-09-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

In my 27 (nearing 28) years, I have been known as a goody two shoes, an old lady, the "mom" of my friends, among other boring and safe labels people have given me. However, deep down I always knew there was this rebelious, artsy person desperate to come out. I have always loved photography of course, and am branching out into painting and other arts now and I love it! I recently told Brad that I would love to be known as an artiste (preferably said with a fancy french accent). Not even simply a photographer, but an artist of all sorts. What is one thing that every artist needs??

Body art of course!

I have always wanted to get a tattoo, but have always been a little chicken - the above nicknames should explain why. I have thought for years that I knew what I wanted, and I pondered it for so long that I (with Brad's permission) decided to go ahead and do it! Jamie and I had joked about going together to get tattoos, but she decided to go a different, but still rebellious for someone in their 30's, route. Bling bling, nose ring. So for our 10 year sister in law anniversary, we celebrated big!

Here are some photos from our journey at the tattoo parlor.

Ten years!

Gorgeous!

The guy that did my tattoo. Hector. SO nice and fun. He helped make it as painless as possible when needles are involved.

would you expect anything less from me than to hold the camera in one hand at the same time I am getting a tattoo on the other! Jamie couldn't come in the room with us so I had to pull double duty.

I love it.

I chose a music note because music plays such an important part in mine and Brad's lives, individually and together. I hope that each time I look at it I am prompted to pray for him, us, our family (who are ALL involved in music in one form or another). It is a constant reminder to be thankful of the good in my life and to pray for God's hand in guiding our steps in the future.

Psalm 95:1-3

Here is a bonus track.....although it is completely un-music related...it is just as fabulous....

Sister-in-law Day

2008-09-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I have ever blogged bout sister in law day before. Surely I have but my memory is fading in my old age. Here is the explanation of one of my favorite holidays!

The year before Will and Jamie were married, she and I decided to spend the day together. Just by chance, no special reason for it, just the two of us on a random day hanging out. We ended up at Publix because we were both craving some cake and decided to grab one just for the two of us! Jamie knew they did free writing with icing on the cakes, so she surprised me with "Happy sister-in-law day". I loved it! Thus, Sister-in-law day was born. July 28 will forever be our day. Our special day to eat cake, have fun, just be us. We discovered in the middle of celebrating this year, that this is our TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY! We decided to go low key this year and met in Cartersville. Random I know, but they have such a great little downtown area. Lots of cute shops, restaurants, bakerys, etc. I found a fabulous old quilt at this great antique store, I cant wait to put it in our guest room. We had lunch at this great little sandwich shop. We trekked up to the bakery and got some sweets. We walked around for a while and before we called it a day.....we decided to......

more details to come!

football schmootball

2008-08-28T20:33:00.001-07:00

Last night was the start of MTSU's football season. Since this is Brad's last semester as a college student (woohoo) he wants to live it up as much as possible and go to all sporting events and do all kinds of college things so he can go out with a bang. He asked me to go to the game, one game, and I happily obliged (now I can check it off my list of honey-do). I am not a football fan.....by any stretch of the imagination....so it was not an easy task for me. However, I stopped by the school bookstore on my way to meet him and bought my own MTSU t-shirt and showed up at the game ready to cheer! We sat in the student section and it was here that I had a few revelations...

1. I am old. I am so far past college days that this was almost an un-enjoyable time for me, completely outside the fact that it was a football game. I am almost 10 years older than most of the people I was sitting in the midst of....that made me sad.

2. College kids have dirty mouths and wear trashy clothes. I was very tempted on several occasions to tap this young man in front of me and say "son, is it really necessary to use those words?". But Brad's sideways look of embarassment helped me stay put. I felt like a mom! I wanted to ask them if they speak that way in front of their parents, and what would their parents think if they heard them. I felt the same way with some of the girls I saw that wore dresses...short, very short cocktail dresses and heels and walked up the bleachers rather than the stairs so everyone could see all their ....well....you know. shame on them! Jeans and t-shirts ladies, that is much more football game appropriate.

3. I lived a sheltered college life. I loved my college experience and miss it often. However- I went to a good school with rules and dress codes and curfews. I noticed again last night that MTSU is not Liberty U. Not that bad things didnt happen at LU, just not as obviously I guess.

4. My husband loves college. I am so ready to count down the days until he graduates, but I saw last night why he is sad and not as ready to count down til graduation day. He will miss being a student. He worked so hard to get here and he will miss it, and I need to be ok with that. He will miss sitting in the student section, cheering with other Raiders fans when their team makes a touchdown. He will miss going to class and learning-something he genuinly loves to do. He will miss all of the friends he has made there and miss the laid back feeling of walking around campus, working at the radio station, etc. I see his point now...

I only stayed through halftime, I really wanted to see the marching bands. Yes, I am officially a nerd and I am proud of it! MTSU played Troy (who won by the way), my parent's Alma Mater. They almost drove up for the game so they could see the halftime show, but I am glad they didnt make the trip as they would have been disappointed. From what my Dad had told me about the band from his day as drum major- I was expecting greatness, but greatness it was not. Troy may have won the game but the Raiders Band won the halftime show. Not that it is a competition or anything, but you understand.

I love my husband and I love that he loves his school. This semester surely holds lots of fun times to come...

Thursday 13

2008-08-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

13 things that make me happy.

1. date night with my hubby

2. my nephews- everything about them makes me happy

3. arts and crafts, i wish i could be a professional arts and crafter.

4. baking and decorating cakes (and eating them of course)

5. photographing weddings, being a part of such a special day for a couple is priceless to me

6. vintage cameras

7. naps.

8. surprising people

9. writing an old fashioned letter and using old fashioned mail

10. pedicures with my mom

11. decorating and home magazines

12. a good cup of cofee (even better with a good friend)

13. road trips.

"you're gonna miss this"

2008-08-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, as I got off work, I piled myself and all my gear into the car and started the drive to St. Louis to see my good friend Michele. It was time for another good girlfriend weekend, and she is always so welcoming. She had a baby a few months ago (Scout!) and I am a horrible friend for having not come to see him earlier. No weddings this weekend so it was the perfect time to come love on my sweet friend and her boys. My car is in the shop in Atlanta so I have my parents rental car, which I think they keep on hand only for me and the times when my car is broken. I love my parents. I don't love the car. It has a faint smell of cat urine, it is the most beautiful (or not) sea foam green color, and worst of all- the CD player is broken and there is obviously not a way to plug in my ipod. Thus- I was back to channel surfing on the random radio stations that Kentucky and Illinois have to offer. I am not a country music fan as I once was in high school. However, it makes wonderful travel music. Each song has a story and they are more entertaining than other stations. (unless I can find Delilah, then I am good to go!). I heard a song by Trace Adkins that really struck a cord with me. The title of the song is "You're Gonna Miss This". I think I had heard it before (my coworker loves to listen to country at work, so I am subjected to it on an almost daily basis by default until she goes to lunch and I can shuffle my songs) but had never paid attention to the lyrics. I will post them at the bottom in case you want to read it but here is the gist. A girl goes to college, and cant wait to get out of the car and start that chapter of her life, her parents say "you're gonna miss this", then she gets out of college and gets married and is living in an apartment (like someone I know) and dreams of houses and babies (hmm...) and her Dad comes to visit and says "you're gonna miss this", then years later as she is in the house and has the babies, she apologizes to the plumber for all of the noise the kids are making and he says "you're gonna miss this". I am totally that girl. I am never settled where I am, I am always wanting the next thing, the house, the babies, etc. I do not live in this moment, right now, today, and the country crooner is right, I am gonna miss this. I do often miss the carefree college days of sleeping in, making coffee for a living, sunday afternoon lazy days with the girls, and all the dollar movies a girl can handle. I know I will miss the quiet time Brad and I have in our little apartment as soon as we get a house that needs repairs or we have kids that demand all of our attention. So today's lesson is- soak up today. live in today, love on today, because soon- you're gonna miss this. It was shortly after this revelation that the song "tequila makes her clothes fall off" came on and quickly reminded me why I do not listen to country music anymore.

She was staring out the window of their SUV
Complaning, saying "I can't wait to turn 18"
She said "I'll make my own money, and I'll make my own rules"
Mamma put the car in park out there in front of the school
Then she kissed her head and said "I was just like you"

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Before she knows it she's a brand new bride
In a one-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by
He tells her "It's a nice place"
She says "It'll do for now"
Starts talking about babies and buying a house
Daddy shakes his head and says "Baby, just slow down"

Cause you're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Five years later there's a plumber workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin'
One kid's cryin', one kid's screamin'
And she keeps apologizin'
He says "They don't bother me.
I've got 2 babies of my own.
One's 36, one's 23.
Huh, it's hard to believe, but...

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"

Thursday 13

2008-08-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

Today's 13 will be 13 things I hope to do before I walk through the pearly gates...

1. Give birth

2. Write a book.

3. Take my husband on a trip to London.

4. Get a tattoo.

5. Plant a garden.

6. live in the same state as one of my best friends.

7. Give birth a second time.

8. Take our children on the same fabulous vacations my parents always took us on (every recognizable American landmark and then some!)

9. Photograph a celebrity wedding.

10. Participate in community theatre, get back to my roots and prove to Brad that there are benefits to my being dramatic.

11. Drive across America from coast to coast.

12. White water raft through the Grand Canyon.

13. Run a marathon. (this is the most far fetched of them all!)

people watcher

2008-08-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

I am guilty of being a people watcher. I seriously love to watch people. I come in contact with all kinds of interesting people on a daily basis at work, and today I watched one of my favorite couples interact. A sweet husband and wife both come in for therapy and are the perfect little "older" couple, probably have been together for 50 years. He is the typical guy that says the secret to marriage is keeping her happy. She is the typical synical older lady that thinks her husband is slow. I love watching them bicker and laugh back and forth, just to walk outside the door and hold hands. I see in them, this sweet view of real love. They are able to laugh at themselves, and each other, but still hold hands lovingly on the way out the door. I just sat here, looking over my desk at them, and curiosity took hold and I wondered what Brad and I will look like 40 years from now. Will we be that couple that goes everywhere together? Will we be that couple that lives two separate lives? I saw both ends of that spectrum with each set of my grandparents. My mothers parents were inseperable. Grandma would cater to Papa, and go everywhere with him, sit in the same chair with him and he loved every second of it. On the other hand, MaDean and GrandDaddy (Dad's folks) were in every way- the opposite. Separate bedrooms, separate chairs, bickering all the time. I hope that Brad and I will forever be the former of course. It is so hard to be that couple now when currently- we do live such separate lives. I work, and work and work. He is in school, working on the go, on the go, and on the go. I pray that our paths will converge soon enough and we will be able to be the couple that holds hands on the way out the door every day, meet up after work for a nice dinner together, to go home at the same time, read a good book before bed, and enjoy every second of it. This "waiting room" period is quickly becomming old and unfavored. I do so love our nights when we get to be home at the same time, spend time together and actually go to bed at the same time. That is such a treasure to me! I know we will inevitably have crazy schedules for the rest of our lives- with my shoots and his music business things- but I will always treasure the times when our schedules converge for a moment and life feels normal.

New Photos

2008-08-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

I have put some new photos up on my photography blog, check them out when you get a chance!

Click here to see!

Thursday 13

2008-08-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

Today's thirteen will be about 13 things I have been thinking and dreaming about more than usual lately....

1. I love getting to see all of my friends being pregnant, having babies, starting families. Just a few years ago everyone was getting married, now everyone is having babies at the same time. I love watching it, seeing their beautiful bellies followed by the birth of gorgeous children. Seriously, my friends make beautiful babies!

2. I am so excited for my turn to be pregnant! I always say I wish I could be pregnant for two years, then have the baby when we are "ready". I just know this will be such a beautiful, wonderful time! I know all of you that have experienced this are rolling your eyes saying "no you wouldnt want to be pregnant for two years!". Either way....I love where we are right now in life, and love getting to sit back and watch all of my friends have babies....but I am anxious for our turn in a couple of years!

3. Houses....I want one. I watched an episode of "House Hunters" on HGTV the other night that was done in Nashville! The girl bought a house in west nashville, close to Hillsboro Village, which is where we would love to look. I am obsessed with remax.com and looking at all kinds of locations and price ranges. I love anything to do with houses.

4. I miss my nephews. I called Jamie the other day and Ean got on the phone....and I wanted to squeal in my usual high pitched noise "eeeeeAAAAnnnn! hi sweet boy, I sure do miss you!!!" but i refrained. I simply said "Hey Ean". We chatted for a few minutes, and I didn't squeal at all. It dawned on me that he is too old for the squealing, and high pitched craxy aunt rants. Jamie got on the phone and told me that she and will were listening when Ean got the phone, and waited for me to squeal and were disapointed when I didn't do it! She told me that he will never be too old or too cool for me to get excited to talk to him or to see him. I tried to get him back on the phone to redeem my crazy high pitched aunt status, and he was already too cool for me. Sad.... I miss them.

5. I love my mom. I want to be like her when I grow up.

6. Brad and I saw Mama Mia, I loved it! Highly recommend you see it....keeping in mind that it is made after a musical...which means high amounts of cheesy energy! Awesome.

7. Believe it or not.....I am craving a dog! I have never been an animal person, at all! But, Brad really wants a dog. A St. Bernard to be exact. His name will be Aslan ? Wilson, and I think about him all the time. We are trying to find a middle name, any suggestions? I think I will start saving, so it can be Brad's house warming present, after he buys me the house of course!

8. I have another art class this Friday night....can't wait!

9. I love my husband and am so proud of him for working so hard while in school!

10. Cookie dough is my recent craving...I can't get enough.

11. Looking forward to Disney world over Thanksgiving with the fam! It will be Brad's first time, how exciting

12. I am trying to grow my hair out, I cut bangs, and I think I like it.

13. I have the entire weekend to myself as Brad went to GA to hang out with friends and family before school starts back....I bought four new novels and hope to have them all read before I go to work on Monday, may go to the pool for a few hours, may go buy the purse I've been eyeing at anthropologie....(brad thinks I have way too many bags but I beg to differ!), take several garbage bags of clothes to good will, and take lots of naps. sounds perfect

breathe in....breathe out....

2008-08-13T20:17:00.001-07:00

I get stressed very easily. I don't know why, I don't know what my problem is or how I can fix it. But I get stressed out way too easily. I care about people, and I care about things. Sometimes so much that it makes my heart hurt. Sometimes so much that it makes my head want to explode. Does anyone reading this deal with obsessive stress on a regular basis? Do any of you overanalyze, or overthink things, or make big deals out of things that are not worth the effort? How do you survive? Got any good tips and tricks for me? I am an overstresser, overthinker, big deal maker, head exploder, and thought obsessor. I need help!

:(

i got new shoes

2008-08-09T06:18:00.000-07:00

I do love shoes. So much in fact that I buy little cheap pairs all the time, and never spend good money on shoes that will last. (except for the pairs of quality shoes mom bought me so I wouldnt ruin my feet at shoots!) This was clear last weekend when I opted out of wearing the good shoes and went for the super cheap $5 flips that I bought earlier that weekend. During the senior portraits shoot, I kept taking the flips off because they were already halfway falling off and were not giving me any support at all. Barefoot would be the better option. The mom and daughter, Tammy and Kati, talked to me about their flip flops. "Have you ever tried Rainbow flip flops" they asked. "No, I don't think so" I answered. They proceeded to tell me that they were the most comfortable flip flops they had ever worn. I nodded and thought to myself "nice, I should try those" and that was the end of the conversation. Well, not even one week later I receive a package to my front door. I look at the box and try to remember if I ordered something, was it an order for a client, I had no idea? Either way, getting a surprise package in the mail is always a treat. I opened the box, slowly savoring the excitement of a gift and to my surprise....waiting inside was.....a shoe box! Inside the shoe box was my very own pair of Rainbow sandals. HOW SWEET! I mean seriously....do I have the best clients in the world or what?? Tammy and Kati sent me a pair of Rainbow flip flops and I am so blessed by them! They did not have to do that by any means, but it really made my day. I love it when clients turn into friends, and I feel like I have found a wonderful family to call my friends. Thanks Tammy and Kati, I have the flip flops on right now and I am sure they will be broken in in no time! Thank you so much for being so kind.

my first glimpse....

2008-08-07T20:34:00.001-07:00

Gratefully - I took today and tomorrow off work. Brad and I had a wonderful trip out of town planned, and it was going to be a weekend of relaxation and retreat for us both. More on that later, for now- I want to tell you about my morning.

I had no alarm set this morning, I was going to wake up whenever she sun shone bright enough. It ended up being around 8 am, which felt like really sleeping in! Brad was already gone, he had a final to take for his summer class, so I was home alone. I got up, went to the kitchen to make a cup of wonderful Costa Rican coffee, courtesy of my brother in law, Brian. I love the rare days when I can really enjoy a cup rather than gulp it down out of necessity. Today was the rare day. I sat in my comfy chair with my coffee and did some reading, something I feel like there is hardly any time for anymore, even though it is the most important part of a day. I refilled the cup of coffee with another steaming hot stream of the dark goodness. I worked on some photos for a little while, answered some emails, and then gathered up about 9 orders that needed to be mailed out to clients. I cleaned up the kitchen from dinner the night before, ran the dishwasher, and wiped the counters. Ah, nothing better than a clean kitchen. I brushed my teeth, got dressed, grabbed my keys and hit the road for the post office. I adore the post office that I frequent. It is located in the back of a locally owned drug store, and they also have an old fashioned soda shop inside. It feels like "small town america" in there, and I love it. I go in and mail out my packages, and proceed to run some other errands. All the while I am on no time table. I am freely driving here and there, enjoying the morning, enjoying not having to put make up on, enjoying the fact that I am wearing my comfy jeans at 10 am on a Thursday. I love it. I love the freedom of being able to run errands at my leisure rather than get as much done in an hour lunch break, or trying to get to stores after work before they close for the night. I loved this morning. These three hours this morning were a small glimpse of what I feel like life could be....what it will be. In a few months I pray that I will be able to go to the post office whenever I want, that I will be able to do lunch meetings, or build relationships with local businesses, and that I will be able to keep my kitchen clean on a daily basis! ah.....I loved this glimpse.

motivational drive home

2008-08-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

My times driving back from Atlanta to Nashville are always filled with such thought and wonder and organization and motivation. I always make mental lists of things I want to do, plan, create, etc. I wish all of the time spent in my car would be as productive mentally. However, it seems as though all of the things on the list go out the window as soon as I hit exit 78A. It is rather sad because I truly do want to accomplish the things that occur to me as I drive through the beautiful landscape. If I had the ability to blog as I drove, I am sure you all would be amused at the things that come to mind. Maybe when I get my iphone in October I will do just that....all the while trying to stay within the lines on the road of course!

Here are a few of the thoughts I pondered on my way home last night...

- Making myself wake up a half hour early each morning and go for a walk....every time I drive up to Nashville, this is what I think mostly about. It is when I hit the Boro that all motivation escapes me. Any ideas on how I can let this idea stick?

- I want to write a book on "common sense as seen by Joy". I know no one would read this book, but it would be front and center on my bookshelf. Because I am easily irritated and let things bother me that most people don't, I have a huge list of "common sensical issues" that I feel need to be addressed. One chapter being on the fact that - Taking children to a wedding is never a good idea. Sorry to all parents who read this blog and have ever thought "of course I can take my precious darling to this wedding, they are so well-behaved, they wont make a peep". It is not true, it will never be true. Children and weddings do not mix at all. Can you really enjoy the wedding if you are standing in the back calming your upset child? Can you have a good time chasing them around a reception, trying to make sure they do not tip over a cake? I love children more than anything, and I would photograph that crying child any day. However- if you think your child won't disrupt a wedding you are sorely mistaken. I am sure you are thinking "just wait until it's your turn Joy, you will understand one day". I must note that is my least favorite expression in all of the world.

- I want to go back to school. Not to get another degree, but I really want to take some photography and graphic design classes. I feel there is so much more to know and I have not even come close to scratching the surface. I love photography and I love the passion I feel for it, but I want to be so much better. I want to be able to surprise my clients with new techniques and ideas and really be able to think outside the box. I hope to sign up for a class or two when Brad finishes school...

- I love my husband. He works so hard and I am so proud of him. I am looking forward to our weekend getaway this weekend!

That will be all rambling for now. Much much more to come and I will post photos from all of the shoots I had this weekend (children, a wedding, maternity, and a senior shoot!) whew....lots of great shoots! :)

Thursday 13

2008-07-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Several people do these Thursday 13 lists, and I thought I would join in the fun. Here goes...

1. I am looking forward to another weekend in TN, sometimes I feel like we should pay my parents rent for all the weekends we go to Atlanta.

2. I can't wait for our double date with Mark and Joy on saturday!

3. I had a biopsy on my thyroid today...no fun. pretty sure its benign, so no worries (hopefully!)

4. My husband is hot.

5. I died my hair red last week, then fixed that mistake last night by dying it back to brown.

6. I am going to take up painting.

7. my car is a piece of poop.

8. Ean and Spencer make me smile.

9. I miss my girlfriends who are spread out all over the country.

10. 143 days until Brad graduates.

11. my dad rocks. he let me off the hook for paying that red light ticket! thanks pops!

12. I am obsessed with HGTV. thank goodness for free cable

13. we are trying to figure out how to spend our $1200 from Uncle Sam. any suggestions?

There, that was fun!

My first art class!

2008-07-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Joy Crouch invited me to a painting class, hosted by her sister in law. She does this thing called "Brush the Sky" every other Friday night, where she teaches people how to paint! I was so excited when Joy invited me, as anyone who knows me knows that I love anything crafty! So, last Friday night we met at the Factory and painted. I am already excited for next time. Anyone that wants to can check it out HERE!

Here are some photos of my first masterpiece!

new photos

2008-07-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

I posted a few new photos on my photography blog. Go check them out HERE!

Erica and Denver's wedding

2008-07-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

Erica and Denver got married this past weekend! I just love my sister-in-law and am sooo happy for them! It was very difficult for me to be on the other side of the camera for a change....its been a while since I was a bridesmaid. I definitely wanted to take over when it came to the photography but I tried my hardest to keep my mouth shut! That is a hard thing to do, let me tell ya.

Denver won the husband of the year award on his first night of being a husband because he gave Erica an amazing wedding gift! He bought her a house!! He had told her they were going to a bed and breakfast, but he took her to their house! It was one they had looked at but it "had not worked out to buy it just yet". He is so good to her and perfect for her. I am so excited for them and this wonderful start to their life together. Here are some photos from their day!

me? run a red light? no way!

2008-06-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

Well.... sadly enough, I did. And I got caught red handed by a camera!!! Last night Brad and I drove down to Hazel Green Alabama for a NewSong concert. I sat down next to my sweet mama, and she started laughing, and had a look on her face like I was about to get in trouble! She told me how a few days ago they recieved a letter in the mail with a photo of their car running a red light, it had two photos that showed as clear as day that it was in fact their car and a bright red light. It gave the intersection and the date it occurred. Mom thought about it for a minute and realized that I had been driving the car at that time! The best part though is that she was in the car with me! So was Brad and my brother Will. I don't remember anyone telling me I ran a red light, and I definitely don't remember doing it. I think the government is playing a trick on us! Either way, the traffic light cameras apparently work, and they work really well. SO- beware!

UPDATE: I will be taking full responsibility for this ticket and will be paying the rediculous $70 fee. Don't worry Dad, I wont stick you with the bill! :)

Brad read the shack!

2008-06-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

I have been telling Brad to read the Shack ever since I read it and wanted to hear his thoughts on it. He is not an avid reader, and it usually takes him a couple of months to finish a book because he is so busy. BUT- I was taking a nap today and he came in and said, "when you get up, we can talk about the shack". A bit groggy I was confused. He confessed that he had read the entire book this week without me knowing! He was waiting to tell me until he finished it. I was so surprised! pleasantly of course. So we sat down and discussed it, finally! This is another opportunity for me to tell all of you loyal readers that you too should read the book. It starts out emotionally hard to read, then gets a bit confusing, and then it all makes sense. Wonderful sense.

Brad said he did some research and found that the book it total fiction, I thought it was based on a true story. But either way, it is a great read and I recommend all of you check it out!

John and Kate plus 8

2008-06-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, Brad and I have been deprived of good television for about 3 years now. We have the super ultra basic cable, just enough to get our internet connection. All of the sudden we got full cable a few weeks ago and we feel like we have been living the high life!! (did I already blog this??) anyway, I am now officially obsessed with the TLC show- John and Kate plus 8. I had been stuck on HGTV but have branched out to TLC (shocking, I know) and am in love with this show. The children are precious, the parents are hilarious, and it is chaos but perfection at the same time. I cant imagine having that many children but I love watching them deal with it. If you havent checked out this show and this family, please do it.
http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/jon-and-kate/jon-and-kate.html

white wedding

2008-06-25T19:06:00.001-07:00

I posted some new photos on my photography blog and also on the

spotlight gallery on my website. Check them out!

www.joywilsonphotography.com

www.joywilson-photography.blogspot.com

my husband rocks

2008-06-22T19:58:00.001-07:00

I came home from Atlanta tonight to find Brad had cleaned our home!!! He vacuumed, swept, cleaned the bathroom and even folded the blankets in the living room and fluffed my pillows on the couch! He even had candles lit so it looked so nice and warm when I walked in. Then to my amazement, he told me that he had made muffins over the weekends- from scratch! Is he turning into a domestic diva or what?! I love him so much.

We finally finished our puzzle from months ago. So cute! Now, just need to figure out what to do with it. Frame it? tear it apart for fun at a later date?

us on a typical night in. love it!

www.picnik.com

2008-06-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, you have to check out this site. I just found it today and it is pretty stinkin cool! It is a super quick and easy way to edit your photos online, for free! Obviously it is no photoshop, but in my 5 minutes of playing around, it is pretty cool. I invite you to share in this new fun site.

Check it out here!

i love my mommy

2008-06-21T14:49:00.001-07:00

Usually when I make it to Atlanta for a weekend, I am slammed packed with photo shoots or other things. I don't usually have much time to spend hanging out with my mom. Today was the perfect day! We got up early and went to my favorite coffee place here in Ball Ground for our usual cup of joe and a yummy scone. Then we went to my usual spot, the Marietta square, to photograph the Haglof family. Mom was my assistant and really helped get little Ella to smile. That's what I pay her the big bucks for! ha. After the shoot got rained out (we did get some wonderful shots before the rain came so it was not a total loss) we went to get lunch at Gabriel's in Marietta. My friend Steph took me to this place last time I was home and it was so good! Gotta love pimento cheese sandwiches! yummm. Then our traditional mother daughter day really began. Shopping!!! We ran all kinds of errands and shopping is never as much fun as when I am with Mom. And a sweet surprise too- at the mall, I ran into Stacy! She was in town spur of the moment and I got to see her for a few minutes, such a sweet treat. Her belly isn't showing much yet so I can't wait 'til I see her again and the baby starts making it's presence known. Now after 9 hours of going, going, going, we both sat down to rest our tired feet, aahhhhh. Now would be a perfect time for our traditional pedicure, we will save that for next time. I love getting to spend time with my Mom!

my hand hurts

2008-06-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

I have sat down to the laptop several times to write about our Goodwin Birthday Bash but am having some seriously lame issues with my hand. I am not exactly sure what is wrong with it but it hurts and is almost impossible for me to hold anything with my right hand (my camera hand!) I think it is overuse, so I need to get off the crazy computer and just sit for a while....is that even possible?? I sit at a computer all day at work, then come home and sit on this computer to work on photography, so my poor hands do not get a rest throughout the entire day! Since it is a struggle to write this right now, I will go ahead and call it a night. But don't fret, I will post photos of our weekend soon enough.

Oh- one more thing before I go-

For those of you that are interested, Brad's first day of his internship went amazing! He had this incredible tone in his voice as he was telling me about his time there today. I could hear a smile through the phone. Although he was only there for a short time today, I could tell that he was encouraged by this wonderful door that the Lord has opened. The opportunity to be working in a Christian environment is such a blessing. The guys he is working with are great guys and they are laid back and flexible and even want him to continue his internship into the fall!! So, he will be doing one day a week through the summer and may go more full on in the fall. I am so excited for him and this great opportunity! I pray that the Lord will really use these godly men to encourage Brad and his dreams for working in the music industry. Praise God for wonderful open doors!

Birthday weekend was a success!

2008-06-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

So, our first annual Goodwin Birthday Bash came and went and it was so fun. We all met up and mom and pops, then spent the entire day at the lake. Will has a fabulous family at his church that owns a marina and let us use a pontoon boat and two jet skis. How fun! It was really nice to spend the day playing, sweating, sunburning, and getting splashed with crazy amounts of water together. (thanks for the splash matt!) Then we went back to mom and pops and cooked out (what Goodwins do best) and opened our middle of the year birthday presents. It was very odd to be celebrating birthdays in the middle of the year, but it was definitely a treat to have a reason to celebrate in the middle of the year too! I think I got the best present of all...my very own Kitchenaid Mixer!!! I am sooo excited about it. I have always wanted one and cannot wait to use it for some of my world famous cookies!

In typical mid life crisis form, my Dad decided to buy a motorcycle. crazy! Now Dad and Matt can be riding buddies. After they went for a ride and we went for some shopping, we ended up back at mom and pops and just had fun around the house. They have so many fun toys! Never a dull moment at their place.

Thanks Mom and Dad for a wonderful middle of the year Birthday Bash!

Aunt Joy and Spencer eating some Circus Peanuts! yum

Ean fishin'

Ean's mommy got a little crazy with the sunscreen

These ducks are smart. They saw us park the boat and came swimming up from all the way on the other side of the lake. They KNEW we would feed them. So smart, we definitely gave them a nice lunch. I was amazed at how smart they were and that they knew to come to our boat, I guess I never gave ducks much credit for being smart.

Ean driving the boat!

Uncle Matt and Spencer

Spencer playing Matt's piano tattoo

Aunt Joy and Ean on the jetski

Will riding Dad's new bike

Me on my new favorite toy!

My favorite toy and my favorite boy!

Brad's first internship!

2008-06-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of Brad. He is working SO hard in school, I only wish I had been as studious as he is. He will be starting his first internship tomorrow for Tooth and Nail records! This is a huge opportunity for him and I am beyond excited. It will start out pretty slow, just one or two days a week to see how much work they have for him. I am sure once they see how hard working he is, they will want him every day! :) He will be working with the A&R guy, what a cool thing for him! You can check out some of their artists here.http://www.toothandnail.com/artists.php

Please pray for him as he begins this new fun chapter of his summer. He is still working on another internship for the fall, so he will be super busy as his college career comes to an exciting close. I am so proud of him and all the opportunities he has in front of him!

Family Birthday Weekend

2008-06-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

My entire family (excluding my Dad) has birthdays within a few weeks of Christmas. This has always made for a hard time each year as we buy Christmas AND birthday presents. We have joked about this for a long time, but this year we finally decided to go through with a mid-year birthday celebration. We did not celebrate anyone's birthday last Christmas, we saved it all for this weekend. It was interesting to not have a cake (or donut with a candle we we often do) or presents or everyone getting together. However, this has given us a great time to look forward to! We all met up and my parents house last night, and spend the entire day today at the Lake. It was wonderful. Relaxing, fun, perfect weather. Couldn't have asked for a better day. We are about to cook out and I had a few minutes to sneak online to check my email. We are attempting to do a no phone, computer, etc if we can help it! So, I need to get going for now. I will post later and let you know how this half birthday celebration goes.

here is the birthday breakdown-

Mom - December 20

Me- December 24

Will- December 28

Jamie - January 4

Matt - January 17

Brad - February 26 (his is the furthest out, but we counted him in this for fun).

FYI- Dad's is September 29 so he is way out of the loop. :)

Finished!

2008-06-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

I said I would finish the book this week, but I couldn't put it down last night. I finished and am even more curious to hear your thoughts and opinions on this very interesting book. I found out my friend Joy read it, and I am anxious to hear her thoughts. I am waiting to bounce some ideas off other people before I write my own review of the book....I am still a bit perplexed.

The Shack

2008-06-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

Has anyone out there read "The Shack" by William Young?? I had heard so many people talk about it last year but didn't think it was for me. I had only heard men talk about it, so I thought it was a book that would relate more to a man. But for some reason, I decided to pick it up anyway and have started reading it. I am over halfway through and am very curious if anyone out there has read it? What are your thoughts? It is extremely different than I thought it would be and I am not even very sure how I feel about it. I am hoping to finish this week so don't spoil anything for me, but let me know if you have thoughts you want to share..

this and that

2008-06-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting to blog about anything much so there wasn't too much on top of my Israel blogs for those that were visiting to read up on those. However, I think it is time to start back now. Nothing too exciting to share, just a little of this and that.

Brad and I had lunch today with some very sweet friends of ours, Mark and Joy. Yes- we are both Joy. Its great! We don't see them as often as we like, but when we do it is always a treat. I really hope we get to see more of them (if I am ever in town any other weekends this summer!) They are involved at the Journey Ecclesia church that we attend in Franklin. We were a part of a small group that they led, but we just found it too hard to stay involved during the week with us being in Murfreesboro. We (mostly me probably) are really counting down the days until we can move a bit closer to everything. Right now, we are about a half hour from anywhere we need to go. We would love to be closer to the city and closer to Franklin. We even went and looked at houses today!

Brad is finally getting excited about looking at houses. We are probably still a little ways away from buying because it really depends on where he gets a job after graduation, but we still wanted to go look. We saw some that are pretty much smack dab in the middle of Nashville. We saw some way out of our league, some medium ones that were in a quite interesting part of town (sketchy!), and one that is super small but was my ultimate favorite. It was on a cute street with several homes that looked like a builder came in and gutted and renovated several houses. There was a park right around the corner, it was awesome! We love the feel of downtown because it has so much more character than a suburb or development, but you have to get used to the scary parts too!

I guess I have houses even more on my mind lately because recently we noticed that our cable went from the regular 13 channels that we pay for to the entire list of over 100!!!! What an unexpected treat! We do not usually watch much TV, but all of the sudden I am glued to it. I finally have my HGTV!! This could either be a blessing or a curse. I can't change the channel, I am pretty much obsessed. I love every show! I think I missed my calling as an interior designer, architect, or house flipper. My time will come....in December....maybe I will get to be all of those things! Until then, I will keep dreaming.

I will share one of my favorite websites, you have to check it out. You will get hooked as I am. I check it daily for new tips, tricks, ideas, etc! www.casasugar.com

Yipee for Ean!

2008-06-04T13:12:00.001-07:00

Exciting things going on in the lives of the Goodwin Fam! I am going to copy some of a blog that my sister-in-law wrote about my nephew- Ean, you can read the whole thing here.

-His words were, “I told God I loved Him and wanted Him to live in my heart.” He said he listens to Jesus ALL the time and tries to do right.-

Ean gave his life to the Lord!

Ean- We are so excited for you! This is the most important decision you will make in your entire life! Uncle Brad and I will be praying for you as you being your journey as a Christ follower. You are off to a great start, listening to Jesus is so important. We love you and couldn't be more happy for you and this wonderful decision you made!!

Wedding Season begins again

2008-05-29T17:29:00.001-07:00

Wedding season is upon me once again! I had one wedding in April, so I guess it technically began then. However- throughout the course of the next couple of months I have 9 weddings! Not to mention all of the families and children that are scheduled in there too. This will be an extremely busy season for my photography, all the while working a full time job too! The craziest part of it all is that every single wedding is in Atlanta. The only one here in Nashville was the one in April (a beautiful wedding to start with though!). Lots of traveling back and forth to look forward to. I am nervous and excited about these coming months. I am praying that God will help me prioritize my time to the fullest, so I don't waste a minute. I am also praying that I do not get overwhelmed. It will be easy to let the fullness of my schedule get to me, but I am doing what I love so I know I will enjoy it! I hope to post all kinds of photos so keep your eyes peeled. I also started a new blog just for my photography. You can check it out and subscribe here for updates on weddings and other sessions. Don't forget to tell your friends! (preferably some more that live in Nashville!) :)

Blessed.

2008-05-25T19:10:00.001-07:00

Brad and I feel so blessed to have gone on this once in a lifetime trip. If you have not gone, I would highly recommend you go! My parents really blessed us with this opportunity and I want all of you who read this to know what amazing parents I have. They are so loving, giving, wonderful! Thanks Mom and Dad for taking us on this wonderful journey. I pray that we will only be better people because of it.

Day 6- the end

2008-05-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

This was our last day in Jerusalem.

We started our last day at the Temple Mount, an area roughly 27 acres on top of Mount Moriah. This is the place where, according to Genesis 22, God directed Abraham to bring his only son, Isaac, and prepare him for sacrifice. This is the place where, according to 2 Samuel 24, God stops the plague. This is also the site where Solomon builds the temple to God which was first destroyed by the Babylonians 586 B.C. This area is rich in history! Unfortunately, like many of the holy sites, it is under the control of the Moslems in order to keep peace. The Temple is gone, and in its place is the Moslem Shrine known as the Dome of the Rock. This shrine was built between 687 - 691 A.D. and is decorated with persian tiles. Our tour guide discreetly shows us a piece of marble on the left side of the main door that looks exactly like the image most of us have in our minds of Satan! There are all kinds of guards around this shrine that do not like anyone to make a big deal of that satan marble. We are not allowed to go inside but we did see some photos. There is an area in the middle of the Shrine where the rock is still exposed. This is the rock where Abraham brought Isaac!

Leading up to the temple mount is the Eastern Gate. The Bible indicates that Jesus passed through this gate many times while he was in Jerusalem. Jewish religious tradition teaches that the coming Messiah will enter Jerusalem through this gate. To prevent this, the Muslims sealed the gate during the rule of Suleiman. (Ezekial 44:1-3)

From here we walked to the Pool of Bethesda. This ancient pool, which is only partly excavated, is only about 60 feet below the present ground level. The pool, according to scripture, had 5 porticoes or porches. It is here that Jesus healed the lame man. John 5:1-16.

Near the pool of Bethesda is the Church of St. Anne This crusader church was built in 1100 A.D. on the site of a Byzantine church which had, in turn, been built over the cave believed to have been the home of Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This church is known for its amazing acoustics. Matt, Brad, and I had taken the long route around the pool of Bethesda and not stayed with the group. They had gone into the church ahead of us. Upon walking into the church we entered a beautiful moment that I am glad we did not miss! Everyone was sitting down listening to my Dad sing...and they were joining in, "How Great Thou Art" one of my favorite hymns. It sounded sooo beautiful! I will try to upload a video later so you can hear the sound, it was one of the sweetest moments of the entire trip.

Now we walk the Via Doloroasa. The way of the cross. This is the path that Jesus walked, carrying the cross, on his way to Calvary. Today this is a local market place. We passed all kinds of local shops. It was interesting to me to see people living every day life on such an important road. Do they know what took place here? Do they know that Jesus walked this very path on the way to His death?

Next we went to the Wailing Wall. This wall is portion of the retaining wall that Herod built around the western side of the Temple mount and is the holiest shrine in the Jewish world today. Many people pray here at all hours of the day. Some also write prayers and put them in the cracks in the wall. We got to do this as well. There are separate areas for men and women, so we cannot pray together.

From here, we continue on to a Jerusalem Archaeological Park to see more ruins and excavations.

Before we end our day we drove up a hill that overlooks Bethelehem, the birthplace of Jesus. We cant see much from here but we know that it is there! It is also here, the last moments of our journey, that I finally get to see sheep AND a shepherd! Now, these have to be the coolest sheep around. I called them punk rock sheep. Nothing but the best! :)

We ended our journey by taking a trip to the Holocaust Museum. This was a very touching time, especially the childrens room where it lists the names of the children that died in the horrible Holocaust.

Day 5

2008-05-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

This was one of the most emotional days of our entire trip. We started at the Mount of Olives and worked our way down to the tomb of Jesus, where he was buried and rose again 3 days later! You can see the entire landscape from our hotel. Here are a few pictures of us on our hotel terrace. self portrait in a window, one of my favorite tricks!

The Mount of Olivesis a limestone ridge located between Bethany to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It is 240 feet above the Temple Mount and is separated from it by the Kidron Valley. The Mount of Olives is to the left, you can see all of the Olive Trees.

As we stand at the top of the mount of Olives we see a beautiful panorama of the city of Jerusalem.

We see the oldest and largest Jewish Cemetery that dates back to biblical times. The Jews believe the final judgment and resurrection will take place here.

As we descend the Mount of Olives, we will walk the Palm Sunday path that Jesus himself walked. This is the traditional road that most believe Jesus traveled as he made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19:28). It descends from the Mount of Olives, goes across the Kidron Valley, and up through the Eastern Gate into the Temple area (where you see the building with the gold dome).

We will pass the Dominus Flevit Chapel. The chapel itself is not very old, but this is the traditional site where Jesus stopped, looked over the city of Jerusalem and wept. (Matthew 23:37-39, Luke 19:41-44)

Next we go to a place I was anticipating the entire time we have been in the Holy land. The Garden of Gethsemane. This beautiful garden is a place where Jesus came often to pray. It was in this garden that he was praying on His last night on earth. He was captured here and then was taken, beaten, and killed. I can just imagine him kneeling down, tears in His eyes, praying to our God, His Father. Being scared of what was to come, but knowing He would die for our sins because His love for us is so great! He is our savior! (Matthew 26:47-56, John 18:1-13) There are 8 ancient olive trees here, claimed by botanists to be over 3000 years old! These trees were here when Jesus was here, incredible. Honeysuckle, Mom's favorite!

The Chruch of All Nations is here in the Garden. The church is built on the site of the Crusader church, and inside is the traditional Rock of Agoony, where Jesus was praying the night before His death.

We also went to a church that is built on top of the traditional site where Jesus was held before his crucifixion. You can see a pit where He would have walked down, and holes in the stone walls where His hands could have been tied. We will also walk on some of the exact steps that Jesus walked on his way to his crucifixion.

From here, we make our way to Calvary and the Garden Tomb. This special place fulfills all biblical requirements as to the validity of the location where Jesus suffered, died, was buried, and arose after three days. This was one of the most exciting places we visited the entire trip, but it was a bitter sweet visit. The location of Calvary is often illustrated as being on a hill when in fact it was on ground level, at a crossroads of major streets. Outside the Damascus Gate is a place that qualifies as Skull Hill. The Roman writer Quintillion in his Declarations clearly indicated the purpose of doing so; "wherever we crucify criminals, very crowded highways are chosen so that many my see it, and many may be moved by fear of it.". It says in the Bible that people would walk by Jesus and spit on him, this would be less likely to happen if he was up high on a hill. This spot, Calvary as we know it, is now sadly paved over and is an Arab bus station. It was built here in 1956 and as we look at the tomb, we must fight the noise of the bus station in order to observe the importance of this location! However, we can clearly see the skull and nearby is the garden with a tomb of a rich man! I knew before I came here that the tomb would be empty. I know because I have experienced the risen Lord in my life, what it was such a joy to walk in the tomb and see where he laid and know that NOTHING could keep Him in the grave! The tomb did not originally look exactly like this. The door was much smaller, and the square stone to the top right of the door have been added. imagine a door half the size that you see, and imagine the round stone (like the one we saw earlier in the week on the side of the road!). You can see the small path at the base of the door where the stone would sit and would be rolled back and forth. Inside the tomb, we can see where Jesus laid. We know this because there had been a niche blocked out for His feet to lay. The bed on the other side of the tomb was incomplete. This is in fact where our Lord was buried! Look at the sign on the door.....how true!!!

After we visited the tomb, we had a time of reflection and communion. What an incredible opportunity to sing praise to our God and to take communion in this special place. Regardless of bus stations or anything else distracting, this was a wonderful time of worship! We had the pleasure of hearing my Dad (and Eddie and Matt Butler) sing two NewSong songs. The first "You Can't Keep a Good Man Down" and then the ever wonderful "Arise my Love". This was an especially sweet moment for me to be there, at the tomb, hearing my Dad sing this song. This is a song that I had heard a thousand times, but one day when I was 7 years old, I finally understood the words. It was after a concert that my Dad led me to the Lord. I had only dreamed of a day where I could visit the tomb and hear my Dad sing that song....this was the day!

This was an incredible day, one I will never forget. To see the places where my Jesus walked, where He prayed, where He died, where He rose. Amazing.

just for fun here is a pic of stephen, matt and brad. they didn't dress alike on purpose, but it was still cute. :)

Day 4 - The Dead Sea

2008-05-25T15:20:00.001-07:00

Our first day in Jerusalem, we went a little out of the city and down to the Dead Sea. I do mean down- as the sea is 4200 feet lower than Jerusalem. This meant quite a temperature change, it was very hot in the desert. But I wouldn't expect anything less. We started at the ancient city of Masada, one of Herods three fortress cities built between 37 - 4 BC. It is located in the "wilderness" which is just what I pictures as being the desert. I don't know what I had in mind when I thought of wilderness as mentioned in the Bible, but desert land is what it is. Very dry, rocky and sandy mountains, very little plant life. This was one thing that helped bring the Bible alive to me. Seeing this is where people spent so many days and nights, years even, living on only the provision of the Lord. We had to ride this very scary and high tram up the mountain. I did not like this part! These are ancient canon balls.

After visiting Masada, we went to Qumran. This was the site of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, the most significant discovery of the 20th century! They were found by a bedouin boy that found them by mistake, throwing rocks into caves. If he only knew how important his find would prove to be! The copies of scripture dated from 300 B.C. to 70 A.D. and exactly match, letter for letter, word for word, with the 6th century copies. Pretty cool to find such ancient proof of the scriptures. That probably had some doubters scratching their head! the original scrolls are in the Jerusalem museum. the little cave on the cliff is where the boy found the scrolls!

Our last stop of the day was an interesting one to say the least. We went to the dead sea. I wasnt sure if we were going to go here, so Brad and I didn't fully plan on getting in the water. But after we went down with everyone, and saw how much fun they were having rolling around in the mud, we had to join in. Aside from the funky smell of the mud, it was worth doing even if just for laughs! They say the mud from the bottom of the sea is supposed to be really good for your skin. There are several companies that make all kinds of lotions, skin treatments, etc from minerals found in the dead sea. Of course I had to buy some of those! Another cool part of the Dead Sea that I have always heard was how you can float in the water. It's true! With no effort at all, the water holds you up as if you are on a float. You can even lay on your stomach and float. Pretty cool! (I dont have any photos of us floating, but I will update when I get some from mom's camera)

After our mud mask in the sea, we piled back in the bus and went back to our hotel in Jerusalem for a restful night before our last two days in the city...but on the way back, we finally saw a herd of sheep on a hill! I don't know why, but I was really hoping to see one. I will show you a much better shot that came at the end of our week, but this will do for now!

Day 3

2008-05-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

We began our third day by taking a visit to the Jordan river. This is the exact river where John baptized Jesus! (John 1:28-34). We got to be baptized here as well, what an incredible honor! For those of us that have been baptized before- after surrendering our lives to the One and Only Jesus Christ- we used this baptism as a re-dedication. What a wonderful thing to be able to do on this journey through Israel! To be baptized in the same water as our Savior! Brad and I felt blessed and humbled to be able to do this. The actual area where Jesus was baptized, Bethabara, is located 7 miles southeast of Jericho and is not accessible to tourists. Even though we could not go to that exact site, this experience was still unforgettable. The best part about it for me was that my Dad got to baptize me....again! I was saved at the age of 7 at a NewSong concert (seems appropriate right?!) and my Dad led me to the Lord. He also stood in the waters at my church when I was baptized for the first time along with my brother Matt. So, to stand here today 20 years later and have him baptize me in the Holy Land was an incredible blessing. This time I got to share it with my husband as well. It was an emotional and wonderful moment. Praise the Lord for saving me and giving me new life May we glorify HIM in all we do. My brother Matt

We left the Jordan River and went to Beth Shean. This is a city that protected the entrance to the Valley of Jezreel (the Valley of Armageddon) from the Jordan River. Beth Shean was inhabited as early as 3000 BC! Excavations have revealed 18 levels of occupation! The city was destroyed by an earthquake in the 8th century and was not rebuilt until 1949, when Israelis began to do so. Today, Beth Shean is one of the largest archaeological projects in all of Israel, and there are lots of them! Recent excavations here have revealed a beautiful city with magnificent temples, streets, theatres, and Israel's only amphitheater. It was this theatre where Romans watched as the Jews and Christians alike fought wild animals. Crazy!

For lunch, we did a picnic at Ein Harod (Gideon's Spring).This is the location where the Lord led Gideon and his men, and it was here where He separated them, sending all but 300 home and keeping the small number to do battle as recorded in Judges 7. This lunch break was a fun time to relax and play. We sat conveniently next to a playground. How could we resist!

From here, we loaded back on the bus and drove to Jerusalem. We made one pit stop and I got to ride a camel! Very interesting, not as smooth as riding a horse. These are not graceful animals. Along the way to Jerusalem we saw several groups of Bedouins living on the sides of the roads, in the mountains, etc. It was a bedouin boy that found the Dead Sea scrolls....more on that tomorrow....

Day 2 - The Sea of Galilee

2008-05-20T18:31:00.001-07:00

We woke up in our hotel in Tiberias to a gorgeous view of the Sea of Galilee form our balcony. We could see from one side of the sea to the other. There are some sites we will visit that are "traditional" which means they "think" this is where it happened. The Sea of Galilee is not traditional, this really is the sea! No doubt about it....pretty cool. This new testament city was built by Herod Antias in 26 A.D. There are many hot springs here, making this city Israel's leading resort area. In Israel the Sea of Galilee is known as Kinneret, which means "harp" because the sea is shaped like a harp.

Our guide told us that 2/3 of Jesus' ministry occured around the Sea of Galilee. Wow! This is the sea where Jesus walked on water! Our first stop of the day was a boat ride on the sea. We all piled in a wooden boat and set sail to the middle of the sea. We started our voyage by raising an American flag and singing, it was lovely. We had another treat with Dad singing, this time an oldie but goodie NewSong song- "Only the Hands". It was incredible to look around the shore and see where Jesus was. Where he ministered, where he taught, where he walked. He really walked here! Breathtaking. This was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip. (Matt. 8:23-27; John 6:16-21)

As we sailed, we could look to the left and see the town of Madala. This is where Mary Magdalene was from (its the area where all of the trees are right by the shore).

After our boat ride, we end up on another side of the sea than where we started. Here we enter a museum of sorts to see a fishing boat that was discovered here in 1987 that dates back to Jesus' time! What an incredible find! It was a beautiful sight to see the type of boat that Jesus and his disciples could have been in. One more part of bringing the Bible to life.

Next we went to Capernaum, where Peter lived. Here we saw a site that is thought to be the home of Peter! (Matt 8:5, 14) There is a large church built on top of the home site, but it is elevated so you can see the ruins underneath. There were also all kinds of other ruins here from later times as well. Capernaum was Jesus' ministry base in Galilee. He was probably in the home people believe was Peters! Just imagine them sitting there, drinking, talking, hanging out. Pretty cool to think about. The history in these places is incredible. I love all of the ancient mosaic floors! This is an ancient olive press.

At lunch we went to a restaurant that serves what they call "Peter's Fish". I am not a huge fan of fish, so I pulled out the lame card and ordered pizza. Here is what the fish looked like....if I wasnt already scared of fish, I surely would be now! Matt Butler mocking the fish!

We ended our day on the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus Christ stood for the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Pastor Johnny gave a short sermon this night as the sun was setting, it was a gorgeous way to end our day.

Israel Day 1

2008-05-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

Alright, let me start by saying that this trip was most definitely a trip of a lifetime. It is very very true that the Bible comes alive on this trip. I am going to blog a day by day journey so you can see what we saw. After a 12 hour flight, we arrived in Tel Aviv on Monday night.

We went straight to the hotel so we could relax and sleep well before we started our journey. There are a few photos from the balcony on our room, our view was beautiful!

You could see downtown on one side and the Mediterranean Sea on the other. Very nice and relaxing for our first night. We awoke to a very large Israeli Sabra breakfast buffet, this is how most of our meals were served. We learned very quickly that they do not serve dairy and meat in the same meal, so there was no bacon or sausage for breakfast. The usual breakfast meal consisted of several salads (with olives, tomatoes and cucumbers, which were also served at dinner time), eggs (thank goodness!), yogurt, fruit, fish, cheese, etc.

We started our day in Cesarea where Herod the Great built his summer home. Construction of the city began in 22 B.C. and took 12 years to complete. (by the way, did you know some rediculous people are changing B.C. and A.D to B.C.E. and C.E.? shame shame!) Cesarea is named in honor or Cesar Augustus and had lavish palaces, a temple, a theatre, hippo-drome, and elaborate sewer system.

Philiip preached here in this city (Acts 8:40, 21:8-9). Upon leaving Cesarea, we drive past the Plain of Sharon which is located between the mountains of Carmel and the Mediterranean sea. Davids herds were pastured here ( 1 Chronicles 27:25, 29). Isaiah spoke of its splendor ( Isaiah 35:2, 65:10).

We traveled a very famous trade route known as the Via Maris, or the Way of the Sea. This route cuts through the Valley of Jezreel and runs to ancient Mesopotamia. Any world power controlling the Via Maris conrolled the entire region!

At lunch I had my first experience with filafil, a local food. I had high hopes for it because I do love hummus, but I was sadly disappointed. This began a long week of not finding many things I would eat!

Next we went to Mount Carmel which means fruit garden. It is on this montain where Elijah's prayer ended a 3 1/2 yar drought! (1 Kings 18:41-45). From here we saw a fantastic view of the Valley of Jezreel also known as the Valley of Armageddon. This sight was so incredible. There were 21 old testament battles fought on this land. To think this is where the final battle of Armageddon will be fought! This is the most brutal battle, where it is said there will be so much blood it will reach a horses bridle. Can you imagine! (Rev. 16:16, Zech 12:10-11, Zech 14) This is also the most fertile piece of land in the entire world. More food is produced per square foot here than anywhere else.

Next we went to Megiddo. As we are driving on a pretty major road, we begin to see tombs on the side of the road. These are actual tombs and one looks exactly like I had always envisioned Jesus' tomb! It even has its original round stone. Wow! It was so neat to see these just on the side of the main road.

This city protected the greatest trade route in the world (the Via Maris). Between 1925 and 1939 the University of Chicago did major excavations that revealed 20 layers of major civilizations built one on top of the other from about 4000 B.C. This is something we noticed alot of, that cities were built on top of each other. When one city was demolished, a new one was just built right on top! The many excavations we saw were so interesting because we could actually see the different levels. Incredible!

The last stop of our day was a beautiful sight. We drove through Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus Christ! It is here where Joseph and mary left to go to Bethlehem where Jesus was born. (Luke 2:1-7) This is also where Jesus left to begin his ministry (Mark 1:9). As I stood overlooking the city I thought of a song that my brother, Will, wrote a long time ago. A line in the song says "what was it like to play ball with God?" referring to Joseph and Mary who raised him and played with him as he was growing up. I looked at the town and tried to envision him as a little boy, playing, growing. How neat to see his hometown!

We drove to the top of a hill that overlooked the city of Nazareth on one side and the Valley of Jezreel on the other. One thing our tourguide told us about many of the places we visited on the trip was that they are populated mostly by Moslems. I find it so hard to wrap my brain around Moslems living in the place where Jesus grew up and not knowing the truth we al know! So strange. Once we were at the top of the mountain, we all sat overlooking the valley and sang "There's just something about that name". (I think that is the title). It was a wonderful treat to have my Dad sing several times on the trip. He was our bus captain (you will see him with the blue foam thing that was his "torch" as group leader, and our personal music director. What a treat!

After leaving Nazareth, we head toward our hotel which overlooks the Sea of Galilee.....gorgeous. I will end here for day 1 and will pick up with day 2 as soon as I get the video done. This journey will get better and better as the days go on.....so let's hop back on the bus and prepare for day 2! Stay tuned....

The Terminal

2008-05-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

Remember that movie where Tom Hanks gets stuck in the airport and ends up living there for a while? Well, that is me and Brad right now in Israel! We all got to the airport early tonight, with about three hours to spare, only to find that our flight had been cancelled! what?!?! All I wanted to do when we walked through the doors was to find my seat on the plane and fall fast asleep! But that is not what the airport had in stor! We all had to endure two hours of confusion and headache while Dad and Eddie tried to figure out all of the flight information. LOOOOONG story short, Brad and I had to spend the night here in the airport in order to catch our direct Tel Aviv to Atlanta flight in the morning. So, after several minutes of distress and worry over what seemed to be an impossible evening we pulled out the pass that Dad gave us to the "fancy lounge" as I now call it. Spending the night here may not be too bad after all. I have free internet, Brad is sitting behind me watching the basketball game, and we have all the free drinks and snacks we could want. It feels pretty ok for now. I will check back later and see how we are feeling after spending the night in the airport! Either way, it will be an adventure. Lots of shops to explore, magazines to read, people to watch, it should be fun.

I am still so anxious to share all of our stories and photos with you...it will be a top priority when we get home. As soon as I sleep off the inevitable jet lag we will have now.

until then...

Shalom

2008-05-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Israel! I am stealing a friends internet connection so I do not have much time to write. I did want to take a minute for my loyal readers (if there are any of you) and say hello from this wonderful place where we have been for almost a week. Brad and I are overwhelmed and humbled by being here. This has truly been a trip of a lifetime. I am anxious to tell you everything!

As soon as I get home and back to my computer, I will blog - day by day of our journey, so you all can get a glimpse of the amazing sites that we have experienced here. But for now, here is one photo that Pastor Johnny graciously posted on his blog for the entire world to see! I am not too embarrassed because luckily I got to hide behind my handsome hubby. :) Yes....we are covered in mud. The best mud in the world they say, it is from the dead sea and is supposed to be great for your skin. To me....it smelled like poo! But it sure was fun to cover ourselves in mud and then float, literally with no effort, in the dead sea.

We are loving every minute of being here and seeing the things we have only read about. Much much more to come my friends....

Leaving for the Holy Land

2008-05-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

Brad and I are leaving tonight to go on a trip of a lifetime. We feel very blessed to be going to Israel with my parents and Matt, and Newsong, and lots of people from First Baptist Woodstock. We are heading to the airport in a few minutes and I just wanted to write one last time before we leave. I am hoping to blog about our trip as we are there, but if not- I will write several posts when we return so I can share our photos and stories with you. This will surely be the trip of a lifetime! Please pray for us that we will have safe travels, open hearts, healthy feet, and gracious spirits. I'll be back soon......

Double Graduation Day!

2008-05-11T12:22:00.001-07:00

Brads mom and sister graduated from college yesterday. What a treat to celebrate both of them! Brad and I are so proud and were excited that it worked out for us to be able to go the graduation. Way to go Jan and Leah!

Leah getting her diploma!
Jan getting hers!

The whole gang.
we are sad that Brian isnt there to celebrate. We miss you bro! Can't wait to see you soon!

pray for your finances

2008-05-09T05:31:00.000-07:00

Today I got up super early, packed all of our gear into the car for our trip, and headed to work....about 45 min early! I had plenty of time to make the pot of coffee, get the clinic set up and ready to go, and just sit down with my Bible and start my day off right.

The chapter today is on finances. Money is not a fun topic of discussion in our house. I always end up angry or upset or sad when we talk about our finances because I am the one that handles it right now. Don't you wish it was just easy? I sure do. We have been wise with our money in the sense that we do our best to not have any credit card debt, etc. However- we are not super savers unfortunately. Brad would be if he was in control of the money- but for now, he wants me to take care of it. I am counting down the days until he graduates and I can hand over the reigns of our finances! Well...maybe we can just share it. It might be hard for me to let go compeltely! Even though Brad doesn't have a crazy hands on perspective of our finances, he has one thing straight and doesnt let me forget it. We need to tithe. Every Sunday, he says "can we give our tithe today". And we do. I will be honest though....sometimes it is hard. Because I am the one writing the rent check and all the other fabulous bills, I see how much (or how little) money we have sometimes. One the days when we have plenty in the bank, I say "sure, yeah lets give our tithe, yipee!" On the not so rich feeling days, I have to keep myself from rolling my eyes. I am just being honest. It is hard! But my sweetie Brad is a rock on this topic. He knows the truth, he knows that if we honor the Lord in our finances and give Him AT LEAST 10% then it will benefit us, not hurt us. I don't know why it is so hard for me to have his perspective all the time. However, I trust him as the leader in this marriage, and I humble my sometimes too practical mind, and give- wholeheartedly - to the Lord. Does any one else struggle with this? I hope I am not the only one.

Let these verses encourage you as they have me.

Luke 12:29-31

Ecclesiastes 5:19

Phillipians 4:19

*update: My brother Matt, who is also solid about his tithing gave me a wonderful idea/suggestion. He has two accounts- one for regular money and one specifically for tithing. When he deposits a check he deposits 90% in the regular account and 10% in the tithe account. Thus- never being tempted to spend the Lords portion of the money. What a great idea! He also told me that it is not about the money you tithe but about the attitude in your heart. I totally agree with that, I didnt want to come across as anti-tithe. That is not at all how I feel. I was just being transparent about how it is difficult at times.

Thanks Matt for the suggestion, it is a great one!

can't sleep

2008-05-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

It seems strange to me that when Brad is in town, I seem to go to bed super early. However, when he is out of town- I can't fall asleep. It is out of the ordinary for me to be fully wide awake at 11:11 pm! So laying in bed I find myself thinking, and day dreaming, and planning, and thinking, and pondering all sorts of things. I was looking at a friends blog who is also a photographer. She uses her blog solely to show new photography work. I like the thought of that and had actually tried it once before but it didnt take. I enjoy being able to use this blog for random thoughts and personal two cents, but would like to post more of my work on here for those of you that do not have facebook. I seem to update my facebook more regularly than my actual website because more people see it there (and i dont have to resize my images, i am lazy). However- I am thinking I want to start phasing out the facebook advertising a bit. Not all together- it has brought me some business after all. But, to consolidate my efforts a bit more. I want your advice oh loyal readers. Should I Keep updating my photography website, facebook (my personal page and the photography one, so facebook counts twice) and this blog as well? Or should I cut out one or the other? Does it even matter? Should I forgo facebook all together and have a blog devoted solely to photography? and I just dont know what to do with myself ( as I typed that, I sang it too. just for effect). For those of you that care- let me know your two cents. Until then, here are some of the things I have been working on lately, just for fun. If I was to blog about these you would get more information. :)

This is Whitney, she is a sweet friend that just graduated from MTSU and was highly involved in the Equestrian program, so we got some shots of her and her horse. so much fun. Whitney- I miss you already girl!

Mimi (my best friends little girl that I like to pretend is my own) is 7 months old now and is cuter than ever.

This is from a beautiful weddng I shot in April. It is the new spotlight gallery on my website.

I have been honored to work on a "scavenger hunt photo shoot" (as I like to lovingly call it) for my brothers. WIll and Matt are using their fabulous musical and artsy talent on a new record for Will, and they were kind enough to ask little sis to help out too! I feel honored!

My friend and co-worker had me get some 6 week shots of she and her baby before she comes back to work. He has grown so much!

Thats all for now. don't forget to give me your thoughts, opinions, etc.

satan is a meanie

2008-05-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you agree? He obviously knows the worst possible time to show up, and poof, there he is! How dare he ruin a great weekend? How dare he cause arguments over simple things! How dare we let him! Any time that Brad and I set aside a day or a time to pray for something specific, satan intervenes and causes an uproar over nothing- thus- we don't do what we set out to do. Does anyone else deal with that? Do you notice that satan will attack when you are right in the middle of doing the right thing? He knows that Brad and I are preparing for our trip next week to Israel and feels that now would be the perfect time to cause chaos. How dare he, shame on him.

Please pray for us this week as we are apart (Brad went to GA for a few much needed days to hang out with friends and family before we go on our trip). I pray that this week will give us plenty of individual time to pray for our trip, pray for our hearts, and pray for each other so that when we meet up on Friday we will be ready to defeat satan and praise God together for this wonderful opportunity!