"testimony" by anita shreve :: literature

Every day we are faced with decisions that not only affect us, but can and do have an impact on the many people that surround us.  Testimony looked at this phenomenon.  It showed the utter devastation that can come from a decision made by two people; the far reaching affects of a decision made to fulfill one's selfish desires.

Testimony by Anita Shreve starts with a graphic event that I have to admit was slightly shocking and almost made me put the book back on the shelf.  After finishing the book I was glad that I stuck with it.  It really made me think about the decisions we make and how what seems like one simple decision can have complicated results.

***A good read. Intriguing. I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates reading a novel with a puzzeling plot.  The twists and turns will keep you guessing the entire time and bring you to an end that you were never expecting. 

"7~an experimental mutiny against excess" by jen hatmaker :: literature

I couldn't have picked a better book to wrap up 2012 with than this suggested piece of literature written by Jen Hatmaker. 

From 2001 until 2007 I had the amazing opportunity to know exactly what God wanted me to be doing and to be doing it.  I remember siting in the Social Hall at our church during a meeting discussing the future of the youth ministry at First Lutheran Church. I remember listening to all the people around the table talk about what they were looking for in a ministry director.  I could feel the Holy Spirit calling me into ministry at that very moment.  It was as if He was laying out the yellow brick road brick by brick and I was Dorothy. 

That period of my life came to a close and I feel like I have spent the last 5 years wandering, not sure what God wanted me to be doing.  As if the yellow brick road just ended and all that lay ahead was a big empty field as far as the eyes can see in all directions.  It isn't as if I have done nothing. My beautiful girls are a big part of my life keeping me more and more busy as they get older. In 2007 I picked up a camera again. Something I hadn't really done in years and I am so glad I did.  I LOVE taking photos.  It is a true outlet that I am super greatful for. I had also been helping my parents at their company for 6 years part time and when my position at the church ended I switched to full time. At the end of 2007 my parents began the process of developing a beautiful place in Sequim called Fern Hollow and I have had the blessed opportunity to assist them with that as well.  So for sure these last 5 years have been full with amazing opportunities.  I have been so busy though that I have sometimes felt like I wasn't sure if I was who God made created me to be. 

A few months ago a friend shared with me a book she was reading called 7.  A book about a woman who exercised 7 fasts (clothes, shopping, waste, food, possessions, media and stress) each lasting 1 month. A way for her to eliminate excess in her life to have more room for God. This book chronicled her experiences throughout these months.  This book is amazing.  It has made me look at my life differently.  It has made me reevaluate what I put importance on and where I feel God is leading me.  It is a book I would suggest to everyone.  An amazing book that helps you to evaluate so many aspects of your life.

One of my favorite quotes from the book, one that I will take with me always, is "if we all raised others up instead of raising ourselves higher, there would be few needs left on earth." Wow!

After reading this book I have been reassured that I am a work in progress.  That God did not create me and then leave me on my own but created me and continues to work on me every day. I am still processing but I know for sure that God will be in all that I do.  I am going to make a point to focus more on what he wants for my life and not what I want for it.

***** A must read for everyone. 

2012 we made memories :: family

I guess you could say I got a bee in my bonnet or maybe it was just the impending new year and realizing I didn't get outside hiking nearly as much as I had wanted to this last year.  Either way, yesterday I was googling online and decided that we would wrap up 2012 with a hike as a family.  Where would we go??? I punched in some stuff to do a search online and came up with some options. Wanting to stay within an hour of home we decided on Lena Lake.  It looked to be a great option. Not too far (about 5 miles for lower Lena Lake hike) and only about 45 minutes from us.  So we woke up this morning, packed up a lunch and headed out stopping at the ranger station along the way just in case we needed some kind of pass to go into the park.  We were very politely informed we were welcome to head up towards Lena but it was very possible we would be unable to get to the trail head.  P-shaw is what we thought.  We have a Jeep, chains and know how to drive in the snow.  It will be no problem.  She suggested we wait until we get up there and then, if we do, we can get the pass right at the trail head. It is almost as if she knew we were in for an adventure.

 

We hopped back into the "Jeep" and headed towards the Canal.  It took us a little longer to get the Forest Road 25 than we thought but once there our excitement for our impending adventure grew.  The girls snapped out of their almost slumber and began excitedly looking out the window to see if they could see any wild animals being sure to ask every 15 seconds if we were there yet. Had our vehicle come to a stop yet? No, but they insisted on asking if we were there yet anyway.

 

We only had to go 7.5 miles up this road to get to the trail head . . . . we made it about a mile before we hit snow and by 2 miles we were driving in the only tracks in the 1+ feet of ice packed snow that was on the road.  Driving outside of the tracks wasn't even an option.  Robb commented that it was almost like being on a roller coaster because our tires just went the way the previous tracks led us. As we jerked here and there in our "Jeep" and Olyvia asked every 15 seconds if we were there yet and I gripped the handle on the door as we jerked too close to the edge of a cliff I was sure we were going to go over, Ellie all of a sudden broke into an exaggerated rendition of Silent Night Holy Night.  All I could do was break out laughing.  It was like an episode from a television show that none of us were getting paid for.  We reached about 4 miles in and Robb said we should probably stop as the snow was only getting deeper and he was already concerned as to how we were going to turn around.  So we stopped and got out, deciding to just explore from here.  We really couldn't beat the view - it was beautiful.

 



 

 

 

 

 

And the girls didn't seem to mind that it wasn't where we were supposed to be going.  Personally I think they were just glad to be out of the car. I know I was. :)  And so we spent the next hour hiking along the road, following the river and exploring the woods. 

Upon returning to our "Jeep" we made our first attempt at turning around. Oh I should probably mention here that we discovered we, in fact, do not have our chains. Yay! Using a log I found on the side of the road I dug out some of the snow in the middle of the tracks to allow for the tires to more easily turn around. Attempt 1 - completely unsuccessful.

Robb decided it would be best to just drive in reverse the 4 miles we drove to get where we were.  Ok.  Why not?  And so we proceeded to go backwards. Me clutching the handle on the door trying not to gasp every time we came near the edge of the cliff.  I was sure at any moment we would pitch over the side and be unable to stop seeing as we weren't even able to get enough traction to turn around.  We came to an area that appeared to be a better place to turn around and again attempted.  I should probably also mention here that it happened to be at a narrow place in the road flanked on one side by a steep drop off into a ravine. Yay again!  I decided it would be best to close my eyes and pray. So I did.  Attempt 2 - completely unsuccessful.

Reverse for another few hundred feet and then again Robb thought we had come to a place that would be better suited for turning around and began to attempt to reverse the "Jeep" to the right into the first part of a three point turn.  Instead of pulling backwards and then coming to a stop, our vehicle seemed to fish tail and then swing around to then land, yes land, in a position perpendicular to the road and then get stuck. No forward motion successful. No reverse motion successful.  I meekly suggested maybe we needed to get out and attempt to dig out the snow around the tires. Robb quietly and in muffled tones agreed and we both got out and attempted to dig out the tires.  I will mention here that this is when we discovered we had no implement useful for shoveling.  We came on this adventure fully prepared.

While we were working on digging out the tires I hear the door of our "Jeep" open, lots of giggling and then "don't eat the yellow snow." I froze. What? No way. I stood up. Yep. My youngest daughter was off on the side of the road going to the bathroom.  She saw me and exclaimed "Look mom, I am going in the woods all by myself. I have never done this before."  Oi vei.

I returned to my digging.  10 minutes later Robb said it should be good.  I stepped aside, he was able to slide the "Jeep" into a position that faced it in the correct direction.

Today, this last day of 2012, we made memories!

chocolate covered potato chips? yes!

Recently glancing through Picky Palate's Facebook page and came across this post.  It took me less than a second to respond.  Chocolate covered potato chips are 100% of awesomeness.  You may ask how it is that someone gets to a point where they even know the answer to this question.  I suppose you are right to ask.  It isn't like potato chips are included in chocolate fondue parties.  A potato chip is not your typical dipping option for a pot of melted chocolate.  That said, if you are looking for a scrumptious little salty sweet treat than I would highly suggest chocolate covered potato chips.

Anyway . . . just my opinion. :)

mader family at island lake :: photography

This fall I have had so many great opportunities to photograph some amazing families.  The Mader family was no different.  A few favorites from this great photo session.  Thank you Leah for sending me a message.  I hope you love them as much as I do.

 

 

hager family at lion's park :: photography

I love that I get to help families capture moments of time in their lives.  Children grow so fast, time flies by, and I get the blessing of being able to stop time for them.  Even if only briefly.  Most recently I received an email from a fabulous family that I had taken photos of over a year ago.  I was so excited to get to shoot them again.  We met up at their house for a few snapshots before heading downtown to Lion's Park.

 

 

Their children are three of the sweetest, most fun loving and energetic kids. They really made my job such an easy one.

 

 

 

Fall really is a great time to get family photos to use as Christmas gifts or put into cards sent out to family and friends for the holidays.  I look forward to the fall shoots I have coming up in the next month and can't wait to share them with you all.

o christmas tree :: family

"o christmas tree, o christmas tree

thy leaves are so unchanging

o christmas tree, o christmas tree

thy leaves are so unchanging

not only green when summer's here

but also when tis cold and drear

o christmas tree, o christmas tree

thy leaves are so unchanging"

 

 

Every year (OK, not every but almost every) we head out to get a tree usually going to a local u-cut lot to pick out the best manicured, hand raised specimen for our living room.  There was a year we hung bows from our windows, much to our children's dismay.  Then there was the time a couple years ago we made the horrible mistake of a trip to the mountains for a tree due to the encouragement of our oldest.  This year we didn't let her persuade us and we loaded up into the truck to head to Hubert's Tree Farm in Seabeck, Wa.  We had gone there years before and had good luck so we thought we would try again. We met up with my parents and headed that way, each in our own truck.  Of course as soon as we arrived out there the rain was falling full force.  After driving around to the different areas of trees, we came to a stop at a Noble area and all bundled up, including my dad with a garbage sack wrapped around his casted foot, began to tromp around looking for the perfect one.  My mother is quite partial to Nobles and it didn't take her much time at all to find the just right one.  We loaded it into their truck and then headed to the Grand Fir area to look for the perfect one for us.  I was determined to have a "full" tree and we traipsed around for what the girls will exclaim as being "forever" but was really no more than 10 minutes and finally came upon the perfect tree.  It really was a successful and not to horrendous of an experience.  We then headed to our respective homes (sending the girls with my parents for a day of hanging at their house) and after dropping our tree off, Christmas shopping we went. 

 

 

 a group effort to get the perfect noble for mom & dad's house.

 

 

 finally found the just right one for our living room - yes, a little tall but perfectly narrow!

 

 

robb and ellie grab and away we go.  olyvia exclaimed she was WAY to cold to assist. 

 robb making sure the tree was fully shaken of its dead needles . . . later proved to be unsuccessful.

 

 

UPDATE:  Massive needle loss in less than 10 days without the tree actually being dead and we were on to tree no. 2. Solved by undecorating, quick trip to Central Market and redecorating.  Hoping this second one will make the cut and last until Christmas.