New Blog

I’ve been tossing around this idea for a while now, and I finally sat down and got it done. I often have experiences and ideas I would like to share, but feel inhibited posting them on this blog with the photography title. Rather than just combining it all into one blog, I’ve decided to keep them separate. I will continue to post photography opportunities I have on this blog, but I’ve created another blog reserved for random thoughts, musings, and events I experience and perchance decide to write out. Check it out if you feel so inclined.

www.runningprologue.blogspot.com

Favorite Things

Living a little farther from campus leaves me with a little extra time to let my mind wander in idle thoughts as I walk to and from class everyday. Some mornings my mind is still waking up and wondering why in the world I would ever be out of bed on such a cold early morning. Sometimes I think of the dinner that's awaiting my return home. Sometimes I fingerspell every sign I pass practicing for my sign language class; however, on my walk home today my mind took me to a different kind of place. I started to compose a list of my "favorite things," all those little things that make me happy, all those things that I downright love. I thought of Julie Andrews, who states her list so well in The Sound of Music. Although mine really has no comparison to Miss Julie's, it's my list of little things in life that, quite honestly, makes me genuinely happy and even slightly excited, so here it goes.

1. Geese Honking. Combined with the smell of Moses Lake (gross, I know, but I love it) it's the epitome of my home town to me, and often one of the things I miss the most when I'm away.

2. The sound of the click of my camera taking. I know. Nerdy, but very true.

3. Mountains. I never knew how I much I loved them until I lived next to them. I love walking home from class and gazing at the beauty of the contrast of the lightly snow dusted mountains against the deep blue night sky.

4. Les Miserables. Everything from the book, to the Broadway play, to just the music. In the words of my dad, it "makes my body happy." I now understand what he meant. :)

5. Swings. The day has come and gone when I can swing all day long to my hearts delight without getting motion sick (pathetic, right?), but it still makes the favorite things list. It remained a classic favorite on the playground, even through the fads of tetherball, four square, cat and mouse, "boys chase girls," and other less important activities that would come and go. I still find myself gravitating toward the swings at a park, despite the queasy feeling in my stomach after a few minutes of the soothing back and forth motion.

6. The smell of clean laundry. Yes, I will deliberately walk down the laundry detergent isle in the store just to take in that wonderful scent.

7. New Shoes. I know, it's materialistic and superficial. I hate shopping, but when it comes to shoes, I seem to find a smile stretch across my face.

8. Boy Meets World tv series. Loved it at 10, remains a true love at 21.

9. Broomball/Broom Hockey. It's a new found love. Soccer, with a stick, on the ice, wearing tennis shoes. Best sport ever. The idea of being able to bulldoze boys who have been taught all their lives not to flatten girls to the ground, thus being scared to touch me strangely fills me with pleasure.

10. Toasted bagel+cream cheese+ham+egg+cheese=One of the best comfort foods. I'm no math guru, but I sense happiness in this equation.

The list goes on and on; cupcakes, birthdays, friendly smiles, good grades, a full tank of gas, grocery shopping, sweatshirts, hot chocolate, cereal. I could keep going all night. So what's on your list of favorite things? What are those little things in life that make you happy and brighten your day, that help shape you into who you are?

Oh, and because this is supposed to be a photography blog, here's a picture or two for good measure.

Introducing Kimball Marcus

I know, just about the cutest thing you've ever seen, right? Almost three weeks ago my newest nephew was born and I got to visit Rachel and see him last weekend. What is it about babies that are so heart warming, I don't know, but I just couldn't get enough of him. He's pretty much the perfect baby too, and I don't think he was set down more than five minutes all weekend...and I have no idea whose fault that was...tehe :) It was a pretty quick trip, but there's always time to grab a few pictures. There sure is nothing quite like a newborn baby.

Sheila and Josh's Wedding

A couple of weeks ago Sheila and Josh got married, and Colleen Donovan let me tag along with her and help her in photographing their wedding. Colleen is an amazing photographer and I always feel so honored when I get to work with her. The wedding was at the CMA church here in Moses Lake, followed by a reception at Hidden Meadow. I had forgotten how much I like to photograph weddings. I had so much fun. Here are a couple highlights from the day...

Taking a quick breather before the ceremony begins.

The lighting of the unity candle.

They looked so happy as they walked back down the aisle as a newly wedded couple.

Everyone had fun with the confetti exit.

I got to ride in the limo with the wedding party to the reception location and got some fun shots, lucky me!

Is this not a guilty face if you've ever seen one? I bet you can guess how the cake feeding turned out...



The couple's first dance turned into one of funk and jig. It was very original, and very fun.

Congratulations to the new couple! Go Sheila and Josh!

Family Happenings

Wow, what a full two weeks I have had filled with family, enjoying every second of it. A couple of weeks ago my family got together at my uncle's ranch in Idaho for a family reunion. It's not very often that my family gets to all be together like that, so it was a real treat to hang with my sisters and parents, and watch all the little nieces and nephews interact and play together. We packed everything we could in our time together including fishing, horseback riding, trekking, swimming, four wheeling, pinata-ing, treasure hunting (put on by Grandpa for his grandboys, but the boys might argue that the junk yard hid some pretty great treasures as well.), and the list goes on. It took me quite awhile to go through my pictures and pick out my favorite ones to post, but I was finally able to narrow it down to these...

If you have not yet noticed, may I please draw your attention to Elsie's ability to stuff as much candy in her hands as possible. I'd say she's pretty well mastered it.

This was the first time Abram was able to ride the horse all by himself. I think he could have ridden it most of the day, despite the fact that the horse was about three times taller than him.

Elsie loved the horses as well. She would giggle so hard when she rode one with her dad, and even harder when she would watch them gallop around.

A highlight for Peter was the fishing. I don't think a day went by without him asking if somebody would fish with him. Once caught, he would pick those wriggling fish up and grip them as if there were no tomorrow, despite the fact that he is at the perfect height to be slapped in the face (see above).

Seth was one boy ready for adventure. With his pillowcase full of a slingshot, bow and arrow, walking stick, a "Dangerous Book for Boys", compass, etc., he was set for anything that might come his way.

I couldn't help but throw this last one in. After the reunion I went home with Lanita for a little while. This was one outing we took with the little boys. Can you tell Chase was a little more than happy?

Happy Independence Day

And what a great holiday it is. What a wonderful time to celebrate this country. I too often take it all for granted, but how grateful I am for the endless freedoms we take advantage of without even thinking about them (at least I do). How grateful I am to our founding fathers that sacrificed more than we know to make our country into what it is. How grateful I am for our Constitution and government that sets boundaries to keep our country free. How grateful I am to the many soldiers who are fighting across the world to sustain and preserve this beautiful, blessed country. How grateful I am for the United States of America. My heart goes out to you. God bless America!

Transition to next topic: In light of a Fourth of July tradition my sisters' and I started several years ago, I post a picture. Every year we make a Fourth of July "fire engine red" cake, meaning we dye the batter bright red, and then proceed to decorate the baked cake with red, white, and blue frosting. This year, it is just me and my Dad this holiday, so the tradition was left up to me, probably the least artistic of all the siblings. Having said that, here is my feeble attempts at cake decorating...the finished product:

Pretty comical huh? I purposely didn't show you the drooping frosting on the sides.

Nutella

It is possible to eat chocolate without really eating chocolate.

It is possible to smear a piece of bread with chocolate, and actually get away with it.

It is possible to have a chocolate sandwich with about the same amount of nutrition as peanut butter. (I know, it may sounds gross, but you're just going to have to take my word on this one.)

It is possible to turn a chocolate milkshake into something it has never been before.

It is possible to dip a banana in chocolate and not feel overly guilty about it.

It is possible to have a delectable chocolate filled crepe without the hastle of melting any kind of chocolate.

Not only is it possible, but it's acceptable.

It's possible to have chocolate without really having chocolate. It's not chocolate. It's hazelnut.

Nutella, welcome to my life.