Jessica in the Pines

 I seriously have the most photogenic sisters a gal could ask. These are outtakes of this post, btw.

Angel + Leaves

Wind blowing, leaves tossing,

paws flying, ears flopping.

Angel + Leaves. Fall is nigh.

Only Once

We went to a music-type festival at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. As we were leaving a giant C17 passed over our heads, my shutter clicking the entire time. Dad said it would probably be the only time we girls see a jet that huge, that close. Glad I snapped 20 pictures to remember it by :)

The Road Ahead

Sometimes you sit in the bleachers and watch while other people do the hard things.

Sometimes you sit in the back seat while the someone else drives.

And when your turn comes to get up and step on the floor or grasp the wheel, it can be the scariest thing in the world.

As well as the most exciting.

All you can do is trust in God and do what you saw the person before you do, though in the way God made you to do it.

Welcome, Junior year of High School. We'll see how I drive this road ahead.

P.S- as this is my second-to-last day of Summer break, we'll see where posting on this blog goes. I originally created it to be a retreat of sorts during the months when school is over, so I have yet to find out where this haven fits in with everything else as the semester begins. So until then, adieu and thanks for being the best readers a gal could ask for! xo

Small Joys

 Sometimes what we might call "the small joys" can, in actuality, be rather big: sunsets, lemonade and swimming with friends, that single-line email from someone you love...

And then there are dewdrops on strawberry leaves. Now that's a real small joy.

Growth

The green of I've-just-started.

The awkward of not-yet-there.

The frustration of I'm-getting-there.

the color of all-the-way.

Yes, even hydrangeas experience it.

Angel

 This dog has me wrapped around her fluffy white paw.

Badminton

Someday I hope to print these special memories.

I look through our boxes of old, old photos, and try and imagine what it was like back then.

I want to capture the memories of my life in full, vibrant color that was lacking the old slips of glossy photo paper I have to gaze upon now, longing, peering, imagining.

Other than God, memory is all we really have to keep on living, right?

P.S- so this lazy girl finally got around to uploading hundreds of photos from cards to desktop, so now you will have post over-load. You're welcome.