h a p p y christmas.

“For to us a child is born...
HE will be c a l l e d
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.”
_ i s a i a h 9:6

*amazing Christmas Eve church service, quality time with friends + family, too much yummy food, many fab pressies, twinkle lights, J E S U S...feeling super BLESSED.

My Mom's Day.

Mom's day was on Sunday & we got to celebrate the best of the best ... sorry to those of you fooled into thinking your mom is the best, you're mistaken ... for real, because only five humans have the best mom.

To surprise her, I got all five kids together for an updated "kids picture".

Thanks to::
+ my garage sale tripod
+ the heavy Spring rain stopping for 20 minutes
+ all the sibs cooperating.

S P R I N G

If you know me at all you know I strongly dislike that cold, gray, dark, bitter season...what's it called again, oh yeah winter.. That's why right when the clocks change and the sun begins to shine again, the grass starts to show and the buds start to bloom, I fall in love all over again with the state of Michigan.

This past week has be the greatest spring weather ever! from the 60's to HIGH 70's .... this weather makes me am happy. Sun shinning, birds chirping, flowers blooming, pulling out the skirts and flip flops, seeing people outside...it all makes my heart happy.

E A S T E R weekend::

Good Friday -- Good Friday is the day when Christians reflect the horrifying death of our Savior, but it's a good day because we KNOW that that's not the end of the story. Our Savior is alive and living in the souls of his children! First our family went to the Good Friday service at church... it was a great time to worship and reflect what Christ did for you and me. Later Lindsay and I made dinner for Ashley and Steph...it was so fun! Our first dinner party was a success. Later that night we headed down to Pontiac for Lighthouse's Good Friday service. We had a sweet opportunity to hold our Good Friday service at the Crofoot in Pontiac...it was sweet! The venue was totally packed and the presence of God was felt. Cliff brought a good word from the journey of Jesus' death to resurrection. There was communion and time well spent in reflection of what Christ did for the world on the cross. The worship was also amazing...to think that people walking by the venue could hear 20-somethings praising Jesus' name at the top of their lungs was an unbelievable thought...it was quit a night to remember. After the service Linds, Ashley, Steph, and I went to IHOP at 2:00a...it was so fun, then we went home and crashed and slept in till 12....unreal! ... I love my what Jesus did for ME on the cross. I love my church. I love my friends. I love sleeping in!Such a good Friday.

Saturday -- after sleeping in way too late, we walked around the city and hung out at the local Bou...we're becoming regulars, I love it. Then we ventured home...in the rain, we made it though! Then we headed to a friends birthday party that reminded us of a graduation party...it was funny...but we had a good time. THEN to top off the night, Lindsay and I ran into the mall on our way home to get a last minute Easter outfit essential and bumped into two guys from a local worship band that we poke fun of ALL the time...but they totally recognized us! While we were making small talk, we mentioned where we were living and they told us how trendy we were...Lindsay & I got quit a laugh out of their comments...after we ended the conversation of course.

Easter Sunday -- We spent the night at mom and dads house...because it was a holiday, so we woke up to Belgium waffles and Easter gifts...I still don't understand the whole getting gifts on Easter, but I'm not complaining. Then we headed to church with the fam and church was packed out! It was so great, everyone looked their Sunday best...with pastels, ties, dresses, skirts, and suite jackets. Church was really good, of course. After church we took pictures and went to our families house for dinner. I love holidays, time spent with the family is always time well spent and to warp it off with relaxation is so great!

Easter season seriously makes me SO thankful for Jesus. It's like Thanksgiving, but in the Spring. Being able to reflect on the ultimate gift to man kind is amazing...Christ sent his son for the whole world! It's a lot to wrap my brain around! But not only did he send his son, his son took on OUR shame and rose from the grave to LIVE in you and me and WASH us c l e a n from our shame! Jesus is so good...such L O V E shown on through the death and Resurrection of Jesus.




“For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Where did November go!?

I cannot believe it's already December.....November flew by too fast, but now it's officially Christmas time!! Here is a look back at November.

Dead car battery = good late night laugh
After a lovely dinner Linds, Steph and I were asked to leave Panera (because they were closed, we aren't trouble makers), we headed over to Denny's to finish out chit-chatting marathon. After chatting for 8 hours straight (we counted) 1:30a rolled around and we all agreed it was time to part ways seeing we all had to work that morning. It was the first weekend of November where it had gotten cooler than we were use to, Lindsay went to start our '95 Blazer and it would not start. We weren't that panicky at first because sometimes it starts after the 2nd try. When we got to the 4th or 5th try we something wasn't right....and the noise that the car was making made us think it was the battery more than the engine. There we were the three of us in the cold laughing really hard in unbelief. Luckily Steph hadn't left yet and mentioned having a jumper cable. Once we contained ourselves enough to function, we popped open both of our hoods and figured it couldn't be THAT hard to jump a car. (still laughing) To our relieve (after a few feeble attempts) we noticed two police cruisers in the parking lot...SO we went into Denny's to find the cops for help (mind you we had left the restaurant two hours prior because it had become too smoky, so the Denny's staff was probably really confused). We found the cops and they politely obliged to help us out. The cop came out and asked us some Q's about the cars and then hooked them up and boom done.! Finally, at around 2a we were on our way home! Thank God for jumper cables, laughter, friends, and cops.



S I D E J O B
It's official, I am actually starting to make money for clicking my camera. This fall I've gotten to do three shoots - senior portraits and two engagement [two of which were on the same day] ((exhausting))! I am pretty excited about where these potentially could lead....but as always, just trying to take it one step at a time. So we'll see what happen next. As for the coming up months, I am shooting a wedding after the first of the year and another in May! This makes me excited for possibly starting a side business to get through school and beyond.

Nashvegas: {long over due}
For Thanksgiving weekend the fam traveled down to the best city in the world, Nashville Tennessee! We hadn't been there in quit some time so we figured it was time to make another trek down there as a family (Dad, Mom, Brit, Linds, me, Chad, and AJ). The seven of us loaded the family mini-van at 4a Wednesday before Thanksgiving and arrived in Nash around 2p....thankfully I was able to sleep most of the way or else the drive would've seemed like an eternity I'm sure. WE...stayed at a weird hotel with our extended family but made the best of it...spent quality time at our grandpas house...over ate...explored the city...got family portraits done....ate some more...saw live music...drank coffee at a cute cafe my uncles friend owns in East Nashville called the Ugly Mug....enjoyed the fall sunshine....drank more coffee...went on a late night Sonic run...laughed and enjoyed time with the cousins, aunts, uncles...snapped pictures... It was a good time, annoying at times BUT it made timeless memories none the less.

Handmade Detroit :::
I usually work every Saturday morning, so I especially appreciate and LOVE having a spontaneous Saturday off...this one in particular happened to fall on the day of the Handmade Detroit Urban Craft fair downtown. This craft show is so sweet, everything is hand made and produced in Michigan! There is so much stuff you would never think of that people use to create crazy crafts and goods. So Brit, Linds, Stefanie, and I made a day out of it... we met at the cutest French cafe for brunch called Le Petit Zinc, where we ate crepes and conversed. Then we headed to the Majestic Theatre for the show a got a dent in our Christmas shopping, while finding some things for ourselves too.
Like any craft show you needed cash to purchase things so when we were finding ourselves low on the dough, we knew we needed to find an ATM machine. Of course the ATM machine in the theatre was shady and out of money so we asked around and found an ATM a block up. Stef and I walked up to the nearest bank where we met a woman that claimed she need money for a bus fare, when we offered her a warm sandwich from Starbucks instead, she agreed. The three of us walked over to Starbucks and listened to a little bit of her story and how she was just having a hard time. We gave her the sandwhich and told her that Jesus loved her and had hope in her....she smiled and her eyes got glazed over like she was going to cry. We parted ways and returned to the craft show....it's the little things that can make a BIG difference in someones life.

_I thoroughly enjoyed my November.

sleep, sushi, & sunshine

today has been
an all around good day.

I am realizing that sleeping in is so over rated. Lately my lovely mum always makes sure I am up when she leaves for work, I am oh so thankful. I do love my sleep, but I also like to utilize my summer days, especially the ones I have off. I am not one for change or trying new things however, today I did! Me and my sister's went to Royal Oak for sushi, and it was really yummy! I am excited about this new [to me] discovery. Then we walked around and drank iced coffee, it was simply delightful. The sunshine today was icing on the cake. The weather was perfect; not to hot and not to cold without any clouds. I do love Michigan summers.

CRAZIENESS

life is so crazy right now. I don't even know where to begin. school is coming to a close (for the semester) equaling more stress to make the grades and get the papers done. my youngest brother was in the hospital for about a week, and is still home from school causing much stress on not only him - both of my parents. he broke his toe a couple of weeks ago, and since doctors can't really do anything to broken toes, it wasn't examined the way it should have ... in the mean while, an infection developed in his big toe bone - which is kind of serious. so he went through surgery in hope to rid him of the infection and he ended up staying over night in the hospital for about six days ... crazy! he is doing better today but is still immobile, using a walker and wheelchair .. poor guy - he even had to do the whole trick-or-treat thing in the hospital. anyway so that situation has been crazy, but God has remained faithful and really had His hand in the situation. then of course fall saw his way out the door this weekend. no more pretty leaves on the trees or sweat shirt weather..it got frosted over by SNOW! thankfully it wasn't enough to call school off or anything, but the fact that it totally overlapped fall made me sad! fall still had a couple more weeks... on top of that a local station is already on 100% Christmas music till the 25th! and then me and my mom were at the mall the other night and it was like it was Christmas eve or something when everyone is panicking and scurrying around to make their final purchases - it was soo crowded and busy! so anyway, another crazy thing is that due to the weather my car has been acting sketchy .. and so pray we make it through the winter! on top of already acting funny, my dad accidentally turned on the 4x4 drive the other day ... 4x4 on relatively dry pavement is not a good or fun situation! and you're probably thinking - oh just turn it off, easier said than done...my car is not in shape enough to simply press the 'off button'...life gets crazy sometimes

okay in other crazy happenings, on Sunday, Cliff spoke out of the end of Act 4, into chapter 5 ... it was very compelling. in an nut shell, we are all carrying our daily burdens and struggles, but we often put them under the rug when Sunday rolls around, as we mock God by lifting our hands and closing our eyes in worship of the Creator of the UNIVERSE, the One who died a sinners death, the One who loves us more than we can imagine and the One who we discard on a daily basis - because we don't feel as if our needs will be fully met when we rely on Him alone, when in all realness and trueness, every need we have or long for is FULLY and utterly met when we solely rely on the Creator and we are given chance after, chance, after chance ... we live one way on Sundays and are to prideful to give up and fully leave our sin, causing us to live a completely opposite way during the rest of the week ... we are all guilty of being hypocrites or liers who cover things up, at one time or another, just as Ananias and Sapphira; as they lied not only to Peter, but to God, ultimatly resulting in their death .. yet God keeps giving us His grace and mercy. when will we stop our old ways and see that we might not have another chance to make things right. I am competely guilty of modeling this frightening routine. God truly opened my eyes on Sunday after hearing this and as we closed with The Stand, the lyrics in that song are so powerful and really made me think... am I completely relying on God with every area of my life, giving Him my burdens and leaving my old ways and wholly surrendering!? we must get off the fence and completely surrender to Him alone!

I pray God, You would show me all of my flaws and reveal to me the thing my pride hides from me, that I might not continue to feel the guilt of living one way during the week and "acting" another way at church as I "worship" the Creator in true mockery fashion. God, allow me to become and remain authentic in every aspect of my life, that I wouldn't have to hide shame and filth! I love You, continue to work through me and use me as You please ...