The weekend we had the police called on us at a wedding.....

Another weekend in the books...

but this wasn't just any weekend... it was a WEDDING WEEKEND.... & not just any wedding weekend....

It was a groom of one of my favorite families I've known for awhile now through church... & even better?  The groom was one of my middle school kiddos at church.  I've basically watched him grow up... which freaks me out & makes me feel very ancient.... but it's always, ALWAYS an honor to be a part of someone's wedding that I just really care for.

I have a few pictures of him from middle school events but this is the first one I found... this baby right here was a groom this weekend .... amazing

& I'm sure he loves that I still have middle school pictures from 2007. haha  I'm nothing but a good photo horder. I can pull out some great old school pics.

These kids... The girl in the front in the black sweatshirt... I did her wedding a year ago!!!
& I am basically in touch with everyone still ... & I still adore every single face here!!! Oh my heart.
... & of course, Ryan in the background - I still see him as a big kid too & here he is now a Sargent of a Firehouse - WOW!

But anyways, you can imagine how busy my weekend was & I wouldnt have wanted it any other way.

Friday was the rehearsal & it went so smoothly & with total ease..

my only issue was getting home. Geez. I knew where I was at & thought I'd take a 'back way' home... except it led me right in the middle of traffic of the town's local fall festival, Harvest Homecoming.  I didnt think I was ever going to get out of that.

& then ended up needing to stop at McDonalds just to get Bruno a chicken sandwich because I wasnt able to go to the grocery after work .... & I sat in line & sat in line & sat in line some more... I sat in line for 35 minutes for a chicken sandwich. I wish I could say I was joking.  The ironic part?  Bruno didnt want the chicken ... when a dog doesnt want a chicken sandwich from McDonalds?...hmmm... I'll just leave that alone...

I finally got home around 8:30 & got everything packed up & ready to go for the next day.... go over the check list.... so much stuff!!!!

& I was thrilled to wake up to see the weather was perfection.

It had been raining basically the whole week before & the day after was supposed to be yucky... but this wedding day?  God blessed it.

I had to make my stop at Starbucks to fuel up & grab Chasity a drink & from there, its on full force, non stop... full blast.

Seriously - we got started at 9:30am & I didnt walk in my door till 9:15pm... & that's basically moving, on your feet, running around, directing people, giving instructions all day long.  & its just so much better when its someone you know & family that you adore.  It really is.

Everything couldnt have gone smoother.  I honestly was shocked how smooth it all went because we were on schedule the whole day, which I'm a sticklier about, so that doesnt surprise me, but just surprised how fast it all went. Like some days, it feels like forever till the ceremony - not this time. It was like, bam, bink, boom, wedding time.

& of course, I dont have any pics of that yet...

But I did get home & start uploading pictures... & man, that's a task in itself.

If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen some pics just in the uploading phase...

I cant wait for the bride & groom to see their pictures... they are going to be amazing.

The worst moment of the day - which to me is the funniest & not really the worst, but its just funny to note.... sooooo, we had the police called on us this wedding.  haha.  Always a first for everything, right?  But we had the guys out taking pictures & was using this cute little ally for some different backdrop pictures & we were standing in front of some trees that honestly was just a few steps off the ally - didnt seem like we were in anyone's way or bothering anyone.  A guy even pulled up in the drive way in front of the tree we were in & we even asked him if we were bothering anything & he was fine - even came out later to throw the garbage out & I asked if he wanted a picture with the groom - he laughed it off... everything going smoothly.....

Then all of a sudden, I see a guy standing behind the groomsmen & I said to him, "You're fine"... meaning he's fine to walk through & he stood with his arms crossed & said, "YOUR NOT"... we all thought he was joking.  Needless to say, he said we were on private property... which honestly didnt look like it, but I asked him if he wanted us to leave & he said, "No, you're fine"... but then got in his car & with the windows down, we could hear that he was calling the cops on 'trespassers'... what?  Seriously?... we only had 2 more pics to take & we left anyways, but we just had to laugh.  What else can you do?  & needless to say, when I took the ladies out for pictures, we TOTALLY 100000% avoided that same area.

Chasity & I are such rebel photographers.

The BEST moment of the day for me... I got to pray with Jacob before the wedding.  The amazing Pastor of the church was praying with the groom while a lady that works in the church that had been so wonderfully helpful all day prayed with the bride.  So Chasity stayed with the bride & I went with the groom. The Pastor asked if anyone else wanted to pray with Jacob & I know that's not a favorite thing for people to do... but here I am, the photographer, raising my hand. haha... I bet some of the groomsmen who didnt know who I was, was like, "um. ok then"... haha... but I couldnt pass up the chance to pray with one of 'my kids'... I have now done 2 other middle school kids of mine's weddings & I prayed with each of them as well & wasn't going to break tradition now.  It was truly an honor.... & thanked the Pastor for letting me have the chance to do that.

The rest of the day was just full of ease, & fun, & love & lots of laughter.... it couldnt have been more perfect... especially because we weren't arrested.

LOTS of laughter

& once I got home, I honestly couldnt sleep... my brain is on full blast after a wedding... so I got maybe - MAYBE 3 hours sleep... but I'm used to it.

Sunday, I had MSM - always amazing... & then straight to my JOYSTERS... ALWAYSSSSS AMAZING... & then I had to do my grocery shopping & get back home to finish uploading the rest of the pics.

It wasn't until 10:00pm that I got them all in the computer & ready for editing...

Needless to say.... I'll be at my computer for the next week or two.... & loving reliving this amazing day.....

How was your weekend?

Friday Favorites

Favorite Book Item


SHUT UP!
Is this the cutest book mark ever or what?!?!?!

Favorite Fall Treat

Click the pic to get to the link.
Be warned - its a long post - but the recipe is at the bottom

This would be amazing on a fall night... warm apples always warms my soul


Favorite Halloween makeup

OK... SUPER CREEPY!!!!
But if you look at it - its really easy - the 'top teeth' is actually her bottom lip & the rest is drawn on her chin.  I want to try this - just to see how it turns out.

Favorite Beauty & the Beast

Favorite Motivation

Favorite Shirt



I love me some Riverdale & really love me some Jughead Jones
SO I'm especially loving the Hot Topic line of Riverdale stuff.

Favorite Coffee Mug



when you want to be classy drinking coffee


Favorite Peencha

Favorite Funnies

...  every time I'm in a car for more than 30 minutes & have to pee

.... when I see a kid sneezing without covering their mouth

... when I'm super busy with a full calendar ... but still have food priorites

... me at 4:00pm today

Happy Weekend Y'all!!!

Proudness, baby coffee cup & Rogue Hair? {Thankful Thursday #146}

This week I am Thankful For:

{Numbers go with my One Thousand Gifts Journal... just ignore}

656 / Hair Day.
I was in desperate need. The gray is overtaking me.  I think if I let it grow out, I'd have a stripe like Rogue.  Almost makes me want to have her dye that section so my roots wouldnt look so bad coming in - & it'd be a unique look, wouldnt it?

661 / New Erin Condren goodies.
They had a buy one get one sale on their covers & when I saw they had a new one with a scripture on it, I had to have it.  & I needed the sticker book for 2018 anyways & they had a 20% off sale.  I was happy with my stash.

662 / Bruno OK after falling out of bed.
Yep... last week, we had a Bruno incident where he choked. This week?  He fell out of bed - kinda.  We have a baby gate on the bed for him - & pillows even in front of that & on the edges of the bed so he has a soft cushion to 'bounce into'... but for some reason now, he hits these pillows & just keeps on climbing over top of them. WHAT?  Why did he start this?  & I woke up in the middle of the night to see him climbing over the mountain of pillows - I shot up just in time to grab his tail. OUCHHHHH - but I do think I soften his fall by slowing him down a bit by grabbing his tail.  He wasn't phased. He jumped up & found his way to the water bowl & then barked for his nightly pee ritual.  Ohhhhh mercy... this boy of mine.....

663 /New house shoes.
I really do get giddy over new house shoes.  The fluffy cushiony souls.  Feels like a piece of heaven.

664 / SO proud.
Our friend just got promoted in the fire department to Sargent!  Isnt' that incredible? I still see him as a little teenage kid & now he's a married man with 2 kids ... & now a SARGENT!!!! So proud of our buddy!

Sargent sitting right here!!!!

667 / Game Night.
I just love our friends... our FRAMILY... totally FAMILY.... & we had a game night scheduled when my dad was in the hospital & we had to cancel.  So I was thrilled when we finally got another one on the calendar & we got to enjoy every minute of it.  The talking, the yummy food they made, & the laughter. It was all just a perfect evening.

669 / Safe drive home.
When we left our friends after game night, it was STORMINGGGGG - like thunder & lightning kinda storming. & it was scary as all get out driving. The water was standing so high, you couldnt see lines in the road.  I was so glad to pull in my garage like never before.

670 / Leftovers.
We didnt want to take these leftover cupcakes home because we thought they'd go bad ... little did we know Ricky & I would have sweet treats all eaten up by the next day.  (Harvey Dent just begged for one bite)

671 / Honor to speak.
I really do take it as a honor & privlege to get to lead in our church & even more when I get to speak in front of the whole group up on stage with some incredible leaders & youth ministers.  It just makes me proud to even be associated with these people in any sort of small way.

672 / Warm Drink on a Cold Day.
I think the transition to warm drinks instead of iced is going to happen more often now.  But I'm just excited pumpkin is out right now for some good warm chai tea lattes (with almond milk... & 1 pump pumpkin)

673 / Baby Shower.
Loved celebrating our friend's new baby coming... & loved I found this little toy that I couldnt pass up.  Between this & the Beauty & the Beast book in the package, she had no doubt who the gift was from.

677 / My Nieces are 13.
I cant even wrap my mind around this.  Seriously.

What are some good things happening in your life this week?

Hodgepodge Time

1. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your sense of direction? 1=can't find my way out of a paper bag and 10=if I've been somewhere once I can find it blindfolded ten years later.

When was the last time you looked at/used a map you could hold in your hand? (phones don't count!) 

I have always been a little prideful on my sense of direction. I feel like I can keep my bearings on me fairly well.... though I do have my moments when country roads turn & circle & loop & every little road looks the same with trees & cows.

& I'm the person that once I've been somewhere, I'm good - I can make it back there no problem. Heck, even when we go out of state, I've been good at remembering places & turns.  It actually drives me crazy that the hubs cant even remember the back roads to get home even when we've lived there 15 years.

The last time I used a map?.... I think on our honeymoon when we went to Gatlinburg & got on some back roads.  Hello 1995 - well before cell phones. I always liked following big paper maps though, keeping my eye out for the next destination sign that would be on the map.  It was like mini road goals.

2. Did you do more talking or listening yesterday? Is that typical? Describe your yesterday in one word.

I am a talker by nature... but I really do think I do more listening than talking on any given day.  I know the Hubs would probably laugh at that... but its true.

& my yesterday in one word:.... gloomy.....

3. Time, money, water-power-resources, opportunity...which one on the list are you most guilty of wasting? What might you do to change that?

I'm pretty good at wasting money.  I've been trying to get a better grip on it but I'm someone that sees something & wants it & hello - Amazon is just a click away.  & really, do I TRULY need most of the things I get? Nah... I'm starting to be really aware of how much money is spent on things that just sit & are useless, taking up space & dust.

4. Did  your family take regular vacations when you were a kid? Tell us something you remember about a family roadtrip from your own childhood.

Our family were big Gatlinburg people. We loved going down to see the trees change in the mountains.  & we always loved going & seeing all the arts & craft things people made down there.  Gatlinburg has turned into more of a box store town instead of the little mom & pop shops - which makes me a little sad.  But the best memory for me is always miniature golf. It was some LEGIT competition happening every year.


5. If you could grow anything you wanted, what would you grow? Why?

Going back to #3 - you'd have to say MONEY! Right? ;) You did say ANYTHING!!!!!

But if I'm going to go with something REALLY to grow.. I'd say avocados. Those babies are EXPENSIVE now & I could eat them every day!!! mmmm... I'm craving one now.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

So everyone knows Friday is Friday the 13th, right? But Saturday is Saturday the 14th & I brought up to Ricky the movie - Saturday the 14th & he thought I was crazy. Anyone else remember that movie? It's like a comedy spoof on scary movies.... & so 80's - & TOTALLLLY 100% corny.  But I honestly havent met anyone else that even REMEMBERS it.  Come on - SOMEONE has to remember it....

Be sure to come back tomorrow & LINK UP with me for THANKFUL THURSDAY!!!

The books I'll ALWAYS recommend ... {Show Us Your Books}

.....sooooo..... I had a bad month of reading.

Like 1 book was done... & it was awful & I wanted to throw it against the wall - except it would be my Kindle & I love my Kindle. But in my mind, I totally threw an imaginary book against the wall.

You'll hear about it next month in my Show Us Your Books post... I'll just add it in to that. & hoping I get more than one more book read. Geez. Reading fail.  I do go through stages, that's for sure.

So I thought I'd just take this time to highlight some of my all time favorite books....the ones that I will always recommend for someone to read.

After all, a good book never ages....

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay



Quick Summary: The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

I just loved Nastya & Drew & the relationship they had with one another.  & I loved that this book still pops up in people's reviews which makes me glad its still getting attention. I felt like I was one of the last ones to get to it but I read it back in 2013. & almost feel like its time to read it again.








Mondays with my Old Pastor:  Sometimes All We Need is a Reminder from Someone Who has Walked Before Us.
By Jose Luis Navajo

Quick Summary:  A man goes to his elderly's pastor's house for reflection & inspiration & learns from watching how he accepts what life throws at him & his wife through the years.

This one was powerful... & moving... & was full of wisdom & thoughtfulness... & some tearful moments.
& I'm not even sure if this is a true story - I want to think it is... & even if its not, its still a good read for the soul. It's very much a story like "Tuesdays with Morrie"... which I enjoyed - but loved this one more.






When Heaven Weeps 
By Ted Dekker

Quick Summary:  A love story set back in WWII that is a story based off of the book of the Bible, Hosea that shows what true love & forgiveness can look like.

I read this when I was a teenager & it moved me like no book I think had ever moved me before - & that was before I even realized it was based off of the scripture in Hosea.  I have recommend this book to so many youth girls on what its like to truly be loved & how forgiveness can look.  
If you are a fan of Ted Dekker, you have had to read his Martyr Series, right?  If not, this is my favorite out of the entire series.  
They are pretty old books - published in 2005 - but always a great story. 
Through the years, I've given away so many copies... I need to see if my shelf still has one & re-read it again & see if its as impactful now as an adult.




Beauty by Susan Wilson

Quick Summary: a modern retelling of Beauty & the Beast

So this is one of my first books I've ever picked up that was a re-telling of one of my favorite stories.  I've been a Beauty & the Beast fan since ... forever... & just loved this story. This one stuck with me - maybe because the book itself was beautiful. It had slim pages - not like an ordinary book - the cover was rich in texture & I loved the art work... & funny, Susan Wilson is also the name of my cousin - not the same person - but I always remember this book because of that.  I do remember being brought to tears in this book though & feeling it in my soul the heart ache it brought me.  I really do need to dust this one off & re-read & see if its as impactful to me now that we are all swarmed with all the Beauty & the Beast retellings & remakes.
This one was published in 1996.








After River by Donna Milner

Quick Summary: A 35 yr old woman has to go home to see her dying mother & it brings back memories of when she was 15 & a Vietnam soldier shows up on their porch & changes the families lives forever.

I loved this book. I dont even know where I got it from or if anyone recommended it or if it ever was popular in any way... but I just loved the story of Natalie - a girl finding herself as she's becoming an adult in the 50's. It's really a book about love & family relationships, prejudice & intolerance & most of all the terrible alienation that can come from keeping secrets.









Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America
by Mike Yankoski

Quick Summary:  An upper-middle class man decides to live as a homeless person for 5 months to experience firsthand the life to see exactly what homelessness looks like in America.

If anyone ever asks me for a book recommendation - I ALWAYS say this one first. I think this book is amazing.  10000% amazing. So eye opening & powerful & just well written.  It's one of those book that when you close the last page, you are changed. You cant look at things the same again.

I will still recommend this one first.

So what is one book you ALWAYS will recommend?

Linking up with Steph & Jana
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