Unrelated story...

So this has nothing to do with the below pictures.  The pictures are just cute eye candy.
Tonight as Chad was getting Liam ready for bed, he was saying prayers with him.  I happened to be in the room changing sheets, so I kneeled down with the two of them to listen in.  Chad began. "Little baby Jesus".  I opened my eyes & laughed.  Chad opened his & shook his head.  "No, that's not right.  Let's try that again", he said.  But it was too late.  I was laughing.  He laughed.  "Why did you say that?  What were you thinking?", I asked.  "I don't know.  I guess I was just trying to think of how to say a prayer in little kid language."
Let's just say I said the prayer tonight.  It wasn't pretty.  A few bouts of giggles broke out- mostly from me.  Liam joined in a bit too, not knowing what exactly what was going on, but not wanting to be left out of the fun.  But at least I started my prayer correctly.

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Sunflowers

I love sunflowers.  They're always in full bloom in the late summer & early fall.  That was cross country season for me.  As a cross country team we'd put sunflowers in our ponytails & braids for our races.  It was our thing as a team...and maybe we thought it'd bring us a bit of good luck.

Then there  were the sunflowers alongside the road of River road.  River road was the most awesome dirt road behind my house growing up.  Quiet & empty except for the regulars I'd pass on my early morning runs- Mr. Bailey, my 7th grade math teacher walking with his large walking stick & Kathleen Davis out for her early morning run.    Whenever I was home from school I'd begin my run down that road.  I had a 6 mile loop that I consistently ran.  I thought, I prayed, I enjoyed the stillness.  I loved watching the sunrise.  I loved watching the sunflowers.   They always followed the sun.  I thought a lot about that symbolism on my runs.  Following the sun.  I thought of how I wanted my life to follow the Son.

I later served a mission in Spain.  I learned the spanish word for sunflower.  Girasol.  I was intrigued by it's translation- turn to the sun.

This year was our first year planting a garden.  This year was also a terrible drought.  Needless to say, after a few weekends out of town, our garden shriveled up & died...except for the weeds of coarse, and one sunflower (the other sunflower growing, was sadly mistaken for a weed & uprooted before its time).  Chad & me have talked about how our garden & this sunflower is so much like life.  We planted our garden with such great enthusiasm & hopes.  Then, unexpected difficulties arose.  Our hopes never came to fruition...except for this one sunflower.  It was like our little ray of hope.  Our little miracle that seems to beckon us to not give up on gardening...just like we never should give up on those things we pursue in life.

So once again, a sunflower has taught me a profound life lesson.

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70's party!

This past Saturday we had a 70's theme party.  It was a lot of fun...even if only a few of us dressed up :)  Food, friends, pictures & karaoke.  Can't go wrong there, right?  We already have plans in the works for the next party!

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"To be a better photographer...

...become a more interesting person." -Chris Orwig

Chris Orwig, a renowned photographer & photoshop guru.  He was featured on a youtube episode of Framed this past week.  If there were a theme to this episode, it would have been that we should never lose our other passions because we become so passionate about one thing.  He said that some of the most amazing photographers he's known are deeply passionate about other things- surfing, marine biology, biking, skating, etc.  In the episode he encouraged photographers to develop passion for many things and to bring those passions into their photography.  In honor of his episode, this week's challenge on Framed is "passion".  So...what am I passionate about?  Photography, of coarse.  But I'd be missing the point if I submitted something about photography.  So I began to think.  I realized that I've lost a lot of my passions.  I used to be deeply passionate about running & racing, early mornings, cooking, nutrition, reading (especially religious books), writing (my history & principles I was learning), teaching, organization.  Somehow motherhood & marriage, photography & a move cross country have wiped out my passions.  I'm practically sedentary, I eat dessert twice a day, journaling is less frequent, i sleep in.  See what I mean?  Well, I've decided to take back my passions.  And it began with the below journal entry.  This morning I went running.

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haircut

well i did it!  i cut my hair.  i was getting so sick of my layers & tired of having my hair end up in a frumpy ponytail by the end of the day.  i began telling chad i wanted to cut my hair & every time he'd object.  he loves long hair.  well, one day i came across my friend melissa's blog in which she had a before and after pic of her longer hair & short haircut.  i was sold!  i told chad right then, i'm 'cutting my hair'!  (melissa, if you're reading this, i hope you don't mind that i copied your haircut. :) flattery is the best compliment...and we don't live in the same state, so it's okay, right? haha)
i made my appointment with a stylist who i'd heard about two years ago.  i had really wanted to go see her...but i misplaced her card.  well, i recently came across it & thought now or never! (both with the stylist and the haircut)

and here's my lovely before and afters- courtesy of my iphone :)

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ps- chad likes it. i don't think he'd object to me growing it out again...but for now he's okay with this.