Sunday, November 25, 2007

Point Lobos Adventures

Yesterday a few of us went for a hike around Point Lobos and had a little bit of fun playing with the sea creatures in the tide pools at Weston Beach.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Thanksgiving, Relaxing

(I heart these two! ~ Lisa, me and Victoria on Thanksgiving)

A Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone.

We all have a lot to be thankful for, I could go on for quite a while but for now I'll limit it:
Family, Friends, A job, Trials, People who challenge me to grow and step outside my little world, Love, Honesty (even when it hurts) and so much more.

This year I got to spend Thanksgiving with some awesome friends. I have spent Thanksgiving with friends for the past two years and so far each year has been different friends...its been good. I remember growing up and everyone going to my grandmothers house (as we did for many holidays). As we all got older we did it mostly with our families at home or with boyfriends families. Its very weird not having any family around to celebrate holidays with. But this year it was like being with my family. Lisa's mom came up can cooked this amazing huge meal for all of us. It was at Luke and Lisa's, her mom and Bart came up along with her sister and brother, of course Victoria was there and then Jason, Anneke and the kids all came so it was awesome. Lisa had the great idea of it being "Pretty Dress Day". Shes so fun. So all us girls got dressed up, which by the way brilliant idea when stuffing your face with turkey and good food...nice loose dress!! ahhh no having to unbutton any pants :) Way to go Lisa!

Its so nice to have a few days off and relax for a bit. I've needed some down time for a long time now. I got to sleep in the past two days and its been amazing! All my photos are done, nothing major coming up before I leave (photo wise that is, work is whole other story). Today was mostly relaxing, Victoria and I got up and went and had coffee and breakfast at the beach, then for some crazy reason decided to go to the mall to grab something. Ahhhhh way to many people, thats all I'll say. Then off to the butterfly farm! Lots of them, just not any pictures of them, ha.

Tomorrow some more sleeping in is on the to-do-list. Then some hiking at Point Lobos with Victoria and Topher (and aslan of course). Hopefully get some good shots from there, we'll see.

Only 26 (almost 25) more days!

Friday, November 09, 2007

Beautiful Disaster


She loves her mama's lemonade,
Hates the sound that goodbyes make.
She prays one day she'll find someone to need her.
She swears that there's no difference,
Between the lies and compliments.
It's all the same if everybody leaves her.

And every magazine tells her she's not good enough,
The pictures that she sees make her cry.

And she would change everything, everything just ask her.
Caught in the in between, a beautiful disaster,
And she just needs someone to take her home.

She's giving boys what they want, tries to act so nonchalant,
Afraid they'll see that she's lost her direction.
She never stays the same for long,
Assuming that she'll get it wrong.
Perfect only in her imperfection.

She's not a drama queen,
She doesn't want to feel this way, only seventeen but tired

She would change everything for happy ever after.
Caught in the in between, a beautiful disaster,
But she just needs someone to take her home.

Cuz she's just the way she is, but no ones told her that's ok.

And she would change everything, everything just ask her.
Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster,

And she would change everything for happy ever after.
Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster,

But she just needs someone to take her home
And she just needs someone to take her home.

(Lyrics by Jon McLaughlin)

Thursday, November 08, 2007

The Run Down


Let me try to catch you all up of whats been happening in my world over the last month and whats coming up.

I got my new camera!! I LOVE it. I got the Nikon D80, and have named it! (oh yes, I figure if I name this and love it, it will be very good to me and not die). So its name is Alsan. He arrived just in time for lots of work...

I was asked to take family portraits by my friends mom. It had been a good ten years since they had family pictures taken. So of course I said. It was my first photos with my new camera! To check them out click here

For the third year in a row I was asked to photograph the Thomas Kinkade Master's Event for the Monterey and Carmel galleries. Three days of photography and about 1,000 shots! Now its editing them down, putting them in order, creating a dvd, adding music and finalizing everything before November 12th. Wish me luck!!!

Next up, a fund raising event for the Monterey Institute of International Studies. The event is tonight at the La Mirada Museum. I was asked to come and take photos from some c0-workers who fell in love with my photographs from the Philippines. At first I was kind of hesitant to respond to their request, because normally is family and close friends that are very excited about my work, not so much people I don't know that well. It was however very flattering to hear their very kind words and excitement about working with me. So that event is tonight, I'm excited and a bit nervous. I think I get like that before anything I do, because I don't want to let anyone down, especially if I'm hired by them.

Tomorrow I'm taking the day off!!!! A bit excited about that. I hope to sleep in a little, get some more time to work on the photos from the Kinkade event. However, I guess its not a full day off, well it is from the office, but I was asked again by my co-workers to come and photograph a Translation and Interpretation forum that will be happening on campus tomorrow afternoon in hopes to get some new photos for the website. So we'll see how those turn out also.

It is about five and a half weeks until I take off to see my sister! Seriously I wish I could explain my excitement of this trip in better ways, but I just don't know how. I finally get to see my sister, brother-in-law and nephew for two and a half weeks!!! The last time I spent even a week with them (actually it wasn't just with them) was last Christmas. Most of our time however was spent with family especially towards the end of my time back home, when my grandfather passed away. I don't think I have spent even a week with just them since they moved from Monterey to Maryland two years ago and I haven't spend this much time with Jed ever! Talk about a really sweet trip this is going to be. Not only to I get to see them, but I get to go to England and we all are obviously going to Italy together.

I've been missing having family around for a while, but in the past few months it has been really bad. I keep thinking of how awesome it would be to live closer to Sara, Jay and Jed someday (hopefully soon). And I pray that it happens. Who knows where they will end up next, but I'm hoping its where I will end up also. It's been harding just seeing my nephew grow up in pictures and video clips online. He's the only one I got (right now), and I wish I was able to see him more. Be able to watch him so they could go and have a date night. I would love to be able to help my sister out when she's sick or Jed's sick and she needs to get stuff done. So we'll see, but again, hopefully soon.

So my friend Topher sent me a message the other day asking what I was doing on December 2nd and if I wasn't doing anything, would I be interested in going on a 8 hour boat ride to take pictures of whales and creatures while being taught by professional photographers! Ummm, heck yes I would!! Boat, Pictures, Sea Creatures, Pictures, need I say any more?? We leave before the sun rises so we can catch that while we are out too!

My birthday is coming up. I crack myself up because every years I get sooooo excited about it for like three months in advance. When it starts to get closer, my excitement goes away. Mind you this lack of excitement has nothing to do with getting older, I could care less. I have no idea but I just am not very excited about it. I don't want anything huge or crazy, just dinner and something really low key and laid back. I'll be the big 26 this year.

I'm doing a bible study online with my sister and a bunch of girls (we are all spread across the U.S. so its pretty cool). We are doing the Beth Moore study on the Fruit of the Spirit. With everything else going on, I've been really behind on it, but trying to catch up. I'm enjoying it and getting kicked in the butt by a lot of it.

Lately I've just been having a hard time, if you see me regularly, you would notice. Hiding my emotions is not my strong suit. Its written all over my face. So Sara suggested I skip to the third video, she says I would relate a lot with it. And oh boy did I ever. Its all about Rejection. One thing that Beth touched on was with all relationships there is the risk of rejection. I can say with everything in me that is why I don't keep many friends. I don't have lasting relationships, and I can barely keep one with God some days. We've all experienced rejection and I'm not saying that I have more than anyone else, but I know for myself that my rejection is extremely deep rooted. It sucks. I have a hard time loving myself, loving others and letting anyone love me. They can say they do but I tend to doubt people. Stubbornness doesn't help much either. I got about halfway threw the video (in tears) and still need to finish the rest (probably need to watch it another 5 times to let it all sink in). I'm a work in progress.

When things go wrong, I try my hardest to run (China, California...where next?). I hate confrontation. I would much rather close my blinds, shut my door, curl up in a ball, sleep it off or look for the next place to go then to ask for help, a huge or open my bible. Knowing very well that its not going to work. When will I learn? I know what to do, but I feel stuck. Its within my grasp yet I don't even try, I just stare. Why? Again...I'm a work in progress

I'm sick of crying.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Untitled





Dress down your pretty faith. Give me something real.
Leave out the thee and thou and speak to me now.
Speak to my pain and confusion.
Speak through my fears and my pride.
Speak to the part of me that knows I'm something deep down inside.

I know that I am not perfect, but compare me to most,
In a world of hurt and a world of anger I think I'm holding my own.
And I know that you said there is more to life.
And I know I am not satisfied.
But there are mornings I wake up and I'm just thankful to be alive.

I've known now, for quite a while, that I am not whole.
I've remembered the body and the mind,
But disected my soul.
Now something inside is awakening,
Like a dream I once had and forgot.
And it's something I'm scared of
And something I don't want to stop.

And I woke up this morning and realized that Jesus is not a portait.
Where stained glass windows or hymns or the tradition that surrounds us.
And I thought it would be hard to believe in
But it's not hard at all.
To believe I've sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.

And He's not asking me to change in my joy for martyrdom
He's asking to take my place.
To stand in the gap that I have formed
With His real, and His sweet, and His real amazing grace.
And it's not just a sign or a sacrament.
It's not just a metaphor for love.
The blood is real and it's not just a sybol of your faith.

So leave out the thee and thou and speak now.
(Awakening, Lyrics by Sara Groves)

This song pretty much sums it up way better than I ever could.

I know I need to write an update, I promise to do that soon. I've been busy with lots of photo stuff, some of which is really exciting. I've been stressed and overwhelmed. In need of a day off or vacation. I need some rest and some sleep. I have a lot to get finished over the next week! Then just maybe I will get some rest.