Miss you Bako

So I am listening to Country music on pandora radio (if you dont use it start). Anyhow I miss Bakersfield and miss home, I miss my family and old friends-people who know me in and out, people who know Mike in and out, people who know us. I miss backyard bbqs and swimming pools and driving around and being with family. I guess I am a bit homesick...California sick...its been five months since we were home.
I love love our life here, I love the big city and all the ways God is using us and all of our friends. But, there is "no place like home" :) Home is where your known and loved in a way that in part makes you who you are. I totally feel like NYC is our home, but I guess when I say "home sick" I mean family and old friend sick. In a city of a ton of new friends being around old ones keeps you grounded and refreshed...if that makes sense...anyhow for all of you out there in bako I miss you!!!

Mountains

Ok here are the hiking photos...

a few things to note:

See me hiking up this icy snow pile...ok that was done in Pumas...if any of you have Pumas you know there is NO traction...we kept saying it was like I was hiking in ballet slippers...super funny-thank God it was funny and didn't turn tragic! :)

Also note the chipmunk eating a chip...so some lady on the trail gave us one and told us to feed this cute little thing-it was amazing, it leaned its tiny paws on my fingers and then took the chip....well a few hours later we saw a sign with almost this exact photo saying, "Don't feed the animals a fed animal is a dead animal." Funny, Mike kept teasing me "that was you, you killed that poor chipmunk!" Bummer but to be honest if that is my biggest action of rebellion oh well! :)

Canada

So here are some photos from our awesome time in Canada...

Note my new hair cut!!!

It was soo nice to get into nature and to be near old friends...we were so blessed to be apart of our frinds' Brian and Michelles wedding. Mike was a groomsman and I read a scripture and Mike prayed over them towards the end of the ceremony-which was super special.

Also note in one of the photos the two guys in the balcony-that was Mike and the grooms brother leading the crowd in the macarena!! Hilarious...I love my silly man!!!

It was also soo nice to be in amazing country surrounded by one of our very favorite things..mountains..I have very fond memories growing up hiking with my dad and camping with friends (some of you remember those times) going to church camp, and working in a national park for a summer-I love the mountains they are fully of surprises...beach are awesome too-but with mountains every turn is a little surprise, a new view, a stream, lake, pasture...something..and then there is always a climatic ending with hiking...so enjoy these striking photos!

Oh and this is as photo of mike with his grad school friends...so far they have a group pic from every wedding!

Sweet Simplicities...

There is something freeing about exploring alone; having an idea, a vision for your day and seeing it realized! And I am not talking about running errands but doing something just for you. So I had a vision- after work I wanted to treat myself to a little lunch out alone..nothing too modern, nothing too bland or too loud but just a sweet place with yummy food where I could sit and read and eat a nice lunch.

On my jounrney around town it started to rain and I stepped in a huge puddle..augh...My feet were soaked down to the socks, but that was not going to stop me. I think I must have been craving this alone time because I was in Canada staying with a big group of friends for five days, which was a blast, but I think I just needed me time.

So I actually prayed..."God please help me find a sweet place." Finding a place was also a bit harder bc by the time I started the journey alot of resurants had closed their doors until dinner...so I prayed and I came upon this sweet little asian place with pretty paper laterners and rustic wooden talbes there were only 3 other patrons there so I had the quiet I craved.

It was so freeing just to go out and explore and just do something new all by myself-I read for over an hour and ate some yummy noodles! I will have to do that again!

Work!!

We have had a grand adventure since my last post...we were in Canada for our good friend's wedding-but I will post about that another time.

So I LOVE working, I LOVE waking up knowing what I am going to do with my time...it was getting emotionally and spiritually overwheleming to wake up everyday not knowing what to do...then spending my time looking for work and refining my resume and making calls...it was lonely and confusing. So working is a BLAST!

Also I had my a baby photo shoot today which felt great to be taking portraits!!

I got home and was a little tired and took a nap-it feels great to be tired from working!

Words of Wisdom

Quotes from my pastor:

"Do you believe in God or are you in relationship with him?"

"And God is a God of celebration, our christian life is meant to be a huge celebration!"

Henri Nouwen "I realize that I am not used to the image of God throwing a big party. It seems to contradict the solemnity and seriousness I have always attached to God. But when I think about the ways in which Jesus describes God's kingdom, a joyful banquet is often at its center. Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven with a wedding feast offered by the King to his son..."Look my banquet is all prepared my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding."...This invitation to a meal is an invitation to intimacy with God."

My question for everyone....Are you living joyfully in the secure intimacy of a relationship God? Do you realize that each day is a celebration-God is a FUN God who loves LAUGHTER!!!!

And my favorite new artist Jon Foreman: http://www.myspace.com/jonforeman
(who I also got to see perform at an intimate concert thanks to my good friend Amy!)

"Your Love is Strong"
"Why should I worry, why do I freak out, God knows what I need, you know what I need. ...Two things you told me, that you are strong and you love me, yes you love me...your love is, your love is, strong, your love is your love is strong......your love is your love is your love is strong.....your love is your love is strong....Your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!"-jon foreman

And to add to that this was the last song he sang in his set to a group of film makers at the Tribeca film fest...what an inspiration!

Decorating

Ok so I love decorating my home more than I love dressing myself! I had this specific vision and for those of you who know me you know I am particular at times! So I wanted this blue shelf for my birds, knowing that the blue would really make them pop! And loving saving, I updated an old shelf of my moms, and stained it! And next to the birds I placed a little spring color, freshly picked cherry blossoms...cute right! Well I love it, its a nice addition to our simple bathroom.

Ok so here is a photo of myself, not that this is the best photo of me but I like it, I like that God gave me a "pointy nose" as my sister says and olive skin and brown hair. And I love flowers...to bad I am allergic to most! :) It's important to remember the that we are beautiful bc its easy to get lost in a world of comparisons.

I am a working woman!!!

I am back working at a coffee shop and soo LOVING IT!!!!

As many of you know I was so against working in a coffee shop again...I mean I worked my booty off in college and graduate with honors and then spent four years in coffee and doing internships...now I am in NYC and I was ready to spread my creative wings and dive into photography. God is a mysterious but great God...so I have had a few amazing photo jobs over the past year and a half, I was a Bronx highs school photographer-that was super fun, and I photographed Authors and Rock Stars at a recent conference...and of course a few portraits in between...but the majority of my time was waiting for the next job...sending out resumes, making calls, praying for what to do next, doing interviews where photographers are asking me to give them 3 months of my time at 50 hours a week for free!!! ahhhhh. So this was stressful and at times boring...I mean I am a social person and alot of my time was staring at the computer!

Truly the past year and a half of not working consistently has been a huge blessing, taking time to really focus on my career and passion was something I never really did before...the Lord totally gave me visions and has guided me in a very focused direction...well that could change but as of now I am very confident in pursuing humanitarian photography/documentary photography/photojournalism. Basically I want to tell real stories about real people and share those with others. I have a strong proposal for a photo documentary that I am excited to start whenever the Lord releases me...I need funding and my last application was beat out by a Pulitzer prize winner augh...but I am very confident in this vision. When I first moved here I thought I would take baby photos and then when possible some documentary work...but truly I do not want to do baby photos, well I will do them, but I want to work full time in documentary and so having a year and a half to navigate was great; I have been in touch with non profits pitching my story ideas (the bummer is alot of them don't have money but are on board with my ideas) I have been in contact with other photographers and working in studios getting tips for how to do this.

Also in this time of not working consistently ( I like to say that bc this whole time although I haven't had a regular pay check I have been working hard toward this end) I have had time for just me...to do things that are so truly me and so truly God. Like mentoring a teenager from Africa and visiting a few men at a hospital weekly...I mean that is life...that is me I would truly give up photography to be an advocate of some sort...well but I hope to be an advocate through photography, but only God knows.

Anyhow so I could go on and on but recently I realized that I wanted a part time job (I am just working part time still giving myself time and space to fully enjoy and commit to the other things that I love and to pursue my passion in photography) and that I had to get out of the house and around people; I am so happy with other people! God has made us all relational so it is a joy to be working with people. (dont get me wrong I love my alone time but all day every day was just too much for this chicky).

So I am super blessed to be working at the trendy West Village cafe, Joe.
And people have I met people, after only working a few very short shifts at Joe I have served Reese Witherspoon's high school sweet heart in the movie "Sweet Home Alabama," Josh Lucas and Julianna something from the old ER days...but even better than seeing the stars was seeing my friends on my first day of work. On my first day three of my good friends came in throughout my shift, I felt like a teenager at my first job when my parents and family all came to see me, it was soo sweet to be supported and loved so well! Oh and the funny thing was that I saw one of my regular customers from Reverie my cafe in SF, Craig Newmark of craigslist, he said Joe is his NY spot, funny huh! It was nice to see a familiar face, actually this is the photo he took of my on my first day of work! (Also how blessed am I by tips..yahhooooooo!!!!!!!) Thank You Lord

Cupcakes

Ok so I have totally gotten into baking...there is this baking supply store downtown and stepping foot in there would make anyone want to bake....so I had this inspiration for pretty cupcakes...pretty good huh...took about a dozen before I got to this nice swirl (it took a lot of sugar to make the frosting keep its shape...who knew?!)...yum!