Scripture Sunday...

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Ephesians 3:20-21

Lake Time

We got up early this morning and loaded up the Jeep for a day at the lake. I was so excited!

We stopped by Dave's parents house before hitting the road. Although a windy ride, there's something about going down the highway with nothing between you and the world around you. It's quite relaxing.

The fog was beautiful in this one area we passed and I snapped a few quick shots of it.

We got to the lake when it was still a bit chilly. After we got the boat down and loaded we drove around the lake for a little while. Dave took the wheel a few times.

We stopped by a nice little beach and while the guys skipped some rocks I tried to get some sun. Then, we were back on the boat to dock up for a lunch of PB&J sandwiches. Here's Dave & I enjoying the beautiful weather!

 

This is what I could do everyday. With lots of sunscreen.

After some relaxing in the water we headed back to the marina to dock the boat and head home. It was a nicer ride back since I wasn't covered in goose bumps and I was really tired.

It was a nice day at the lake.

Sarah

A Day Fly Fishing

That's right. I went fly fishing today.

I spent the day here.

On a beautiful river with these great gals taking photos of fly fishing and learning a few things 

along the way.

There's a great little place here in Alabama that will take you on fly fishing day trips and teach you the basics of fly fishing and provide you with all the equipment you need. It is right off of the Smith Lake Dam and you can only fish when the dam is not running. The water where we are standing rises 15 ft. when they open the dam. Crazy!

I learned how to cast a fly with and without a backcast and was told I was pretty darn good at it. Fly fishing a bit different from regular fishing in that it requires more fluid motions and tremendous coordination. Here's me learning from Mary Carole how to cast.

Although I didn't catch anything it was still pretty awesome. Here's me waiting for a nibble on my line.

I also watched a fly being made which was very interesting. There's such an art to creating those things and I am always appreciative of the art of making anything.

I headed back to birmingham around 3:00 and went home to take a nice little nap. Dave called around 5:30 to see if I wanted to go eat Mexican with Paul & Janine. I did. It was good but I am still missing my Tex-mex food. I asked for queso on my tamales and the waiter had to clarify if it was "cheese dip" I wanted or queso. What's the difference?!

Tomorrow we are going to the lake and if you asked Dave he would tell you I have been looking forward to it all week! Love me some lake time! WOOHOO!

Have a great night!

Sarah

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Today was one of those days that could be three days. It was just very dynamic. I woke up this morning as always. (Well, I hope.) I ironed Dave's clothes and fed the dogs. We were out of breakfast foods so I stopped by Cafe Iz for a muffin and some coffee on the way to work. 

Work was uneventful. I taught Kimberly some HTML programming though. Or at least what I have learned by trying to learn it through trial and error. 

Tomorrow I am going on a shoot with a couple that leads fly fishing trips in Jasper. It's a mile hike to where we will shoot and I am excited about getting out in nature a bit and learning something new. 

I went by Old Navy at lunch and picked up some tank tops for 48 cents a piece. That's right... additional 50% off clearance and they were marked 97 cents. Awesome find.

After work I came home and Dave gave me the run down for his BIG PLAN for the backyard. Our backyard is a mess right now. We have moved a fence, cut down a few trees, and pulled a few weeds and now it's time to make it beautiful. Relocating deck stairs, building planters, sodding, and leveling are all parts of this BIG PLAN. Here's a sneaky shot of Dave working away.

I am excited. He is such a hard worker. Someone please get me this when we are done. I love it!

I made some salmon, pasta, and veggies for dinner. It was yummy. After dinner we had a lady coming by to pick up a doghouse from the backyard so while we were outside waiting our neighbor Yolanda was chasing her dog Hershey down the street. The battery had died in his collar and he headed straight towards our house. I had some magazines to give Yolanda so it was a perfect opportunity. We got Hershey back inside their house and she invited me in to chat for a bit. She is a brilliant painter and showed me some of her pieces which was fun. I said goodnight to her and headed back home to finish up some laundry.

Here's a cute one of the girls in their usual positions. They are not spoiled at all.

Goals for June

In no particular order.... drumroll please....

1. Read a book and finish it. None of this read halfway and forget about it stuff.

2. Finish repairing and painting kitchen walls.

3. Strip and stain/paint side table for living room.

4. Go kayaking with Dave somewhere... anywhere.

5. Celebrate 5 years with my wonderful husband!

6. Walk the dogs at least 2 times a week.

7. Do an art project... any art project.

8. Grow a strawberry without the squirrels or the dogs eating it. Just one is all I want.

9. Visit Jessie's Place.

10. Send Uwimana letters and gifts. 

11. Take time for myself and time for Dave and I.

12. Pray longer and more often.

I will keep you updated on my status. 

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Sarah

Catching Up

That's exactly what I have been doing today. 

I got to work and unloaded all my gear and put it all where it belongs. Then I edited images for 3 hours, converted them, then loaded them on our server. Whew!

Then, I gathered all my receipts from the past month. Took a deep breath and did an expense report. I realized I ate pretty healthy in Austin thanks to whole foods. And I was well under my per diems for each day. Maybe I will get a raise.

I had a weird dream last night. With all the controversy going on with North Korea I wouldn't say I was too concerned about them testing a few nuclear bombs but I may have been a bit mistaken in this assumption. Zoe has had terrible allergies lately and when she scratches she can shake an entire room. Well, in my peaceful slumber she started scratching which shook the bed just enough to wake me to that half sleep/half awake state. All I remember is going into panic mode thinking that North Korea had launched a nuclear bomb on the US and it was heading our way hence the shaking bed. I thought about waking Dave up to tell him we needed to run away but I fell asleep before I could. I laughed at myself when I woke up.

My Sweet Nuclear Bomb

So the rest of my day was spent reorganizing my work life. 

I went home after work and chatted with Dave before he headed off to band practice. I picked up the house and have been doing laundry since then with momentary stops for So You Think You Can Dance. I also watched the Idol Finale. It was pretty good.

It was suppose to rain today but I don't think it did. Weathermen shouldn't have jobs based on normal job evaluations. If I took horrible photos 70% of the time I would not last too long.

Speaking of photos. I will do better about posting them. Promise.

Dave should be home soon. Yippee!

Sarah

Happy Birthday Babe!

Today the love of my life celebrates his 29th birthday and let me assure you... he loves the fact that he is now 1 year from the big 30.

I have been blessed to have been a part of 5 of those years.

We spent dinner with his dad and step-mom and Gran at Firebirds. Dave loves their hamburgers so that's why I suggested it. He had the prime rib.

Here's a pic his dad took with his phone since I forgot my camera.

It was nice to have some good quality family time. Dave's dad had a surprise waiting outside. A new wheelbarrow! Yippee! Now I can haul Dave to the car the next time he cuts his leg with the chainsaw! Thanks Paul! ;)

No really, you know you are getting grown up when your husband considers a wheelbarrow a want rather than a need. 

After dinner we came home and Dave opened up the new Bible I got him. He's been carrying around a student bible that has seen better days so I figured it was time for a new one. He loved it and I smiled.

We watched DVR recordings and then we headed off to bed.

It was a nice Dave day. 

Sarah

P.S. We are going to the lake this Saturday! I am ssssssssssooooooo excited!

Scripture Sunday...

I have decided to devote Sunday posts to scriptures that are fresh on my mind. I knew you wouldn't mind.

"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 

Mark 10:15-16

San Marcos Day 1

Woke up this morning and Jill made some cute little pancakes for everyone. We visited for a little while and got cleaned up. Then we had a little photo session with Shelby which resulted in some adorable photos. Here's one of my favorites. Too bad Aunt Sarah can't be around all the time to take photos. :(

After that Meme, Mom, Jill, & I went to Jill's friend's boutique and did some shopping. While a bit overpriced, I was still able to find some steals. I am the queen of good deals and found 2 pairs of shoes marked down to $10 each! 

After our shopping adventure we headed back to Matt and Jill's for lunch. Matt & Jill had a graduation party to go to so we stayed and watched Shelby. They later called and told us to come join them since there was too much food. It was a nice somewhat cooler evening. 

After that we headed back to the house and now it's bedtime. ;)

Sarah

Austin Day 5

It's was my last and final day in Austin.

I had one last appointment this morning and one story to do this afternoon. 

Between those I was here. The Austin Antique Mall. I love antique malls. I can spend hours in them just browsing and sometimes digging for treasures. I will post my Austin finds when I get back to Bham. I found tons of my aqua Ball jars but with no way to get them home I had to sadly let them stay. I have a collection of these jars that will one day line the tops of my white kitchen cabinets. They are just beautiful to me.

After my last appointment I grabbed some dinner before heading to pick my mom up at the airport. We then drove to San Marcos where my brother lives to spend the weekend with him. My Meme & Pop also drove in which was exciting for me. 

Apparently, San Marcos has an overpopulation of deer. They were everywhere! When we turned on my brother's street this is what we saw and I had to take a picture but it's obviously not the best.

They were walking down the sidewalk! The literally had "deer in the headlight" looks when they saw me.

We were greeted with a happy Shelby playing on the floor and when we walked in. I gave her presents from Aunt Sarah and Uncle Dave. A stuffed horsey and a plush castle with a princess, prince, and dragon. She grabbed the horsey and hugged it as tight as she could. It made my heart smile. :) 

Time for a fun weekend with family!

Goodnight, Sarah

Austin Day 4

Today I woke up and grabbed a vanilla latte from Starbucks and a low-fat berry muffin (which was really good BTW). I drove around Austin a bit before my first appointment. 

I found the best vintage store EVER in Soco. It's called Uncommon Objects. Here's the website. I was in heaven for an hour. If you are a collector of all things awesome then this is your store. If you're ever in Austin it's a must.

My dad and step-mom Mary arrived in Austin today. I had lunch with them at the Driskill Cafe. It's was very pleasant and it was nice to see them.

Then I had appointment numero dos. All things went well but once again I needed a night shot. 

After that I headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner. My brother and his wife Jill were joining my dad and Mary at Shady Grove. The best part was that my niece that I have never met was there too! Shelby is the most adorable and calm 10 month old you will ever meet. And she is beautiful. She was blessed with the Swihart eyelashes which is awesome. Here's a family pic after we ate.

My brother Matt, Me, Sister-in-law Jill, Shelby & Dad

After that I had a few shot to take care of so Dad & Mary went along with me as my "photo assistants". I think they enjoyed seeing what I do on a daily basis.

After that we headed back and said our goodbyes. They were leaving early the next morning to go to Branson with my grandparents.

It was a nice day and I am glad I got to see my fam as always.

Sarah

Austin Day 3

Wednesday are always weird days for me. It's like being in the middle of a table full of people and being stuck in the middle of conversations on both ends. You don't know which way to direct your attention. Well, I guess in Wednesday's case you direct your attention towards Friday. Bad example. Oh well. 

Today was long. Lots to shoot and tired me to do it. I drove out a but from Austin and it made me miss Birmingham. The trees looked so small. There's something about tall trees towering over you when you drive. It's awesome. 

I was driving through Austin and I spotted a familiar restaurant... Jorge's! My dad used to take me to Jorge's when I was younger all the time and I had no idea they had one in Austin. I stopped there for dinner and ordered me a Diana to go (which is a combo burrito smothered in queso). It's all I would ever order. Memories. *sigh*

I missed the Idol finale. Dave told me it was great. He thought about not telling me who won but I would know when I opened Yahoo anyways so he pretended to be Ryan Seacrest accompanied by a drumroll for a dramatic effect. He even included a commercial break for suspence. And then he told me. Yah! I'm glad Adam didn't win. He hurt my ears.

Goodnight!

Sarah

Austin Day 2

Today I slept in a bit. Like 7:30. Like I said, a little bit. I had a meeting at 9:30 and I wanted to grab some breakfast beforehand. 

Whole Foods in Austin is awesome! Absolutely awesome. It is a 80,000 square foot store with eat in delis. I grabbed me a breakfast taco and coffee and sat outside. Now if you are a real Texan you know that the breakfast taco is mistakenly named so. The correct term for eggs, bacon, and cheese in a flour tortilla is a breakfast burrito. No matter the size of the tortilla or the amount of times you fold the tortilla it is still a burrito. End of discussion.

After that I had several appointments throughout the day. Snapping lots of pictures and enjoying the beautiful weather.

For lunch I had this. And it was awesome.

I missed American Idol because I was getting some night shots. Dave recorded it for me. He's great. Go Kris!

Have a great night!

Sarah

Austin Day 1

Today started of early. 3:30 to be exact. I had to be at the airport by 5:30 and do a little last minute packing before we left. My husband doesn't do well in the mornings but I still love him.

I get to the airport and lug my luggage to the check in counter. My suitcase alone weighed 60 lbs. 

I get to my gate and grab a quick cup of coffee before boarding the plane. But, what did I have? 3 bags! I thought I had always carried 3 bags on with me. I don't know what I was thinking. So, there I am sitting on the floor by the gate as all the other passengers pass me, stuffing the contents of my purse into my already overloaded camera and laptop cases. Ugh.

I was in Dallas for an hour. Just thought I would add that. I miss that place. Great memories there.

The second leg of my flight from Dallas to Austin I  realized that drinking that coffee earlier might not have been a good idea. Especially when I was stuck in a window seat with a sleeping rather large woman blocking my way to the restrooms. Worst feeling EVER. Ugh.

So I get to Austin and lug my bags to get my rental car. 2009 Prius... hybrid.... yes. This little car is pretty awesome despite the fact that it took my two frustrating 30 minute battle to finally realize that you have to hold the brake down before pushing the power button. Who knew? Another thing about a hybrid is that you feel like the car is dying on you every time it switches from gas to electric. Ugh.

So I get to the hotel and get to my room. Then I head off to my first appointment which went rather well. I stopped by the SOCO district to get a few shots before heading back to the hotel for some much needed rest. Not though before watching the season premier of the Bachelorette. 30 guys all squirming in their seats of egos while they all battle for one girl's attention. Very entertaining. 

All in all... good day. Austin is fun!

Jet Setting...

I spent today packing for my trip this week. The dogs always pout when I pull out a suitcase and following me around the house as if begging me not leave.

I am spending a week in Austin for one of the magazines I work for. My flight leaves at 6:30 (yes, 6:30) tomorrow morning. I'm not looking forward to that alarm.

Now most people would find it simple to pack for a week. Clothes, toiletries, whatever else you need. But, for a photographer it is much more complicated. Before I pack my stuff, I pack my photo stuff. Which means half of my suitcase is full before I even begin to really pack. On top of that, I have to arrange my equipment in such a way that airport security doesn't think I am a terrorist and that when they rummage through my belongings they can easily prove this point. Thus another dilemma... hiding my underwear. This can definitely confuse someone. It's just a stobe... of course, I know that.

Then, there's the skillful arranging of bags in order to keep them

 below the 50 lb. weight limit. Which often cannot be avoided. But, I figure, if I can save my company $50 in fees then I might get a raise this year. Might.

And you thought that was the amusing part, huh? If only you could be there tomorrow to watch me tote this through the airport sans the dogs.

I think it all weighs more than myself. Aren't those dogs pitiful? :)

Off to get some rest!

Sarah

Seriously?

Rain rain go away come again next year!

Anyone else tired of this weather? DEPRESSING.

Good thing I'm going to Austin tomorrow! :) 

What's this?!?!

Operation 365 is back and in full effect.

Quite some time later and 2 states over you will have the privilege of reading my ramblings once again. I found my little point and shoot camera and thought about this awesome little blog I created my senior year of college.
Being a full-time photographer is taxing on being an artist. It never gives you time to breathe and ahem... write blogs.

Today is a rainy day here in Birmingham, AL. From our front door you can see the rain coming and going and random clashes of thunder make your heart skip a beat. Zoe and Molly love it.



Meredith and Willis had their baby boy today.We went to the hospital to meet him! Aubrey Rhys Watkins is one beautiful baby! Here's Dave holding him!



Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

; ) Sarah