the pure interest

A wedding I photographed at our church on Saturday, June 21. I was really happy with it - only a few hiccups. I’m starting to really enjoy the power that my HUGE flash offers, even though its a bit unwieldy. I still have so much to learn. But I have two more weddings booked for the summer!!! I never thought I’d go here, but I’m really excited about it.

Today is Brian and I’s four year anniversary. It sort of crept up on us . . . haven’t been able to celebrate yet although I’m not sure we’ll do much (as is typical, we rarely celebrate anything on the day of - birthdays, valentine’s day, etc. due to Brian’s mainly night and un-movable practice schedules). It’s hard to believe we’ve really been in love for so long, between 7 and 8 years) and married for four. 30% of my life has been spent with Brian in it Even in the mundane mornings like today, when the cats were annoying us and Brian wouldn’t get up, I still laugh at him in sleepiness. I have never laughed as hard, had so many life experiences, highs and lows, been so real with or trusted someone as much as I do him.

I love my husband, our life, and our ministry together and I’m excited for what the next few years will bring. Happy Anniversary Brian!

(Last two pictures courtesy of Danielle. Thank you for these, I love them.)

edit: Also, Happy anniversary to Dan & Courtney (married on the exact same day and year as us!), Holly & Aaron, my older sister growing up, and Happy Birthday to Michelle! and my British cousin Paul!  June 12 is an important day people.

Disclaimers:
Now before I write this, and it’s unfortunate that I have to do this, but I do, this post does not mean that I am

a) Pregnant
b) Trying to get pregnant
c) Fighting with my husband about becoming pregnant

And it does not mean that you should

a) Torture my husband by telling him “oooooooh, did you see what your wife posted today???”
b) Nudge me or my husband and say “come on, so, how long have you been married now? 4 years? It’s about time isn’t it??”
c) Tell my husband that his wife’s biological clock is ticking and he better get that sucker in check
d) Otherwise torture us in any way :

Ok, now with those formalities over… we had a volunteer appreciation dinner at church last night called “Sweets & Sounds…” and the staff walked around with trays of goodies and sweet delights, and there was even chocolate fondue fountain! It was truly a wonderful night. They gave us a really beautiful thank you and there was some awesome prayer time, and some funny “stand-up” by Jason. But, selfishly, the highlight of the night for me was getting to sit next to his wife, Diane, who is 5 weeks from her due date, and who is not squeamish at all about having people she loves touch her belly. She was able to show me what a contraction felt like (hard and tight at the top area), and I felt the baby move when Brian started playing guitar (a proud moment for me!!). She showed me where her little bottom was resting as well. This baby, McKenzie, as you can read on Diane’s blog, was in some danger at the beginning of the month, and they are still watching her for an irregular heart beat and some other problems, but she is still kicking away in there. As Diane sat there, with her arms around her belly, holding that baby that is so close yet so far from this life right now… I was struck.

It was fascinating, thrilling, beautiful, wistful, incredible, scary, fragile and surreal. To be that close… the baby just under there… I am astonished at it all.

I also know four-five other INCREDIBLE women who are pregnant right now, some dealing with struggles of loss from previous pregnancies, and I am just stunned by how incredible this gift is, and yet how so many perfect little things have to join together and go together and work together in order for this miracle to take place. In some ways, it makes me want it so badly I can almost taste it and feel it… but in others I am thankful just to be part of people’s lives who are expecting, adopting, caring for these beautiful babies, and just live it through them for now. It is definitely a desire, and I feel that in a marriage both people will know and feel when the time is right, or God will intervene and make it happen anyway

Thanks for letting me have a female/spiritual/life/biological/mothering moment.

This might be my favorite flower photo I’ve ever taken…

Not much else to say today except

1. Download this if you like photoshop and use it ever, mainly for web design (although i’m sure i’d be helpful for anyone)
2. I’m eating way too much chocolate chip banana bread! I also now have a huge box of cookies from a party last night and box of cheez it party mix. (which is amazing by the way) I’m taking that all today to work hoping my colleagues will help me diminish it.
3. Financial/vacation/family segment: We got a generous offer from my in-laws last night about a trip to Myrtle Beach this summer. We’ve been trying to say no to basically any vacation plans for this year, as money is very tight and we wanted to save that potential money for this crucial year on our student loan pay-off. But they called and said that if budget is what is keeping us from going to Myrtle Beach with them, we can drive down to Maryland (which we were going to do anyway), then they will take us the rest of the way and pay for our expenses. We are so overwhelmed by their generosity… and of course we had to accept and will try to set aside some expense money for ourselves - so that will be the first week of July, and I am so excited. One thing that’s hard about being on a strict budget and letting your family know about it, is that people offer to do a lot for you sometimes, which can be so amazing and I am so grateful, but also makes us feel very guilty - because that is not our intention (to be mooches). Family and friends reactions to debt/money decisions are the toughest sometimes to gauge, especially when people are in different places in their lives with how they spend money, etc., priorities they put on travel and vacations and the like. We are just trying to say no and make some sacrifices, but somehow people keep coming through so we don’t have to make quite so many. Dave Ramsey would probably not be happy with us.
4. Still most excite about Niagara on Sunday… EEEEEeeeeee!!!!

With the country receiving their economic stimulus, it’s interesting for me to learn what people plan to do with theirs. Are they putting it right back into the economy? Paying off federal debt (loans, bills, etc.)? Giving to charity?  Well, this is where half of mine is going. A small 6′ x 3′ shed for our tiny backyard. This is an item that I’ve needed for two years but my hubby has been resistant to spending our household money on, because the outside of the house is sort of my domain - he just doesn’t really concern himself with it. We made a decision that we could each do with our check what we wanted. Some of mine will go on my student loan, and the rest spent on this shed and potentially a small used (cheap) lawnmower.

Interesting and Flashy? Not really.

Necessary? Very.

Brian is using his plus some to add a bunch of cool pedals to his new birthday present, a VOX AC30 Amp, purchased by my family and a friend for him in a SCREAMING good deal. Don’t worry, we’d never ever be able to spend the full retail price on this. When I say screaming deal, I mean 1/4 price. This amp is a beautiful, prized thing for guitarists of his style/genre, and I am so thrilled for him to have his first amp ever! Here are some pictures from when we surprised him with it!

So, where is your economic stimulus check going?

Tune in next week, I plan on doing a color week - one new spring picture of a different color everyday.

Why do I insist on taking pictures of every haircut I get? I really don’t have a reason for it except I’m usually SO thrilled with my hair color and cut right after I get it done, I want to remember how I was happy with it at that time, especially since my tragic December hair butchering. It’s finally getting to a point where my stylist and I can put a new spin on it, and have a cute shorter style without being “chopped.” Anyway, I went brighter blonde for warmer weather. I didn’t sleep well last night so excuse any dark circles. I love having a web cam on my work computer!

Brian was out last night so I was feeling kind of down and lonely, he hasn’t been home much since beginning of last week and our horrible stomach episodes. But it inspired me to work on a fun project that I’d been talking to one of my best friends about - designing a sort of self-promotional website for her future ministry endeavors. She wanted it pink, which made me super happy, because I rarely get to design in pink! Obviously, I won’t be revealing the design yet, but be sure you’ll see it eventually

THIS IS SO EXCITING - I am always looking for advice on Vectors, I think it is a lot harder to find that Photoshop tips. Check out Vectips!

Have great Thursdays. Yay, the Office is new and on tonight!!!

I had a big long post on the Shout to the Lord song done on idol, not once, but twice… lol… but I just realized it doesn’t matter and I didn’t want to even share it because my thoughts are too confusing and bumping around in my head and I might risk making you guys never want to read again, cuz you’ll think I’ve gone crazy.

Just read Danielle’s post - I guess really, deep down, that summarizes some of the feelings that I was thinking, along with just one that I wanted to share - that Shout to the Lord is meant to be a worship song sung in a worshipful spirit, and it was written for that purpose, so used as a performance piece for the Idols to showcase their voice was what deep down bothered me about it.

But then again, if it was done excellently, was it worshipful to God anyway? Probably not, because God knows your heart and without love and a true spirit toward Him, it is a clanging gong. (scripture reference)… but:

Philippians 1:18 says, “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” So I guess scripture shot me down there

Regardless, Idol Gives Back was an amazing cause, and for sure, Jesus would be 100,000,000,000,000,000 % behind it. So, I hope if you were able, you did give.

See? Scatterbrained. This is why I deleted the other post.

A few other thoughts…

• Hmm.. why am I still awake at 12:15 am on a worknight? Because I had a Diet Pepsi with Lime after 5:00pm.
• I got pulled over on Grubb Road on my way to church tonight for going 51 in a 35. Oops - I seriously thought I was in a 45. Luckily my cop was nice. But not nice enough to not give me the ticket. $150 fine baby. But it’s pretty typical that something else crap-for-crap would happen to me in April. For some reason, April tends to be my worst month in the last two years.
• My full appetite is back and I’m hungry basically always. Hubby and I are back to ourselves now, and our house is in the process of been stripped, washed in hot water, and disinfected, so you can come back over soon
• The cat just jumped up and hit the mirror above our bed, it is swinging.
• Work is ridiculous right now, and I think I need to go in at 5am and stay until 10pm.

Anyway, HAPPY FRIDAY from kitties!

ah… to be that carefree