Drops of Awesome Blog Post

Ran across this blog post today and wanted to share...

http://www.daringyoungmom.com/2012/12/19/drops-of-awesome/

The Vow

I watched The Vow when it came out in 2012, and have finally gotten my hands on a copy of the book recently. As usually happens, the movie told things very differently from what actually happened, but (part of) the essence of Kim and Krickett Carpenter's story was still there. It was a wonderful book about faith and marriage and family that I highly recommend to anyone. A few things from the book I wanted to share on here.

From James Dobson's "Family News" newsletter in June of 1997, as quoted in the book:

"In this day when the culture teaches us to bail at the first sign of frustration or pain, it is uplifting to see this young couple work to recapture what they had lost and to remain committed to each other even in the face of tragedy. Their example will, I hope, be relevant to many of my readers who have lost the passion in their marriages - not as a result of brain injury, but from whatever has driven them apart. Perhaps Kim's decision to win Krickitt's affection anew will be especially helpful to those who have misplaced the 'memory' of love.

If you have been considering a divorce, wouldn't it be better to begin courting your spouse again and seeking to rebuild the marriage from the ground up? That is never easy and I'm sure Kim and Krickitt have not yet faced their final challenges. But it is the right thing to do, and ultimately, the most rewarding response for disengaging husbands and wives. And it is definitely in the best interest of the children.

Let me conclude by offering a word of advice to young men and women who will be joining hands in holy matrimony during this summer.... I urge each of you to enter into marriage with an unshakable commitment to make it last a lifetime. Let nothing short of death separate what is about to be consummated. When the hard times come (and they WILL come), I hope you will remember the story of Kim and Krickitt who are weathering the storm together - hand in hand and soul to soul. That is God's plan for the family - and for your family." -James Dobson, June Newsletter 1994

And another quote from the book:

"Our family lives by three sayings. The first is that we "do the right thing." If you were to walk up to one of my kids on the street and say, "Remember..." they will respond with, "do the right thing." Our second saying is, "It's important to give it all you got." We have learned that life is precious, so while we're here we need to give all we have. And our third saying is, "I got gaps, and together we fill them." Think about that for a moment. We all have things that we're good at and not-so-good at, but together we fill each other's gaps. When we work together and complement each other by filling in the gaps, we can achieve our dreams hand in hand. I believe that as our family lives out those three things, we can give to others what has been given to us.

Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 30:35). I believe that wholeheartedly. But I also believe that in order to truly give, you must know what it is to truly receive. When tragedy strikes you, as it did to us, don't cut yourself off from the world. Instead, reach out to your friends and family, and to God. Then you will know what it is like to receive, and as a result you will know how to give to others."

-Kim Kittrick

New Year's Eve at Sunset

What better way to end the year than with a beautiful sunset? :)

The Old Ferguson

As I get older, I find myself wanting to take photos of things from my childhood. My dad is a farmer, and comes from a farming family, so as I child I was used to seeing Fergusons and John Deere tractors around, even rode some with my dad. I don't know exactly how old this Ferguson is, but I know it's been around since before I was born...so it's more than 30 years old, for sure.

I can't get enough of capturing the nostalgia of my past these days, before it all slips away and really is only an image in my mind...

Candles

What is it about candles that people like so much? Growing up we didn't do much with candles, unless the power went out and we had to use them. Even then, the candles were simple and unscented. As I got older, I'd get candles as gifts from people, but I never really had any use for them, except to collect dust. Until one day a year or so ago, when I lit one in an effort to make a room smell better. I started to appreciate the scent of a candle, and I've lit many a candle since then, whether to help the smell of a room out, or just because I felt like it. There's also something very romantic seeming about a candle...maybe it's the scents, maybe it's the dimmed lighting...either way, I like the ambiance it can create. There's also a warmth to them, not so much in actually warming yourself up by them, but more so in their presence. All in all, I've become a bit of a candle person over the last year or so, and I like to try to capture the essence of them with my camera when the chance presents itself.

Fronds at Sunset

Recent Read



 I don't post about books very often, but sometimes I read a book and just can't resist sharing a little about it.

I've been an avid book reader my whole life. As my interests in life have changed, so have my choices in what to read. Since getting Isabella, our first husky, I've become more interested in dog-related books. A little over two years later, we now have two more dogs, Jake and Champ, and I can't seem to get enough of reading about dogs and their humans. The stories touch my heart, make me laugh, make me cry, and many times make me want more dogs (don't tell my husband...). Many of these books also inspire me to want to do more for other dogs out there, in shelters and rescues. To foster, adopt, or somehow make a difference in their lives. One individual can go a long way towards making a difference.

Devon O'Day, author of My Angels Wear Fur, has rescued many animals over the years-- dogs, cats, horses, and birds. Some have stayed with her, some boomeranged back, but most have been successfully re-homed with what turned out to be their perfect match. Some of the animals were deemed "unadoptable" for various reasons-- temperament, sickness, old age-- but it didn't stop her from giving them a chance.
One of the things I love about this book is that through the stories of these animals, she relates the lessons she's learned from each one back to daily life and a way of thinking about life in general.

Some of my favorite excerpts from her book:

"In animal rescue, there are often many ports before a safe harbor is reached. All are a necessary part of the journey and none is more important than the other. Often we opt not to be a port, because we feel we can't offer a permanent solution. But if all we do is offer a temporary home, pay a vet bill, or pick up a hurt animal on the roadside and take him to a shelter, we have done what we were commissioned by God to do."

"Every kind action leads to another and another. If we all begin each day with a kind action, chances are the chain will reconnect to us by the end of the day. Whatever order we are in the links of the chain, we are integral to the connection of that chain in the plan of the universe."

"We have all been given a ball to retrieve. We have a simple calling that has been given to us, and we have been given the gifts to accomplish that calling. It all comes from God. When we lose that focus on the gifts we've been given and the calling that God has made, we find ourselves awash in unhappiness and frustration."

"I can't help but see how God teaches us the lesson of the old forgotten ones through animals. There are elderly people filled with joy and wisdom of the ages forgotten in nursing homes and retirement centers everywhere. They watch the clock tick off minutes of precious life, just waiting for someone to stop by and give them a moment of conversation. They know so much. They have lived it. Yet they are just sitting in the hope that someone will stop and hold their hand, listen to an old repeated story, and brighten their day."

"I always find that when we pray for something, God has an answer. Sometimes it's yes. Sometimes it's no. And sometimes, it's just the peace you get in knowing He's listening that makes all the difference."

"Sometimes animals are yours for their whole lives, and sometimes their lives are just yours for a passing glance. Either way, you are changed forever by their presence."

My Angels Wear Fur is a wonderful read...one that I highly recommend for any animal lover.

For more animal stories, see the Recommended Reads section in my sidebar, and the Recommeded Reads for Animal Lovers in the sidebar of my other blog.

Baltimore Aquarium

State Fair 2012

 I always enjoy seeing the animals...especially the farm animals-- must be my roots.

 Biggest pumpkin I've ever seen.

 I'd never paid attention to the produce section before...didn't know there were so many kinds of apples out there...

 Seeing the pottery is always a must for me...buying is optional...

 I don't know about other years, but this year they had a turkey shoot (you shoot at targets, not actual turkeys). The winner gets a frozen turkey (or a t-shirt, if you don't want the turkey). My husband tried his hand at it, but didn't win.

 Neat magnets in one of the craft buildings.

The Village of Yesterday is always one of my favorite places to visit at the fair-- all the crafts (and pottery!) are so neat to see...lots of fine craftsmanship and talent...

Hurricane Sandy Coverage, as Captured through Instagram

Click here to see a slideshow of pre- and post-Hurricane Sandy photos, all taken with Instagram by five professional photographers hired by Time Magazine. It's interesting to me to see just how much social media sites and apps are used these days to capture, reflect, share, and document life, not just day by day, but moment by moment.

Drive to Work

There was a beautiful sunrise this morning.

The perfect way to start off my day...

Through my Window

I love sunlight and natural light in general. My office at work has one window in it, back behind my desk. Countless times during the day I turn to look out that window, not so much for the buildings and structures but these fronds blowing in the wind, sunlight making them seemingly glow.

So peaceful, so pretty...sometimes-- actually, many times-- it's the small things that really make my day. So thankful for the little things in life...

Newest Member of the Pack

Champ is the most recent addition to our family, joining Isabella and Jake in the "pack." He's a sweet little mixed-breed fella, smaller than our huskies (probably always will be), and always wanting to be in the middle of everything. Plenty of entertaining times ahead, I'm sure...

For more photos, see my other blog or check out his photo gallery here.

Instagram: Recent Sunset

Like Camera Awesome, Instagram is a neat app I use on ocassion to take pictures on my phone, and it has neat filter and border effects. I don't use it as often as Camera Awesome because I don't always want the square shape. I don't tend to do much with the social side of it, either, but you're welcome to check out my page here. I have recently discovered a neat website to use with Instagram photos, though-- it's called StickyGram, and you can get get magnets done of the photos you take, sold in sets of 9, and they're the same size as what you see on your phone. Neat gift idea, I'm thinking... :)

Autumn...a Beautiful Time of Year