This Year

#No Filter Manual Mode ;)

I have about 24 hours to crank out one last blog post for 2013. It seems every year at this time I can't help but spend some time reflecting on the whole year. I'm going to jot down a few points of interest, so I can look back and remember.

This year...

J. moved home from NC, and by the Grace of God, got an amazing job that he loves. He is definitely in a character building phase of life and as his mom, I wish I had a zillion dollars to pay off his student loans; but even if I did it wouldn't help, because he wouldn't learn the important lessons they are teaching him. He is moving to RO this next month. I've thoroughly enjoyed having him home and I'll miss our mornings together, but it's time for my 27 year-old to be totally on his own.  I'm so proud of him!

M. had a final breakup with her college boyfriend and knows in the depth of her soul that it's the right thing. She left her amazing job in NY to move to LA. As I type this I still can't believe she did it. Within exactly 20 days she quit her job; got a new one that she loves; got her own apartment two blocks from the beach which she is enjoying decorating; bought her first car; and moved all of her precious belongings across the country. Oh, and she's meeting many new friends. I'm so thankful for cell phones, FaceTime and the airlines. I'm so proud of her!

L. is still working hard on his practice and it continues to grow every year. I'm not the least surprised. He is such a great Veterinarian and everybody loves him! This year he has been disciplined and determined to get healthier. He dropped a ton of weight from watching what he's eating and he's been exercising like crazy. He can count on one hand the days he has missed doing something active these past four months. I am so proud of him!

One of the biggest highlights of the year was our trip to Italy. I just love traveling. I'm getting to the age where I could sell everything and travel the world. Well maybe not quite yet, but we had the best time! I have been accused more than once of being a jet-setter. I must come by it honestly because my parents also loved to get away as often as they could. This past year I went to NY a couple of times and I "had" to go again to help her pack. I also "had" to go to LA twice to get her settled. 

We enjoyed our new pontoon at the cottage and spent quite a bit of time out there with anyone and everyone who wanted to join us. I need to chill a little about having everything perfect. It's a cottage, but it was so darn cute when we bought it that I don't want to do anything to ruin it. 

Everyone was pretty healthy. I had my silly surgery to fix my frozen shoulder. I spent too much time in PT and focusing on it. The best part of it was that I met my insurance deductible so I was able to have the gene testing for breast cancer. I'm still thankful that I don't have it. 

I'm still working doing the books for the BAH and I'm working for the same dentist a couple of days. I still love my job and I have the best boss! 

The main problem this year was that I had to watch too many people have broken hearts.  I never felt I had the right words to console them. Marriages fell apart; people were dealing with very hard stuff (I'm thinking about my little sister right now); and I still have a heavy heart for a friend whose son committed suicide this year. I know at least two others who have close family members who did the same thing. Nothing compares to that and I don't have a clue how anyone could live through it. 

I reconnected with some old friends and relatives via FB. I cherished my time with Linda and Darrel. They were dear friends years ago and when I saw them it was exactly the same. I loved spending time with my cousin, Lynn. I appreciate her sharing her knowledge and photography skills with me. She is so sweet, generous and funny! I look forward to more lessons next year. Photography is a great way to be intentional about noticing God's gifts and beautiful artwork. 

Once again I ask you to forgive me for anything and everything I did this year that has hurt you. I'm so serious! I have a tendency to say things I later regret. I keep having to learn that even though I say I'm sorry, words can never be taken back.  I so want to be a Blessing and I fall short too often. 

I have no idea what God has in store in 2014, but I'm excited about it! I am so guilty of only going to Him when things are going wrong. This year so much has gone well that I have kept Him on the top shelf. I am determined to study His Word so I can bear much more fruit. I want people to see nothing in me except Him. I want to be full of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self-Control.

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jer 29:13

Happy New Year! May 2014 be your best year yet and may you laugh often until your stomach hurts! 

Love that guy; his laugh is contagious!

Meghan & Becca

Two of my Sisters... DeNaze, Patricia, Annie

Very Happy Mom

Loren

Christopher & Christian... Pure Love

Chris & Allyson

Maggie and Kayden

My Godson Trevor and his family. (Shannon & Kayden)

Love

SO good!

"Good" by Dave Barnes



I heard this beautiful song for the first time today. I immediately fell in love with it, so I just had to share it with you this evening. It makes me want to stop what I am doing and count my blessings. If you happened to notice the (way-too-many!) photos I just shared on my previous post, you'll agree that God is so good to me. I do not take one bit of it for granted.

I know a lot of people who have heart-ache right now. It seems the holiday season is very difficult for so many people in my circle. I hope you know that I am praying for you now.

All my love,
Angie

My latest favorite photos. Pre-Thanksgiving in CA.

:)

Best. Hostess. Ever. 

Photos at Somerset when we got home.

Learning Depth of Field.

Pretty.

Beautiful Santa Monica Sunset

Learning about fast Shutter Speed.

Learning about slower Shutter Speed.

My model.

She would hate this one, but I love it.

Playing with Focus.

The Beach.

Nicest guy took this photo of us and helped me with my settings! 

My beautiful daughter in her kitchen.

Carmel and my favorite tree... Cypress.

Fun with Sunsets.

And another.

My husband/model.

Pebble Beach Hole #18.

Us.

The Famous Cypress.

Still OK with my annoying photos.

Sunset #101

Still smiling for me. ;)

God's Artwork.

Gorgeous.

Final Sunset!

People were so nice to offer to take our picture.

Our room. ;)

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your
love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in
you.

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there's despair in life, let me bring
hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there's sadness, ever joy.


Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we're born to eternal
life.

Book Review: Audrey Bunny

A couple of weeks ago I was sent an email asking if I would review the children's book, Audrey Bunny, written by Angie Smith. I immediately responded and just a couple of days later, the book arrived. It is my honor and privilege to write this post today.

I was excited to read the book for a lot of reasons. For one, it is written by Angie Smith, who is the wife of Todd Smith (lead singer of my very favorite Christian band, the award-winning group Selah). I went to one of their concerts an hour away by myself a few years ago and it was an evening I will never forget. Angie is an amazing speaker and blog writer. I read that they lost their daughter, Audrey in 2008 when she was just a few hours old. You can read about it here.

Audrey Bunny is a sweet story about a little bunny who has been sitting in a barrel of stuffed animals in a toy store for a very long time, waiting to be chosen. She is sure nobody is buying her because she has an imperfection. She has a mark on her heart. One day a little girl who came in to the store almost bought her, but didn't. She came back a few days later, on her birthday and bought the bunny, who she named Audrey. The bunny is insecure and tried hard to hide her imperfection because she was sure the little girl would return her to the store. She later learns that the reason she was chosen was because she wasn't perfect. The little girl loved her unconditionally.

It is a wonderful story teaching children (and adults) that although we all look different, God designed us perfectly. God does not make mistakes. We are loved more than we will ever comprehend and no matter how imperfect our hair, how much we weigh, or how many wrinkles we may get, we are all special and beautiful in His eyes. I pray this book helps people of all ages learn to love what they see in the mirror. I'm sure Audrey Bunny would have been one of my children's favorite books. If it is God's will, I look forward to reading it to my grandchildren one day. For now, it will be on my coffee table.



About the Author

Angie Smith is a well-known speaker and the bestselling author of I Will Carry You, What Women Fear and Mended (B&H Publishing Group). Audrey Bunny is her first children’s book. She has a master’s degree in developmental psychology from Vanderbilt University.

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." ~Psalm 139:14

"Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." ~Psalm 17:8


(One of my favorite songs, "Through It All" by Selah)

And just so you know I can totally relate....
p.s. I forgave my mom for letting me go to school looking like that on picture day! ;)



Much Love,
Angie

Always

Well, there's absolutely no way I could ever finish my unrealistic goal to write 1000 things I'm grateful for before the end of this month. What was I thinking? Sorry if this disappoints you. I've been having too much fun taking photos in my spare time. Don't get me wrong; I am noticing so many things that in the past I may have overlooked. God's beauty is everywhere, and when I'm seeking photo opportunities, it's impossible not to be grateful.

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." ~Jeremiah 29:13

I want to share just a few of my favorite pictures this week.

I love learning about shallow depth of field, and my new 28mm lens!

I'm grateful that my friend, Linda agreed to be my model this week, even though she didn't look her best. She is such a good friend to me. I'm eternally Grateful that she is in my life! 

This is not a new photo, but it is one of my favorite pictures of my brother, Dave. It's going to be two years this next week since he left us. Words cannot explain that guy. He loved so well. He will never, ever be forgotten. 

My photography coach and dear cousin and friend, Lynn called to tell me to go outside and take a picture of the sunset. I just love that we might all live in different parts of the state, but we have the same sun. God's artwork is the best!

Photography & Life's Lessons

It's all about the Light...

Who would have thought photography could teach me so much about life? It's teaching me that if I don't want to live in automatic mode, I must be intentional about my focus and the amount of light (God) I let in. I want God to be the center of my life. I'm a mess when I try to live without Him and without balance. I don't want to be that weird Christian by being over-the top; and I don't want to be so far away that I will be in darkness, because we all know that's not good! I can only see clearly when He is my center.

The main thing I've learned so far in photography is that automatic settings are way easier than manual. You can almost take the perfect picture with your eyes closed. I've never heard of a "real" photographer using automatic settings (I want to be the real deal), so I'm determined to learn to take mine in manual mode.

In manual mode you get to choose your settings. When you look through the eye piece, you see a meter. The meter must be perfect at zero to take the perfect photo. The f stop takes into consideration the amount of clarity of what you are focusing in on and whatever is not in focus is blurry. The lower the number, the more blur in the background. My favorite photos are taken when the object is in perfect focus and the background is blurry. The shutter speed works with the f stop. I don't have a clear understanding of the shutter speed, except that it controls the speed that the light hits the lens and if the number is too low, you get "noise" in your photo. If so, you must move the ISO (controls the sensitivity of the light; still don't have a clear understanding of that either) up, but not too far or when the photo is enlarged, it won't be clear. It's also imperative to have your focus exactly on your object.

My cousin also let me borrow her flash. Apparently, metering doesn't matter when you use a flash. It adds light to the subject and it allows for an obvious sparkle in the eye! xoxo

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how you decide to take your pictures. Either way works and it's not for me to judge which way you choose. Some might not even know if you are in auto or manual mode. For me though, I'm choosing to live from here on out in manual mode, where I get to decide. :)

Oh, and we all know that it's important to focus on people instead of things... :)

"Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." (John 8:12)

61- quiet Sunday mornings when I'm the only one up
62- leaves
63- kind people who give of their time
64- the smell of dinner cooking in the oven
65- the sound of laughter from someone downstairs watching something all by themselves
66- people who wave at someone walking
67- my house, particularly in the Fall... after all of these years
68- the wind blowing leaves
69- slippers
70- yellow, green and orange
71- beef tenderloin
72- an overhead slam from up at the net
73- breakfast
74- living in a small town
75- finishing a workout
76- having nothing on the calendar today
77- an innocent childhood
78- determination
79- bright blue skies
80- piano music playing softly in the background
81- fresh fruit
82- stripes and plaids
83- close friends who know me well
84- and love me anyway
85- that age is just a number
86- outliers
87- my crockpot & vita-mix
88- spices
89- that my life is so blessed that I get to write "my crockpot," when I rarely use it

This week in Photos (Beauty in the Little Things)