CAPTURE THE MOMENT

Wow, it has been awhile since I have posted. Sorry about that. We were away taking a wonderful holiday vacation with Kevin’s folks at Holiday Island, Arkansas (aerial picture above). Beautiful place and very relaxing but if you want to go anywhere, you will have to drive the back roads to get there. With my vertigo issues, not all the trips into “town” were fun! :-( At any rate, we had a wonderful time with the folks. I don’t like it that we live so far away from them, but it does make our trips together seem extra special. I have posted just a few pictures below. If you want to see all of them (I think I took 256 photos all together) you can log into my facebook account and view them. :)

One of the things I want to do next year is to learn more about photography. I’m not talking about just taking casual pictures, I want to learn EVERYTHING. I have always had a passion for photography but never seemed to have the “time” to undertake it. Kevin was kind enough to buy me a new camera while we were away on vacation and because we were on vacation, I was able to thoroughly read the manual and play with it. I think the key to taking photos isn’t really about what kind of camera you have but about being yourself and showing your passion. I don’t want to duplicate someone else’s passion or work. I want to go out, be myself and develop my own style.

So my plan for 2008, is to be more creative with my photography as well as venture into unknown territories. To explore what lies beneath so to speak. I want to try my hand at things I never thought I’d do. I really have an itch to discover different hobbies to see if I’m good at them or not. See if perhaps this whole time I would have liked these things, if only I had tried them. I want to work with my hands, use my brain, and exercise creativity. Who wants to go through life saying, “I wish I would have learned how to do that, but I never even tried it.” So we’ll see what happens.

On the workout/nutritional front, things are going well. Kevin and I took some time off over the Thanksgiving holiday but we were back at it on Monday stronger than ever. I did switch up my routine because I don’t seem to have enough energy in the mornings anymore. So Kevin works out in the mornings and I work out in the evenings. So far this week, it has done wonders for my energy levels. I’m sure once Spring hits, I’ll be back to working out in the mornings again. :-) Life is GOOD!

TAGGED

Here's the tag that I got:

Here are the Rules:• Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.• Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.• Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.• Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog.Here is my tagger: Martha

1. I don’t like chocolate!!

2. I don’t have a ticklish bone in my entire body!

3. I never said a cuss word until I turned 21 years old before that I would spell them out! (the Smiley Face is for Stef since she can raise each eyebrow one at a time!) :)

4. When I TRY to skate, I only lift my right leg. For some reason, my left leg will not cooperate.

5. I don’t like to shop!

I tag Marilee, D. Lukon, Chrissy, Jason, Sandra!

METICULOUS BUT NOT PERFECT :)

Most of you already know this about me BUT I strive to be the best at EVERYTHING. Take my workouts for instance. I MUST workout every single day and eat healthy, without any cheats. Not because someone will recognize me for my efforts but because in my mind it will give me a clean, clear slate. If I miss a day or two, or heaven forbid, a week, I truly feel like a failure. Gulp. Isn't that odd? Odd, but so, Elizabeth. I have tried through various means and avenues to drive this pesky bug from myself. It really controls me at times. But, at the ripe age of 41, I realize that certain things just are. I am what I am. My bed gets made every day. My house is always clean. My laundry pile never heaps. So is it so wrong that I am so hard on myself? I am NOT hard on other people, just myself. There will always be things I want to change and grow in, that is a good thing, but learning to accept that I may not always be the best in everything is what I am striving for.

I believe a part of being a Christian is being mature enough to embrace yourself, as God created us to be, not looking to the right or the left but pressing onward towards our goal. Realizing that Christ is big enough, God enough to help each of us know what that goal looks like, as we make our choices daily and that as long as we hold on to our faith and make him number one in our lives, everything will work out, whether we are a perfectionist or not! ;)

So, Thanksgiving is right around the corner! What!? When did that happen? I can't believe how fast the holidays are approaching. EAH GADS! Christmas is just next month folks!? Wasn't it just summer like, yesterday? I do love this time of year though. The leaves changing, the crackle when you walk down the sidewalks from the leaves, and the frost on the still-green grass in the mornings. I love the bright warm afternoons when you wish you didn't have the jacket on that you needed in the morning when you left home.

Kevin and I have been extremely busy with work related events and planning for our upcoming vacation. His folks will be here less than a week and I CAN’T WAIT. Fabulous generous folks….. I just adore them (but I do digress)! Last weekend I found myself dancing to the sound of the radio playing in the background as I cleaned the house. I paused several times to take in the breathtaking view from my deck and snapped a few pictures. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I hope the colors are still in full "bloom" for the folks to enjoy..... ;)