Thankful Thursday!

Today has been an insane day. One of those days that seems like I lived an entire month in a 24 hour span. It's left me feeling very contemplative. I keep coming back to this quote from You've Got Mail tonight: 

Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void.

I don't know why. It really has nothing to do with anything in my life, but I felt like I should post it. Anyway, on to Thankful Thursday (which is actually Friday by this point.)

• Band-aids - I cut myself while chopping an onion tonight. It was a 3 band-aid cut, and I may have lost an apron in the clean up process. It reminded me that if this were 1832, I wouldn't have a band aid to use.
• Mom & Dad - Tonight I hosted my Bible Study, and I've had a crazy week. So dad came and took care of vacuuming my house & mom re-did the greenery on my front porch in order to help me out. I'm sure they did other things as well, and I am forever grateful for them. Seriously, I'm a lucky girl.
• Fridays - I'm so glad that I live in a world where I get to have a weekend.

That's all I've got the energy for tonight, Internet.

:j

The Ultimate Thankful Thursday

I love when Thanksgiving & Thankful Thursday collide. I absolutely love Thanksgiving. It's one of my favorite days of the year. It is full of family, food, & fun. What's not to love? Plus it kicks off the holiday season! So here are a few things I'm thankful for today....

• Photographs - I take a lot of photos at family functions...but not as many as Momma would have me take. At the end of the year, I make a slideshow for my family of the photos I've taken, and I absolutely love being able to go back and relive the memories. I am thankful for photographs because of the way it captures life. I think I often take for granted that I can snap a photo on my phone and share it with the world within minutes. It's amazing.
• Extended Family - I am so lucky to have a wonderful family. Everyone should be so blessed to have aunts, uncles, and cousins like mine. When we're all at Gma's it can get extremely loud and quite competitive when Sour Punch Straws are on the line in BINGO, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
• God's Grace - Words don't do it justice. The Lord gives freedom when I find myself in bondage. He pours love over my sins. And all at the cost of His only son. Amazing.

There are so many other things I could list: each of my friends, my home, socks, my job, America, a dependable car, running water, heat, etc, etc, etc. I am blessed beyond measure. My cup runneth over.

:j 

Thankful Thursday!!!

• Three Day Weekends - That might be my favorite string of 3-words...well at least this week it is because I get to have a three day weekend! 
• Launch - The Bible Study I go to on Thursday nights is so encouraging and wonderful and full of awesome people. I learn so much from it, and I'm grateful that it is part of my life.
• Tights - I love skirts and dresses and boots, therefore when the temperature drops, tights become a regular part of my wardrobe. I know a lot of girls are not fans of hosiery, but I say embrace the stockings! They're amazing and adorable.
• Birthday Cards - I absolutely love cards. I really wish I were better about giving them. My friend, Ray, is so gifted in that area. Regardless, I love being on the receiving end, and this week has been full of them. So fun.
• Blogging - I'm slowly being reminded of why I love blogging. It's such a great way to get out my thoughts. Sometimes I fear that I share too much with you, Internet, but it teaches me to live transparently, which is a good thing.

What are you thankful for this week?

:j

Thankful Thursday

Have you all ever noticed that there is a typo in my Thankful Thursday graphic? I've known about it for a while, but I can't edit it because it's on my old computer, so I'm just ignoring it. I just wanted you to know that I knew in case you also knew but were too timid to let me know you knew. Got it? The English teacher in me is cringing, but sometimes you just have to say, "Sorry 'bout it," and move on with life. (I learned that phrase from my friend Laina.)

• Gum - I know. This one is silly, but there have been a couple of instances this week when my breath was less than stellar, and I was thanking the good Lord for chewing gum. Such a simple thing, but a little bit life changing. Okay, now I'm just being dramatic.
• Thursday Night Bible Study a.k.a. Launch - Every Thursday night I go to this tremendous Bible Study. I can't rave enough about how much I love it. I learn so much during my time there, and then we all gather together for dinner, and it is usually hilarious. 
• My new toaster - Momma got me a toaster. I think she was feeling sorry for me about the whole toaster in the jogging stroller debacle.

What are you all thankful for this week?

:j

Thankful Thursday!

Thursday only has 61 minutes left in it, so I'm going to make the most of them by doing a Thankful Thursday post. (And to appease Raylene because she wants me to blog more.) 

• My Aunts - They were pretty vocal on Facebook about the fact that I mentioned cousin Tracie and Momma in the last post, but not them, so here it is. Seriously, I have amazing aunts. I know I can count on them for anything, and I am extremely thankful for each of them.
• Labor Day - Any holiday that equals a three day weekend is good in my book. I love this side of the three day weekend because there are just so many possibilities, but the Monday night of the three day weekend is nice, too, because you only have to work 4 days. It's the greatest invention since chocolate milk.
• My Dad - This week a family friend messaged us on Facebook saying that he and his wife had read 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 and it reminded them of my dad, which reminded me of how lucky I am to have a dad who exemplifies Christianity. I have a great Momma, too -- for the record. (P.S. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 says, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."
• Allergy Medicine - I have terrible seasonal allergies....or maybe I just always get really bad colds around allergy season??? No, I definitely have allergies which make me super thankful for my little pills. And nasal spray. And eye drops. And inhaler. What can I say, I'm a hot mess come allergy season.

What are you thankful for?

:j

Thankful Thursday

I'd say today of all days is an appropriate day for Thankful Thursday. :)

• Grocery stores that remain open the morning of Thanksgiving so you can run in and buy one more package of yeast.
• God's faithfulness to me. I don't know what His plan is, but I know He is good, and I can rest in that.
• My family and friends. Every day I am reminded of how blessed I am to have them around me.
• Fun Jazzercise sessions to kick off Thanksgiving morning.
• A sense of humor. Life would be dull without it.
• The beauty that surrounds us daily - how can you go through autumn and not notice it?
• A job that I truly enjoy going to everyday.
• A job that gives me three days off to celebrate Thanksgiving!

So many things I could list. My cup runneth over.

:j

Mud Room Episode 4

The other day my cousin, Kristen asked to see my kick room.
"What's a kick room?," I asked her.
"You know, that room you're re-doing in your house."
"Oh, you mean my mud room?"
"Yeah, but don't people call them kick rooms?"
"I've never heard of that," was my reply to her.
"I think they do because that's where you kick off your shoes."
"That's why it's a mud room. So you can take off your muddy boots."
"Oooh, so what's a kick room?"
"I don't think there is such thing as a kick room, Kristen."

So here is my kick room update, just for Kristen.

Here is a quick recap of Episode 3. The floor was raised and covered in hardwood, everything was studded in, and the closet doors were in place. Since then, Dad has added sheetrock and a little half wall to hide the dryer. Additionally, my BFF Craig found just the right set of cabinets on his list for only $50. Score!

I know you all really only care about the photos, so here you go.

My new cabinets! They will have a shelf underneath just like my kitchen cabinets.

If you look into the mud room from the kitchen, you can't see the washer and dryer thanks to this nifty wall. Usually I hate half walls, but this one is perfect.

And the room is already being used for it's purpose!

I can't believe I just put a photo of my dirty laundry on the internet. I always hate it when people air their dirty laundry in public!

:j

This is my 100th Post!!

I'm sure you all are jumping up and down right now since it's my 100th post. I'll wait a minute while you finish.

I just wanted to apologize, Internet, for not updating about my mud room when I promised I would. It's coming. Maybe even after this post. Why not make 2 posts in one day? Today I had so much fun photographing the Brown family. They might be my favorite family. In fact, if I had to choose a new family, they would definitely be on my list of choices. They are so much fun, and they are hilarious, and they are pretty much the nicest people you'll ever meet. They were good enough to put up with me marching them all over downtown in the afternoon sun just for a few cute photos. (I have to come up with better vocabulary. You should hear me when I'm behind the camera, all I say is "cute", "beautiful", or "fabulous.")

My favorite thing about the Brown family is how I met each of them differently. Luke and I met in high school, maybe even middle school. He was good friends with my good friend, Steven. (I'm shooting Steven's wedding in a few weeks! I'm so excited!!) Put Steven and Luke together, and you are promised a lot of laughter. Years later I met his sister, Rachel while teaching Sunday school. It took about 3 months for me to realize that they were siblings. Rach and I saw each other every day for 22 days straight this summer. It was so much fun. I met Barb and Jerry during choir practice at church, and I don't know how I met Jesse. (Sorry, Jesse, I still think you're great!)

This is Jesse, Rachel and Luke.

This is the entire family. I love how Rachel is laughing. I'm not sure if you'll believe me, Internet, but I'm pretty funny, you can ask Rachel. Just don't believe anything she says about me talking in my sleep at camp. It's not true.

They also invited Rachel's boyfriend and Jesse's girlfriend to the shoot. Interestingly enough, those two are also siblings.

Dear Browns, Thanks for letting me photograph your family. Let's do it again in 2 years when Luke gets back from Cambodia, or better yet, let's all go to Cambodia and do a photo shoot there. Just give me a date, and I'll get a plane ticket!

:j

Fansher Family

You know that heat I've been complaining about lately? Well, we woke up yesterday morning and it vanished. Over night the hot, sticky, moisture-filled air was replaced with cool, refreshing, normal air. The high today was 86 degrees. It was pure bliss. (Knock on wood that is stays this way!)

During the blissful evening, I got to photograph my friend Christy's family. Christy and I work together, and we even survived summer school together this year. She is beautiful and has a beautiful family. Her baby girl, Presley, goes to Kindergarten this week. Her teacher requested a family photo which motivated this session. 

Along with the traditional family pose, we also got a few fun shots.

I love how this one shows their personalities. 

I promise another mud room update for my anxious readers, so check back tomorrow!

:j

Isemans

Kansas City is a hot place to be in the summer. We experience temperatures well into the 90s, if not 100, and we have humidity that makes the air swimmable. Usually the first week of August is one of the worst weather weeks for the summer. This year has not disappointed. To put it short and sweet, it's hot. Really, really hot. So when most people are lounging by the pool or lounging in the air conditioning, the Iseman family and I went out for a photo shoot. Yes, Internet, I am a bit crazy.

Thankfully the family was so good natured. We were all glistening (or sweating profusely depending on how you look at it) and wilted within minutes, but we made it, and we have beautiful photos to prove it! Want to see?

Aren't they are cute family?

Let me know what you think?

:j

Mud Room Episode 3

This post is for my friend Meredith. She stalks my blog and then gets on to me when I haven't posted what she wants to read. :) Saturday she told me that it was time for Mud Room Episode Three, and she is very right.

The reason I've been procrastinating with Episode 3 is it look like not a ton has changed since Episode 2. In reality, Dad spent 2 days working on wiring, 1 day insulation walls, and a few random days doing random things, so a lot has changed, just not cosmetically.

The best part is the hardwood floors are now finished!

I've already started decorating, much to my dad's chagrin. I just had to put that little white chair in there once I saw the floors. It just looked too perfect!

Do you see the vanity in the bathroom? That was an antique dresser my grandma found at a garage sale. Unfortunately it isn't going to work, so it's back to the garage sales.

We had to put a closet around the hot water tank and furnace. I like the big doors, although I doubt I paint them green to match the kitchen door, but you never know.

In the next few episodes, you can look forward to finding out why I'm searching for vintage yard sticks, what vanity I choose, and my plans for a 25 cent basket from a garage sale.

:j

Mail Time!

EDIT: I take back every nice thing I said about my phone. It quit working again.

:j

Mud Room Episode 2

A lot has happened since I last blogged about the mud room. The floor has been raised, the ceiling is hung, and the hardwood is starting to be laid. It's exciting to watch the transformation. 

Now there is only one step into the kitchen instead of 3.

The bathroom is framed in. It will be so nice to have 2 full bathrooms!!

I love the pre-finished hardwood. It's so durable and shiny! The best part is once it's nailed into place it's finished. No sanding dust or staining fumes.

Remember the garage sale find I mentioned a few posts ago? Here is a peek.

My garage is a mess. I promise it isn't normally, but with all the construction it has to be. Anyway, I plan to turn the bottom row (or both rows) into chalkboards instead of mirrors. That way I can write who gets to hang stuff where.

:j

Mail Time!

So my friend, Raylene, sometimes does this thing with post-it notes. I'm stealing her idea, but using post cards instead. That's what friends are for, right?

:j

The Mud Room Episode 1

When I was little, I always wanted a house with it's own laundry room. None of that laundry in the basement ridiculousness for me! I wanted a nice big room with pretty white floors and walls that looked like it stepped out of a Maytag/Tide/Martha Stewart commercial. When I bought my house it did come with it's own laundry room, but it was far from being white and pretty. In fact it is still far from being white and pretty, but it's getting there.

Here's what we're starting with...

Yeah, pretty gross, right? Hidden behind the sheetrock in the corner is a scary bathroom. 

The photo above is missing the best part which is the plaid ceiling. Here is what the mud room looked like a week ago. It had become a place for me to throw random stuff that I was too lazy to take to the attic.

Thankfully, the remodel has begun! Dad tore out the sheetrock, and we removed all the randomness.

The plan is to raise the floor, insulate, put in all new sheetrock, build a new bathroom (with a shower!), raise the window, raise the hot water heater and furnace, move the AC unit, move the washer and dryer, put in hardwood floors, change the door into the garage, build a half wall, add some storage cabinets or something, and make it look pretty. I'm ready to think about paint colors, but Daddy tells me I get too far ahead of him.

Oh, we also discovered an old wasp nest in the wall. Hopefully that is all we end up discovering!

Stay tuned for episode 2!

:j

50 in 500 Update

I'm checking this off my 50 in 500 list left and right. Well....maybe that's a poor idiom to use to describe my pace. Perhaps snail like is more appropriate, or like molasses in February, or baby steps.

I have however been able to check off #2 which was launch www.jennyslens.com for my photography business. Follow the link but know that it is still a work in progress, so maybe you should come check back every other day or so. I know that's how much you all care about me and my website.

Speaking of Jenny's Lens, I've been horrible about updating my photography blog. I think it's because I like this blog. I'm toying with the idea of merging the two, which means more photography posts here and no more posts there. I'm still thinking about it, so if you want to have some input, now would be the time. 

And here's a cutie just because it's Wednesday, and summer school is almost over, and all I've seen for the past 6 nights is pouring rain, and my sink is finally clean.

Nope, not my nephew, but instead it's Eva Diva, my cousin. Seriously, how can you not love that?

:j