Seriously Cute Baby

I photographed a friend's baby the other day. This kid is probably the happiest baby I've ever met. And his big brown eyes, chubby cheeks, and pouty lips are to die for. I could just eat him up!

The Journey God Chose For Me

This week I have been bombarded with so many mixed emotions. I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to feel. Am I supposed to not feel sad because that could be mistaken for being regretful? I feel jealous, envious, sad, left out. I don't want to feel that way. So I have been doing a lot of thinking, praying, talking it out with my husband. This week I have had to really face the fact that I'm not graduating college with the rest of my fellow class of 2006ers. The past few weeks when I have logged into my facebook account, and I'm sure it will be like this for the next few weeks, my heart hurts a little as I scroll through pictures of friends with their diplomas in hand. The words "One class to go!" or "Finished with college!" written repeatedly in numerous status boxes. I can't help but think "but that's supposed to be me too!"

But before I begin to sound like Debbie Downer, I have worked my thoughts out and this it what I think. I've never been one to follow the crowd and my life is certainly a testimony to that. I didn't think twice about deciding to get married when I was only just beginning my second year of college. Not once did I really consider waiting until after I graduated. That just wasn't really one of the options I would consider. I'm not sure why. Not once did I ever think maybe those people are right. The ones that told me I was seriously setting myself up for disaster by deciding to marry at the ripe age of 19. I just didn't think about those things. I just did. Did what I felt God was leading me to do. And it felt right. It still does.

But that single most defining decision I've made in my life certainly hasn't come without its share of struggles. School being one of the top ones. Four colleges later and I'm still not close to being done. Sometimes I feel like my wheels are just spinning. When will I see the light at the end of the tunnel? This journey to complete my degree may not seem like that big of a deal to some but it has become a huge deal to me because it is something that I have had to work tirelessly at to obtain. And so it has become that much more important to me. Maybe even verging on the side of obsessive. And I know I will appreciate that little piece of paper so much more when I finally get to hold it in my hands.

In the meantime, my educational journey has consisted more of experiences rather than textbooks. Finding my way around a confusing foreign land rather than sitting in a classroom. Learning what it really means to have no control over my life. This journey has really taught me more than any textbook, professor, or lab could ever teach me. So while I may feel sad for the time being, I feel more thankful than anything. Thankful that God has chosen me for this journey. And thankful that God placed Jarrett in my life so early on so that we could enjoy this journey together.

Cameron and Breonna

I had the opportunity to take some photos of some dear friends, Cameron and Breonna. Breonna has been in Guam visiting Cameron since February but unfortunately she is returning to the States tomorrow. I'm going to miss her bunches as we have gotten pretty close over the past few months. This was my first time taking some photos of a couple and I think they turned out alright. Obviously, I need a lot more practice but I'm pretty satisfied with the results of this first photoshoot. These two aren't hard on the eyes either so I'm sure that helped my case.

My Little Olive

When Jarrett got home yesterday, he sat me down and told me that he had received an unfortunate call that our dog Olive had been hit by a car. We adopted Olive from a human society about two weeks after we got married and she quickly became a part of our new little family. Olive was probably the biggest pest I have ever known but she was an even bigger lover. She slept in our bed with us, her head nuzzled against mine on the pillow. She would curl up in a little ball next to me, her head on my lap whenever I sat on the couch. She was overly protective but I didn't mind because she was my companion. When Jarrett and I first got married, I became extremely sad because I was alone all day in a new apartment in a city that I knew nothing about. Olive helped me get through that difficult time by constantly sticking by my side and giving me more puppy kisses than were necessary. When Jarrett and I got our orders to move to Guam, we struggled over what we were going to do with Olive. We didn't want her to have to suffer the long plane ride, we didn't want her to be quarantined for a long period of time (they don't have rabies in Guam), and we didn't know if where we were going to live would be a place she would be happy in. So we made the incredibly difficult decision to leave her with my family. And I'm so happy we made that decision. At my parent's house, Olive got to run around and be free. She had four people instead of two to love on her, and most importantly, she got cookies and treats. Enough treats to make her become a little chub chub. We will miss Olive greatly but I think she accomplished a lot in her short puppy life and it was time for her to go on to puppy heaven.