A Front Porch for Mike...

A Porch in Venice...
July 2007

My iTunes: Unforgetful You by Jars of Clay

This shot is for Mike. He has to forgive me for not posting it earlier. I was in Venice a couple of months ago. It was a wonderful trip. Even though I was far away and "powered down", my blogging friends weren't far from my mind. As my husband and I were going through a canal on a gondola, I saw this plastic chair next to the canal. My first thought was of Mike. He is a fellow photographer and blogger. He takes all sorts of stunning images. Some of my favorites have been of front porches that he comes across. So this one is for him. He is taking a break from his blog for awhile so I wanted to make sure to post this....

A front porch...Venetian style!

Take care Mike and come visit soon often!

HE'S HERE!

Welcome Home Daddy!
August 2007

My iTunes: Only You by Joshua Radin

I can't believe that the day came already! It went by so fast! After weeks (5 weeks to be specific) of being apart, John flew in to visit us for about 10 days! We are so happy to be reunited. He will go back to London for about a week and then he will be back here sometime mid-September. While we won't want him to leave us again.....we are SO GRATEFUL for our time with him and know it is such a gift for us all! The kids are each jockeying for quality time with him as I type this (honestly, I am LOVING the break for me!).

I have to give a shout out to my sister-in-law Peggy. She snapped this shot above for me at the airport when he arrived. This is a keeper because we are all in it...and have genuinely joyful smiles! I am so glad we are together again!

Balance has been restored....at least for now! :)

I hope you all are well wherever you are!

Funny Signage
August 2007

A Couple More

Swaying in the Breeze
July 2007

My iTunes: Still Fighting It by Ben Folds

I thought I would share these as well...I just can't get enough! For those of you who commented about it, I was at this beach a few weeks ago. I am now getting settled while the kids are adjusting to school and all the new surroundings. We are living somewhere we have never lived before so there is lots to get used to around here. I must admit though, I am finding comfort in my Chik-Fil-A sweet tea topped off with lemonade and being able to drive on the more familiar side of the road! :) I am enjoying sifting through my beach images...they are making me smile in delight!

Have a wonderful week!

What a Day!

Beach Scenes

Time to Relax
July 2007

My iTunes: Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's

I promised some color shots....so here they are. Bottom line...that day was a beautiful. You can tell by just a few of the pics. Click to enlarge them if you wish. As I am going through these I am missing it so much!

Enjoy!

A New Friend

A Date in Margaritaville

A Clear Day

Catch a Wave

Waiting....
July 2007

My iTunes: Undignified by David Crowder Band

I highly recommend any North Carolina Beach although we went to Wrightsville Beach and it was great! The water was as blue as I had ever seen. I promise to post some color images in the next few days. They are so clear. In the hustle and bustle of getting the umbrellas, the towels, the food, the margaritas (yes, my dad's recipe...it is AWESOME), etc.....I looked up and saw my boys (on the outside) with their cousins (on the inside) waiting for the next wave to ride in. I snapped this shot more than a few times. When I was going through them later, I was stopped in my tracks by their body language and intensity. I felt as though I was waiting as well. This part of our life that we are embarking on, I want to be waiting eagerly like the boys. My nephews in the middle are ready to dive in at any given second and take on what is to be coming soon. I am eagerly anticipating the Lord and yearning to see what He has in store for our family....what an adventure so far!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Gone to Carolina

NC Flag
July 2007

My iTunes: Imagine by John Lennon

Still settling here....and I have a feeling I will be for awhile!

When I returned to the States I flew to visit my family in North Carolina. There really is nothing like the Carolinas. The beaches are quiet and so serene. It was a bit surreal for me to sit on the beach and know that my husband was in London so far away. It definitely felt each mile that we were apart. We all did. One day maybe I will live in North Carolina...it is never too early to dream!

Hope that you all are having a good week!

Beautiful Day
July 2007

No. 19

Our Hill Door
July 2007

My iTunes: Stay With You by the Goo Goo Dolls

Thanks to Anna in her comment today on my post, I remembered that I had yet to show my front door in London. If you go back through my archives, I have this "thing" for doorways...the door, the landscaping, the knocker. In London there are so many different ones to see, take in and admire. I took a ton of door images (some of which I TOTALLY trespassed to take). I never did show my door. I guess it was for privacy issues but my husband pointed out that reason was ridiculous considering I was writing about my whole life (and his) on my blog! :) If you put all my posts side by side...you would have ended up at this door saying hello to me.

Good point honey. That is why I love you.

Anyway, here it is now that I am gone. Nothing fancy really but I love the blue. So pretty. I couldn't leave London without posting it. We moved twice in London although after we moved through this door, I felt like a lot of our life there started taking shape. Thanks to good neighbors, friends and a cafe down the street called The Doll's House it was looking more like home day by day.

Thanks Anna for the reminder! Have a great week everyone!

Coming Home

The Stars and Stripes
July 2007

My iTunes: Home (Live) by Chris Daughtry

Some of you may be wondering a bit still about my hectic life the last four weeks. I am finally settled and ready to explain what has been going on in my corner of the world. Short answer....I have moved to a different corner! :)

While my husband is finishing up some work in London, I have moved home to the States with our children ahead of him. We knew our family would be returning at the end of the year so after much discussion and prayer, we decided it was best for me to bring the kids back to get them started in school and get them settled. Thankfully, my husband will be joining us soon and we cannot wait to be reunited with him. Awareness said it best in her comment on my post yesterday...she said she feels disjointed when her brood isn't under one roof...I TOTALLY agree!

London was incredible. There are not enough words to describe our time there....all the things we were taught and expereinced are knit closely into our hearts and minds. We had lots of highs and lows, we were stretched in in so many ways and our whole family dynamic was changed forever. We found joy. The friendships which John, the kids and I are moving away from have been such a blessing for us over the past two years. I am amazed at God's provision with these friendships. Somehow they made 5000 miles away from home seem like A LOT less. My heart doesn't easily say goodbyes so I opted to say "see you soon"...I could physically and emotionally feel the ripping that was going on as we left. Personally, living there was an extreme time of growth for me on a spiritual and emotional level. Being so far from all the things and people in my life that I counted on daily really challenged me to lean on Jesus for all I need...some days were better than others. I am grateful for that even though at times saying it was painful would be an understatement (my friends there know this well)...thanks for loving me and being patient despite me! You all are missed so much!

Our family is looking forward to another chapter of our lives starting here and the reality that we may be planted somewhere for awhile has us all excited and nervous! The kids and I have already been going through some pretty overwhelming adjustments but having the love and support of both our familes, our friends and our Savior has carried us through. We are eager to see what God has in store for us in the future and how he is connecting all these paths together that He has so purposefully laid out for us.

Thanks for continuing in this journey with me!

Leaving the Light On For You

Warmth of Home
July 2007

My iTunes: Still Fighting It by Ben Folds

I wanted to post about missing my better half. This image was taken at a friends home and I love the warmth of it. It is so calming to me. I have been doing some traveling with our kids while he has been busy working hard for the past couple of weeks. We are having fun but we are also feeling the distance away from him. Not a night goes by without us praying for him and us wondering what he is up to during the day. I just wanted to let him know that we are thinking of him and missing him. I look forward to us all being together again.

See you soon!

We love you,
Anna, Sadie, Jack and Sam

Taking Flight

In Awe
July 2007

My iTunes: Landed by Ben Folds

Do you remember what you thought of flying as a child? I sure do. I loved it and I still do today. For the last several weeks our family has been traveling around from place to place. The shot below is of my Sam's hand against the window of the plane really captivated me. Sam the adventurer. He was in complete awe the whole flight. He has flown several times before and each time it is the same reaction. He just cant get enough and asks tons and tons of questions...each one leading to another. Never quite satisfied to let it rest. I love the feeling of wonder that comes with new and fascinating experiences. What a wonderful gift it is to watch my children as they see the world! It is like seeing it all over again for the first time.

I hope that you are well there in your part of the world! Have a great week!

Smiling Eyes

Sadie Girl
August 2007

My iTunes: The Luckiest by Ben Folds

Hard to believe it has been another year. I spent the day celebrating my daughter Sadie. When did I become old enough to have a 14 year old? I am still trying to figure that part out. The fact of the matter is that I had her young so I have been growing up with her ever since. She has been such a blessing to her dad and me and continues to blossom right in front of our eyes. Everyday she is learning more and more everyday about the being the girl God intended her to be and what it means to have a heart like Jesus. What a joy it is to be on this journey with her. When she was a baby my grandfather nicknamed her "Smiling Eyes" so I titled my post accordingly.

Happy Birthday Sadie! I love you.

From Far Away

On the Step
July 2007

My iTunes: Numb by Linkin Park

WOW...this has been awhile. My apologies. Hopefully it's like riding a bike! :)

I have really missed posting and I am hoping there are still a few of you out there checking to see if I am here. Craziness can't begin to explain the events of the last few weeks but things are good and I am getting settled back into life. I am looking forward to sharing more in depth soon. Thanks so much for the encouraging words, prayers and well wishes...I have yearned to be back here and sharing.

I snapped this shot in Italy. I saw this woman several times during our short stay. She was probably out first thing in the morning and then going home last. Anyhow...I took this from quite far away so I would not disturb her or make her feel uncomfortable. I am always drawn to these shots because there is no posing. It is just life...as it unfolds in front of you.

I feel to privileged to be able to witness life through my lens.