As I said in the post beneath this one, after running the 10k out on the trails at Prairie Oaks Metro Park Saturday, I was going to head back and shoot some more photos. What an amazing day! I can’t believe it’s November with temperatures in the upper 60′s! This time I took my family with me and our new dog, Fletcher. Fletcher, according to the shelter we adopted him from is a boxer/st. bernard mix. I’m not so sure about the st. bernard part, others seem to think perhaps he is mixed with beagle. It’s been a transition to go from our loving calm well behaved dog Sammy, who passed away in September at 11 years of age, to a ten month old puppy who likes to chew every thing in sight. He’s a high energy dog, so it did him some good to come with us for a couple mile walk on the trails. The trails are beautiful rolling through prairie grass, forest, and bridges that cover rivers/creeks, including bridle trails. There are also several mini lakes throughout the 1900 acres. If you live in the Columbus, OH area I highly recommend checking it out.

We have been working with our dog, using Cesar Millan’s How To Raise The Perfect Dog….here we are trying to get him to sit and stay for a portrait. I wonder what Cesar would say about this.

I don’t get in front of the camera enough (job hazard), so my husband took this one of myself and our girls.

Beautiful park, beautiful scenery. See? I knew you’d love it. Come, follow me.

I cried this morning for personal reasons.  Sometimes we lie to ourselves.  Sometimes others lie about us.  Either way, I must remember the journey I’m on.  I must continue to focus on the call of God on my life.  I must think bigger and not smaller.  I must be okay.  With the trials that come as a result of that.  Listening to Jewel today.  God is using it.  Thank you, poet.

Phil 4:8 NIV

Going on vacation….NOW.

Be back soon!

“The key to change…is to let go of fear.”  ~Roseanne Cash

I’m taking risks. Something about this theme has sparked some sort of fire in my brain, along with a swift and serious kick in the booty by some photographer friends, who didn’t hold back.  Thank you, Katie.  Thank you, Barbara.

I admit that this is a sudden departure from the shooting style you’ve come to know me by.  But really, it was always in me.  It had just gotten lost in the muck and mire of losing myself and trying to be what I thought I had to be.  I was afraid to post this….thinking it too much.  But I’m rebuilding the dream.  Rebuilding the self.  I’ve let go of some things recently that were hard…unhealthy things that although I didn’t realize it at first, began to have negative effects on my life and heart.   Mostly, my heart.  And my peace.  And my joy.

Today, I rested upon this scripture which was so needed today.  I pray it will bring you comfort if you too, happen to be going through something…that has robbed your peace.

Isaiah 55:12-13 (New International Version)

¹² You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

¹³ Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
which will not be destroyed.”

Moving forward.  Now.

Wild Carrot or Queen Ann’s Lace? Perhaps a little of both. It seems as though I’ve been thinking in terms of wild carrot–raw, legal, stiff. But I had an epiphany…what if I started thinking in terms of Queen Ann’s Lace? Ethereal, breathless, artistic, wispy, and soft. Today I have acquired a new perception. I’m using it now.

Thinking of the word ‘Now’ and trying to implement that into my life.  Just the other day I was talking with some friends about how sometimes we always say “change is coming” or “it will happen”.  We were basing this conversation of the scripture “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” as found in Proverbs 13:12 in the christian Bible.   At one point in my life I had been told that I was trapped within my own hope.  I am a girl who believes in destiny and fate.  I am always dreaming or believing in the possibility.   Sometimes this has truly made my heart sick.  Because waiting for anything can be so painful, if the waiting lasts too long.  In recent years I have chosen to step out of the bondage of hope deferred and start believing in ‘now’.  Today is the day.  One of my favorite quotes, you’ll find it in my inspirations page link at the top, is from Rocky III.  Rocky and Apollo Creed are training for an upcoming fight with Clubber Lang.  Rocky’s coach Mickey has died though and he’s  drowning in grief…he begins to give up.  Apollo begins to scream:

Apollo: He’s hooking. He’s hooking. He’s hooking! Damn, Rock, Come on! What’s the matter with you?

Rocky: Tomorrow. Let’s do it tomorrow.

Apollo: [Screaming] There is no tomorrow! THERE IS NO TOMORROW! THERE IS NO TOMORROW!

Applying this to a grocery list, phone calls, that trip to Spain I want, or a casual moment on the porch with my girls and their dad…THERE IS NO TOMORROW!

During my Tulsa trip, one of my dearest high school friends and I were able to get together after many years apart.  She has a four year old son who is so perfectly cute, I wanted to pack him up in my bag and take him home with me.  We met at Woodward park in Tulsa and she brought along her niece Madison.  It was a beautiful warm day.  I hadn’t been to Woodward park in at least 15 years, I had forgotten how beautiful it is.  Kerri had asked me if I would be willing to get some photo’s of her son and his cousin together.  They live four hours apart from each other and so I was very happy to do this for her and her family.