her passion overflows

our models...doing some "action" shots (i.e. walking)

our beautiful models jumping!!

our teacher and her beautiful self. i love her pregnant belly

just a quick nature shot of some mushrooms. i liked it

This past Saturday I got to be a part of "Smitten Photo Academy." My friend, Sharon Clark, has her own photography business and it's simply amazing. (www.smittenphotography.typepad.com) She actually did our wedding stationery which was so cool, but as she was discovering her passions she decided to solely pursue photography. And it's been such a joy to see. (since i check her blog daily)

A couple times a year she runs a 4-hour class on how to use your camera and take pictures. What I loved most was sitting at Sharon's feet as she shared her passion...not just of photography, but of capturing the lives of children, families, events, and so much more. It's also super cool that she is willing to share all her "secrets." I would imagine that she blesses the people on the other side of the camera every time she has a shoot. You should check her stuff out!!!

I have no desire to be in the picture taking business...I just want to know HOW to use my camera and take great pictures. here are few from that day. (clearly i CANNOT figure out how to put my text above my pictures without deleting them)

This is Ridiculous

Is it appropriate to use a blog to vent? i am.

So--our gas light came on in the honda last night. I prefer to get gas at Costco b/c usually it's cheaper. After last week's gas hording & gouging due to hurricane ike, we filled both our cars up. No problem. Well, you'd think so, until it's time to get gas again...like this morning. I drove "all the way" to Costco to find it closed & empty. The station across the street...same thing. On my way towards the Dentist I passed a couple more that were down. UGH!!! ARe you serious that we live in a spoiled & developed country, but have run out of gas!? FINALLY...I see one with cars and pull in...they only had the low-grade, so I was in luck!! Relief. for now.

I was just so annoyed. Partly b/c I feel like I deserve to have everything (resources) available to me when I need/want them, probably b/c I live in a country that's created this in me. And partly b/c it's ridiculous that we ran out of gas (okay, not totally). We actually heard on NPR this morning that if the hurricanes get worse, the crisis will only get worse.

I'd like to be able to ride my bike anywhere or hop on a bus/train and not have to depend on gas. But, for now, I'm a slave to it.

funny stuff

this is about as political as i'm going to get...enjoy!!!

swimming, dancing, & eating

Mady doing her Thriller dance
Lily doing her Thriller dance

Charlie getting ready for the pool...you need your Shark goggles for this!

we got to hang out with my cute nieces and nephews over Labor Day. i love them. here are some snap shots of the crazy kids in my family!

Charlie (6) is one of the most passionate kids you'll ever meet! next is Julian Cole, he's almost 2 and is rotten to the core! when i ask him to say "amy" he says "NO!" well, okay.
next is a sweet one of Mady (10) and Julian sitting by the pool. Then, in the purple life-vest-swimsuit sort of thing is Lily, one of the cutest 3-yr olds ever!! this was one of many pics of her dancing to THRILLER. The one of the boys in the water are Isaiah (11) and is little bro, Julian. they just adore each
other.
we had a fun day at Pap Pap & Nana's.

(ps...it's obvious that i have no idea how to post pictures on this thing!!)

my 2 cents about T.V

I just wanted to get on a soap box...not that I really know what one is. I digress...

So, this week I watched two Season Premiers. I claim that I watch such shows because I do Young Life..."it's what the girls are watching." And that's true. But, it is extremely disturbing to me what is on television these days. Shows that paint this glamorous picture of high school. High School isn't glamorous and it isn't supposed to be. Is that wrong of me to say?

You've got Gossip Girl that shows a group of Upper Eastside NY teens who are absolutely gorgeous. They have more money than anyone can imagine..they have all the best things. They wear lingerie and drink martinis. Granted, I went to West Charlotte, but I don't think that this is how most teenagers live. Then, you have 90210, a re-release of the 1990's classic. Once again a parking lot full of ridiculously expensive cars and beautiful kids. But, kids that at 15 are wearing corset-type tops to school. Really?! Is that allowed these days? The girls I know in high school say that they have dress codes and can't even wear a tank top to school.

Now, I know these aren't real. Most of us watch television as an escape from "reality." But I can't help but think that there must be a part of our mind that thinks "this is how it should be" or "if only I had that or looked like that...." The lies we hear from our world and our culture are disturbing as it is, but is it necessary to penetrate at such a young age?

I was thinking back to shows I watched growing up. There was 90210, but I never got into it. Then--the one show I was thinking about that depicted teenagers was "Saved by the Bell." A classic. And this past Saturday we got to watch a re-run. They weren't wearing next to nothing or participating in lewd acts in the parking lot. But, I'm also not sure they were depicting real life either. You definitely have your "cool kid," "jock," "nerd," "hot girl," etc. But I think high school is about more than where one's locker is or seat in class. (as this episode was about) Nonetheless, it was easy to watch. Kelly wasn't trying to seduce Zach in some skimpy lingerie.

I missed GG this week and will probably opt out of watching 90210 tonight. But- a part of me still wants to see what "they" are watching even though it shocks me still. And hopefully along the way I can have some meaningful conversations with high school girls.

A Non-Anniversary Anniversary Post

Amy is indeed right--we are unsatisfactory bloggers. But I guess it's because we don't have kids yet. I am only adding insult to injury with this post because I want to share something that occurred during the assignment this summer. It has to deal with Amy and marriage and how the last two years have been. I know...boring, but I hope to reveal a revelation I felt a long time coming.
Amy and I celebrated our anniversary while at Frontier Ranch. It was a humble, yet rewarding night spent over thin crust pizza while watching paddlers on the Arkansas River; I hope to remember it for a long time. But I would like to share some thoughts that came to me after a conversation with Stacey, the other female head leader who worked closely with Amy. I got to spend a lot of time with all the head leaders and they got a unique look at mine and Amy's relationship and how it functions.

Stacey and I were walking to the corral during the first week. I’m not sure how we got onto a conversation about marriage, but we did. She proceeded to compliment me, or more accurately commend me, for what she called an ability to allow Amy to be herself. She said something to the effect of me loving Amy enough to allow her to be herself. I paused and looked out towards the valley that stretched into the horizon. She saw something unsettling in my countenance. “I’m not saying that you’re completely noble” she clarified. I chuckled, trying to subtly agree. Letting Amy just be is the one thing that I don’t do. Every time she becomes a bit too loud, or yawns without covering her mouth or some other snobby social staple, I’m the one who's there to correct her. It was like this compliment was a rose with only the thorned stem to grasp; I couldn’t accept it without feeling its prick. This prick is the realization that I don't have the capacity to love well, even my own wife.

We continued to talk, Stacey and I continued to talk. I spoke about something that I've been mulling over the last year. In the song Amy and I danced to there is a lyric that goes, "man is fragile/fragile when alone." This is true for me; Amy is always there to remind me of what is true. I have seemed to gain a sort of confidence in marriage. It's not a confidence in Amy, who she is, or even in how people perceive us. It appears to be an intrinsic confidence in the sheer fact that someone else wants to spend their life with me. Ideally, this confidence would push me to love Amy and others better. Unfortunately, I’m tempted to use this confidence for ill purposes. I tend to be introspective and (re)think my life: Whether it's asking the girl that I wanted to take to the dance, saying what I wanted to say in class, or applying to the college I wanted to go to, I tend to relive my life within my head, using this new found courage in my fantasy world. It’s a painful existence living only to regret the past and fear the future. To love Amy well (or anyone), I need to be present in the moment.

C.S. Lewis said something interesting about humility; he said that it isn’t something that you actively do. He said if you were to meet humble man, you wouldn't think he was humble. But you would just think he is a happy guy who took an interest in what you had to say. (pharaphrase)

I can’t seem to set out to love Amy well; it happens when I least expect it. As soon as I look inward and curse my inabilities, she responds to me as if I loved her well (sometimes even explicitly saying that I love her well). I will joke by saying "maybe I should write it down so I can remember how to do it again." However, like Lewis' idea of humility, I don’t want to think about how to do it, I just want it to happen.

Bad Bloggers

This describes us for sure. We had really good intentions. I'm sorry.

Today is literally our last day here at Frontier Ranch. We are packing up all our stuff and loading up. We will all have dinner together and party tonight, then leave extra early in the morning!

Adam and I are caravanning with his parents from here to Colorado Springs then to Amarillo, TX. So, we'll get to spend some extra time with them, which will be great. It's been SO great having them here!! We'll leave Amarillo and head back east to home. We can't wait to be home.

This month has been amazing! The community that we've been a part of has really been incredible. We've been challenged, loved, encouraged, supported, and so many other things that have made us stronger as individuals and as a couple. We've gotten a chance to be around some amazing families and adorable children. It's been fun to love on others' kids! No rush for us!! We've met some cool folks and been a part of something way bigger than ourselves. God has shown up in so many ways and He loves us enough to share it with us!

I'm am truly sad to leave, but excited to go back home to my "real world." School and Young Life will start up soon and life might get crazy. My hope is that we won't get stuck in the mundane or the busy because that is NOT the life God desires for us to live. My hope is that we will continue to grow and live and see and experience all that God has to offer. Babies, sunsets, relationships, travel, sleep, marriage, quiet, joy, grace, and love.

Thanks for praying for our month...you are so dear to us.
amyp