Pardon the Dust!

You may notice that the blog has taken on a slightly different look. I've been wanting to overhaul the design of my blog for awhile and have started to take the plunge. Please pardon the dust as I tweak things and get it looking just how I want it. :)

January 20, 2013

 

 

 

 

Photoshoot with friends. Love my new lens.

#fmsphotoaday #notstickingwiththetheme #naturallight #justalittleediting

January 20, 2013

Springtime on my dresser.

#fmsphotoaday #whatisaw #flowers #candles #wishingforspring

January 19, 2013

Chocolate. Doesn't get much more delicious.

#fmsphotoaday #delicious #dove #chocolate

Winter.

We had a beautiful frost-bitten landscape today! I'm sure it was prettier earlier in the day before some of it melted, but by the time I got home from work and got some pictures, it was still quite quickly.

It was fun to experiment with my new lens, the Canon 50mm f/1.8 fixed lens.

 

 

January 17, 2013

Ready for the next snow storm.

#fmsphotoaday #ready #january17

January 16, 2013

Me and my camera, who is affectionately called Charlie.

*Yes, I know I missed a few days. I have been sick with a cold all week

and didn't really feel like taking pictures.*

#fmsphotoaday #january16 #twoitems #me #mycamera 

January 11, 2013

 Fun times with friends. Not quite following the prompt of the day, but a picture nonetheless.

#fmsphotoaday #january11 #water #notreally #foosball

70 Years.

The year: 1943.

The world was in the middle of World War II.

Gasoline cost approximately 19-cents per gallon.

Bread could be found for just 9-cents a loaf, and it cost 3-cents to mail a letter.

 

Casablanca won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Bing Crosby's crooning voice singing I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas topped the Billboard chart at the beginning of the year.

It is also the year that my grandparents said "I do." Seventy years ago. And today they are celebrating this monumental anniversary.

Not many of us will have the opportunity to make it to 70 years of marriage. In fact, the way I figure it, if I wanted to stand a chance I'd need to get married tomorrow, AND live until I was 96. Somehow I don't think that is going to happen (just a hunch....).

What a legacy my grandparents leave to their children. To their grandchildren. To all future generations.

I'm told the wedding was a lovely affair. My grandfather has been working on writing his life story and I hope he doesn't mind if I share the part he wrote about their wedding. I was going to try to re-write it but I decided to share it in his words.

"Our wedding took place on the evening of January 16, 1943 at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Detroit where we were members. Our pastor, Dr. Albert J. Lindsay, performed the ceremony. Ruth had made her bridal gown of blush pink satin. It had long sleeves and a gathered skirt that swept into a long graceful train. Her sister Bernice was the maid of honor...our mothers and Ruth's grandmother Volk were attired for the occasion. About 250 guests were received at the reception held in the church parlor.

The weather was a bit treacherous as it had started to snow that morning. Ruth and I had reservations at the Dearborn Inn for that night and then at St. Clair Inn for a few days. That first night we had one of the small private rooms behind the main Inn. When we looked out the window in the morning the snow looked about 2-ft deep and it was still snowing. Breakfast was delivered to our room. We probably dined at the Inn for all our other meals. There was no way we were going to be able to get to the St. Clair Inn, so on Tuesday we settled in at the apartment...our new home in Dearborn."

I'm thankful for my grandparents and the strong example and legacy they are leaving behind.

Happy Anniversary, Papa and Grama! I love you!!!

January 10, 2013

Just another day at work. The fire drill 20 minutes later, however....much more exciting.

#fmsphotoaday #1oclock #january10 #work

January 9, 2013

What better use of paper than as the pages of a book?

#fmsphotoaday #paper #january9 #ilovetoread 

#lovefindsyouseries #startedatworkfinishedbeforebed #secondbookthisyear

January 8, 2013

Some of my very favorite teas.

#fmsphotaday #somethingthatstartswith't' #january8 

#tazo #tea #passion #sweetorange #everymorning

January 6, 2013

My bouquet from Sarah & Aaron's wedding.

#fmsphotoaday #mine #january6 #callalilies #sopretty #yellow

January 5, 2013 (AKA, I Love Weddings)

I have a good reason for not following the January 5 photo prompt! You see, on January 5, 2013 I had the great privilege to be a bridesmaid as one of my dearest friends said "I do!"

Sarah and I have been friends for close to 9 years. Over the past 6 years or so she and I and about 3 other girls have been getting together close to weekly for Girl's Group. We usually do some sort of Bible study and share prayer requests, but pretty much every week we end up sharing all the various things going on in our lives. It has brought us all very close and this past weekend Sarah became the first member of our group to become a married lady.

I was, obviously, busy with various tasks, so I didn't take very many pictures but I did get a few to share.

Enjoy (and excuse the fact that I didn't get any pictures of "movement," as was my prompt for the day). :) Click on the photos to make them bigger. :)

The Bride | The Bridesmaid Dresses

 

The Bride | The Matron of Honor, Signing The Guestbook (Yes, A Record)

 

Yours Truly | The Flower Girl Signing The Guestbook

 

The Groom | The Bride (I Think They Are Excited!)

 

An Excellent Wife....Who Can Find?  

Congratulations, Aaron & Sarah! I love you and was so honored to be part of your special day!

#photoaday #january5 #weddings #iloveweddings

January 4, 2013

The view out the window of my office.

#fmsphotoaday #theviewfromhere #work #january4

January 3, 2013

I didn't follow the prompt for this picture (it was supposed to be something with a heart) but I did take a picture (several!) that day so decided to post it. :)

#photoaday #january3

January 2, 2013

The newest addition to my iTunes library.

"Put me in the ground, put me six-foot down and let the stone say 'here lies a girl whose only crutch was loving one man just a little too much.' So if you die before I do you better tell the grave digger that he better dig two."

#fmsphotoaday #somethingnew #january2 #favoriteband #countrymusic

January 1, 2013

Cleaning and putting away the Christmas decorations.

#fmsphotoaday #today #january1 

Review: Chase, by Jennie Allen

I recently had the opportunity to review Jennie Allen’s newest DVD Bible Study, Chase. This study comes with a leader’s guide (lead) and study book (study), along with a DVD (see) and cards with discussion questions (ask). There are seven lessons that will take you through a study of David, a man after God’s own heart.

The lessons cover topics such as “identity,” “courage,” “obedience” and “surrender,” to name a few.

Each participant will need a copy of the study guide as it is basically a workbook and participants will go through the week’s lesson before coming to Bible Study (yes, it’s homework….but it really doesn’t take a ton of time!). There is a brief lesson to read through, and then several activities each week to apply what you are learning. Some weeks you may be writing answers to short questions, or writing your reflections on what you have read and some weeks you may be drawing pictures – or some combination of those activities. I find the variety of activities to be helpful and make the study more interesting.

When your group gets together you will be watching a brief segment from the DVD, approximately 10 minutes in length. You will also be discussing what you learned during that week’s homework, and then using the discussion cards. The cards  provide some great starters for conversation.

If you have completed Jennie’s previous study, Stuck, you will find the format of this study to be very similar. My small group is in the middle of Stuck right now, but had to take a break for a couple months due to one of our members planning a wedding and helping with plans and prep...I am eager for us to get back into the study. I am also looking forward to going through Chase with my small group as I know we will be challenged and will learn and grow through the study.

Disclaimer: I received this study free of charge courtesy of the Booksneeze program and was not required to give a positive review. Thanks, Booksneeze!