TWO.

sweet girl! (more faves) ♥

people, places, architecture...

snapshots of Cali...♥

New Year's dreaming...

{last day of the year. 2009.}

"I believe in planning. I believe in goal setting. But there are some things in life you can't plan or predict. And that drives the obsessive compulsive part of us crazy. We want control, but the decision to follow Christ is a relinquishment of control..."

- Mark Batterson, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

I love these days of new year dreaming and planning and praying... the words really ringing in my mind this week are Courage & Habit & Worship.

track-out photography

Most of my photography play happens over track-out breaks from school... a few faves from the past three weeks...

more from the sets here.

Sister

my sweet girl... gettin so grown!! ♥

Cade's song...

Raleigh Easter + Clubs in the City

I love it when two of my favorite worlds collide.

Last year I got to volunteer-photograph Raleigh Easter. This year I got to bring my favorite rowdy bunch of big kids! Good stuff! ♥

manatee trip

What a trip! Being with Kayla and her friends, teachers and parents was fun fun! And so was seeing and swimming with the manatee! The first ones we saw (above) were basically in rehab captivity. Most of the first day was spent driving to Crystal River, FL, after our stop at Homosassa Springs, all we had left to do was try on wet suits, eat, and of course swim in the hotel pool & hot tub. yes, they were outdoor and no, they were not heated. crazy kiddos!

By 7:30 am we were suited up and ready to board our boats. It turned out to be a beautiful 72+ degree day in sunny Florida. The water was still shockingly cold, but we were thankful for the sunshine!

My underwater cam didn't prove waterproof, but I did salvage some shots & screenshots from a video before I submerged it!

We saw several manatee and most of us got to touch/pet them. ((Manatee Manners say we couldn't pet them unless they approached us- if they were resting or doing their own thing, we couldn't bombard them or crowd in on them for a selfish rub. If/when they did approach us -which they did because apparently they're quite curious and like the right attention-- then we could pet them with one hand.))

I had one swim up from behind me and bump me- I thought it was a kid or parent so I tried to get out of the way. I realized it was a manatee just in time to rub his side. So crazy. Clearly they're used to the many snorkel-heads that come see them every winter because they didn't seem to mind us in their space. (They also had lots of roped-off sanctuary space that we couldn't enter, so those who did mind could steer clear of us tourists.)

After the manatee adventure we went to Rainbow River where we got to swim in much clearer waters -Kayla's favorite- and mine! I grabbed a cheap underwater camera so I could capture a bit of the experience. We snorkel-floated up the river for a good hour, spying fish and divers and other underwater goodness.

We were plenty worn out after all the water play, but we still had pizza at the gulf and gift shopping and pool-swimming and ice cream-having and hair braiding and hide-n-seek in our adjoining rooms... and finally when we had the girls settle down around 11:30, they were out!

I didn't mean to write this much, but it was such a great trip. So thankful I got to go with my girl! ♥

December highlights

Here we go again! :)

1- Secret Santa at work - more fun than expected :)
2- Photobooth with my PreK teammates. Love.
3- Shaping and baking my own gingerbread with some of our favorite friends!
4- CLUBS :)
5- Sammie-visit. Glad to have her on this side of the states again!
6- Decorating the charlie brown tree with my kiddos.
7- Indulging them with Little Blue Truck.
8- Jeremy's first visit to PreK. :)
9- his last major model of the semester << 5 down, 3 to go! >>
10- Seriously blessed by a student's mom this semester. Over the course of the last three weeks before track-out she brought us our favorite drinks, snacks, breakfast, books for the classroom, etc, etc. And clearly the kids love her! <3
11- One of my favorite highlights of the month was getting to deliver Z-pizzas to a special family. Our community group pitched in too. Jeremy & I delivered them the week before Christmas break. So great! <3

I left school about 5:30pm Friday and the next day we left for Granny's in Edgefield, SC- grateful to get to spend another Saturday-before-Christmas with them! ((That night Kayla made us dancing elves with the JibJab app:) Hilarious!))

We traveled to Myrtle Beach/Conway that Sunday and I woke up Monday with full-on flu symptoms. I barely moved from Mom & Pop's couch the entire day. The next two days (Christmas Eve & Christmas day) I felt equally miserable and my temperature stayed around 101-102 :( Thanks to IB Profen I was able to join in the festivities a bit, but boy, I don't wish that on anybody! Yuck.

Alford-family time <3

Granchelli-Christmas <3

Once I was feeling like myself again, Jeremy and I took a little Charleston-excursion, had some friend-reunions, and were able to soak in a few beach moments too.

So thankful! ♥

MB Summer nutshell. (so far).

since we've been home at the beach...

...sweet sweet times. beyond thankful.

soaking it in & resting up for another year! ♥

you are here.

Here I am. 

This track-out (aka: 3week.spring.break) has been busy and wonderful. 

So many fun things:: 

Rachel & Shaun’s wedding, 

meeting baby Nicholas, 

making a couple pouch-purses, 

taking photos forRaleighEaster, 

the Gfamily visit (including fun times eating out and a great conversation with Mom), 

photographing Rock & Shop, 

as well as practical things like getting the oil changed and getting my wrist/tendons looked at… while it stinks having to wear this brace, I’m so thankful for the healing that’s happening. 

Also, some extra morning hours sleeping-in, sitting outside and enjoying a little extra down time with J-man has been super sweet.

Today was one of the first days that I didn’t have a bunch of errands to run or plans made… 

I enjoyed time outside and prayed for open eyes and ears to God's love and work around me.

As I walked and prayed at the art museum, His pleasure felt tangible like the sun’s heat. I kept lifting up things like “what about this and this” and it was as if he continually responded: Daughter, you are mine. I love you more than the most loving parents. You knowing that more&more fully is what pleases me. The world will always wax and wane with favor and apathy. Keep looking to me for wisdom and strength and your peace and you will always be satisfied. 

(A-men.) ♥

You are Here thoughts inspired by 

EmilyFreeman's newsletter. 

Thankful she asked the question...

((Her Blog is also lovely: 

Chatting at the Sky))

Storyline book...

Storyline by Donald Miller.

Second book of the new year!
(Winter track-out time is certainly on my side!)

This one is rocking me in a different, more personal way than Love Does.

It's a workbook and therefore a process that takes time and is best not shortcutted.

I highly recommend it for helping focus dreams, ambitions, and aspirations!

Track-out photography

It's only been a month, but it has already been an honor to be part of V21's photo team!

My first two 'assignments' included staff family portraits.

Loved every minute!

Thankful to be loving this city with these guys!!

Subbing...

top right: translation:: "I Love Evr'Body" ;)

Subbing is like borrowing twenty-four energizer bunnies for the day.

They're fun and super cute, but if you don't steer them in the right direction, you could be leaving with the world's largest headache!!

Thankfully all my borrowed bunnies were fun and cute and quite steer-able... I'm also particularly fond of kindergarten (mostly because there's usually an adult helper nearby!:)

Vacation Kim...

Vacation Kim is this girl who shows up every eight or nine weeks. She cooks, she reads, she takes photos, she rests... We like her. :)

She currently has a few weeks off and has been busy at it! ♥

Outer Banks beach time...
during J's class trip to Kitty Hawk

track-out cooking!

more here:)

she tries to help this guy rest too. Sometimes it works. :)

30 Days of Vacay

In year-round multi-track schools, we call it tracked-out.
{alsoknownas: Summer Vacation}

I call it 30 days to play!

I'm so thankful for the opportunity to work with these little ones and see them come so far in one short quarter. And, with that, I'm so thankful for a job that affords vacation time like this! Thirdly, the track I'm on (track 4) also happens to coincide beautifully with Jeremy's school breaks!

Jeremy says God Himself spoils me.
I can't help but agree.

I'm so thankful for this time to travel & play and see family & friends and take pictures & write down stories... I can hardly stand it!

If you're in MB and you want to catch up, give us a shout!
We're thrilled to be here for a stretch!
♥