by Amy | Feb 9, 2015 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
A couple weeks back I got to hang out with this guy. Color me lucky, because even though I possess the super power of putting him on the verge of tears with a simple look {forget any physical contact!} he still stole my heart. Maybe it’s that whole hard-to-get thing that draws me in. So, while I wasn’t his favorite person in the world {or maybe it was just the camera that made him wary} I still had a blast. There is something classically comical about a child who starts fussing every time the camera goes up to the face. His antics generated some pretty good laughs for me and his daddy who accompanied him to his portrait session.
At the end of it all–the grumpy, the fussy, a few rounds of “You are my sunshine,” and a few other songs sung by his dad–we ended up with some pretty good stuff. Honestly, every smile and every expression was worth the work. So, without further delay, here are some highlights from Carter’s 12 month photo session.
Happiest of birthdays {belated…} to Carter! I hope this year is filled with lots of walking, running and all the pickles, oranges and raisins your tummy can stomach! {Or at least as many as your parents will allow.}
–Amy
by Amy | Feb 3, 2015 | Blog, The Art of Gathering, The Art of the Moment
Remember that crazy long road trip we took earlier in the month? Well…a major reason for taking it was to get to this amazing wedding. Why, so amazing? Let me tell you. First of all, it was held in Louisiana…so I worked all day with no jacket–despite the fact that it was January. Second, the event was beautifully coordinated by the Girls in Black. But, thirdly and most importantly…it was amazing because it was the wedding of one of our dearest friends: Jon Skinner.
In this lifestyle it is very rare that we can attend these major life events. So the fact that we got to attend and they honored me by asking that I do the photography was huge. Jon has been a part of our lives since Derek’s first pilot training base. I hope he remains in our lives forever and ever. And now, knowing Jon comes with a bonus: Gwen. She’s fun and bubbly and gorgeous. I am thrilled for this couple and just so happy to know them.
Okay…but enough chit chat. The moment we’ve all been waiting for…Jon and Gwen.
I love snapping a photo of the bride when she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror–all prettied up for the big event.
This just might be my favorite photo of the whole day. I think it sums up what every bride wants in a maid of honor…heck, I think it sums best friendship in a nutshell. Only a bestie would remind you of deodorant, apply it, look adorable doing it, and make you laugh in the process. 
I always love the daddy first look, don’t you? But–can it compete with the reaction of a groom when he first lays eyes on his bride? {It’s a toss up.}
Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the excitement of a certain groomsman in this image? 
It really was a day for the books. Have I mentioned how much I like these people?! Congratulations on your wedding–it was gorgeous {and now you have photos to prove it.} I loved capturing this wedding so much, I’ll be posting more from this day on Facebook in the coming days…but I want the couple to get their flash drives first–so they can enjoy them in private before I show all of them off to the world!Thank you again for letting me capture these moments for you. I cannot wait until our paths cross again {and I’ll cross my fingers that that crossing takes place at Harry Potter World…deal?}xoAmy
by Amy | Feb 2, 2015 | Blog, Devotional, Prayer, The Art of Faith
Last night I attended a weekly prayer meeting at church. To say that I’m glad I went would be an understatement. There are a million reasons why I loved it so much. And I’ve written and rewritten this post, trying to include them all. But, I can’t seem to make it work in a readable, well-written way.
Instead, I’ll isolate one thing. I’ll boil it down even further. I’ll isolate one prayer. Perhaps the boldest, more earnest prayer I’ve ever heard. Its brilliant in it’s simplicity and powerful in its meaning. It went something like this:
Lord, I pray that if trials will bring us closer to you, that you’d place them in our paths.
Bam!
Often we pray that trials would be taken away from us, avoided. But this woman–who I deeply admire, who is wise in the ways of the Lord, who is facing trials in her own life–has the understanding to pray the opposite. That if the most effective way for us to be closer to God includes a trial…that that is what we shall have.
The ways of God are often counter intuitive to the norms of the world. Maybe our prayers should be a little more counter intuitive as well. Our deepest desires should be to love and honor God, to know Him, and to share His salvation with others. If hard times will help us realize those desires, we should welcome them.
That’s hard to say. It’s hard to accept. It’s hard to grasp. It’s even hard to type.
James puts it this way.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. –James 1:2-3
I’m not saying that we should all start crying out to God, requesting catastrophe and heart ache. I’m not suggesting we stop calling on the Lord to lighten our trials and burdens. What I am hoping, for my own life as well as yours, is that 2015 would be a year of great growth. That this would be a season in which our eyes would lock with Christ’s. That we would pursue the Lord so hard and so willingly that we embrace trials–trusting that they will yield a harvest of testimony and closeness to God.AmyPS–You should go to a prayer meeting sometime. It just might rock your world.
by Amy | Jan 31, 2015 | Blog, The Art of Art
This week has been all about the Classroom Canvases I started on Monday. Really…when doing four back to back to back it turns in to a weeklong project. Which is fine by me, because I really do like doing them. Well–I finally got them all finished up! The kids did a fabulous job. Top notch work, in my opinion. And tonight I’m presenting to you the finished product.
This is the first canvas I painted with the kids on Monday afternoon. This was home to the class that yielded most of the hilarious comments I shared with you on Monday evening.
I’m going to be honest. I love this design. Something about it reminds me of a stained glass window. I’m so incredibly happy with the way it turned out. This one was painted by the other class I wrote about on Monday.
The third class I painted with chose a Valentine’s Day theme. I was stumped at first. Indecisive on what to do. I wanted it to be fun, but not too mushy or girly. This is what I came up with. It reminds me of a upended bag of elementary school Valentines.
The final canvas of the week is a beach theme. I enjoyed creating something that depicted warm, sunny weather, something we probably won’t see again–after this week’s heat wave–for a few more months. It was while painting with this class that I got one of my all time favorite kid comments: “You know, now that I think about it…knowing how to paint is a pretty important thing.” Ya, know what? It really is.
Let’s all remember that creativity is a skill worth honing in on. I’m so lucky to be able to speak the importance of art into these sweet children’s lives! Have a great weekend!
Amy
by Amy | Jan 29, 2015 | Blog, Devotional, The Art of Faith
If you know me in real life you probably know that of all my activities and goings ons, youth group is one of my favorite. I just love encouraging high schoolers in their walk with Christ. After being away for so long, finally going back to youth group last night was a breath of fresh air. Cold, North Dakotan air…the kind that wakes you up and makes you feel alive inside.
They’ve been studying the fruit of the Spirit. In preparation for our time together last night I read Galatians and dove into some commentary on the book. Galatians is fascinating to me for lots of reasons. I’ll get in to those on another day.
Tonight I really want to share something that I discovered while reading Galatians 5, praying and reading the commentary on it. I’ll share with you, but first take just a moment to read the passage I’m talking about. {Emphasis mine.}
The works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can wear myself thin with trying. Trying to be nice, to chill out and be peaceful, to harness self control. It’s exhausting. You know what I mean?
Between studying this passage and the amazing message delivered last night from our youth pastor–who I’m honored to consider a friend–God laid a few truths on my heart.
My attention was called to the wording used in these verses. It’s pretty obvious to anyone with 5th grade English under their belt that this passage is a contrast. But examine the words Paul uses to contrast these two lists. {I’ve got them in purple for you.} I could explain the importance of these two words: works and fruit. But my commentary says it so well.
It is significant that the apostle distinguishes between the acts of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Works are produced by human energy. Fruit is grown as a branch abides in the vine {John 15:5}**. They differ as a factory and a garden differ.
Another thing to take notice of, is the plurality of “acts” and “fruit.” Here’s a note on that:
Note that “fruit” is singular, not plural. The Holy Spirit produces one kind of fruit, that is, Christlikeness.
The fruit of the Spirit–all those nice, Christ-like, qualities–they are fruit of the Spirit. Not fruit of my trying. When we accept Christ honestly and truly as our Savior, He–through His Holy Spirit–lives in us. The fruit of the Spirit doesn’t grow as a result of our own efforts, but by the presence of God dwelling inside our very core.
When I asked my small group of teenage girls how these truths made them feel, there was an awkward silence. Then, someone spoke up and said it was kind of a relief. I agree.
It’s not up to me to produce the fruit. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit. He’s living in my and I know He’s up for the task. God just asks that we set our focus on Him, that we love Him with everything we’ve got. When we do that, fruit will start growing naturally.
If you are feeling tired of trying, take a break. Jesus tells that he is a kind master. He is a refreshing drink of living water–not an exhausting run through the dessert. If you’ve ever looked at the fruit of the Spirit passage as a measuring stick of perfection and are frustrated with falling short…stop it. You will fall short. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control stand opposed to the fallen world we live in. Sure, we can do those things, but we can also wear ourselves out on trying. Instead, lock eyes with Jesus and let His amazing Spirit transform you into a garden.
Amy
*Here is a link to the commentary I have. I really like it. {Commentary is a supplement, not a replacement for reading the actual word of God, via the Bible.}
**The full impact of what this quote says lies in understanding the branch/vine analogy Jesus gives in John. See it here.
by Amy | Jan 28, 2015 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
Tonight we are going over the second half of our big, fat, American road trip. Derek and I went across the country on a trip from Minot to Orlando. It was a long haul, but incredibly fun. If you missed our first two stops–check out yesterday’s post.
The third leg of our trip took us from the Kansas City to Memphis, TN. We left Kansas City right after our late lunch at Jack Stack BBQ and drove down to Memphis–only about six hours. We arrived around 10pm and decided that we should put our “tired” aside and venture down to Beale Street. {Which, according to USA Today, is America’s most iconic street.} I mean…how often do we go to Memphis? Besides, we were only spending the one night there. If we were going to take in some live music, it was now or never. It was cold. It was off season. It was late and places were starting to close up. But we went anyway.
The lights were lovely and the live music was even lovelier. We ended up sitting in the B.B. King Blues Club. We heard the last few songs of their house band’s set. So good! {Image below from the BB King Blue’s Club website.}
The following morning, we kept with our musical theme. First we drove past Aretha Franklin’s childhood home. {It’s still there!} Then we hit up the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, to learn about the heart of the Memphis music scene. The museum was interesting, especially for folks with a pulse on the music scene. For me, it was a little hard to pay attention…because there were lots of songs playing from lots of different directions and I had a hard time reading. But that’s probably due to my own sometimes stunted attention span. At any rate, we listened to some great music and looked very hipster doing it.
Then we hit up the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, to learn about the heart of the Memphis music scene. The museum was interesting, especially for folks with a pulse on the music scene. For me, it was a little hard to pay attention…because there were lots of songs playing from lots of different directions and I had a hard time reading. But that’s probably due to my own sometimes stunted attention span. At any rate, we listened to some great music and looked very hipster doing it.
After the museum we ate soul food at the Four Way–which the locals told us was the best around. Indeed it was.
We wrapped up our time in Memphis travels with a swing past Graceland. We didn’t have the time to tour, but we did walk past the home of the king…where I insisted that we each try to dance like Elvis. We gave it our best shot, but I’m pretty sure Elvis would be embarrassed.
The next leg of our trip took us down to New Orleans. Since we were mostly there for a wedding {which I was photographing} we only did the basics. Strolled the French Quarter, ate red beans and rice, coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde.
We also had the second best breakfast of my life at the Ruby Slipper. {The absolute best was the Friendly Toast in Portsmouth.} But, like I said, the main event was the wedding. More of these photos coming soon!
From NOLA, we reached our “final” destination–Montgomery, AL. The main reason for road tripping was the drive to Montgomery, where Derek had to attend a training course. It was a relief to get out of the car for a bit. We stayed in town and out of the car for a full week before packing it back up to head south for the long MLK Day weekend.
We drove down to Pensacola, where we had a lovely dinner at what is perhaps my all-time favorite restaurant–Dharma Blue. Photo below via the Dharma Blue Facebook page.
The following morning we ate breakfast at one of our favorite haunts–Ace’s in Milton, FL {we used to live in Milton.} The food was great…but catching up with our friends who still live in Milton/Pensacola. I love these ladies!
Finally, it was another long haul from Milton down to Orlando! There we got to see another Milton friend and I made all my Harry Potter dreams come true!
Since my back pain was flaring up {maybe all that time in the car had something to do with it…} we decided to take in Universal Studios instead of Islands of Adventure, since there are fewer roller coasters at Studios. Coasters aside, it was amazing!! Oh my. I just don’t even have words. Sure, Universal Studios was fun. But Harry Potter World–Diagon Alley–blew. my. mind. Blown. The butter beer. The Gringott’s dragon that breathes real fire. The shops. The food. Amazing.
Our friend Angel was selected to have Olivander select a wand for her. We ate the best amusement park food I’ve ever had at the Leaky Cauldron. And made a thrilling Escape From Gringotts. {Who knew melding 3D video and a roller coaster could be so fun?!}
Of course the other parts of the park were fun too…but it all really paled in comparison to how great Diagon Alley was.
From Orlando, we trekked back to Montgomery for the duration of the journey. {If you are in Montgomery, you should definitely have some rockin’ Cajun food at Uncle Mick’s and participate in Trivia Night at the Irish Bred Pub–get the Irish Mac ‘n’ Cheese while you’re there.}
We had an awesome time…but after all that travel it’s been really nice to be back home, back in a routine. I’m sure this is just one in many, many adventures that 2015 will bring.
by Amy | Jan 28, 2015 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
You can say a lot of things about Derek and me. But you absolutely cannot declare that we don’t know how to road trip. Seriously. We are so good at it. This month we took a cross country road trip. It was one of our longest road trips of all time…and one of the best. So sit back, get comfortable, and remember to avoid caffeinated beverages {no pee breaks}…because we are embarking on Road Trip 2015.
The map above shows our route. It’s pretty darn far. Today we’ll get all the way to Kansas City! I’m excited to tell you about the trip stop by stop, but first–here is a list of in-car things that kept us occupied through all those hours of driving.
Audio Book–Boys in the Boat. I love this book. You should read it or listen to it soon. It’s amazing on audio. And read by perfectly voiced by the late Edward Herman. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry for joy, you’ll cry for sadness, you’ll learn, and you’ll want to take up rowing. It’s a 12-disc, or 13 hour listen.
Audio Mystery–Serial. If you are in to Dateline mysteries, you’ll totally dig Serial, a audio documentary from This American Life. The podcast investigates a murder case from 1999. The case is closed, but the man convicted has maintained his innocence all these years. The series looks in to the case and trial and will leave you wondering if they really did lock up the wrong man. Because it’s a little street-wise…there is a bit of language {including a few F-Bombs} and some talk of drug use. I still found it to be a fascinating listen. It’s 12 episodes ranging form 25-55 minutes.
Colossians. We spent a good long time reviewing the verses we already had memorized and added new verses {we are at the end of chapter 4!} Reciting the whole thing takes a good 25 minutes, and learning a new verse takes about 15-20… so this was a good time eater for us once a day.
Trivia. I downloaded a new app called Quizoid. It works without a data connection or wireless.
Now…the trip. Leg one took us from Minot to Omaha. It was by far the longest part of the journey. And while we really wanted to stop to see Corn Palace…we decided the extra two hours it would add onto the trip wasn’t worth it.
In Omaha we visited Joslyn Castle. Because it’s off season, we were the only visitors and enjoyed a private tour of the Castle. It’s gorgeous. It’s fascinating. I wish I lived in Omaha so I could attend the lots of super-cool events they hold here. {Murder mystery dinner anyone?}
The Joslyn family also donated funds for an art museum. And…since Derek had never in his life laid eyes on a real Monet…we just had to go. Not to mention, it’s got free admission. As far as I’m concerned, the Joslyn Art museum rocks. Good layout. Lots of awesome works. And an amazing interactive level. Some may say it is the “kid’s area,” but who says grownups can’t enjoy making stop-motion movies and virtual paintings? Here is a stop motion video we made. {They email it right to you!}
After the Joslyns showed us all they had to offer, we headed to the Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. It. Was. Amazing! I was skeptical about going to the zoo in January, but it totally paid off. We were there for three full hours–just on the indoor exhibits. They’ve got the world’s largest indoor desert. {Which features the world’s cutest creature–the klipspringer!}
They’ve also got a mind-blowing “kingdoms of the night” exhibit filled with night-dwelling creatures, and a way creepy-but-cool insect pavilion.
But my favorite, favorite part was the aquarium. Stunning. I liked it even more than the Shedd in Chicago. And that’s really saying something. I love the Shedd aquarium. It had a HUGE aquarium tunnel. It’s like you are right in the tank! There were penguins and puffins and weird looking fish and a swamp habitat. Simply awesome.
From Omaha we went to Kansas City, MO. Recently I’ve gotten really into learning about WWI. Mostly because I picked up an audio series that NPR put out in honor of WWI’s centennial. You can see the series here. As I listened to the discs {there’s only three} I heard a short snippet about our country’s only WWI museum…in Kansas City, MO. The piece made it sound so cool and we were going to be so close…I begged Derek to take me. {Because I’m really that lame.}
So we went. And I was so impressed! Really, one of the best museums I’ve ever been to. Ever. It made the material easy to understand. It was well laid out. The design was beautiful. The exhibits were fascinating. It’s interactive and techy and traditional–all at the same time. I learned a million things. {Photo below from the museum’s Facebook page.}
I love interactive portions of museums and this museum had some great interactive exhibits. There were “listening booths” that let you play music, writings, and diary entries from the war years. There were also tables of touch-screen games, plans, photo albums, and DIY propaganda posters.
When you are done with your creation…you can email it to yourself! Here are our masterpieces. I’m pretty sure I’m on my way to being a sought after propaganda artist.
After hours at the museum, we ate an amazing lunch at Jack Stack BBQ. It’s delightful for the taste buds and they eyes. The decor is so lovely. Seriously, one of the best meals we had on our trip! {Photo from the Jack Stack Facebook page.}
Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the second half of our road trip–Memphis, NOLA, Montgomery, Pensacola, and Orlando! Okay, so…technically, it’s more cities…but we didn’t do nearly as many touristy things in those places. So it’ll be less of a read. I’ll see you back on the road tomorrow!
Amy
by Amy | Jan 27, 2015 | Blog, The Art of Art
If you follow the Facebook page {which you should…} you might have seen this image that I posted last night. That’s right. Although I just got back to Practically Canada {I’ll tell you all about our amazing road trip tomorrow}, I’m already running full speed. Maybe even double time. I stayed up late last night putting the finishing touches on these two “Classroom Canvases.” And I really, really like them.
Today I taught in two third grade classes. Tomorrow I’ll do two more canvases in the other third grade classes at the school. Originally I was going to hold off and show you all the canvases and tell you all the silly remarks in one big post. But after the things I heard today…well–I just couldn’t wait.
If you don’t know what a classroom canvas is, read this post.
I pull about three kids at a time to paint with me. So these conversations usually took place in small groups. Without further ado…here are exchanges I had today with third graders.
Kid: You smell like a janitor.
Me: What? What does that even mean?
Kid: It just means…you smell like a janitor smells.
Me: Like a vacuum?
Kid: No. It’s a good thing. You smell good. But…like a good smelling janitor.
Kid: Who do you root for?
Me: I don’t really watch football. But I’m mostly a Colts fan.
Kid: Yuck. I only like Green Bay. Why would you root for the Colts? {sounding disgusted.}
Me: Because I’m from Indiana. I just said that like one minute ago. {the class asked where I was originally from}
Kid: Yeah, but the Colts aren’t from Indiana.
Me: Uhhh, yes they are. The Indianapolis Colts.
Kid: Uhhh, what does that have to do with anything?
Me: Indianapolis. As in Indiana…
Kid: Indianapolis isn’t even a real city. I think you’re confused. I can tell you don’t watch much football.
Kid: You look just like that girl in the Transformers movie.
Me: That’s because I do this for fun…but my real job is making movies.
Kid: WHAT? For real? I knew that was you.
Me: Oh, my…that got out of hand. I’ve never even seen that movie. And this is my real job. Sorry.
Kid: WAIT. You’re married?
Me: Yeah.
Kid: You’re too young to be married. What are you like, 18?
Kid 2: You’re too pretty to be married.
Me: No, I’m much older than that. And why are pretty people not married?
Kid 2: She’s probably like….about 49 or something.
Kid: I bet you have a whole room in your house just for painting….
{In my wildest dreams this is true.}
Kid: One time a boy just walked past my desk and dropped a note there. Like it was no big deal. But I read it and it said, “I love you.” Weird, right?
{While I was cleaning brushes at the sink}
Kid: Do you want me to help you?
Me: Oh, that’s really sweet, but I’m almost done. I’ll just finish up myself.
Kid: Okay. I’m just going to stand here. I love watching people.
Kid: Do you have a dog?
Me: No, but I love dogs.
Kid: Okay, well I have one you can have. She’s like two years old. She’s really bad.
Me: Thanks, but I’m not really in the market for a dog right now. Especially not a bad one.
Kid: Okay, well really…you should have her. We need to find a new owner for her. Like she chews up everything and pees in the house and…
Me: Well, my argument still stands. I don’t really want a dog. Especially not a bad one.
{Upon squirting paint out of an almost empty tube.}
Kid: That sounds like my mom when she poops.
I just love those kids. So stinkin’ funny. So here are the almost-finished products. I’ll retrace the black lines before returning them to the school. And I’ll be sure to post a photo of them so you can see how awesome they look. All in all both classes did an amazing job! I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
