In the box....

Yay! I'm so excited, I can hardly contain myself. I may be spoiling myself big-time, but I don't care... so what was in the box? My new Mac Book Pro! Yes, I finally broke down and upgraded my computer (it's been a long time coming). My little ibook has been a faithful friend the past few years, but the poor little guy just couldn't quite handle all the thousands of Raw files I've been asking him to work with. Even the simplest photoshop task was like asking the little guy to run a marathon... I definitely over-worked my poor ibook, and he just wasn't able to keep up. But I'm so happy with my new macbook... this monster has SO much speed, it's going to make my life a whole lot easier (not to mention way more efficient!) Ok, and I have to confess, I got little carried away and also ordered a new 20-inch display screen. LOVE it! :)

So excited...

... about what's in the box!!! :)

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving here in beautiful, sunny San Diego... my sister & her hubby came down from L.A., and we had a big family Thanksgiving over at my aunt and uncle's house (thanks, guys- everything was wonderful!). It was a bit of a smaller group this time- only about 20 people (we have a pretty big extended family, so we're used to having tons of people gather for the holidays!). We had so much fun relaxing, talking, playing ping-pong, and, of course, eating. Here are a few photos from the day...

I love Thanksgiving! Spending time with friends & family... celebrating all of the things that we're thankful for... it's just such an awesome time to stop and really reflect on all that God has done in my life. I hope you all have a wonderful day! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thankful

A few days ago I was having a frappucino kind of day. Let me explain. I'm a pretty even-keeled, steady person... and I'm also pretty shy when it comes to just "wearing my heart on my sleeve." It's just not a strong point for me, and my close friends and family know that it can be very hard for me to open up and express when I'm having a bad day. (Seriously, saying I'm having a bad day can be like pulling teeth!). So... if you ever want to know how I'm REALLY doing on any given day, here's an insider's clue for you: ask me what I ordered at Starbucks that morning. Almost every day, I go for a tall non-fat Caramel Macchiatto. It's my steady favorite (just enough sweetness, without the insane amount of calories). :) On those days, everything's going great. I'm happy. Steady & even-keeled. Every once in a while, though, I'll step up to a tall non-fat white mocha. On those days, I'm usually extra happy, and I want to splurge a little- just for the heck of it. (If I want to splurge a lot, I'll even add whipped cream!) :)

And then there are my frappucino days. These days are very rare- they only happen every once in a while. But on the days that I order a VENTI caramel frappucino, WITH whipped cream... well, let's just say that I could use a little pick-me-up on those days. So yes, I was having a sort-of-rough-day this past weekend... and yes, I ordered myself a little "pick-me-up frappucino."

Since that day... let me just tell you, I have been SO encouraged and lifted up! (And it wasn't because of the frappucino). ;)My friends & family must know me by now- that sometimes when I say "I'm fine," it doesn't necessarily mean everything's peachy-keen. So I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who encouraged me this weekend when I needed it most. A belated birthday package that came at just the right time (including a Starbucks gift card- yay!)... a text message from my kindred-spirit-of-a-cousin, all the way from Africa... emails and phone calls and text messages from so many of you, sending love and prayers my way... wow, it was just awesome. So many little things from each of you turned into a HUGE gift that really made me smile.

Sitting here this morning, drinking my normal/steady Caramel Macchiatto, I'm realizing once again how incredibly BLESSED I am! I'm just amazed and completely blown away by my friends & family. And so... a few days away from Thanksgiving, I just wanted to let all of you know how absolutely thankful I am that you are in my life. I don't know where I would be without you guys. Thanks for all of your support and encouragement, thanks for just being there for me on my "frappuccino days," and thanks for walking with me through this season of my life- I love you all!

Boot Camp

Some days I wonder what the heck was going through my brain when I signed up for this. Was it a moment of insanity when I said ‘yes’? "Am I out of mind?" ... "What am I doing?" These pondering thoughts usually stir through my befuddled brain as my alarm goes off at around 4:40am, abruptly waking me from my sweet dreams and forcing me to crawl out of bed and head down to Mission Beach.

For the past 3 months, 3 mornings a week, I’ve been part of an early morning all-girls "bootcamp," complete with plenty of running/cardio, weight lifting, circuit training, push-ups, pull-ups, sprinting in the sand, and basically an all-around crazy-insane, feel-the-burn workout that totally kicks my butt! One of my friends, Jessica Thomas, is a personal trainer and owner of Fit 2 Wed. I don’t know where this girl gets her energy from- she’s wide awake and completely happy to be working out at 5 in the morning, when the sun hasn’t even made an appearance yet! (I say NOBODY should even be AWAKE that early, let alone starting an intense workout!). Seriously, though, all complaining and whining aside- I really am glad that I joined. I’ve been wanting to get back in shape for a while now, and I’m proud to say that this bootcamp has been very effective! My biggest accomplishment? I can now do 30 REAL pushups in 60 seconds! (This might not seem like much, I know, but this is coming from a girl who couldn’t even do ONE real pushup a few months ago!). :)

And I know for sure that I couldn’t have done this on my own. Jessica is an amazing trainer, and she is so good at motivating us- yes, even at 5 in the morning. Not only that, but she encourages us to make healthy lifestyle choices that go beyond just “getting in shape” or "dropping a few pounds." Plus, having a group of other girls to work out with is so much fun- that in itself is a ton of motivation, too. (I’m just a little bit competitive... so if someone next to me is lifting 10-pound weights, you better believe that I’m going to kill myself trying to do the same!) Thanks so much, Jess- I loved your bootcamp! Any ladies in the San Diego area... her next bootcamp is starting up in a few weeks, so check it out!

Jess asked me to do a little photo shoot to get some pics that she can use for some of her marketing materials. Here are a few of the shots...

Disneyland

A few weeks ago, we all took a day off of work to celebrate my birthday at Disneyland! To say we “had a good time” would be the biggest understatement EVER! I haven’t been to Disneyland in such a long time, and it was just SO awesome to hang out with some of my friends at the happiest place on earth! Marissa & Weston (or “Westissa,” as we like to call them) got me a ticket for my birthday, and then I upgraded to the yearly pass. (Why not, right?) They also brought their little digital camera... and let me just say- some of the photos we took could definitely end up as major blackmail leverage in the future (don’t worry, I am not posting any of the too terribly awful ones here!). ;)

Marissa, me, & Deena- on our way to the happiest place on earth!Main Street! Me, Deena, Brian, & "Westissa" :) (kind of like"Brangelina") Marissa was just a LITTLE bit excited for this picture... So the "Finding Nemo" ride made me & Deena a little restless (aka bored)... and we all know that boredom & a camera don't mix- it's inevitable that you'll end up with some super-dorky pictures! :) Another dorky one... Me & Riss... Thanks for the birthday trip to D-land, guys- I had SOOO much fun!

Nick & Nicki (Wedding w/ David Jay)

Here are a few of my shots from Nick & Nicki's wedding this past weekend (where I got to be a 3rd shooter for the famous David Jay - thanks again for letting me come along, DJ!).

The day started at forme salon in Santa Monica for some getting ready shots... And just in case I ever wanted to know what I look like while I'm shooting, Jasmine had it covered... :) Nicki was absolutely radiant, and her smile was SOOO contagious! Jasmine and I headed over to the awesome Viceroy hotel for some shots of the guys getting ready... Nick getting ready to meet his bride... Some of the groomsmen hanging out at the hotel I snagged these shots as Nicki was on her way to see Nick for the first time (isn't she gorgeous?) First looks... Nicki & her bridesmails - "twirling" ... Some detail shots of the reception at the Bel Air Bay Club (the flowers were absolutely beautiful- thanks to Tricia Haner, floral designer/event coordinator of The Hidden Garden Floral Designs). Congratulations, Nick & Nikki! It was such a privilege for me to be able to observe a little glimpse of the amazing love that you have for each other (and for God!). Blessings to you in your new life together! My new friends! DJ, Jasmine*, & Brett Austin (videographer)... it was so much fun hanging out with you guys- thanks for everything! :)