stories

new mexico

photos, stories, thoughts, words

we are driving a rental van this trip, which is rather strange. but there’s this sweet storage space in the floor that Melissa calls the Jew hiding place. On the day we drove to Albuquerque, we ate lunch at Rosa’s Cafe in Amarillo which has been tradition for the last couple years.

^this was our view much of the time.

^the trees actually do turn colors here. it’s beautiful.

^ and yes, in corrales there are signs for horses.

^ the sandia mountains are beautiful.

^ new mexico definitely has cooler and prettier license plates than texas. the normal ones are yellow, but these turquoise centennial ones are nice.

^ we spent the day with my cousin Esther and made these lovely earl grey tea cakes. recipe here.

and even though i have to keep chapstick in my pocket at all times because of the desert climate, being here is worth it.

but still, i feel like texas is my home. that’s where God has called us.

 

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this weekend

a day in the life, photos, stories, thoughts, words

…was GFA’s Friday night prayer meeting (which you can now watch online on Tuesdays, and the first Friday of every month! www.gfa.org/prayer)

Good times.

And also good food.

And also taking a family picture. [The way we kept smiling was tickling each other while the self timer counted down.]

Melissa surprised us and came home for the weekend.  She cooked us good food, and kept us laughing, and also some of the family went garage saling, which always seems to happen when she’s home.

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a story of God’s provision

stories, thoughts, words

As many of you know, lately I have been wanting to buy a DSLR camera.  Ideally I would get one before we went to New Mexico and before a friend’s wedding, so basically before November.

First, my friends Casey and Eric had the idea to do a raffle to raise money for me buying a camera, with the prize being me doing a photoshoot for someone.  It seemed like a great idea and was working out, until we found out that doing a raffle as an individual in Texas was… illegal.  So, that door closed.

Second, I started pursuing looking on Craigslist for used cameras, planning to buy one of what I have in savings.  God opened doors  there – it seemed like it was working out to  go that path.  I had contacted one guy, in Mansfield who was selling a Nikon D80 and and 18-55mm  lens, for $600.  But it wasn’t working out smoothly to meet with him, and then, that evening I looked on Craigslist again, because Casey had encouraged me not to get my heart set on one specific camera.   And, there was another D80 listed, with an 18-135mm lens, for $100 less!  Dad called the guy (who was named Ernie… I thought he would be an old man) and it turned out that he had only had the camera for a few months and then got a D90, and that (this is the best part) he was a worship pastor!  We met him after church at his church (also in Mansfield… it seems like I’m fated to buy cameras from people in Mansfield) and now I own a camera!

It’s like Amy’s story of how she got a job… God just dropped the opportunity in her lap, and it turned out to be the perfect one.

Praise the Lord.  That’s all I can say.

evening downtown

a day in the life, photographic journeys, photos, stories, thoughts, words

This evening some of us girls went to downtown Carrollton, for a ladies chocolate walk they were having.  Basically walk around the square, go in all the fun shops,  and eat the chocolate samples.

^ really sweet balls of thread at the antique store

^ this picture pretty much sums up clara’s infatuation with owls.

^ a cameo

^ through the viewfinder of a cool toy camera

^ us five girls

^ Summur with the big bag she liked

^ Melissa at Vintage Martini in a big fur coat

^…and me in this ridiculous coat, in which Clara thought I looked like a magician

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back from india

photographic journeys, photos, stories, thoughts, words

As many of you know, I went to India for two weeks this summer at the end of July.  There is so much I could say about it, but it was a spectacular and fabulous and amazing and wonderful and fun trip.  I am so glad I was able to go, and to experience another culture.  We visited Delhi,  Udaipur in Rajasthan,  Mumbai, and Kerala.

^ Sharlena and I before a day in Delhi

^ We were given leis everywhere we went.  It was such fun.

^ Intense bike ride through the muddy water

^ The foursome.

^ We drank – and brushed our teeth with – so many of this big water bottles

^ The group in front of the gates to the President’s Palace

^ Clara

^ Singing in front of the India Gate in Delhi

^ There was a really big group of people watching us

^ Awesome bag and shoes that I got when we went shopping.  Bartering is fun.

Well, that was only Delhi.  And only some of it.  A small some.  But, more will come later.

And, I would say that this trip was, indeed, life-changing.

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vinyl

a day in the life, stories, thoughts, words

right now i’m listening to mozart, allegro con brio.  on vinyl.  i borrowed a converter thing from some friends, so i am doing that now: converting vinyl to digital.  it’s pretty sweet.

i asked mom how to start the record playing, and she showed me.  she laughed at my attempts to find out how to do it on eHow.

it’s almost a lost art, vinyl records.  but i know there are those who insist that vinyl gives better sound than cds, and i might agree with them.

but anyway.

christmastime in new mexico! mainly, SNOW!

a day in the life, photos, stories, thoughts, words

my family and i are now in new mexico for christmas! we drove in yesterday, the 22nd, and tonight we will hang out with auntie steph, and tomorrow is christmas eve and the day after tomorrow is…. CHRISTMAS!  and, also, it’s snowing!  or was.  lovely large flakes (unromantic word… how about fluffs?) falling from the sky.  this  clara and i woke up to uncle david making coffee, and then clara sits up and is like “look out the window! it’s snowing!” so i do, and of course, it is.  and it’s beautiful! after waking up more, we bundled up and went outside.  we made snow angels, and snow flowers, and a snow man.  and then auntie steph drove up in her new car, which we didn’t recognize, honked at us, and we ate breakfast with her and stuff.  she brought reindeer antlers, and chocolate.   and then mom and dad and amy and melissa came out, and we had a lovely giant snowball fight.  we all threw snowballs at  dad, because he was the worst, or best, at hitting us.  getting hit on the behind with a rock hard snowball hurts.  but, i got him back.   and when i had my little digital camera and film slr, i was immune from getting hit by snowballs.  it was great.

^ this is chad, the snowman.

^ mom giving chad bunny ears

^dad threw a shovelful of snow on her.

after you have waded through that slog of words, here are some pictures for you!

^when auntie steph came, she brought reindeer antlers!

^melissa and i

^mom and dad

^amy and i

^ catching snowflakes!

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backyard living, no. 1

how-to, photos, stories, words

[this one is for claire.]

and now, dear readers, i shall now feature a series of posts about how to live in one’s backyard.

to start, one must have a place to sleep, such as a treehouse, or perhaps a tent. i have already featured such a post here.

next, one must have  a restroom facility (fully equipped with toilet paper), like an outhouse in the corner, like my sisters and i had in our fourth-acre backyard of sand in new mexico.

one must also have a way to prepare food, such as a firepit, bonfire, or grill.  the main diet of  a backyard camper may consist of hotdogs, chili, hot cider, and smores.

more examples of backyard living to follow.
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picnic in the leaves

a day in the life, photographic journeys, photos, stories, words

i went over to play with em & jen in their massive pile of leaves.  but not just jumping in it.  fallling off backward into it from the swing, running around the tree and flying into the pile,  diving into it. oh for a massive pile of leaves with a swing nearby.  perhaps i shall migrate our leaf pile.

little girl, next door neighbor.  played in the leaves too.

we had a picnic too. cider, spice tea, cookies.  sitting in the leaves.

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