31 Days of Change | Internet fun!
Each month usually brings a new adventure or "challenge" out there in blog world. August brought The August Break, where bloggers everywhere joined the well known blogger Susannah Conway and posted a picture (and only a picture) daily. Believe it or not, this was a way to encourage bloggers to get out and enjoy summer and not spend all day writing blog entries. Seriously!
So this month brings another fun challenge and I am really excited about it. Not because I will be participating (I've learned that I have a hard time with those daily blog committments) but because I am going to be reading like crazy! The awesome lady behind The Nester is participating in a 31 Days of Change challenge and has talked a number of her friends into joining her! So this means lots of super fun content for the ladies (or guys who have a knack for decorating and living simply) coming right up!
I'm pumped! I have already created a "31 Days of Change" label in my Google Reader and subscribed to my favorite topics. You can find the full list over at The Nester, but here are the ones I am super excited to be reading this month:
31 Days of...
And one that I think some of my readers may be the most interested in: 31 Days to a Better Photo!
I tell you what... my job is awesome. Or maybe I should say the flexibility of my job is awesome. :) I love that I have time to read these blogs and get tips and tricks of how to live a better, more peaceful life. I hope you have the time to enjoy all the awesome reads coming up this month, too!
catching up! | personal
Hi friends! Lots to mention here as I prep for another week of random activities and tasks. We came home from camping Thursday night and spent most of Friday with Tommy's family. His mom took off for another international trip on Saturday and this time she will be gone until Thanksgiving! So we spent lunch and dinner with his parents on Friday. Also, two of Tommy's grandmothers are still not at home (one is in the hospital and another in a nursing home temporarily) so we visited with them as well. I have really enjoyed these few weeks off of work to spend time with Tommy. We have had a great time settling into living together again and visiting with so much of our family. I gotta say though, that having a lack of routine is wearing on me quickly! I am ready to get back into the swing of things around here. :)
So, Saturday I woke up bright and early to do just that. I made the trip to Richmond and met with this sweet family for a quick session in the morning. They are moving out of state (so sad!) and wanted to use their referral credits before they head out of town. (Did you know you can earn credits by referring Sincerely, Liz to your friends and family? Check out more info here.) Here's a quick sneak peek from our time together. (To see more of this happy family, click here.)
Later that evening I met with this lovely couple for their engagement session. I love shooting engagement sessions! It is such a great opportunity for my clients to learn how I work and for me to get a better understanding of each couple's different personalities and interactions. This session was no different. These two were so adorable together and had no problem being sweet in front of the camera. Because they were so comfortable in front of the camera, I was able to capture a lot of great shots for them. I am excited to blog a whole post about their session, so stay tuned for that!
After that session on Saturday evening, I drove to my sister's house and picked up her two middle children. They have been staying with Tommy and I for the past three nights and it has been SO wonderful. They fill my heart with pure joy and constantly make me giggle at all their little sayings. I finally pulled my camera out for some photos of them (it has been sooo long and they are so much bigger now!) so I am eager to get those up, too. Here's two of my favs from our time together. :)
Today we are off to deliver these sweeties back to their parents and run some errands for Tommy's job hunt. I love the freedom of time that my job offers me - but like I said, I am seriously missing having a routine! I can't wait to get back into the swing of things here in the office when we return tomorrow.
Gratituesday: A church home
Gratituesday is a weekly blog post (that I try to keep up with) I got involved with over here. You should join, too! If you do, be sure to let me know in the comments as I would love to read what you write about.
Almost two years ago Tommy and I started attending an area church regularly. Before Tommy left for his deployment we had been attending consistently for about a year. Okay, I use the term consistently VERY lightly - considering we travel a LOT. But we were attending, learning, meeting new people, and seeing lives change at any chance we could. I looked forward to church on Sundays and I loved sitting through our pastor's sermons.
After Tommy left in January, I had a hard time getting myself to church. I stayed with my parent's for a few months and otherwise traveled a lot on the weekends for work. The Sundays I found myself waking up in my own home - I really had a hard time getting myself out of the house to go to church by myself.
Then one Sunday I did.... and I took my seat in the familiar room and I instantly felt enveloped with love. It felt like home. And it was such a new thing for me. I have never experienced that before - honestly. Home. In a church?
Yes. A church home. Finally.
This week... I am so grateful for my home church. For the first time in my 27 years of life... I finally know what it feels like to have a church to call home.
I hope we never have to leave!
(click the image for the story behind it.)
What are you grateful for this week?
So long, summer! | personal
Ahhhhh. Ya’ll, I think this is the first time in my adult life that I am a little sad to see summer ending. Before this year, all summer ever was to me was a grossly hot season. It only just occurred to me that maybe I didn’t like summer because all it was to me was stuffy hot weather between whatever building I was in (home, work, school) and my even hotter vehicle. I have spent all of my adult summers working inside for 8hrs/day followed by climbing into a hot vehicle and driving myself home to the relief of the AC.
But not this year! This summer was different! The flexibility of my schedule and the few weeks I spent up at my parent’s place gave me plenty of opportunities to get out, get some sun and actually ENJOY the heat. I kicked the summer off trying to fight the AC bill and kept my AC off through the beginning of June. Let me just say I drank a LOT of water this summer. ;) And while I was staying with my parent's, I had to walk my dogs a couple of times daily. Each time I stepped out of the house I felt like someone had wrapped a warm blanket around me. And I loved it.
I really did love summer this year. Top it off with having a sweet tan (thanks to the convertible Tommy bought right before he deployed and my parent's lake at my convenience) and I am seriously sad to see it all end.
But this will be the first year I am happily telling myself that all the memories and excitement of summertime will come again in a few short months. Yippee! And for right now I will accept this break from the heat and be excited (!!) about Fall!
Because Fall! Me and Fall are BFFs! And nothing will come between us, not even the warm sunshine of summer time.
Ahhhh… summertime… I hate to see you go… but I love to watch you leave. (Leave – leaf! I’m such a nerd. :))