Thursday's Thrill

Oooooh do I have something to post about! This is probably not going to be as exciting for you as it is for me, but hey. This is my blog, so you get to read all about it. :p 

My love of photography goes hand in hand with my love for photo editing. If I could, I would spend endless hours sitting here, testing out different colors, brightness and contrast, blur and bloom (adding a glow effect). The fact that I currently take pictures with a point-and-shoot (one with the ability to tweak manual settings, however limited) has created the possibly bad habit of thinking ahead, processing how I might be able to edit the photo to make it look different, what sort of filters I can use with it to give it a high contrast or wistful look, etc. Similarly, I find myself lazily thinking, "I can just edit this photo later instead of trying to find the perfect camera settings at this very second." While this kind of thinking is sometimes okay, it doesn't help in furthering my skills in learning the art of fine tuning my settings or discovering what settings bring out my "signature look", so to speak. In my mind I have a "signature look", a color scheme and way I want my pictures to look. As time goes on, I really hope to be able to capture that look more from the raw picture itself than from editing. But I know that editing will always be part of the process. 

Less talking, more pic posting, right?! So, a friend from church recently told me about a photo editing program called PhotoScape. It's completely free, so I definitely recommend checking it out. I am IN LOVE with it. Like a kid at Christmas. Like a fat kid loves cake. A gigantic, delectable, melt-in-your-mouth piece of chocolate cake smothered in the best free filters and color settings I have seen yet. Last week, my wonderful photographer friend Katie did a shoot for us at Inniswoods and got some AWESOME photos. Because she knows me so well and knew what joy I would find in editing them, she gave me the raw jpgs straight out of the camera! THANK YOU KATIE! I don't want to share all of the photos quite yet because they are mostly for Christmas stuff (you will see them all eventually!), but I do want to share one of my faves of Audrey. A before and after editing. I LOVE this stuff! HEART FLUTTERS! Click for big versions! 

The original

My favorite edited version so far - I've done a few. My beautiful girl!

That's all for now. Peace! 

Hrm.

I have this urge to blog something, but I'm not sure what to write exactly. I used to have zero desire to blog, but now that I love my new bloggity bloggy blog and I have made it more my own, I would like to fill it up with all sorts of awesomely, interestingly, introspectively amazing (and possibly boring and mundane) things. I have a relatively busy life so you'd think I would have a plethora of things to write about. In reality, I do, I just don't know where to start. The possibilities are (in a delightfully cliche manner) truly endless. In writing about my life, opinions, et al, I want this blog to be a glimpse into who I really am, not only as a wife, a mom, a sister, a friend, a believer in Jesus Christ, but also as a human being, chock-full of quirks, flaws, and a sometimes explosive personality (if I do say so myself!).

So. Stand by (for a day or two) while I cook up something to write about. And have some sort of caffeine, because I can tell you need it. I know I do! I highly recommend coffee, because:

Word. 

Oh Sales People, How Do I Love Thee?

Whether I like it or not, I'll be turning 30 next July. However, I'm not terribly concerned. I am almost certain there has been a mix up of some sort along the way, mainly because I don't feel 30 years old. A mistake at an important milestone, perhaps one of the many hospitals or dmv's I have been in, or possibly a mishap with my birth certificate. There really are any number of things that could have happened, so meanwhile, I will go along with this fake age until the mistake is revealed.

I have had 2 confirmations of my more believable, younger age this week alone. Both happened to be from sales people coming to my door.

1. The first one occurred mid morning, when a window salesman knocked on my door. He looked about my age, young and healthy and entirely too chipper to be selling windows at such an early hour. He had clearly consumed his morning caffeine, of which I was still in the process and could only hope to be as chipper when said caffeine was completely consumed. I answered the door, looking like I had just rolled out of bed. An awesome case of greasy bed head, a disheveled sweat pants/pajama combo, and no make up (save for the smudges of leftover mascara and eyes shadow from the day before) completed my undoubtedly appealing look. I stepped onto the porch, shoving the curious yet protectively barking dogs back into the house. After politely introducing himself and stating his purpose, he spoke those fated words that every almost-30-year-old wants to hear.... "Is your mom home?"

...

I must have looked a little stunned, and it is possible that I stuttered for the remainder of the conversation. I wasn't stunned in a bad way, just an amused way, and definitely a caught-off-guard way. After a few seconds of said stunned amusement I managed, "I AM the mom." Now it was his turn to stutter. He said something to the effect of, "Oh. OH. Oh. I didn't mean anything by that at all, by the way. Those are beautiful dogs. Labs are great. Are those Labs?" Nice try buddy. He was even more shocked when he learned that not only am I the MOM, I am also the homeowner. AND I have a 3 year old daughter (who is now trying to come outside and say hi). The best part is that he tried to save his sales pitch after all that. It took about 5 minutes to get rid of him. "No thank you, I do not want to sign up for a free window estimate. No thank you, I do not want new windows. Yes I know how old and shabby my windows are. Yes I know how much money I am wasting in heating costs every winter as the cold air pours mercilessly in through my old and shabby windows. No, there is not a better time for you to come back next week to once again try to guilt trip me about my old and shabby windows because of which I waste lots of money every winter." I didn't have the sensibility to say these things at the time, considering my stunned state, but I would be ready next time!!

2. The second confirmation of my more believable, younger age came today with another knock at my door.  This time it was a young man and woman selling vacuum cleaners. I thought the age of door-to-door-vacuum-cleaner-sales was over, so I was already amused before they spoke a single word. You know the type. You've seen the demonstrations.

I momentarily pause the recounting of this story to say that until today, I simply was not aware of how mischievous I could be in messing with sales people. Carry on.

It was the girl's first day going door to door. After saying a few quiet words and staring at me with wide, uncertain eyes, she stopped talking altogether and stepped aside, motioning for the clearly more experienced sales guy to continue. I felt a little bad for her because I certainly know how difficult first days-at-the-new-job can be, no matter what the job. They proceeded to persuade me to let them clean a room of carpet in my house for free, and if I agreed, I would get to keep a handy dandy little hand vac just because. Then came the fated question, the words every almost-30-year-old wants to hear... "Are you over 18?"

...

Yep. This time I was ready. There would be no stunned silence, no stuttered words, no long awkward moments. Watch out sales people, you have no idea what you're in for. "Actually, I'm turning 30 next year! And yes, I am the homeowner," I said proudly. Score for me. Their eyes widened but these sales people were good, and they recovered quickly.

I will spare you the details of this one because we would both be here all day, but let me just say two things. 1) I was very clear in telling them that I would NOT be buying anything. I gave no illusions that I would buy a vacuum costing $2289, despite the fact that I could also win an all expense paid vacation and have the cleanest house on the planet for the rest of my breathing days here on earth. It was their choice whether or not to believe me, so 2) I did not feel bad for sending them away with no more money than they came with after TWO full hours of turning down the best sales lines and tactics this side of the Mississippi. "Yes I am aware that my current vacuum might as well be completely broken compared to using your amazing machine from heaven. Yes I am aware that my floors are still somehow chock full of dirt, grime, dust, dog hair, dead skin cells, dust mites, and even worse, oils, excretions, and dead body parts from said dust mites, because my vacuum is not your amazing machine from heaven (insert angelic voices and a blazing beam of light focused on said machine.) Yes I am aware that my darling little girl uses this grime filled carpet as her play ground. No, my husband really would not ask me to buy this amazing machine regardless of how many disgusting, dog-hair-filled filters you leave strewn about my house. No, my husband really wouldn't be thrilled about buying this amazing machine for me for Christmas, whether or not it is from heaven. No, I am not a person that tends toward mediocrity. (His actual words). Yes, I value my time. Yes, I want my time spent cleaning to be used actually making things clean." I gave it right back to him the whole time. I cheerfully agreed with every fact and salesman-like accusation he could throw at me. Clearly I would love to own this amazing machine from heaven, if only 100 dollar bills grew on the trees out back. I let them go on for two hours because I was already having a good day and was made even happier knowing that I look younger than 18. Possibly I also wanted to keep the handy dandy hand vac and get my carpet at least  somewhat cleaned. Perhaps also to prove that I truly did not have $2289 to spare.

Either way. If I'm gonna turn 30 next year, I can at least be happy that I apparently don't look a day over 18. (Regardless of whether or not this is because my uncaffeinated-morning-self may look hung over or because I often don't dress my age.)

There were no sales people harmed in the making of this post. 

Rambling Reflections

Isn't it amazing how something you see, hear, or experience as a child can be imprinted on your heart and mind? A lasting mark, a memory, a feeling. A sensory experience. There are a myriad of ways this can manifest in a negative fashion, but I'm so not interested in those today. I'm talking about positive, wholesome things, God given lessons we carry through life after embracing them with sweet, childlike innocence.

I was thinking about this today while jogging. My mind always seems to be swirling with thoughts and feelings, most of them in a muted muddle, floating around somewhere in the background. Sometimes as a thought flies by, it'll pop to the forefront and I'll analyze it for awhile. Have you ever been doing something, possibly a normal activity or outing, and for just a moment a feeling of nostalgia wells up within you, bringing you back to something in the past that relates to the now, to this very moment? It's usually not strong enough to overcome or distract you, but it's there. This happens on a daily basis for me, yet usually still in the back of my mind as I race through my routine, always busy and on to the next thing. I often don't realize that I am remembering things from my childhood or even from last week, until I have time for a reflective moment (let's be honest, how often do I really have time anymore?) and find myself thinking, "Where did THAT memory come from?!" 99% of the time I am convinced it is the Holy Spirit giving me pause. A moment of encouragement when I especially need it.

Case en point. I realized today as I jogged that every time I push myself to run another step, I think back to a woman who used to run in the park near my house as a child. At age 12 or so, I was up early in the morning every day, walking my beloved yellow Lab (Peaches Ann Cream the Fifth -best Yellow Lab name ever). I would walk to Mabury Park (on Mabury and Fruit, if anyone reading this remembers that park! I loved it - great walking spot) and it was rare not to see this woman; she ran every day, back and forth along the path. There was something odd about the way she ran, as if she had an injury or disability and her legs didn't operate correctly. I'll admit, she scared me a bit as a kid. Her movements were jerky and odd, and it looked like she might be in pain. I couldn't figure out why. I'll never forget her though, because she never gave up. She always looked exhausted, like she was at the brink of collapsing, but she kept going. She was always there, a regular piece of the morning park puzzle. I don't remember ever seeing her stop and sit down or even slow down to a walk. To this day, I find myself thinking...

If she can do it, so can I.

What an impression she made on me. She probably would never think that her morning jog would be noticed, or perhaps she didn't want it to be. I never even talked to her or learned her name. All the same, if she can do it, so can I. I'm sure we've all been through a time or a moment where we wonder if we are making a difference. If people will ever notice our efforts. If it's really worth it.

It is. 

So when you feel like giving up, not putting forth the effort, letting it slide, letting someone else do it, not taking the next step.... Don't give up. Don't give in. The Lord has a plan, and somehow, you are part of it. In the immortal words of Jason Nesmith on Galaxy Quest, "Never give up, never surrender!" You're jealous of the nerd I am, I know.

What you do makes a difference, even if you never see the results. Ask Abraham (well, figuratively ask him. If you physically talk to Abraham, we may have a problem.) - God told him that He made him the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5) when he had a barren wife and no children. He had to wait till he was 100 years old before he had his first child (Genesis 21:5). And he died before even saw the Promised Land or the many nations that came from him.

So, be encouraged. The Lord could use your seemingly unnoticed and inconsequential struggle to make a lifelong impression on a heart desperately in need of encouragement or hope. Maybe you'll impact crowds of people. I pray that my little Audrey will go through life learning from experiences of her own, embracing them and using them for good for the rest of her life!

A Little Birdie Told Me...

Little birdie + little girl = very cute pictures. 

The Fourth Annual Pre-Christmas Cookie Baking Bash

That's right, it's the that time again. The time when the weather gets chilly and breezy, the leaves turn yellow and red and fall to the ground. That time of pumpkin spice latte's, turkey and stuffing, and way too much football. Um, no I'm not talking about Fall. Clearly it's time for the Pre-Christmas Cookie Baking Bash! Katie and I enjoy this little event every year around this time, a tradition established in the lovely golden year of 2007. Our first annual PCCBB was when I was pregnant with Audrey (probably somewhere around the beginning of my second trimester?) and we've done it through both of her pregnancies also, though last year's may have been right before she got pregnant with Parker? Maybe she can confirm that for me. Anyway. Now we can involve our adorable little girls who just happen to love making cookies (aka eating lots of sugar). So this year I'm doing a little comparison.

THEN (2007): 

NOW (2011):

I'd say we look pretty stinkin good and have adorable children, to boot. 

My next comparison is of the very first chilly snowman cookie we made, aka Snowman Chilly Nips, Mr. Nipply, and Nips. He is the only cookie to be officially remade every single year. 

THEN:

NOW:

Good times!!

Annual PCCBB's are not complete without Christmas movies and background music. This year was great, because we got to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas with our little ones, although it was mostly us who watched while they played. It was great all the same. 

The best part was the baking and decorating, of course. The girls loved it, and it was fun to watch them!

Audrey did more eating than decorating... but that's just part of the fun!

Nomnom!

Audrey's cookies were loaded with sprinkles and toppings.

Putting the final touches on Nips!

Parker watched us from the bumbo - such a cutie!

Audrey went into baby mode and tried to sit in all of the baby chairs. Silly girl.

Yay for traditions!