{Saturday Sharing: Brandon Kidd and on my bucket list}

Brandon and Kristin Kidd Photography - New Zealand Part II

This is a two-fold sharing post because....

1. This couple is amazing. Literally. Their photography, their faith, their perspective, their weddings... I love them all. So after you read this specific post, you should read the rest of their blog.... and follow them.

2. I'm sharing this post.... because this has just become something on my bucket list [and no... those aren't just for old people]. Canyoning {traveling in canyons using a variety of techniques.... walking scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling and/or swimming} sounds like a fabulous adventure! Just look at the pictures.

Rappeling. Rock slides. Free Falls. Zip lines. WIN!

So enjoy the pictures... and plan a trip with me. Sometime in the future. Hopefully near[er] future. For now.. just dream!

Have a rad weekend!

{Why I love Spring: Boating in the Pond}

Another reason I enjoy spring: "Boating" in the pond [yes, that's a sled... but it serves a wide variety of purposes]

 {A regular occurrence.. luckily this time he didn't end up soaked}

{Summer | Creative Writing}

The sun was just coming over the hill, shining through the window, as she crawled out of bed. She twisted her hair into a bun and slipped into her favorite yellow skirt. Putting flip-flops on her feet, she grabbed her bible and a cup of coffee and in the quiet stillness of the morning sat on the porch.

She curled her legs under her skirt as she sat, drinking in the cool morning air and the fresh smells of growing things. Her arms had slight goosebumps on them, and she hugged herself.  She thought about things, about life, and about her God. After a half hour of quiet time, she went back into the busy house, where the family was loud, getting ready for the day.

Hoisting up the laundry basket full of wet clothes, she lugged it out to the clothes line. The morning sun shone over the roof of the house and in her eyes as she hung the clothes. She shook them out, pinned one side and then the other, and moved to the next piece of laundry. She hung the last piece and left the basket next to the pole.

Later that day she would play Frisbee with her friends, meeting at the park. She kicked off her flip-flops and felt the grass fit between her toes. She pumped her arms, and moved her legs as fast as they would carry her, reaching for the Frisbee someone threw. They played until they couldn’t play any longer. No one cared who won, they just played for the rush. At the end of the night she had grass stains on her knees, dirt on her hands, and spent legs. She’d laughed a ton, smiled a lot and run until her chest hurt.

They sat around on the grass, exhausted and happy, talking as the night got cooler. She grabbed her hoody from the car, pulling it over her head and leaving the hood up. She stood leaning on the open car door, talking a little longer to a friend, soaking in the night.  

Soon she was home, ready to plop into bed in the dark room. Her skin felt smooth against the cool sheets, and her head light against the pillow. The windows were open, there was a cool breeze against her face and she could hear the frogs chirping in the pond as she fell asleep. 

{Eric | Staples, Minnesota Sports Photographer}

I wasn't going to write a blog post tonight, but.....

Sometimes, it's kind of pain being a photographer... It makes it hard to sit around and just enjoy awesome light. There was a pretty sweet sunrise going on I couldn't just sit and read my book.

It end up being totally worth it! And a shoot like this at the ball field is coming up soon, complete with uni and all. Can't wait!

Why I love Spring: Commercial Break

Why I love Spring is breaking for a commercial.... 

A commercial in the form of snow and rain. Spring will be back shortly.

Thank you for watching...

:D

{our secret place}

I'm in our secret place // alone in Your embrace // where all my wrongs have been erased 

You have forgiven...

All the promises and lies // All the times I've compromised // All the times You were denied 

You have forgiven...

{Forgiven, by Skillet} 

{More of the Drive-In and Beammer}

I had such a hard time picking pictures to share.... so this is a long post. Hope you enjoy!

 {I really love these girls}

{Anna took these pictures of Amy and I [and the following ones of me] She's great photog!}

 {I realllly like this one}

{Saturday Sharing: Balancing Beam}

A friend of mine [Abbey] mentioned this video the other day during a good conversation. We were talking about how as Christians a lot of times we're so scared of falling, or sinning, or getting corrupted that we err on the side of safety. Always. We rarely take risks, because we're scared of getting stained? Or hurt? Or.. Or.. Or..

That's not what God called us to do! We're here to seek first the Kingdom of God, not safety, not salvation, the KINGDOM OF GOD. Which means we need to be conquers, overcomers, on the defense, not the offense. Someone recently said, "I truly believe that He who is in me is greater than He who is in the world. I truly believe that, and that's why once I've raised my kids I send them OUT into the world."

Our God is greater. Do we truly believe that? Then let's stop clinging to the beam and get out there! There's no point in staying pure or unscathed if we aren't doing things for the Kingdom of God!

{Why I love Spring: Spring Crocus'}

{Softball}

I miss softball. I've played some form of baseball/softball since I was about three (it's very much the family sport) but playing competitively was different.

There was something about putting on the uniform that made you assume your “game face”. Something about knowing that you were prepared as much as you could be, and realizing that you were going to have to try your hardest. There was something about knowing your body could actually do these things. Putting on the uniform pumped yourself up mentally, while you warmed up physically.

Softball is a very mental game. When you get up to the plate, and even in the on deck circle, you start to zone in. By the time the pitcher starts to wind-up it’s like you are the only two on the field. Occasionally, mainly because it was so familiar, I could hear my dad’s voice when I stepped up to the plate, but after that there was nothing besides the battle between you and the pitcher.

Yeah, it takes skill to hit the ball, and more to hit it well, but it also takes concentration and mental toughness. I know. You can smash every ball in the cage, but have a batting average of .000. It was a challenge against myself, and a battle in my mind every time I was at the plate.

When you hit the ball you can hear again, even though all your focus is getting to the next base. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of the ball hitting your sweet spot, and you could know without looking that it was a solid hit. Then you’re on base, the play is over and the next batter at the plate. I loved base running; pushing your limits, playing with the catcher’s mind, sprinting hard, stealing bases, sliding, taking out the catcher while scoring, it was all a blast.

I played both catcher and short stop, two awfully different positions. When I caught, I loved having every aspect of the game in your mind as you crouched behind the plate, eyes on each runner, knowing the count, remembering each batter’s weaknesses. I loved being the leader on the field. Catching was a challenge, and the feeling of playing a good game was immensely satisfying.

Short was completely different but as much of a challenge. I loved not having the responsibility of a bag, but having to know the next play, and exactly where you were going with the ball; fielding fast moving ground balls, and whipping them over to first. I loved being part of a play at second, or turning on a pop-up; being the mouth on in the infield, or covering a base on a bunt. I loved the relationship with the second baseman and deep throws from in the hole.  

I remember the feeling of a hard pitch or a screaming line drive in your pocket. The sting of your palm as you closed your glove on the ball and brought your other hand over it. I remember the adrenaline of a play, and the smug feeling of one well done.  

Capping it off were the feelings after a game; exhausted and full of dirt, bruised from sliding, muscles aching [and since I couldn’t separate them from softball, my quads would be killing me], but if you knew you’d done your best and left it all on the field, even the pain was satisfying.

I need your HELP!

Remember my "Design Your Look" over here??? 

Well... now is the time to vote! :) They added more prizes, and a second and third place, so I'd *love* to win.

Click on the banner to head over to the post. All you have to do is leave a comment under the post with the name of the person you're voting for. [You don't *have* to vote for me... but I'd love you forever if you did. hehe. My "name is Kelley K. -KelleyJoImaging]

{New Blog Design!}

YAY! I'm so excited to have this done! I realized how much I really disliked my old blog design; It wasn't me at all.... and so I'm very happy to have the make-over :)) I also tweaked my logo, which for now I'm pretty happy with.

It took a little while, and lots of mumbo-jumbo and deleting of blogs, but I'm loving the look right now!

Next project..... make-over the website. :)

{Quick Preview: Portraits in Brainerd MN}

Anna is one of those friends that even if you we don't hang out as much as we want, we still have a blast every time we *do* get together. Annnd, she has a really sweet ride. 

Friday night we went thrift store shopping, picked up a couple of accessories, drove up to some peoples house, and asked to use their drive-in movie theater, and had some fun. 

I'm still working on editing the rest of these... but here's a little preview :)

Saturday Sharing: Chase

This post over at Chase Jarvis' blog was really good. He puts the thoughts down bluntly, and yet encouragingly at the same time:

SO YOU WANT TO BE A PROFESSIONAL?

TUESDAY - 5TH OF APRIL, 2011

So you want to be a professional?

Photographer. Director. Golfer. Belly dancer. Designer. Waiter. Model.

If you’re wondering if you’ve got what it takes to go pro, try it. Seriously. Quit what you’re doing now and go there. You’ll know soon after you’ve tried to go there whether or not you’re in the right spot. If you don’t have what it takes, it will be obvious – going pro will be too hard, other things will seem more interesting, more pleasurable, more fun.

On the other hand, if you do have what it takes, you will be reborn. All setbacks will seem small, all goals achievable, all hurdles put there only to keep out the others. You will know you’re on the right path.

One thing for certain is that both paths–trying to go pro and steering clear of going pro–will be full of fear. In one case the fear is that you’ll fail and not be good enough. In the other case the fear is that you’ll never have lived your dream…

When you think of those two, which one is worse?

So what is it for you? Which is worse? What's keeping you from being a "professional" in your field? What's keeping you from your dreams?