{ what I'm thankful for }

I don't even know where to begin this post so let's just pick somewhere. I'm so thankful for my family and friends. For my wonderful husband who loves me unconditionally it seems like. I'm thankful for my husband having been given extra days off of work for us to be able to enjoy this time together. For the Lord being even more unconditionally loving and patient with me day after day. I'm thankful for the Lord wanting a relationship with the likes of me. I definitely don't deserve the life I've been given but I'm grateful for it every single day.

I'm thankful for seeing white cotton fields as I drive along the back roads, I'm thankful for the same Thanksgiving apron my mom has worn each Thanksgiving since I can remember, I'm thankful for my dad frying the turkey for the first time this year (what other way is there to do it??) and I'm thankful for pecan pie!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

{ a little taste of haiti }

And we're back! I haven't totally grasped that we're not in Haiti anymore. In reality I'm having a harder time adjusting back to American food then I did to the Haitian food. I hope to have more pictures to share after the holiday so for now I'm just going to leave you with a journal entry I wrote just after having left the village in Boyer, sitting at the mission retreat center reflecting on it all.

Thursday, November ?, 2011

I'm sitting under a gazebo right now in this paradise called Zanglais in Haiti. We've just finished our time working in Boyer and even though we were only there 3 1/2 days, it felt like a month. It's so hot I couldn't even remember what month it is when I was writing this entry, let alone know what day it is. It doesn't feel anything like November. I don't even know what to make of this whole week. It's been a whirlwind. The sweat has just become apart of me. Along with the bug bites. When A/C is not an option you just learn to manage and you don't know any different. I suppose that's how Haiti is. They live how they live and they don't know any different. I'll probably be singing Loue Loue  for the next 6 months. I seem to wake up with it playing in my head. Seeing those kids dance with every bone in their body and singing their hearts out to the Lord will never leave my memory. It's so good to be able to go and get a reminder of what all out worship is like. It's like the best concert ever to them. How we would act at a music concert singing our hearts out to our favorite songs. Haiti will always have a special place in my heart. The language barrier is always hard but I can't wait to see my brothers and sisters in Heaven  and be able to communicate perfectly with them. I just pray for those souls we came in contact with. For those 9 little kids who said they wanted to give their heart to the Lord at our open air service. For any of those who heard or preaching through the speakers. Haiti needs the Lord as much as the U.S. does. The sad part is the media influence is still there as much as it is in the U.S. Which almost makes it worse. Because if you have even just a little technology like Haiti does, the influence still gets through and it's usually all bad. Music, billboards, music videos, etc. I just know we all have the same need for mercy, forgiveness, and a loving father. We're still so similar. We all have our problems. 

I know I'll go home and go back to the American way of life but I pray that this passion I have for the Lord won't go away. Sometimes it takes going to Haiti and being stripped of all your comforts to realize how much you need the Lord. My feet have never looked worse but my heart has never been so full. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

{ inspiration monday: 11.21.11 }

{ sneak peak: Deanne's in-home shoot }

Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.

- Martin Luther

{ inspiration monday: 11.14.11 }

{ and we're off! }

So I haven't talked much about it lately (mostly because I haven't had time!) but we're off to Haiti for the next week! We're so excited and feel so blessed to be able to go and see our sister church in Boyer, Haiti again. Can't wait to share our experience with everyone when we get back!

Happy Friday!

{ brisk fall evening with the Babson family. wilmington, nc }

"Let's meet at the corner of Front St. and Market St.," I told Stephanie. Of course. Why not? Why wouldn't a triathlon be going on at our exact meeting spot on that lovely Saturday we had planned to do their Christmas session? So we had to do a little walking, a little hailing of a trolly, and a little laughing. But we "made it work" as Tim Gunn would say. You may remember the Babson family from this shoot earlier in the year. Well this time we had the pleasure of adding a few more "Babsons" to the shoot and love them I did. What a great family to be a part of!

Since it was so cold outside, and little Edie didn't look as cute in a jacket, we jumped on the trolly to warm up a bit. And it worked perfectly!

And at this point, we knew she was done. Until next time!

{ hump day help: cute knits for whatever your fancy }

You may recall me saying that I was going to tell you about where you could buy all the cute baby props I was using. Well today is the day! My good friend, Stephanie Lauf, has just opened up her Etsy store, Southern Charm Design, and is now in business! She is so talented. I mean, you say the word and the next day it's made. So if you're looking for the cutest Christmas gift ever, this is a great place to start. She has the items you see available in her store as well as custom made items and special requests. Photographers, this is a great place for props for your shoots, especially for this upcoming winter. She can make things in all different sizes. For instance, I'm in love with the baby aviator hat so I'm having her make one for me in, well, let's just say a larger size. Stay tuned for the rest of the Babson family shoot tomorrow to see more of these knitted items in action. I guarantee you won't be able to resist them when you see little Edie sporting these cute hats. Even if you know someone having a baby, these knits make great baby gifts- the proof is right here!

It's not too soon to start thinking Christmas gifts, even though I hate to think about it myself.  To make this season easier on you, I'm thinking about a certain surprise, dealing with a certain Etsy store, on a certain blog, when I return from my trip. Just have to stay tuned!

{ sneak peak: the babson family. wilmington, nc }

Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.

- Anonymous

{ inspiration monday: 11.07.11 }