We moved!

To all the friends and family who ate meals with us, drank tea or smoothies and shared stories, filled the inside of our thin walls with tremendous laughter, partook in cooking disasters, played intense games of Jenga, painted or sculpted meticulous works of art, or studied exams with us through the first hours of a new day, THANK YOU. You have filled our first home with remarkable memories. Cheers to no more 5:00 mornings taking care of moody horses for rent. Cheers to Papa for providing unfathomably and abundantly while simultaneously easing us to trust Him with future plans. So much thanks and praise due, words seem to collapse under the weight of such amazing glory.

Let's see things clearly.

In this house, we display a pair of easily accessible "forgiveness glasses."

It reminds us that whatever we're arguing about is probably silly and meaningless in the first place. Holla' at that new perspective.

Well that's new.

Today someone called me to "serve papers."
I'm being sued. By people I've never met or heard of.
For something I haven't been told yet.
What is this!? Cue finals. Cue suing. Cue stress.
After three sleepless nights (due to papers),
and a fourth one to come this evening,
I just need some tea and a nap.

Survival mode: it has come to this.

I'm sitting here, drinking some tea and writing a paper 

(tea + mug courtesy of my thoughtful sister-in-law). 

It's 3:50 in the morning.

Security just kicked me out of the school cafe.

The barista left Christmas music on after her departure.

I listened to the same nine tracks twenty-two times over.

I am now well versed for caroling this winter.

Best words I've heard all weekend

"Eat a chocolate bagel.

Go to the mountains!

Rest, receive, love."
 

Birthday!

21 happened.

It started with waffles.

Followed by a walk with my love and T.S. Eliot.

And it ended with dinner at a tequila bar.

..I had one drink. It tasted like nail polish.  

Breakfast

Today, I gave Fall a late welcome with grain-free pumpkin pancakes

and Lady Grey Tea. Here's to peaceful mornings and rich conversations;
can it be like this forever?

Hooray for birthdays!

This beauty and I are six days apart!

My 21st year of life begins in three days. 

This year, my wish list is a bit more practical than usual (partly).

Calcium Powder

Xylitol Powder

(To make my own toothpaste)

Activated Charcoal 

(In case we ever have a bout with food poisoning

...It also whitens teeth!) 

Microfiber Cloths

(So I can simplify the rags that I have now)

Trader Joe's Gift Cards

(Because they have the tastiest bell peppers)

Storage Containers

(Since we'll be moving out of the country in January)

Another External Hardrive

(So backed-up photos will be in two places)

What's the most practical/useful birthday present you've ever received? 

Experimenting with the light today

Coffee, blankets, cleaning, oatmeal pumpkin muffins, and edits.

These are the things that keep me from studying.

I really need to open my textbooks.

Later, though. Later.

Sun in October.

A day outside without a sweater?

If this is summer's final farewell,

I can't think of anything sweeter.

Lesson learned.

Whelp, I was duped.
My gullibility had me from the get-go.

Last night while in Seattle, I heard the most heart breaking tale. A man was digging in the trash looking for a cigarette when a few friends and I met him. He asked for orange juice and sweet tarts. After he received them, he talked about being a marine for nine years. He mentioned how he was kicked out for standing up for women who were being raped by his buddies, and then was shot because of it. "I have more mechanical parts than a semi-truck," he said, implying past surgeries.

And then he went on to tell us that his uncles tied him to a chair and forced him to watch them rape his mom. He spoke all about the intolerance that he has for injustice, and then started moaning. Why? Because he's diabetic and someone knocked away his last dose of insulin. Also,  apparently his spine is all jacked. He proceeded to mentioned that he needed to get home to his family, he even showed me a map with numbers.

Long story short, I ate tacos with Z after coming home at midnight, and told him about the story. And I also told him how I was disappointed that nothing happened when we prayed for the man. Zach looked up from eating his gordita, described the man perfectly, and said "Of course nothing happened. He's not actually hurt in the ways he told you. That guy told me a different rendition of the same story a few weeks ago, only the numbers were different and he couldn't actually tell me details about his home town. You didn't give him any money did you?" I shrank. I always tell people that it's best to get food or buy the homeless a room or a bus pass or something other than giving them money. But last night I did the complete opposite of what I regularly advise. It was only two dollars, but STILL, that was my bus money back home!

Looking back, it makes complete sense. He switched from "serving nine years" to "serving thirteen years," and then told me he was an hour and a half away from his hometown. When, in reality, that town is three hours away, and includes a ferry ride (which was not mentioned).

If I see him again this week, it'll be just OJ and sweet tarts.

Thursday

Today I'm thankful... 

...for October bike rides that chill my water bottle while I'm pedaling.

...for passing the emission test so that we can get new tabs.
...for finishing a paper and turning it in with enough time to blow my nose (from said bike ride).
...for finding my way back home from a photoshoot in an area I'm unfamiliar with.
...for fresh bell peppers.
...for pumpkin tea.

Prayer requests, please join me?

Here's a small handful of requests from a fairly intense night on Saturday.

-A woman that Zach and I work with is currently in Germany with her son. He was traveling in Romania and fell on electric train tracks. After being transferred to Germany, he got an infection, and now the last antibiotic that they're trying is destroying his kidneys. Please pray for healing, and comfort for the whole family.

-Jacob and Amber, who are currently living on the streets. Please pray for tickets back to Arkansas (by Tuesday) to reunite with their three kids.

-Charles and Charles, who are heading to San Fransisco.

-Alex (name protected), who is involved in sex trafficking as he fronts the drugs to different dealers (he's the one who will get caught if police get involved. He's being held against his will, has nowhere to go, and is threatened if he leaves). Please pray that we can find a house or organization to take him in.

-Robert. To know his worth, to find joy and rest.

-Kerry, who is running from a rapist, but he keeps coming back (police are involved/watching him).

-Ike, from Virginia. That he's able to make his way around Seattle.

-Mama Love, as everyone calls her, as she deals with a new found tumor (and the other four). She has so much joy, always!

I know there are some heavy requests in here, but I would love it if you could join me in prayer! Seattle is so rough and when looked at closer, one realizes that the city is more than just a beautiful haze of raindrops and greenery. People hurt. They hurt badly, openly, courageously, and not many care to listen. Thank you!  

Highs and Lows

Highs

-New camera!
-New 'hole-in-the-wall' Thai restaurant.
-Crazy connections that God set up. Northwest Awaken Tour, let's see revival!
-Tea in the grass. Well, tea in cups, while sitting in the grass under a beautiful blue sky.
-Meeting cousin Boaz (newest family member, 2 months old)!

Lows

-Camera/Computer connection complications. (See that alliteration?)

Today I went walking

Because one's brain works best at 1.7 miles per hour, I took my textbook on a walk.

Since information is solidified while taking a nap, I met my pillow for a second time today.

I also ate a lot of watermelon, kiwi, and cantaloupe. 

The fruit's been sweet, and the reading, swell.

New purchase

Image {via}

 Eating three slices of homemade blueberry + raspberry pie is always permissible.

Today I bought a Canon EOS 6D. Now I wait impatiently until its arrival on Thursday.

Until then, I will be eating more pie. If you were here, I'd share a bite or two, or three.

Well that was an adventure: game night in Seattle

Six girls.
One Subaru.
China town.
No parking.
Game night;
Seahawks vs. 49ers.
Vietnamese food + bubble tea.
Laughter. 
Car window broken.
Phone stolen.
Jean jacket tossed on barbed wire fence.
Men drinking under bridge near by.
Did I say China town? In Seattle? Yes.
Separate: three girls to Century Link Field.
Conversation about gambling/seagulls/Seahawks with homeless man.
Other man walks up and eyes baggage.
Homeless man pulls out brass knuckles.
Other man has shifty eyes.
We exit scene.
Watch game from Century Link Field and hear roaring fans.
We root for our team and watch people get kicked out.
Coffee shop to buy some tea.
Police man shows up (with other three).
Police man collects information and hands over a 'naked man' suit.
He explains that it is normally used to give to people who run around the streets naked.
He places it on the seat so that no one gets cut.  
Leave coffee shop right as game ends; cheer until we all reunite.
"SEA" "HAWKS!" "SEA" "HAWKS!" "WHO'S BETTER?" "NO ONE IS!"
And with that, we are officially the loudest stadium in the world;
Record broken tonight.
Adventure ends here (mostly).

Highs and Lows

Highs

-That first look two weeks ago. ^ She shot my wedding, and I, hers!  
-Fresh grapes off the vine. Grandpa, you are a master.
-Fresh carrots from the garden!
-Pears, apples, and plums. Thanks to my parent's fruit trees, I have never tasted a pear so sweet, an apple so juicy, nor a plum so purple.
-One of my best friends is engaged!
-The Lord is so good! Providing like none of our business.
-Street ministry. AH! I love the souls of Seattle.
-The class that I thought would kill me has become one of my favorites.

Lows

-Mega reading. But I'm learning lots!
-Zachary is working like a rented mule.
-Confronting a friend and then watching said friend not listen at all.
-Dreams about a self-destructing rocket exploding right over my head... ?  
-This cold, tho.

And your week, how was it?

Secret hiding places.

I have this habit.
A not-so-very-wise-yet-always-a-surprise type habit.
A habit where I hide a few stuffed envelopes full of dolla' dolla' bills.
And then I always find said envelopes at the most opportune time.
This time, one was spotted after clearing a book shelf for dusting.

And now you know where I hide my extra monz.
I take after my great grandmother in this. No shame.

After she passed, we found hundreds of dollars stuffed in book pages.
I'm not to that point yet. I hope to never be.

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Had I the heaven's embroidered cloths, 

Enwrought with golden and silver light, 

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths 

Of night and light and the half light, 

 I would spread the cloths under your feet: 

But I, being poor, have only my dreams; 

I have spread my dreams under your feet; 

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

 -W.B. Yeats

With that, I am undone. 

I am completely in awe of these words

Highs and Lows (delayed)

Highs

-Dropping a class.
-Street ministry.
-Education.
-Walt Whitman.
-Meeting new faces.
-Deep questions. 

Lows

-Broken camera.
-No time to respond to emails.
-Second day of class: twenty minutes late.
-Trying to edit photos amidst class schedule. Two hours free the entire week - yikes.
-Second shooter comes to wedding without my prior knowledge. I later learn that I wasn't given the check because the bride's grandma is afraid I'm going to con them. And now I sit here, almost fished with all the edits, while simultaneously working on a very deliberate contract for all future weddings.  

My weekend, condensed:

Saturday:

Stop abruptly and almost rear end a car (on the freeway). Blow through a stop sign. Get lost. Wedding, nine hours. Adorable first look. Sweet bride/groom photos. Miss the kiss. Camera breaks with two hours left of the wedding. Wedding finished. Camera still not working. Drive home at 11. Go to friends' concert with husband. Invite a married couple over to talk and cook a turkey. Couple leaves. 2:00 am, sleep.

Sunday:

Wake up: 6:00. Barn duty. Drive to pick up fellow photographer. Wedding day begins at venue, 9:15. Camera still broken. Two hours pass, no prevail. Husband comes, bearing two cameras. One with half a battery and no charger, the other with a 32gb card, but lacking the capability to shoot in raw. Third camera arrives (thank you Sarah), no card. Transfer card from first camera to third camera. Day saved. Husband and Sarah are the best. Wedding ends, 9:00. Offload photos of camera two, battery dies while loading. Offload photos of camera three, computer can't read the CR2 files. Panic. Sing all the way home with Husband. Drop off fellow photographer. Print class schedules at school for the next morning. Try to update computer info to read files. Panic again. Drive home. 11:00, completely beat, sleep. 

Monday:

Wake up at 6. Barn duty. Edit photos. School until 2:30. Realize that eight classes this semester is not feasible. Sleep. Barn duty. Research new cameras. Cook. Clean. Read. Cook again. Call mom. Sleep.

Aye carumba! How was your weekend? And your Monday?

Highs and Lows

Highs

-Grapefruit; if it were any other name, it would be 'Pristine'.
-Barbecued peaches, because why not?
-Editing photos on the front porch.
-TWO weddings to shoot this weekend!
-Quality company over to share meals four times this week! Community.
-Coconut chickpea green curry. I've never been more satisfied with any other experiment.
-Epsom salt. Magnesium - I'm all about better sleep!
-Fresh produce. Especially zucchini. Sometimes I feel like I'm eating Larry the cucumber.
 ...Which doesn't make sense, because Larry is a cucumber, not a zucchini. Anyway... 

Lows

-Stinging nettle. Thankfully, baking soda is never amiss.
-School starts on Monday. I'll be taking 23 credits. My monotone typing says it all.
-Blogging has been on the back burner.
-Flies. Flies everywhere! We usually leave our door open if we're at home, but for the last two days flies have been finding comfort here along side us. Last night, after some friends left around 1:00 (it was a good conversation), Zach tried to ninja swat the flies with a towel ... he broke the light fixture.
On the bright side, I might explore the partially abandoned world of 'Katie's Crafting Supplies' and conjure up something fancy. (Here's to hoping I don't burn the house down.)

What's you're list this week? I'd love to hear about it!

Hey Katie Day: facebook page is up!

Big news! I just created a facebook page for my photography!

See the page here. I'm a wee bit excited. :) 

Have a lovely evening!

Highs and Lows

Highs

-Spinach, cucumber, basil, and tomato salad.
-Sister visits.
-Booking photo sessions.
-T.S. Eliot poems about cats.
-Frozen banana + peanut butter + cocoa powder .. BLENDED = ice cream.
-Finding this husband/wife photography team. The last hour has been spent browsing their talent! 
-Editing a wedding shoot. Almost being done with said shoot.
-Meeting new people.
-Planning for two upcoming weddings!
-Freezing peaches. So.many.peaches.

Lows

-Purchasing books. (I love books, it's just the price of said school books).
-"Your fish is dead." The first thing I heard from my sister after she arrived. Time for Cleo #3!
-My little ducklings that I've mentored these last two years are now all leaving for college! Be well, and make daring yet wise decisions, dear flock. Let's get coffee when you each return.
-I pulled a muscle while jump roping. WHO DOES THAT? Jumping a rope! It's the most simple, carefree exercise tool on the planet, and I pull a muscle on the fifth skip!

What are your highs and lows this week?  

A little of today.

Whoa now. Looking back at yesterday's post, I'm not too sure what to think about that.

Also, random tidbit: though the windows are open, the house continues to smell like cauliflower.

 

Today has been one of those days where...

-Getting out of pajamas has been deemed unnecessary.

-Editing photos has been the most relaxing thing on my 'schedule'.

-Eating vegetables and making hummus became the perfect antidote to life.

-Going to an Advocare meeting was a last minute decision. 

(Thus, meaning, pj's were not on as long as I expected.)

-Popcorn was popped and gobbled up.

Today, I preach to myself.

On some days, the rain comes.

And when it does, don't hasten it.

But work it out. Take deep breaths. Don't be stubborn.

And listen. Please listen. And listen again.

Know what it means to be sad.

But don't stay there.

All too often, emotions are left in the dust, unfelt. 

Know these emotions. They happen; feel them.

Wedding!

These two. I just love these two. I was so happy to shoot this day.
I learned A LOT and will be applying that knowledge to upcoming weddings.

Welcome to the family, Brian!

Highs and Lows

I received this box today! It's traveled to five different places already.

What's in it? A lensbaby. Basically, it's a lens that creates a tilt-shift effect. Thank you, Borrow Lenses, for shipping right to my door!

Highs

-Ikea meatballs. I don't know how they do that.
-Zach and I purchased a whole box of peaches from a local fruit stand for only TEN DOLLARS.
-My cousin is getting married tomorrow! I'll be shooting with a good friend (who also shot my wedding). We both shot our first wedding together, and are so psyched to mesh our ideas and see how this one turns out!
-My sister is visiting from Canada for the weekend.
-We held a party for all the horse boarders and office people last Saturday. It went off without a hitch!
-ELEVEN new chicks were born this morning! The mama hen is so cautious; rightfully so.
-Bubble tea with my favorite person.  

Lows

-One of my best friends is getting married and I might be in Asia when it happens.
-Fruit flies were bespeaking their power in our kitchen for a few days (they're gone now).
-School is fast approaching. I'm rather uneasy about one of my classes.
-Not nearly as much as I have wanted to read has actually been read this summer.

What are your highs and lows this week?

Have you read much this summer?

Living on a farm: in photos

You may have heard me talk of the farm in the past; horses live here.

Though we live in the city, it's as if we don't at all. There's a big chunk of land that happens to be 500 acres of trees smack dab in the middle of all the surrounding cities. 

We just so happen to live in the midst of all that.

It's rather pleasant. When we want to get away from people and busy streets and drivers who don't watch where they are going (one of our friends just got hit by a car while riding his bike a few days ago), we can retreat five minutes away to our abode 'in the country'.

My husband and I can't stand horses. As in, we really, really, really don't like them. But in retrospect, working on a farm in exchange for rent this last year hasn't been all that terrible. Aside from the bee stings, attacking roosters, communication mishaps with management, alfalfa runs, and hungry horse spasms, we are so blessed to be here. We are thankful for our little house by the barn and all the people we have encountered along the way. Though the work invested here may not seem worth it at times, the challenge is.
So this is life, and it is good.

Miracles as of late: Provision

It's hard to keep something so big out of this blog. And since so much happens in my life that I don't share on here, I'd like to be more transparent with my faith, but mainly to share what I believe. I will be doing that in a roundabout way, simply by sharing stories of real-life experiences, through a new 'series' of sorts, Who is God? So stick with me, even if you don't agree with everything I say; I'd love to hear your heart or understand what you believe, even if it's different.

After praying for two months about Zach's emergency room drop-in, the fifteen minute charge of $1,088 has been 100% written off! Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son! Now we only have to pay the physician's bill!

After meeting with a bride to talk about her wedding photos (a friend that I haven't seen since 9th grade), I asked if there was anything I could be praying for. Taken aback by the question, she looked at me quizzically. "You could do a rain dance or something." Then she became serious. "I just talked with my grandma, she told me that we could live at her house after she moves out. But there's a slight problem; she kicked out the twenty people renting around her house, because they all share the same well water. The water has to be refilled every several years, but this time it's too expensive, the wells are almost completely dried up, and there's no promise that there will be enough water to last another week." I looked at her, the answer was simple, "Well then, let's pray!" Three days later, I received a text: "I just talked to my Grandma about the well. Both 900 gallon tanks are full." I asked her if anyone came out to fill the tanks, or if her grandma had paid for it to be done. Her response? "It just filled up." IT JUST FILLED UP. How GREAT and how AWESOME and how BIG is God?! SO BIG! After meeting with this friend this last week to follow up, I asked her what she thought about the situation, she replied, "I want to see this 'God' work more and watch what else he can do."  

Well hold onto your seat, friend, he's going to blow your mind.

Jehovah Jireh: The Lord will provide.

At weddings, we like to groove.

(All photos belong to Caren Morris Photography)

Top left: He's a little teapot. There is his spout.

Top right: Curly hair makes otherwise terrible dancing look a little bit more epic.

Below: There comes a point when one needs to just stop dancing and exit the floor.
...This was my cue.

When you look delirious, it's time for a water break. A very long water break.

Highs and Lows

Highs

-Camping last week!
-Running! Here's to hoping it stays consistent.
-One of my best friends recently became engaged! Although it took everything I had not to spill the beans before it was announced publicly, not even a peep came out. A visit to Portland was necessary.
-ALSO, the most amazing wedding in Oregon. Seth and Kristina, your celebration was truly one of the best wedding's that I've been to. I couldn't stop smiling during your ceremony!
-Paid our school bill in cash. Oof. But worth it.
-Met with two friends for dinner last night. We all went through our awkward stages together in middle school and haven't seen each other since. Nothing has changed. We laughed for four hours straight. 
-Blueberry picking. Blackberry picking. Fruit.
-Cabbage, potatoes, peas, and zucchini from my grandpa's garden. Vegetables for days. 
-I never realized how often Zach got me flowers until I started keeping a 'highs/lows' list. That boy knows the way to my heart: wildflowers.

Lows

-Complete scone fail. Blackberries, let's try this again.
-Z's new manager has been scheduling him all night shifts for the last month. 
-Fruit flies! I can't seem to keep up with eating all this fresh fruit on time! (No complaints, though.)

What are your highs/lows this week? Have you gone camping this summer?
Pick any good fruit/vegetables recently? Have a great day!

Part two, camping.

After leaving the family reunion, we represented our Seattle pride by wearing a Hendrix shirt, and bought Starbucks as soon as we could locate a coffee shop.  I guess we missed home a little. Seattle, you are too good to us by having a Starbucks/multiple bistros on every block (not kidding). 

We also stopped off the road to buy some blueberries from a local market.

And then continued driving through the heat.

Zach felt compelled to decorate a tree.

As I mentioned in the previous post, we had no map or gps with us, so we were driving where our instinct told us, and eventually we found ourselves camping at the bottom of a volcano.  

Mosquitoes were everywhere, so we burned citronella sticks, and began to play a few games of bananagrams.

Our final morning away was spent going on a hike to a hidden lake.
After that, we packed up and spent the rest of the day back home with our families.  

The trip? A success!