Yellowstone, Bison, and Co.

So, back in May I went on a little road trip. 

Down to Wyoming. To Yellowstone National Park. With two special people.

Here are a few highlights. 

Me, being me.

This was a lovely little road side stop in Montana.

Finally at Yellowstone. Reading the warning about the goring bisions.

My Penny and Nessa. With the geysers.

Walking the boardwalks.

My favourite series of pictures.

I decided to join the Chinese tour group.

It's always a good time for a photo shoot.

Old Faithful

Another favourite...and a long run for Penny to get to that sign

after setting the timer for this shot.

The beautiful sisters.

Another timer opp.

A beautiful moment in the Lord's creation.

My favourite moment. So breath-taking.

Geysers are not the most pleasant smelling forces of nature.

"Get me out of this stinkin' fresh air!"

Another favourite sequence.

This bision caused a slight delay while leaving, but did bring out

Jocelyn's feelings toward these beasts.

"I love bison!"

Oh, well, that group shoot didn't work.

Me and the photographer herself. I love her.

Some photo fun while waiting at a road construction site.

 Just another look.

Why make a good photo, when it can be a funny one?

And a little spelunking to end our weekend.

What a joy to spend a solid four days with these two. I love that we can chat, be silient, laugh, be hyper, be sad and down, be high on sugar, and create amazing memories together.

Majority of photos are compliments of Jocelyn Dawn Photography - www.jocelyndawnphotography.blogspot.ca

If you have made it to the end of this post, congratulations. 

Rest

clinging to His promises

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." 

Matthew 11: 28-30

craving rest. joy. peace. sleep. space.

praising the Lord. learning from the Master

still so thankful for the life He has blessed me with 

Dearest Leanne

August 27, 2001

Dearest Leanne,

If you are reading this, then I am already in heaven, but I can still see if your room is a mess, so tidy it up! I want you to know that you were a wonderful daughter to me. God blessed me by bringing a beautiful, curly-haired little girl into our family. From the day she was born, a spark of life and fun came into our home. What a treat when you got us all giggling at the table. You just have a way of seeing things from a funny way and making the rest of us see it along with you. Thank you for what you mean to our family as a special ray of sunshine that only you can bring to it.

I want you to know that it is clear that God has His hand on your life that has a sensitive, tender way with people. You know how to be a good friend, and you're already showing signs to say "no" to wrong things.

The reason God put you in this family is because He is desiring something very special for it, not just for now but also for many generations into the future. He is starting with us. He gave Mommy and I the vision to raise you to be one mighty in character and spirit, and certainly not just to be an "average Christian". God's desire for you is that your life will be completely dedicated to Him so that you can make significant impact for Him with your life. If you have a family, and I pray you will, then the spiritual heritage that you received will be your responsibility to pass onto your children. God has no "average Christians" in this family. For every generation, what you received will be your privilege to pass on to your children and grandchildren and theirs to pass on down the generations. You are part of something much bigger than you can imagine. The world is going to become a much more difficult place for Christians to be in God has chosen you to be one of His mighty warriors.

Leanne, I can hardly wait to greet you at heaven's door. In the mean time, just know that I love you dearly and am so proud of you. God bless you.

~Dad

It's the Littlest Things

It's the littlest things that can make an evening so thoughtful, pensive, relaxing, nourishing, and enjoyable, all at the same time:

Ridding my room of all the little (and big) things that it has collected over the last few weeks.

The anticipation of Friday, just because it's Friday.

Pondering memories. Remembering.

Choosing to see the beauty: photos, flowers, books, purple, presents, dolls.

My cows.

The sweet sounds of new music echoing through my room.

The anticipation of a strawberry milkshake.

Loving my evening at home.

This Week

Monday

• Start work at 8:00am
• 5 customer appointments
• Shop for concert apparel (there has to be something out there!)
• Civic Symphony

Tuesday

• Start work at 8:00am
• Meeting with marketing/IT who isn't following up on their contract
• New West Creative Team Meeting
• Last New West rehearsal for the year

Wednesday

• Start work at 8:00am
• Remaining 3 customer appointments
• Spend an evening at home with my Grandma (who is flying for my concert on Friday)

Thursday

• Start work at 8:00am (can you tell that I think this is a big deal?)
• Request afternoon off to set up for New West 
• Set up for New West Concert
• Dress rehearsal for said concert

Friday

• Prepare hair and make-up for concert
• Start work at 8:00am
• Die of exhaustion
• Make final concert preparations
• CONCERT @ 7:30pm!!!!!!!

Saturday

• Birthday party for friend <3
• Afternoon "off"?????
• Prep for concert
• More concert prep
• CONCERT @ 7:30pm

Work is mingled into this mix, as well as visiting with Grandma, as well as all final concert prep (tickets, sponsors, guest musicians info, and so much more).

It'll be an epic week. A busy week. An exhausting week. A great, great, great, great, great week. I'm so excited!

No. 4 *Love* - Shoes and Socks

I haven't posted a little known "love" for a little while...and I realized as I looked through my iphone pictures, that not only do I love shoes...I love taking pictures of them! These are a few beauties I found!

I love brown. 

Favourites (along with my new flag pants!)

Oh, the classics...yes, I have multiple pairs of these shoes.

Oh, looks like I have multiples of these too!

My beauties.

Hiking sandals! Hooray for Chacos!

And socks. I love them. Nothing is nicer than putting on brand new socks...they keep your feet so warm and cozy and just wrap your whole foot in a soft, tight hug!

Cow print is never too far away in my world.

Yes, I fully recognize that I'm strange. I choose to embrace it.

There and Back Again

I feel a little bit like Bilbo Baggins - There and Back Again

The last feel months have been...Hard? Challenging? Stretching? I'm not sure the correct term. I don't think there is one. They have just the kind of months that you keep putting one foot in front of the other, and hope they lead somewhere.

A couple major things happened. Job Change and Relationship Change. Did you catch the theme there? Change. Have you met me? Exactly. Change. 

Job. Yes, yet again I have changed my profession, or perhaps returned to it. After only seven months at my "new job", I decided to get a "new, new job" much sooner than I expected. There were serveral series of events that led up to the necessity to change, mostly due to the fantastic-ness of my new job. Let's put it simply 1) Better pay 2) More vacation 3) Back to my first "love" of the building/development world 4) Working with one of my best friends, and the real kicker 5) 10 flippin' minutes from home. 

Really, how can you go wrong? The hardest thing ever was telling my boss, after only a few months of working that I was quitting. I felt terrible - like dirt. I was just getting good at my job (sort of) and starting to become useful. It was hard. I truly hope I never have to quit a job again (but then again, I hope not to work forever either....hmmm, me and my skewed logic again). It was emotionally draining to come to this decision and make the change happen. 

I've been at the new, new job for one month and love it. Love what I do. Love the people I work with. Love the commute. I'm so thankful for the Lord's leading in finding this new fit for me. Seriously, so thankful!

Perhaps having too much fun on a Friday afternoon at the office?

Relationship. Yes, exciting. No, not exciting. Boy. No Boy. That's how my spring went. I won't go into more detail. But the emotions of being so excited, and then so crushed is exhausting and so much work...especially in the midst quitting and starting a new job. 

Again, have you met me? I'm slightly emotional. Okay, a lot emotional. If you haven't seen me in April and May, be thankful, because the emotions of all this change were strange. (For those of you who have been part of my past few months, I can't express the incredible thankfulness I have that God chose you to be in my life. Seriously, I'm overwhelmed by your love, care and prayer).

Change. Change has great potential, right? It can be a change for good. Change can make life that much better. If you never embrace change, you can't move forward, can't get better at the things you do or the person you are. But change is scary because it's stepping out on a limb. It's stepping out of your normal to attempt a new normal. You take a risk. And you could fail. You could fall. You ask questions.

So I asked questions. 

Big Ones: Do I take these new opportunities? What should I be doing with my life? Who should I spend my time with? What ramifications will these decisions have on my life in the future? What does my future look like? Do I take this job?

Little Ones: Do I say yes or no? What questions do I ask? Did I say the right thing? Am I too happy? Am I too sad? Do I open? Do I trust now? When is the right time? What do I wear? ;)

Prayer. Never has my life been more full of prayer. It has been bathed in prayer. Saturated. Soaked. It.has.been.wonderful. All the questions - asked of the Lord. And He answered and is so faithful.  

Can I just say that God is real? So real and present in my life. He has given me more grace and direction than ever before. Through every joy, sorrow, love, friend, hug, ache and smile, Jesus has been right by my side. Showing me His immense love for me. Immense. Intense. I am His -- He cares.

I know, this is the most random "throw up" of thoughts...but I look at these moments: 

Job. Relationship. Change. Prayer. 

And I'm so thankful. Thankful to experience joy in the changes. Thankful for the opportunity to grow and be challenged. Thankful for God's grace. Thankful that I can saturate my life in prayer and it makes a difference. Thankful to be pushed (or dragged) closer to Him. Thankful to feel the intense and immense love of Jesus.

 I feel like God has taken me on a journey. There and back again. I don't know where "there" was...and I don't even know where He's bring me "back" to. 

But I'm on His journey. And I love it, because I love Him.