After several years of having this journal I am moving to friends only.  Variety of reasons really, but the main one is that clients can search my personal blog and really there are some things I want kept more private (hard to imagine, I know).  So....from here on out it is "friends only"....now does anyone know hoe to make all my past posts friends only in an easy way?

She paces back and forth.  One time, now two, and a third.  She puts half of her body half down the dresser and almost jumps, but backs away.  Paces again and again.  Feels with one paw down the dresser as if to test it, but quickly pulls back.  Now licking her paw, yes that will help.  Paces again, but never jumps.  She goes back to the pile of clothes that she has been laying on.  Maybe I can jump to the desk....no mom has too many things there.  As she walks onto the pile of clothes as one falls to floor 5 feet below.....she jumps back with fear.  More pacing continues.  She sees her desired destination, but fear keeps her back.  It continues.......over a half an hour she does it. 

This was the drama that played out for me as I was doing my devotions tonight.  My cat, Promise, had gotten atop of Brandon's dresser and laid down on his clothes watching me for the majority of the evening (I warned him that they would be covered in hair, but he could not resist her sweet face).  When I moved to our bed to do my devotions Promise very much wanted to join me.  Her fear kept her from doing it though until after I was done and had left. 

This simple drama with my cat got me to thinking.  How often do we dip one toe in the water "to test it", just as she would would slide one paw down the dresser and quickly retract it?  How often does our own fear of failing hold us back in life?  What are we not doing that God is calling us to?  I am not sure of my answer, but I am asking God to reveal it.  I don't want my own fear of failure to hold me back from what He has for me.

What fear is holding you back?

Lately I have been making muffins for breakfast.  I make up several batches and freeze them individually for a quick breakfast on the go.  Now, I know what you are thinking....most muffins are more fattening then, well a donut.  These are not!  They are full of really good things for you and they keep you full for several hours.  With freezing them I just throw them in the microwave for 45 seconds or so and I have breakfast.

I thought I would share the recipe through pics:)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or line with paper muffin cups.

Mix the below ingredients in a larger mixing bowl:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup flax seed meal
• 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

I like to use all organic ingredients from Trader Joe's ( great prices!)

Example, their oats...



After the dry ingredients are mixed well add:

• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a seperate bowl combine:

• 1/2 cup of oranic applesauce
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

After the wet incredients are mixed well, dump them into the dry ingredients and mix just long enough to get everything incoporated.

Should look a bit like this:




Now spoon the batter into your muffin cups (on this recipe due to the denseness of the batter make sure you fill all the way to the top!)



Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly touched.



And there you go!  They really are a great heathly brekfast....hope someone enjoys them:)

I put the full recipe below for easy copying...

Blueberry Muffins

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup flax seed meal
• 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or line with paper muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, flax seed meal, quick-cooking oats, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir in the blueberries and walnuts. In a separate bowl, mix together the applesauce, buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups, filling all the way to the top.
3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly touched.

Hey guys! I have added a business blog to my online communications:)  Check it out here and if you have an RSS reader please add me:)

So, we were pre-approved for a mortgage loan today.  I think I might be a little scared now.......the amount that approved us for is normal for this area but scary no less :)  Should be interesting to see if Brandon and I end up in a new home by the fall.  In a way I hope so (space would be nice!) and in another way it scares me too.  WE have owned a house before, but I don't know....this feels different somehow.  Now that we are pre-approved the ability to make an offer is there and my hubby is chomping at the bit :)

Monday we headed home for Brandon to go to work and I headed to a newborn shoot, but that is another post.......

Random thoughts updates...

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This past week has been really encouraging for photography.  I have been debating about whether or not to launch a business blog in addition to my personal one.  I want to it right though and pretty much will not do it if I can not do it right.  There are several places where I can buy templates so all the programming behind the scenes have been done.  I kept debating about whether or not to spend the money on the template.  Well this past week I found a resource that I can get a template for a lot less! I was so excited and have already started the process of uploading all my info and such.  On the same site I also found some great videos on how to get a greater web presence.  It was great!

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This has been a really great weekend.  Friday night we hung out with friends and Saturday Brandon and I put together a friend's nursery.  I have been designing, painting, shopping, and more for a friend's nursery.  It was so much fun to see it all come together.  We were working on it until after 11:30pm last night though so I was so pooped today.  I will take pics sometime in the next week or so and post them,

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Last week was a week of drag.  It dragged so much!  I can't wait until this coming weekend.  Brandon and I are going to Charlottesville, VA this weekend for chill time.  I can't wait.

I am hoping to turn in early tonight so I better get off of here:)

Travis and Brandon went to school at UCSD together for a couple of years.  After losing touch post Brandon graduating with his under-grad, through a mutual friend Brandon learned that Travis (and his now wife!) were going to move to DC.  They both have been missionaries overseas and are here in DC for Travis to get his masters.  During the fall we went apple picking one day with the grand idea to do a photo shoot in an orchard.  Well, the orchard was not nearly what we pictured.  The apple trees were more like apple bushes.  They dwarf them so kids can help pick too and you do not need ladders.  After picking some yummy apples we decided to just drive around and find some spots.  We ended up in the middle of a field and in the woods.  We got some cute pics though!

1.  I love the look on both of their faces here.  You can so tell that they are so in love!


2. I got pretty dirty for this


3.


4. Can you feel the laughter here?

I am finally getting caught up on my processing!  This shoot has been on the back burner for a very long time.  The "clients" are great friends of mine and have been since 1998.  When we first met I was dating their son, of whom I eventually married.  We dated for four years and during those four years we hung out at his dad and step-mom's house quite a bit.  We could chill there, they trusted us (probably too much sometimes!), and we all really clicked.  Well, the son made some bad decisions that caused our marriage to end, but I never lost touch with Charlotte and Richard.  One thing that I will always remember is a comment that Richard made during the whole mess, "I do not care what my son decides, but I will always have a daughter."  And you know what, he means it.  When I lived in Columbus and my parents did not (heck even when they did!) I could call either Richard or Charlotte up and they would help me with anything.  Brandon has become good friends with both of them (after one serious interview!) and considers them great friends.  It is such a blessing to me that Brandon feels that way.

Charlotte and Richard are one of the main reasons my photography is where it is today.  When I bought my first "real' camera Richard was the one who helped.  He had always been into photography and knew what he was talking about so I gleaned a lot from him in the beginning.  They have done so much to help me and encourage me over the years, that when they came to DC for a visit I was thrilled to do a photo shoot for them.


I have selected a few of my favorites to share with you....

1. My favorite straight up couple shot


2. This one brings me so much joy and for anyone who know Charlotte this is SO her!


3. Just a plain fun shot!


4. Charlotte is a worship dancer at my old church.  She loves the Lord and loves to worship him through dance.  Richard loves to watch the joy she experiences through dance.  I love this representation of them as a couple....

For the first time in several years since I have been "professionally" shooting I had pictures randomly disappear from my computer; and yes the backup failed last time as well.  So I only have half a clients shoot.  I was very torn up about it.  In fact I felt like I was going to hurl.  I have calmed down some now.  The couple is friends of ours and I was doing it as a gift, so they have 30 some odd pics and the next time we hang out and it is nice outside we'll just do some more.  I had some amazing pics of them though.  It is really crappy...............

I have been trying to edit my pictures from last Spring's Cherry Blossom Festival, well since last Spring.  I have always had a client shoot ahead of it and never found the time to process them.  Well, I still have client shoots to process but I had to take the time and process them for me.  It is so hard as a photographer to always have to put your pictures aside to capture others.  It gets to the point where you just don't take pics any more.  I do not want that to continue in my life.  Heck, the reason I take others pictures is because of the love of capturing life.

So, I sat down and processed these tonight even though I have client shoots waiting.  They will get done:)

For now enjoy a little bit of Spring in the middle of winter.....

1.


2. A very typical pic from the festival, but I wanted one of my own:)


3. It was also th National Kite flying festival


4. LOVE this one!!!!!!!!!


( Ok, so I will cut now, but there are way cool pic behind this cut! Come look:) )

In church our pastor is doing a series on 30 days to live.  The whole concept is if you had only 30 days to live how would you live your life differently.  Last week was really good (you can listen here) and this week did not disappoint either.  Two weeks in a row where most of the congregationwas in tears.  Today's sermon focused on relationships and making them the most, even if they are hard work.  He showed a video to start the sermon off and I had to post the link here.  I have to warn you, you better grab a box of tissues, but PLEASE watch this and let it impact you as well.

99 Balloons

Hope it impacts you:)

I have been working on an engagement shoot (slideshow here) on and off since I got home.  Finding the time to get it done has been a chore, but I finished it tonight.  I am so thankful!  I have several shoots backlogged still and I so need to finish getting caught up.  So, I decided to not do any new shoots (minus maternity and newborns) until march.  I do not expect to be shooting much until then anyway, but I was asked today at church so you never know!  I hope that two months will allow me to get caught up some.  Another rule that I have instituted for myself is that I am not allowed to edit the pics taken with my point and shoot.  They just get printed, no editing.  It is amazing how dependent one can become on editing.  I know what type of pic I can make it so I always want to, but it is killing me!

I have also been planning a baby shower for a friend as well as designing her nursery.  It is going to be so cute!  You will see pics of it when I am done 'cause I am so excited about it:) 

Other than that I have been back to work and trying to get caught up.  It is entering into the crazy time of year right now (although I feel like that time never left last year!), so I am sure overtime will be in my cards.

Night all!

I am finally home!  We had three flight delays in St Louis due to mechanical issues (man does that always make one nervous to get on the plane when it finally does arrive).  I am so thankful to be home, even if it is to a messy house!

 I am so incredibly exhausted and so incredibly ready to go home.  

Today was such a good day!  We met up with college friends (Brandon's) early afternoon, and it was great!  I learned so much from a friend about supplements and such.  It was truly great! 

We then got to have dinner with another couple (Brandon has been friends with the guy for 27 years). It was great catching up!

Such good times....

 It has been forever since I posted.  I have been buried so far under work that I could not see above the pile.  The night before I left for Cali (where I am now) I went to bed a little before 3am and got up at 6am to work from home in the morning before my flight.  It was insane!  I am still not 100% caught up, but I will get there.  I had an engagement shoot shortly before I left and have to finish it as soon as I get home.  It has been awesome to have the work for photography, but next year I have got to stick to my deadlines.  I let them go this year and man did I pay for it.

In other news, Brandon and I are in Cali with all of his family for a large Christmas gathering.  I finally got a couple of gifts done last night/today.  I have not done my close friends though.  I already told them it was going to be a Valentines gift:)  

So, other than that not much to update on........so Merry Christmas everyone!

Worked on client thank you cards (they have print care info, copyright info, and a referral section) tonight.  They are going to be sweet!!!!!!!  Can't wait to finish them and see them in print:)

Designing your own Christmas card is fun but man do I realize just how much weight I need to lose and how little I ended up losing this year.  Seriously I "think" (although after the holiday I am not sure) I am down 15 pounds, but man on man do I have a lot more.  Tonight was actually kind of depressing.....

Well we ended up getting to Columbus around midnight last night.  It took us 3 hours to go 70 miles while we were trying to leave DC (obviously with everyone else as well!!!!!!).  Once we got here we made the meatballs for my dad's sauce and then crashed.  It felt good to sleep.  Took me awhile to get calmed down enough to actually fall asleep but I finally did. 

Today has gone better than one could expect so I am thankful for that.  My brother from Michigan came down with my nephew, my middle brother and his new girlfriend were here, along with Brandon, mom, and myself.  It ended up being okay.  There were tears during the prayer and while we were serving up my dad's spaghetti sauce but all in all we have done okay.  Videos games, football, and computers can be great distractions during a time like this.

Tomorrow we help my mom decorate her house for Christmas.  I am looking forward to that even though it is going to be hard.  My mom is not a big Christmas person but my dad was.  There was no way we would let her not decorate for Christmas.  So, we keep moving on and pressing forward.  That is what we do for today........

Couple pics.....

1. Myself and my niece, Cailin


2. Brandon being sweet


3.



4. And how can you resist this face?