So I have this really cool friend…and we’re kindred spirits 100%. Our obsessive love of Doritos, skirts, late-night movies, Coke, bowling, Biscuiting, dramaticness, and the Swan Princess draws us together. Victoria was the first person I met here. Her family just happened to be visiting from Kentucky the week we first visited. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the really pretty, long-haired girl that reminded me of a friend I used to have back in Washington. After the service, I remember her walking up to me and introducing herself. But, for the life of me I couldn’t remember her name afterwards. “That Valerie girl…” was all I could remember.
Time went by, and the Valerie girl family who didn’t look anything alike eachother went back up to Kentucky. Unknown to me, they were down here house-hunting, as they were to move down here in December(it was August when we first met). I recognized her when they moved here and I saw her at church again, but didn’t know if she remembered me and I still couldn’t remember her name, so I kinda was just polite and said hi.
Over the Sundays, was became great friends, and after we started going to the same home-school co-op we became even better friends…but we never started out as “the best of friends”…until some revelation that I never noticed happen. I don’t know what happened, but all the sudden we were sharing every humiliating experience. I don’t know where or when our friendship sparked, but I can say I am very glad it happened! We’ve had so many goodtimes, and numerous inside jokes are now made! Keep breathing(Tori, Danny, and I), You too!(me, Tori, and possibly Danny and Aaron, but I don’t think they were paying attention; which is good.), La Heim!, and others that I am sure I’m forgetting. Oh well. 
I remember our first sleepover…that’s where we realized that we had a lot in common…a LOT in common. We stayed up until like 1 a.m watching movies, eating popcorn(this was my pre-braces party) and drank lots of Coke!
We had a blast, and learned SO much about each other that night! That was the first of many late nights and fun days.
Though there is a two year difference in our ages, Victoria is the best friend I have ever had. Not only does she set a great example, but she is silly, sweet, sensible, and in every way the sister I’d always wished I’d had.
We’ve had many sleepovers together and enjoyed everyone of them(at least I did). We’ve become great friends this last year, and I am very certain that our friendship will last for life.
We’ll always have each other’s backs…especially when calling customer services or buying something with a debit card.
We’ll always be there to make each other laugh and be silly…for it is a great medicine.
We will always be there to smile with one another, to lift each other’s spirits, and to strengthen our faith. Cause that’s what sisters do.
This Alligator was found in Winter Haven, Florida, which is right below Orlando.
The thing’s ginormous!
(by the way, thats a large buck he’s carrying)
Today it was brought to my attention by a special friend of mine that this day, June 25th, a year ago was my first photography shoot. Besides the fact that it was a momentous occasion because it sparked a friendship between the teenagers and their siblings I was taking pictures of and myself, it was the first photography shoot I had ever done.
I have learned so much since that first shoot! The two pictures above were my favorite from that day. The pictures below are some from two of my latest shoots.
Is it just me or is that a big difference?
Over the months, with every shoot, I have focused on learning something.
1) Catching a natural sparkle in the the people’s eyes.
2) Catch the bright and natural colors.
3) Blur background to create a unique photo that speaks.
4) Capture a lens flare.
5) Make a crystal-clear black and white.
I am always working on something, or multiple things, on every shoot I do. Maybe one day I will be satisfied…but I doubt it. There’s always more to learn.
So, I hereby present my Top 1o favorite photos I’ve taken.
10)
9)
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2)
1)
The orthodontist is a place that you will never forget. Though several of you know what I mean, yes that would be my brace-buddies Katy, Danny, and Spencer, I’m going to give ya’ll a rundown of what goes on inside the nicely painted, apparently welcoming building.
You walk in and are met by the very sweet receptionists that tell you to sign in and go sit down. Your nervousness starts to go away with so many warm smiles from the assistants around you. When your name is called, you walk over to a seat where a nice lady asks you how you are doing. You smile and reply you’re doing well. She aks if you’re having any problems with your braces or anything and you say no. She lowers you down, and while doing so says “Oh you’re getting new wires today…top and bottom”. She walks over to the counter and puts on some gloves and grabs your new wires. She returns and sits down to take off your color bands. Forcefully pushing on your semi-sore teeth, she says “We’ll get these wires in…if I can get these doors open. haha.” You wince as she press even harder on your teeth. She eventually gets it, to your relief…but your relief is short lived. As she clips your new wires she says “These wires are bigger, so it’s probably going to be pretty painful.”
Gee thanks.
After that procedure, your orthodontist comes over and looks at your mouth. “Hmm, her overbites getting worse. Guess we’ll have to insert a very painful appliance on her molars that will dig into her cheeks and make it hard for her to move her mouth.” (ok, he didn’t say the second sentence, but that’s what my friends tell me of this device)
The joy is overflowing by now. The anticipation of your next appointment growing.
At least it wasn’t as bad as your first appointment. The one where you were told they were going to drive a nail through your gum and attach it to your jawbone and connect that to your laying-down molars. “That’ll probably make your mouth sore. And it’s not a surgery or anything, so she’ll be awake the whole time.”
That was very painful, by the way.
Yupp…you gotta love the orthodontist. Every visit is filled with joy and excitment. Yeah, I highly recommend it.
The new ad for the orthodontist should say something like this: Come to our Orthodontics! You’ll receive excellent care, and lots of pain! Our staff is always pleased to serve you and ready to hurt your mouth. Come by today for free information about what you’ll go through with our services.
Ok ok, I am happy to get straight teeth…and I love the niceness of my othodontist and his staff…but really…must it hurt this bad???
Mrs. Hadding took us four girls to do some pictures yesterday…they turned out awesome!
Thanks to Emily Laki for the guest post.
Going on long bike rides with my family is my favorite summer time activity. This year my husband bought me a bike that he saw one night on our Direct tv. It is a cruising bike for me because I wanted to retire my mountain bike for the year until my baby is a little older. This new bike was perfect for a baby seat.
I started taking our baby on short trips to the store and back until he got used to riding on the bike. Now he is able to ride for an hour, when we take our family bike rides. We enjoy riding as a family because we are able to go where ever we want and the other children love having that control.
We play follow the leader through our small town in the mornings so that we can get a break from being in the house. The older children like to ride their bikes to go visit people in town, so we will all go to see their aunt across town on the weekends.
Biking is wonderful and my family and I use it for recreation but also transportation. This helps us help the environment, which we are very concerned with these days. We hate to put the bikes in storage each fall and can’t wait to get them back out again for summer.
The official trailer comes out in two weeks, but I wanted to go ahead and post this teaser trailer. Will be sure to put up the premier trailer as soon as it comes out! This one is kinda lame and has the dragon from Dragon Heart in it cause it was made before the animation was done, but oh well.
By the way, the movie comes to theaters December 10th. Leave a comment telling me what you think!
Me, Victoria, and Christina
So…I haven’t posted in a while, besides pictures or videos. Nothing exciting or pathetic.
I don’t have anything interesting to write, so here are some ramblings. Look out for the random pictures.
1) We move in 2 months or so. 
It is so weird…I get really excited when looking for houses, and I already found the one that I really want: 5 bedrooms and I’d have my own bathroom(my life-long dream, strange I know). and we’d only be 7 miles from the book store and 0.8 from the commisary. Everything, and I mean e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g, is with 20 miles. It’s totally awesome. By the way, did I mention that I hate moving? But I figured that if we have to move, then I might as well find joy in it, and my own bathroom is pretty much everything I’ve ever wanted. (joke) Maybe a bigger bedroom would be nice. The room I have now is crowded so Ican’t fit my nunchucks in there.
I’ve always wanted to live right next to a book store…I mean, I’m a book-a-holic after all. Spending three hours a week in a book store is like…I don’t know how to describe it…bliss. Or something.
Christina, me, and Victoria in the front, and Danny and Jacob in the back
The mission of finding joy in moving was a hard one. My life is here. But, my heart is where the home is, and after 15 years of miltary life I learned that you gotta decide where your heart is and stick it there and thats where you are. That’s why the LORD holds my heart. My friends are here. But, my family is where my sole love is, so I will survive. And even though I hate it when people tell me “Oh, you’ll make new friends.”, it’s true. Though none of them could replace my dearest friends here.
It’s already been decided that we’re moving. I can’t change that. The only thing I am in control in is my acceptance of it, my submitting to it, my being happy with it. A month ago it felt like my world was falling apart with the move coming up, but now I feel blessed to (1) be able to live here for the 2 years I did, and (2) being able to move only 5 hours away. So, yup I’m moving, and I’ll probably cry the day I say good bye, but I’ll see ya 3 months later when I come down for my orthodontist appointments.
Katie, me, Danny, and Josh
2) Sadly co-op is over. The end.
3) Two books I just finished that y’all MUST read are Skin(Ted Dekker) and Across Time Across Tears(Sheridan Elaide Claude). Just to let you know.
Lizzy, Katy, and me
Well, thats about it. I love my family, I love my friends, I love my God, I love my life.
Sam and me
