I need to gather all of my "goals" & sit down to gather my thoughts so I can post about it.
That goal will be accomplished today.

As for right now, I am trying new things..recipes & wearing the most adorable apron that my mother gave me for Christmas......

Year in Photos.

.:2011:.

My Year In Photos

.:JANUARY:.

Went out for photos with my friend Aaron, funny guy!

Went to the circus in Flint, MI with my dear friend Abbey.

.:FEBRUARY:.

Lemon cookies, A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

Had an Italian night with girlies from church, I made stuffed shells

.:March:.

Photographed the entire alphabet

Discovered Old Town with dear friend, Abbey.

.:April:.

Sullivan Family photos

.:May:.

"Trash the Dress" Photo Shoot

Loved this day!

.:June:.

Explored downtown with Sarah.

Leaned over the top of a parking garage to get this shot.

.:July:.

Random pics with my dear friend Amanda

Lake Michigan, lovely! Until I got sunburned beyond belief.

.:August:.

Repainted my bedroom

Caught some fireflies

.:September:.

Holland, MI for my birthday

Pics for a CD cover for Aaron

LECRAE CONCERT!

.:October:.

I met & had breakfast with Brandon heath & Britt Nicole!

CONCERT!

.:November:.

Homemade mini apple pies

FUSION conference @ Great Lakes Christian College

First snow! This photo gives the impression that I am on a mountain, but I am standing in my backyard....which is not on a mountain.

.:December:.

Wreath I made

JOY & bokeh!

So there we go, a year in pictures, there are many, many more but I chose these as my favs.

Ringing in the New Year

day #33

So here is a bit of a sneak peak of what I did on New Years Eve...

One of my good friends got married & I had the honor of being her photographer! For as long as I have known Kim, she has always been camera shy. I could hardly ever catch a good photo of her. However, last night I was able to take many photos of her looking so glam! I can't wait to finish all the others!

New Years was pretty good, the wedding was very nice & I even had the chance to break it down on the dance floor....*caugh* I mean spaz on the dance floor. Regardless it was a fun event, followed by a short party at another friends house. Minor incidents & all....As I was walking up to my friends door someone back into my car...my new car :(Needless to say, I was uhhh upset but my car is ok & the guy was no where near a jerk. So I am thankful that I didn't hit someone, that there wasn't damage other then scratches & a small hole in the front bumper! Praise the Lord! The small party was fun, rang in the new year with some very dear friends! *New Years Goals are coming, I have lists in different places, but I will gather my thoughts & document them!

May your new year be filled with lessons & blessings from God. Draw near to Him, rejoice, pray & give thanks!

PRAYER REQUEST

6 yr old Lacey, is in the hospital. They have found a mass in her back that they think is cancer. The little girls grandparents/cousins/aunt/uncle go to my church. The tumor they found is four to five inches in size and more tests are being done to see exactly what procedure needs to be performed.
Lacey has stage 4 cancer that is in her bones too. She is in a lot of pain and can't move her legs today. they are doing an MRI and sending her to ICU. They may start radiation agressively too. They are not hopeful. Pray for her family to be bathed in God's peace and that they can make Lacey more comfortable. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Please pray for this family, Laceys grandparents/cousins/aunt/uncle go to my church. I have had this girl in VBS and done photos for her family. Thank you!

day #32

Ah yes, I have made it to the top of the hill of one goal. Not "hill" as in "I'm 40 now" {because that is Y.E.A.R.S away} I blogged for a month straight, good times! The last few days I have been thinking about what my goals for the New Year will be, so far I have come up with a few...

1. To live by 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances..."

2. Be content... with where God has me at each step, with my singleness, with who I am & who He is changing me to be, with the things He brings to my life.

(.....to be continued)

5 Golden Rings

day #31

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Ha-lle-lu-jah!

Today marks DAY THIRTY ONE, I have blogged every day for 31 days. Who thought I could do it? Hmmm, I didn't... Today was a good day & it's the 5th day of Christmas, get your 5 golden rings out.

This morning/afternoon I had a reunion of sorts with the teens/staff from the summer ministry program I was apart of. People that I hadn't seen in months were there as well as my friend Kris, whom I hadn't seen since June of 2010...very nice to catch up & chat! My friend Kris is also a fellow Greek geek, it was awesome to talk "Greek" with someone who gets it! L.O.V.E.D. it!

What I love about today was that I was able to lead the music session, now I am not a musician. Violin & piano I can do a little, but my piano skills are not great enough to play for people. So I chose songs, found the lyrics & we had a sing-a-long of sorts. All the songs I chose were not really familiar with everyone but I still think it went well... I loved it, the enviornment seemed worshipful & there was good feedback. When I teach or do something with the ministry I tend to push it a little. Test the limits in a respectful way, trying to stretch our view & world. I like to do things differently then others, not always doing the same old thing...shake it up a little.

A lot of the people who are in this particular ministry tend to be very Baptist {not that Baptist is bad} they are really conservative & sometimes seem afraid of showing any emotion. Anyway, I will stop there before digging a deeper hole.

Also spent time with my dear friend Grace, she is about 7 ish months pregnant & just about as cute as they come. Such a beautiful, relaxing time with a godly young women. She & her husband are people I adore to pieces & I can't wait for their little boy to come.

I think that is all for now.

Four calling birds

day #30

Is it horribly vain & not humble of me to say that I.lo.v.e. the cookies I made for Christmas?

because I do.

I don't remember the last time I made hard boiled eggs. Honestly, I had to look up how to do it, how long it needed to boil.

Went ice skating today, haven't done that in y.e.a.r.s however my rear did not meet the ice & the wall was my bff!

Also, today is the 4th Day of Christmas! Soooo... "on the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to my 4 calling birds, 3 french hens, 2 turtle doves & a partridge in a pair tree"

{I am thinking of ways to make a photo project out of this}

day #29
What to say for today? Hmmm... Pinterest makes me long to cook like a pro! Not have a normal job & be crafty ALL THE TIME & get paid for it & to have my own b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. home.{all in good time my dear..in God's time}.

New motto for 2012....{rejoice a.l.w.a.y.s pray c.o.n.t.i.n.u.a.l.l.y give thanks in a.l.l circumstances}

By Gods grace this is how I will live my life, celebrating God's abundant goodness & love. Rejoicing always, praying without ceasing & giving thanks for all things, even when they seem unbareable.

Oh God give me grace & mercy, strength & endurance to live this way.

day #28

I love taking pictures at Christmas time, glitter, lights...

I didn't go to midnight mass Christmas Eve, my church service was longer then I anticipated. Christmas Eve was really good, played games, spent time with friends, went to church.

This season has given me so many ideas of what to do when/if I have a family someday. Ways to celebrate Advent, activities to do with the family, things to make/bake/cook...

The day after Christmas always seems to be such a shock. A good, solid month of thinking, prepping, shopping, baking... for only one day. When it is done, it is almost as it you say "well what now?" I find it very easy to slip into the mindset of looking foward to things so greatly that when they are over I feel so utterly disappointed. I try to be content with things & not place my expectations of things so high. This year wasn't my ideal, but a lot would have to happen for it to be.

{What the roads looked like...}

{What I wished that had looked like...}

Chris Tomlin My Soul Magnifies the Lord

day #27

Merry Christmas all, remember the true reason we celebrate...

the birth of our Savior,

our king.

May your day be filled with sweet reflection on our King of Kings.

Christmas Eve

day #26

Christmas Eve!

Party tonight,

Christmas Eve service,

midnight mass,

I finally watched "It's A Wonderful Life" {well most of it..}

Here are my 2 kinds of hot chocolate,

I intend to do more but it didn't happen before Christmas,

yet....

Adore Him / Christmas Eve / Kari Jobe

on going

day #25

Christmas eve, eve... my list of things didn't really get accomplished today.. cleaning & laundry, yeah not so much. There is still gift wrapping, baking, cleaning, thinking & reflection to be done. Hopefully tomorrow will be very productive & reflective.

Finding time to sit down & think is hard. So many times wasters, I want to be more adamant about focused meditation on Jesus, being still & listening. There is too much noise in my life, too much going on. It's crowded, I don't really have a quiet place of my own to be.

My goals for myself might be to extreme or unrealistic... I don't really know.

I feel like crying right now, not so sure why. Broken dreams, or what seem like broken dreams I guess. Life is not what I wanted it to be & I know that God has a plan & has not forgotten about me. Yet...I feel forgotten & looked over. My focus needs to be off of myself, I don't know how to be focused on God without losing myself in a bad way. I know I need to die to myself & lose myself that way but what I tend to do is try so hard to focus on God that I can't focus on anything, even sitting down to read Gods Word. I need help, dear Jesus I need help! I pray for wisdom but in reality I just want knowledge. Oh God may my heart be in the right place before You, bowed down & humbled. I don't know what else to do, I feel like a fake.

How Many Kings by Downhere

day #24

:) I just feel really happy right now. There isn't one particular reason...

I am off work for 3 whole days! It feels like a lot even though it's not. I love Christmas time, the music, food, parties, beauty. Tonight I was watching "A Christmas Carol" with my sister, we drank hot chocolate had just the light of the TV & the Christmas lights...just pretty!

I was thinking about Christmas "someday" when I have a family of my own, traditions & special things we will do.... makes me excited for what God has in store.

Sixteen Cities - Morning Star

day #23

23 days, in a row....I can't believe it! I have had so many projects to do lately. Tonight the girls at my church {jr.high through college-ish age} did a secret santa gift exchange, the name I drew was my good friend Amanda...her card of "info" wasn't very informative so I had a little trouble figuring out what to get. No matter how well I know a person I always seem to have trouble getting gifts, because I want each gift to have meaning.

After thinking & looking I thought of the p.e.r.f.e.c.t thing!

{look below}

This is "Dookie Face Snazzy Jazzy"

Several years ago Amanda made me the original "Dookie Face", it was an inside joke with us.

"Dookie Face" was a name we {jokingly} called a friend of ours. I do not remember exactly why I did or why she made it for me in the first place, but it was funny. So now Amanda has a reason to have a "Dookie Face" of her own, only now he is snazzy...so snazzy.

*

I am enjoying this Christmastime more so then ever before. God has blessed me immensely with the time & attitude for that enjoyment.

Thank you Jesus!

Jason Bare "Have You Heard" Music Video

I am overwhelmed & a little emotionaly drained/exhausted. This afternoon/evening has been enlightening. When I am at work I do not enjoy working on the singles floor, it seems each time I do there is loads of drama.... adult women acting like teenagers, frustrates me. Today has been no exception, there has been drama. I just didn't know what to do, I don't have all the answers. So much was happeneing at the same time, trying to deal with frantic women, answer questions, carry on a conversation & have a logical thought process is hard! I know God is teaching me things because of all these situations I am having to deal with. Confrontation is not my favorite, being mean or rude is not something I do well. I can talk it but follow through on rudeness just doesn't happen.
This afternoon I was at a loss of what to do, the situation started to escalate. I didn't know how to handle what was being thrown at me, I didn't even have the time to really think & pray.
Emotions started to come & I wanted to cry, just go off by myself & cry. I am thinking "Why am I here, I can't handle this! I feel like the one in the wrong."
God gave me words... He is teaching me & giving me wisdom as I deal with these situations.
Grace, mercy & wisdom was showered on me tonight.
Blessings are ever flowing as I talk with the ladies, one who told me of the dissolvement of doubts about God & the Bible, she is showing more & more interest in God's Word & a desire to teach her children.
Blessings... blessings!

Matthew West - The Heart of Christmas

15 questions

day #22

1. What was the best thing that happened to you this year? Knowing that God provides & is faithful even when things don't go how I think they should.
2. What is your #1 pet peeve? Slow walkers & idiotic drivers
3. Favorite place to eat? Sushi Moto or Panera
4. Best and worst movie you have ever seen? The worst movie I ever went to see in the theater was "Four Christmases" That is probably the only one I really regret going to see the best one...idk.
5. Describe your dream home? On a corner lot with a decent front porch. Open floor plan for living room & dining room. A porch/deck that is covered but not screened in. The living room would have a lot of shelves that include cupboards on the bottom & room for books, frames, trinkets etc. There would be nice big windows & a fireplace. The kitchen would have a lot of counter space & would be at least a 3-4 butt kitchen. The kirchen would have several pantry cupboards as well as a little office/desk nook. The floors would be something easy to clean & the cupboards would not be wood or painted green. There would be 21/2 bathrooms, a 1/2 on the main floor, 1 full bathroom in the fully, finished basement & 1 on the top floor. There would be 3 bedrooms on the top floor & a landing room for my little craft/photo office area. In the basement would be the laundry room & a half bathroom. An office/computer room & the open area would be like a family room/play room. There would be a 2 car garage & a fenced in yard with pretty trees & flowers.
6. If you could get paid really well to do what you totally love, what would it be? I do photography so that is part of what I do. But I would love to create/design & be crafty & get paid for it. Combine that with church/worship ministry & I am set.
7. Who is your celebrity crush?Adam Rodriguez....adorable!
8. What is your dream car?Well I L.O.V.E. my 2001 Ford Focus! I like small cars or small, snazzy SUV type things
9. What do you wish you were better at? I wish I was better at crafty things..like thinking of ideas & such..I get ideas but I wish I had the time to do more & the money! Singing musical stuff. Being photographed
10. What is your feed weakness that you will over eat every single time? Cheese dip or ice cream 11. Your favorite iphone/android app? If I had one it would be Instagram.
12. What is your most favorite website?Pinterest/blogspot
13. Your top 3 favorite stores to shop? Target, World Market, Hobby Lobby
14. What was your favorite childhood toy? Barbies & American Girl Dolls
15. What really freaks you out/scares you? Spiders/failure.

snazzy jazzy

This past summer my sister went to South Africa as an intern for Impact Africa.

While she was there she became really close to the 6 other interns. Out of the 7 interns there 3 were just summer interns & the other 4 were year-long interns.

They had a load of fun together & the girls made an agreement to do a Christmas card competition. They each would do a Christmas card & send it to the guys who would judge & pick the winner.

So I got involved because my sister needed my skills of photography & photoshop.

She wanted to do an 80's style & somehow incorporate "have a jazzy Christmas".

So here are some pics, I think they are hilarious, she pulls off the 80's thing well. BTW she decorataed her sweatshirt herself.

She showed the sweatshirt to our mom who said "Its not that ugly",

my sister responded "no mom...no"

*And the final draft & chosen one to send....

Check out her blog: http://thepathtoafrica.blogspot.com/

project..

day #21

Working on ugly Christmas sweat photos for my sister, oh it's hilarious!
Going to edit while watching "Christmas in Conneticut"


I had no Christmas movies at all, I found these movies at Target for $8.99 each. A lady I work with was telling me how good some of these are, so I thought I should get them.