Anyway not much longer to keep up this pace, and I’m ready for it to be over….

Other randomness:

• I finished the Host, and it was sooooo good. I mean, it’s no Twilight saga, but it is a really really entertaining and page turning piece of fiction, and I really loved it.
• It is so cold here right now, but not a lick of snow
• I am totally behind on LOST this year, I’m trying to catch up
• I’m trying to figure out how to transition out of the job I’ve been in for five years… it’s going to be interesting
• I tried taking a multi-vitamin a few weeks ago and I felt terrible from it. This does not bode well for me lol
• March is the “MONTH OF BIRTHDAYS!” Kristin Hesch, Kristin Lynch, Lexi, Danielle (30th!), Amy (25th!), Biz, my cousin Michael, my cousin Kaitlyn …. and my 27th isn’t far behind coming up April 2!
• Our worship band led by my wonderful husband has an actual out-of-town gig coming up! It’s going to be exciting. Although I just realized that I’ll have to miss the Twilight DVD Borders release party on the 21st.
• My sis is growing spiritually like leaps and bounds lately, and I am so honored to be part of her life and watching it all happen. I don’t know where all this will lead, but I can see the hand of God in the situation and I trust He will lead her down the right paths.
• I know a few people who’s jobs have either downgraded or laid them off and its a very scary time. All we can do is pray and wait, its going to be a while before the country gets back on its feet. And I think we all need to stop being so scared . . . I pray that I can do the same.

And lastly, if you are a reader, please leave a comment and say hi, I’d love to know who’s out there. Thanks

On that note, my personal new years resolutions this year are:

To lose the 20+ lbs I’ve put back on
To get into a real regular devotional schedule with my new ESV Study Bible (waiting for the leather bound to come in)
To spend more time with my grandparents, especially my grandma
To complain a lot less, and go out of my comfort zone to be with others, do things I may not want to do, and help and love as Christ loves me
To really really really stick to our gazelle/dave ramsey plan and pay off our student loans by this summer.
To sign up for PNC virtual wallet
To establish a great personal/business balance in working from home
To volunteer at an animal shelter or some animal organization around town 
Babies/talking/thinking/maybe 

My business new years resolutions this year are:

To increase my pricing confidently (it’s almost ready to go) and push puremotif, my freelance business in every direction, everything I can do
And on that note, to continue to expand my business, and not say no to any work that comes my way because of guilt or fear I can’t do it,shouldn’t do it, someone else is doing it or i don’t deserve it. I studied hard and went through four years of college in graphic design, art and photography to do all the things i love
To alter my contracts and make sure I’m covered legally in all my business ventures
To learn the ins and outs of my new camera
To not break any more lenses
To learn and become excellent at using my flash
To network with other photographers and designers and create great working relationships
To spend my business money wisely and only on essentials
To keep business and friendship completely separate

What are your new years resolutions? If you blog about them, link to them in the comments!

Work is crazy. Work outside of work is crazy. Last night was a big website night with Danielle. Today, I am going to see Sarah Palin with friends. I’m pretty excited. Regardless of what side you’re on, a big political name coming to your hometown is an awesome opportunity.

I can’t wait until election day is over. I’m so sick of all the political advertisements, speeches, rhetoric, debates, lies, twisting of facts, etc. Let’s just get there already and move on!!!

Last night was rough with self-confidence, doubt, anger, frustration, and general overwhelment and loneliness. Trying to figure out your passions and how you should be spending your time best, where you belong, where you should move on from and where focuses should be is an intense task. Thankfully a friend stopped over and that helped, then my hubby came home and was wonderful. He even said “you know what? We’re having a great night. There I said it. I’m deeming this a great night.”  It turned from awful to great within an hour or so, and that was spectacular.

Anyway I’m just trying to take it one thing at a time. I needed to blog to get it all out of my system. Thanks for thoughts and prayers. Love.

I’ll leave you with my cousin Paul’s myspace. I’ve been enjoying his old-school style of raw music, fun, entrancing.

Also, here’s two really awesome pictures of Amy taken on her moving day, helping me prepare for Bekah’s senior pics

oh love wash over a multitude of things
love wash over a multitude of things
love wash over a multitude of things

make us whole

there is a love that never fails
there is a healing that always prevails
there is a hope that whispers a vow
a promise to wait while we’re working it out
so come with Your love and wash over us…. 

sara groves, when it was over.

We’re singing this song on Sunday along with How He Loves, and I’m just overwhelmed with God’s love for us. How healing it is and how sweet. I’m so honored to get to lead these songs. I don’t deserve it but God has put me in that place so I’ll sing my sweetest for Him.

It’s been quite a few months really when I think about life, advances, my family and friends, my career. It seems that I’m honing in on the things I’m truly passionate about in my life inadvertently. I don’t want to say it’s being handed to me, but in some ways I’ve sort of fallen into it and I’m so glad I have. One person asks me to do this, I say yes – it goes on and refers to someone else. With websites and with photography.

• With music and worship, God is opening His spirit to me more, and I know it would be EVEN more if I wasn’t so dang busy so I could slow down more and get back into the Word again. He’s giving me more confidence and it’s only through His strength. 
• With My Father’s House of Erie, we’ve created tons of awareness with a face book page and I’ve even recruited someone for the board (who they LOVE). We’re moving forward and getting our mission statement across. We’ve designed a new logo for Bella Designs (to be revealed soon) and are going to hold a celebrity dress auction as soon as I can get to it. It’s a ton of work and time but for such an amazing mission.
• The grace website is being revamped. I’ve been able to be part of the process between Danielle (designer & organizer) and Chris (programmer) and it’s really cool. I think the entire thing is going to be fantastic – how much better it functions how much more updatable it will be… it’s really going to be sweet and help us be way more up-to-date and efficient.
• And with work, I am so blessed in my freelance and photography company that I keep getting work that I love and that the more I do it the more I love it. If it continues the way it is, I pray that God would grant me the ability to be stable enough to do it full-time. That’s always been the goal but I see the light now more than I have before with the addition of the photography component of my business. It seems like I could get there if I continue to press on and go without fear and comparing and my reverse-pride problem. I’ve for so long said “well so many other people are doing it, i shouldn’t do it.” but I WANT to be doing it too. And it doesn’t matter what others are doing. I do what I do and what I love and I do it as best as I can! In fact, I was recently in contact with my photography professor from college and he was astonished at the work I’ve been doing with photography, and wants me to come in and talk to his digital photo class in the fall which sounds sweet! I want to take more classes and learn more and do more. It’s amazing for me to feel a “desire” to actually ‘work’ (i.e., perform a service and get paid. that sounded bad) With design and stuff, I’ll do it and sometimes I like it but generally it still feels like a job. The photography – although exhausting (weddings) during the shoot, is still a total adventure. And the editing and reviewing process is such a joy. I can’t describe how much I’m loving it all… So, I’ll go where I’m lead and try to fight back against the self-confidence issues that hold me back. God loves me and all of us and has us all in His heart and will lead us if we let Him.

Anyway… on a lighter and shallower note, I’m really really really excited about fall 08 tv season premieres starting next week. aaaah!!!!

Ok – time to work on powerpoint….

One of the advantages to being off on Mondays (which isn’t always possible, but I try my hardest) is getting able to actually use and cook and chop and eat all the healthy food I buy at the beginning of the month. Today I wanted to make myself a healthy stir fry. It’s super simple, but unbelievably tasty. You can use whatever amount of the ingredients you want, or add or take away anything.

The basic ingredients to rachel’s summer stir-fry are:

Assorted bell peppers

Fresh pineapple chunks (this is important)

Zucchini/squash

A few slices of onion

A few piece of asparagus

Chopped fresh chicken, cooked before the veggies are added

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (about a tablespoon or so)

Rosemary/Thyme to taste

Start the chicken first obviously, and then after it’s about halfway cooked, you can add the rest. The best part? It’s a starch free meal – the only carbs come from the veggies/pineapple. It filled me up. Sort of. I have to admit, I still had a twix bar afterwards. I’m terrible about my sweets.

In other news, this weekend was good. Fast as usual. Sunday service was good – and Brian and I got some really nice quality time together. MetaCafe was fun, you need to come! Also, I got a ton of cleaning, purging and organizing and figuring out things that have just been put off due to busyness. Tax stuff, business account stuff, stacks and stacks of junk mail, coupon cutting, client file disorganization….I don’t know how I let things get out so of hand. I mean, I feel that I am an organized person, but things build up so fast. I still have a small pile on my desk I need to deal with. But I can’t get to it quite yet.

Today was one of those days where you do things you have to do – go to the dentist, run to walmart to pick up supplies you’re low on and end up spending way more than you want, heading to petsmart to get food for the cats – unable to resist walking to the adoption section and having to leave in tears because you want to take all these beautiful, loving pets home and give them a home…. etc. Don’t you all have days like that?

I’m going to Bella Designs (that website will be redone within the month, I promise) now to take pictures of dresses for a celebrity/ebay auction that will be happening soon, then home for a bit, then to Chris’s with Danielle to make a major dent in the new Grace website reprogram/redesign. I’m actually excited about it!

This post got rambly. Sorry. Where is life going? It flies and flies and flies and flies.

I just love the sparkles in the eyes that this effect helped bring out

Slightly different angle in color

now wait - what is that thing again?

what a sweetie!

he he

this was nathan’s idea

proud aunt

relaxed

hand

sweetie

big brother. 

num num num

aunt and neice

Also there are only 3 kittens left who need a home from my grandma’s gorgeous litter. Let me know if you are interested in giving one a wonderful home! This is Annie, the only female left. There are 2 boys, Gepeto and Jasper – they are all awesome.

Now to bed as work is going to be very very early tomorrow on a project thats not quite one of my favorites. I wish I was just taking pictures all the time!!!

• I did one of the stupidest things of my life yesterday. Let’s just say I wasn’t paying enough attention, so I did some damage to my car on the brick building at work. I think it’s going to be very… very expensive. The redeeming quality? My incredible, understanding, comforting, and non-judgemental or condemning husband. He could have, within full rights, reacted badly – but instead he was incredible. Sometimes his unbelievable heart-after-God shines through and I am blessed.
• Molly & Abraham’s wonderful arrival.
• Today my dad is coming over and we are going to finally work on our backyard. It’s very muddy back there right now but I hope that doesn’t stop us.
• Erie City Schools start back on Monday. I’m praying about peace, calmness and less anger when I start seeing our privacy violated again for the next 9 months.
• I need to go into work at EO this weekend to try to get some stuff accomplished without clients calling every 5 minutes and people adding new requests to my plate while I’m still trying to fix other stuff. Friday was one of the worst days of the summer as far as requests, responsibilities, etc.. I handled things ok, didn’t freak out too much. I just asked for help and it got a little better.
• I woke up majorly early again this morning. During the work week it’s all I can do to get out of bed, but on Saturdays – 6:30 am on the dot, and I canNOT get back to sleep.
• We had an amazing small group last night. I love our small group. We are so ever-adaptable, welcoming new faces in, growing deeper together, sending people off to missions work and bringing in new couples. It’s awesome! Then we watched some Olympics together which is always fun

Modern girl blogged about this company called Snow & Graham. Normally I hate repeating things that all the other designy blogs are sharing, but this stuff is so beautiful, I just had to put it out there. I don’t know that at this point in my life I have use for much of it, but maybe someone would. At the very least, the prints, colors, designs are very inspiring. And the flash website is perfect. Beautiful!

I know for sure there was an important tax assessment document in it, because that’s what I was going to look for to talk with him about when I noticed their was no paper/documents/mail in the basket anymore. I know there were probably some bills – definitely our student loans and mortgage bill were, but I’m not worried about those as I already paid the student loans and the mortgage is the same every month. I’m also pretty sure our garbage bill was in there which is always $38.75 a quarter.

Anyway I’m writing this post for advice. What should I do? I need to recover that tax assessment document – I suppose I could call the assessment office? And I guess I have to go onto online bill pay and see where I’m at with my timing? I depend soooo much on my paper bills as my reminders, its just my old-fashioned system mixed with new-fangled Quicken and Online bill pay.

Any advice???? aaaaaaaah…..

(Oh, and don’t mention it to brian if you see him, he feels bad enough as it is. The point of this isn’t to complain about my husband, but just to get advice on a procedure to find out what i’ve lost… if it’s possible.)

MMM>>>>>> something like this>>>>>

I also finally got the “try the new facebook” bar on facebook, so we’ll see. I’ve heard only negative stuff about it. Also, I’m going to try to learn Expression Engine and build a complete site with it in a month. So that should be interesting and I hope more fun then anything else. Techies, I WILL need you.