{ Almost There }

We're just over 18 hours from departure and the day thus far has been, well, a little stressful to say the least. The baby is sleeping at Oma's and I'm at home relaxing (and blogging) before taking the last load over to the trailer.

I mentioned yesterday a little bit about the shower that was thrown for Denay by some dear friends of my MIL. It was a book shower and we came home with 50+ books!

It was such an amazing evening just for the girls.

The far left photo is Denay sitting in the suitcase full of her new books :: the middle photo is of her in her new camp chair that Grampy and Grammie bought her :: the upper right is a shot from the shower and the lower right is of Denay in her car seat this afternoon reading her new Dr. Seuss book.

click photo to enlarge

I've got a full two weeks of posts set up for your enjoyment while I am gone!

Blessings!

Good Evening......we're playing catch up from an overnight trip to the mainland and get ready for a two week hiatus. I've got no time tonight to post the pictures from the amazing shower thrown last night for Denay (and the 55 books she brought home) but I promise to try for tomorrow and if not you'll see some after we return.

(SOOC shot from the newly bloomed Dahlia in my back garden)

Hope you're all managing to keep relatively cool during our true summer weather. We're grateful for the air conditioner we bought during a heat wave two years ago that seems to keep our whole house livable. Let's keep in our prayers all those whose homes and livelihoods are being threatened by fire and for those fighting them.

:: Did You Know That ::

......if you wanted to buy and air conditioner at a Canadian Tire on the island, you would be plum out of luck! That's right....we ran by our local store last night to look for something else (we already have an air conditioner) and stopped by the fan aisle to take a peek for Trev's co-worker and they were sold out. Then a lady in who was looking told us that they don't have any on the island.

I can understand though, it hit 40 degrees at 3:30 yesterday afternoon. Yikes. I almost thought my thermostat in my SUV was broken. We spent the afternoon at the lake and kept nice and cool.

Pictureless post, I know but I'm finishing packing for an overnight trip to the mainland for a shower being thrown for Denay by some dear "family".

Stay cool friends!

Big Little Baby Girl

It's been too long since I did an update on my one-and-only Denay! This girl is becoming less like my baby girl everyday and more like a toddler.

What is she up to you ask?

Well she......

-is just about full on walking. She is still a little wobbly but is relying less and less on crawling to get around.

-can sign "thank you", "please", "all done", "milk" and points to let us know what she wants

-is SUCH a chatter box! Just this morning I caught her standing in front of our mirrored closet doors flailing her arms and having a very serious conversation with the baby in the mirror

-is still napping twice a day and sleeps through the night

-just cut through her upper right front tooth so now she has three!

-eats a wide variety of foods but is still a little limited due to her lack of teeth

-still LOVES the water. I take to her the lake 3-4 times a week and I'm pretty sure she is half fish :)

-says "baby", "dada", "mum mum", and I could swear she said "all done" last week and "not that" this morning but who knows. We've also almost got her saying Oma.....she makes a tight circle with her mouth and says "Oooom"

-loves LOVES her daddy and her Oma

-still sucks her thumb and most recently her big toe

I am so enjoying mommyhood with her and feel so blessed that I am able to be at home, spending time with her and socializing her with all my girlfriend's baby girls. I look forward to the day she will have a sibling and I'll have two munchkins to play with!

I've got to get up and ready for a day at the lake so enjoy this awesome summer day!

Justin & Amanda

I am still completely buried in editing to finish but I wanted to get something up you to peek at!

I got really nervous mid-ceremony as I wasn't feeling confident at all about the photos I was getting but after going through them and a little creative editing I've got some great shots to start a portfolio.

Enjoy!

Love this shot of the girls!

I'll be sure to post some more shots once I get my new blog complete!

I also want to shout out a huge thank you to all of you, my blog readers, for all your support, love and words of encouragement during this new venture. I see now that this is a way that God is going to provide for our family as we adjust to being on one income!

Yikes.....

I hate that this is my second non-photo post in a row but I want to keep my commitment so this will have to do!

For those who may be curious, the wedding yesterday was splendid. 23 degrees, sunny and no wind is pretty much the perfect conditions for a beach wedding! The bridal party was super fun and though it was a very long day, I'm so glad to have had the opportunity. I am knee deep in photo edits but I promise to get a couple favourites up for viewing tomorrow.....we skipped church today and went with my parents in the boat to lake and spent a few hours soaking up this perfect summer day before whisking away for a baby shower shoot today!

"See" you soon my friends!

{ Think Of Me }

Well my lovely blogger friends, today is the big day and I've scheduled this post to go up around the same time we leave for Tofino where, gulp, I am going to shoot my very first wedding.

It's funny....I feel like I'm taking you all with me, like you're all going to be there. You're well wishes and encouragements have meant more than you know. I was a little nervous about pinning my heart to my sleeve with my post on Tuesday but I know now that there is no judgement here. We are all a big family!

I would ask for your prayers. For safe travel and for no hiccups or issues and for confidence and bravery and also that I would be a light shining for Christ to everyone there. I've already checked and forecast is supposed to be amazing and for the West Coast that is very rare!

I will try and get a teaser up sometime Sunday but I'm also shooting a baby shower that afternoon so at the least I'll give you a worded recap of how the day went.

Thank you again for walking this journey with me.......a very dear friend left me a quote that "God does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called"

I will stand confident that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

The Review ::: The Proposal

The storyline of this RomCom goes that Margaret (Sandra Bullock) is a big time editor at a publishing company in NYC and Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) is her very whipped assistant. Turns out Margaret is set to be deported back to Canada so she blackmails Andrew, forcing him to marry her so she can stay in the country.If you are looking for a clean (with the exception of one scene) feel good flick that with have you belly laughing, I highly recommend this one. I've always been a big Sandra Bullock fan and she does not disappoint! I will admit that I snorted more than once and even missed a couple lines because I was doubled over in laughter. Make sure and stay a little into the credits as there is an added bit that will have your sides splitting!

Take you're boyfriend or husband or a bunch of girlfriends they will all enjoy it!

:: A Cool Dip ::

Last week my mom, myself, my aunt, two cousins, my great aunt and my mom's cousin all took a trip to the mainland together. My mom just bought a puppy from Europe that was flying in on Wednesday so we all went over on Tuesday and spent some time at the mall before checking into a hotel and heading out for some Chinese food. We parted ways that morning and my cousin Brittany and I got picked up by Trev's mom and headed to her place to hang out with Denay's uncle, aunt and cousins. I somehow managed to not get big boy Jacob in any pictures though!

My MIL served up a hotdog lunch and even made homemade frozen yogurt.

It was such a treat watching Denay finally be able to "play" with her bigger cousins. She just sat in the pool and held onto the toy cars. It was a smokin' hot day and a cool dip in the kiddie pool was just the ticket!

Thanks again for everything grammie! Hope that all the work and driving was worth our short little visit.

Three Years Later

About four years ago I had just returned from the first year of a two year college program in Edmonton, was still a little heartbroken from a ending to a long and complicated relationship and was seeking counselling for some deep rooted issues that had wreaked havoc on my life. One night I was checking my email when a sidebar appeared advertising a week membership to Date.ca for just $1......now, let me add that this is not something I would normally do, especially given everything I was working through but I remember thinking, "What could it hurt?". So I signed up, met a few people from all different parts of the world and then one night came upon the profile of a guy just across the water. And as the cliche goes, the rest is, well, my life right now! We chatted for a few hours a day and met for the first time a month and a half later and within two months from out first meeting, we were talking marriage. Now again, not my usual modus operandi and I raised more than a few eyebrows, but as is obvious, he was just the one.
Our wedding day was the hottest day of the year and topped out at around 34 degrees, our limo's air conditioning was broken and it was the best day of my life! It's hard to believe that July 22, 2006 was already three years ago.....enjoy at little sampling of some pictures of our big day.

We're just going out for a nice dinner and maybe a movie.......I am daily grateful for the man that God brought to me.

Happy Anniversary Hubby.....I Love You!

{ Bearing My Soul }

Ahhhh. . . .where to start.

If I am to be honest, I have been dreading this post for a long time now. I have, more than once, come thisclose to canning everything; the name and mostly the notion that I may actually have a gift that is to be put to a higher use. The Bible tells me in John 10:10 that "The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy" and then "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full". See, I have this little dream and to write this for all to see is terrifying for me.
I want to do photography.

There, I said it....but here's the thing. Over the past week or so that I have been mulling around the idea of becoming a little more "official" with a name and a new blog that "thief" has been working overtime on my mind; stealing my confidence, killing my motivation and destroying that small voice inside that's trying to tell me I can do this. I've been relentlessly comparing myself and convincing myself that my camera isn't fancy enough and a free blog is a sad excuse for a website, my editing program isn't high-tech, my laptop is old and that no one in their right mind would actually pay me to be responsible for their special memories. Then I am reminded of this parable in the New Testament about three servants whose master left town and entrusted them each with differing amounts of money. Two of the servants put their money to work and by the time the master returned they had both had made back double what they had been given. The master was so pleased with these two servants and said to them "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master's happiness!". However, the third servant got scared and was worried about failing the master so he buried his money in the ground and only gave back what he was given. The master called him "wicked and lazy" and took his money away and gave it to one of the other servants. I am that servant....feeling undeserving of the gift I've been given, having no confidence in my ability to do something with it and unwilling to recognize that I could do something with it. I'm running scared of failure, of letting myself, my would-be-clients, and mostly God, down. I'm constantly going flipping through my pictures trying to convince myself that I'm even moderately good at taking pictures. I know there are a few professional photographers that read my blog and fear I'm giving myself too much credit and that they will all be snickering as they read this because I have no training or schooling.

I have been desperately seeking God in prayer for his guidance and completely releasing this whole thing to Him knowing full well that this will fail if Christ isn't the center.

All that being said, I've been keeping it underwraps that I am shooting my first wedding on Saturday followed by a baby shower on Sunday and mom and baby session sometime in the next few weeks. I couldn't be more scared but I know that these opportunities are God opening doors and providing for our family.

So......getting to the real reason for this post! I've come up with a name and have started designing a new blog (to be revealed later) but what I need you for is to help me with a logo. I managed to narrow it down to six fonts that I like and I want YOU to vote and help me pick one. I may do another voting post once a font is chosen to get your thoughts on another simple design idea but we'll see.

I get an average of 50 hits a day on this blog and never more than 10 comments on a post so I am calling on the other 40......if you've never left a comment, make this the one time that you do! Be anonymous if you'd like but please take the time and give me your opinion....just scroll to the bottom of this post and leave me comment telling me the number that corresponds to your favourite font.....

#1 - Candlemas

#2 - Cantabile
#3 - Daresiel

#4 - Euphorigenic #5 - Menrath Antiqua
#6 - A Yummy Apology

Now, you may be wondering what the word "nohea" means and what language it is. Once I get a font nailed down, I can finish putting together the new blog and I will go in to detail about that in my first post.

Here's thanking you all in advance for voting.....and also for listening to my heart. I am scared but my God is bigger than that and didn't create me with a spirit of fear and I know that through Him, and Him alone, all things are possible.

Happy Tuesday!

At A Loss For Words

I spent a little while trying to come up with a witty and punchy title for this post but changed my mind, I think the photo speaks for itself.

Trev's parents did us a huge favour and came out the island last weekend to watch Denay for us during the wedding. The spent the night and my MIL just figured she'd use my blow dryer after her shower in the morning. Little did she know that this country bunkin doesn't own one.
So I drag my butt out of bed on Sunday morning to witness this spectacle in my upstairs bathroom.....

I think she referred to it as the "industrial sized" dryer. Thankfully our over the fence neighbour lent her her's because I think it might have taken a while for her to finish her hair :) I'm positive she won't mind me posting this picture......

ADDED NOTE: I've had a couple comments already wondering how I don't own a blowdryer. No, my hair is far from naturally straight and if it is in pictures it's because I flat iron it. I have very wavy thick hair but have always let in dry on it's own and then flattened it if need be. But since getting my haircut, I've been able to wash and wear and not feel like it's going in every direction.

Challenge Accepted

My SIL Shawna put out a 30 Days Of Blogging challenge at the beginning of the week but I thought better of jumping on board as I am taking a hiatus from blogging in a couple weeks and I wouldn't be able to follow through with the commitment. However, Shawna encouraged me to do it anyways.

So, here goes!

I will add a disclaimer that while there may be a post everyday, they might not all be super-duper interesting :)

{ Introducing..... }

.....for the first time Miss Chloe!

This little perfect princess was born 12 days early to my best friend and her husband on Tuesday night at 9:42pm weighing 7lbs 13oz and 21 inches long during a homebirth.

I was on the mainland when I got an email from *K's husband asking me to phone them and I knew right away what had happened and the tears started to flow.We basically drove straight from the ferry to their house to meet Denay's future best friend.

And there were most tears the second I walked in the door and saw *K holding her sweet babe. Okay, how precious is she? Supermomma.....you did so great *K and I love you!
The happy new family!

Momma and baby are doing well. They are just naturals and are settling into parenting with ease. I would ask all you mom's out there to send up a quick prayer for this family as we all know what an overwhelming adjustment this can be.

Chloe is the last baby to arrive in a wave that we started last year when Denay was born. In the one year and four day time span between Denay and Chloe we have welcomed: Aylah, Hannah, Adaiah, Abigail, Evolette, Vivian, Adara, Rosa, Ava and now Chloe. And yes, those are ALL GIRLS born to our young adults group in the our church. This is not including our other seven various friends (some of the bloggers, ahem, Crystal and Elyshia) who have also welcomed girls in the past year. In fact, I only know of two boys that have arrived in that year. Phew! But, not to fear, the "second wave" (as it's being dubbed) has all ready started and we've got another one coming in January and I'm just sure she'll have a boy!

Does anyone else get baby fever when they hold a sweet newborn?

Nathan+Brice=Commitment

Well Saturday was the long awaited day and what a day it was! The weather was perfect, the venue was beautiful and the memories irreplaceable. Those of you that are Facebook friends with me have probably already seen some of these......either way, be prepared to be bombarded. I tried to collage as many as I could but some were too great to shrink!

Enjoy!

:: My mom and dad before the ceremony ::

:: Myself, my mom, my great Auntie Tina, my Aunt Chris and cousins (who were my flower girls) Casi and Brittany :::: Ryan, Kevin, Nathan (the groom), my dad and Trevor. Can you guess which one is not like the other? :::: Nathan waiting for his bride :::: Proud mom and dad walking down the aisle ::
:: The Bridal party ::

:: The lovely bride and her dad ::

:: Brice saying her vows ::

:: Nathan saying his :: :: A ceremony collage ::
:: Kissing the bride :: :: Making it official on paper ::
:: Married!! :: :: I l-o-v-e this one of them walking down the aisle together ::
:: Family shots :: :: My littlest brother Ryan and his girlfriend Rachael. For two people that hate having their picture taken the camera sure loves them ::
:: Trevor and his girl :: :: The MaC ladies ::
:: Our little family. I don't think the lighting could have been anymore perfect! :: :: Thanks momma for taking sure nice pictures! :: :: Three generations ::

:: A collage of my big one-year-old princess :: :: My mom took the top right of all the guys looking cool and the bottom right is one of my favies of the day ::
:: My cousin Brittany took a few of just us before the reception and gave me some awesome shots to choose from ::
:: The cake topper my brother picked out ::
:: Cutting the cake ::
:: They had their first dance to Brad Paisley's "I Though I Loved You Then" (which I am listening to right now) and it was the most emotional first dance I've ever seen by far. I was amazed how wonderful the pictures turned out because I was crying so hard I couldn't see through my viewfinder. I think the bottom right might be my favourite of the whole day ::
:: Then I thought I had recovered and they started playing " You Can Let Go Now Daddy" by Crystal Shawanda and Brice and her dad starting dancing and again I cried the whole song. Even the photographer (who also did our wedding) was in tears and later told me she had lost her dad and had to tell him he could let go which of course made me start to cry again. We love you Gloria! You ARE like family! The B&W of Brice and her dad is another favourite of the day ::
:: Bouquet and garter toss ::
Trevor MC'd the reception and did such a great job with the time constraints he had. It's hard to believe the day has come and gone and N&B are back home and it will be another while before our family will be all together again. Their wedding day was the first time our whole immediate family had been in one place at one time in over a year and a half which made it extra special!Nathan & Brice ~ you're day was memorable to say the least. We love you and miss having you around and are daily sending love and prayers across the country. May your marriage be long and blessed and may you always make each other laugh.