let birds fly

GOING BACK IN TIME

2013-05-21T11:43:00.000-05:00

I've been pretty bad at this whole blog every day in May thing. I knew I would be, so no judging! May is the month of graduations and getting ready for camp in the summer. And, finishing LOTS of stuff on my to-do list.

Today's prompt is pretty easy - that's why I'm actually doing it! :) Today you get a list of my favorite posts in my archives. Hooray!

Travel posts: Big Bend National Park | Arlington National Cemetery in DC | Falmouth, Mass | The Buffalo National River | El Yunque Rainforest in Puerto Rico

Posts of my dogs: Interview with Quinn | Singing Quinn | New Puppy - Mozart

Our Love Story: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | (to be continued!)

Health posts: Understanding my Chronic Pain | How to Drink More Water | Juice Fasting

Photography posts: Easy Photography Tips for Bloggers | Photo Editing Fads

Recipe Posts: PB and Chocolate Overnight Oats | Almond Milk | Roasted Tomato Masala Soup | Moroccan Tagine Soup

That's enough, right? Is it weird to say that I love my blog? :)

HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE IN ABQ

2013-05-17T18:06:00.000-05:00

Last year, we visited Albuquerque on our southwest roadtrip for our anniversary. Going on a balloon ride had always been in all caps on my bucket list, so why not do it in ABQ, which holds the International Balloon Fiesta, and is most famous city for hot air balloons?!

We went with Rainbow Ryders because they seemed to offer us the biggest bang for our buck! (Also, from photos I saw, it seemed like they had the most colorful balloons out of all the companies! Haha! I'm sure the other companies are just as colorful, but a girl's gotta be sure, right?)

We had to be there early in the morning, around 7:00 am in order to help them set up, have pictures taken, sign waivers, and so forth. It was cold at first, but warmed up later on.

That's our balloon! Our basket only held 3 people - us and the pilot. We loved learning about balloon piloting and hearing crazy ballooning stories from our pilot along the way.

Other balloons blowing up while we wait to board the basket! :)

The only photo we got of us on our entire ride. Sad, I know. Mark's eyes are even closed. I gotta get better about asking people to take photos of us!!

And, we're off! So fun!

Our group is right behind us.

Even though I rock climb, work on a ropes course, and like to find the highest spot in the city for a good photo, I AM afraid of heights. I am one of those weird ones that likes the feeling of being afraid. But there have been points in my life that I've become overwhelmed with a fear of falling so much that I forgot how to walk. Like that time when I realized I was WAY too close to the ledge at a precarious spot in the Grand Canyon. Or that time in Switzerland when I walked out on a man-made glass walk-way that jutted out into nothingness over the Alps.

But there was no point in this ride that I felt afraid. Not remotely.

The basket was high enough on my body that there was no way I could get out. It was actually very relaxing. One of the most relaxing things I have ever been a part of.

Something I loved about our hour-and-a-half-long ride was that the pilot took us up, then down, and then back up again.

We went down at the river, our basket skimming the water, and then we went back up again.

We even got to chase a couple of frightened ducks! Hehe.

Headed back up!!

This is my favorite photo of the day. We got super high, and I loved seeing our group up there with us. I also loved the landscape while we were that high.

We began our descent over a neighborhood. Dogs started barking at us like crazy! :)

We learned that pilots don't really have much control over where they land. Basically, the only thing you can do is to ride longer or shorter, and read the wind. But they never have a definite landing spot, and they radio their ground crew along the way so the ground crew can know where to pick them up at the end. When we got lower, we could even see the cars of the ground crew following us! :)

Our pilot told us a story about landing in the middle of a neighborhood intersection! In Albuquerque, you pretty much HAVE to be okay if a balloon lands in your backyard. ;) I was praying for us to land in a cool spot like an intersection! But we landed in a random field, just past these houses.

Touchdown and 'Merica.

I loved this a million times over. I would do it again in a heartbeat, but I'd love to do it over different landscapes, and different times of the year. I'd also love to go to the ABQ Balloon Fiesta.

ABQ was a perfect place to try this out for the first time. LOVE!

PHOTO EDITING FADS

2013-05-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that the world of photography has seen it's share of fads that come and go. I'm sure that for as long as photography exists, there will be fads that people chase after.

I've been using Photoshop since my high school photography classes, so for about 11 or so years now. Needless to say, I've gone through my fair share of post-processing fads. (You should see my high school portfolio when we first started color photography! Yeesh!)

One of the hardest things for a budding photographer to do is to stay away from fads. They see an editing style and want to emulate it. A fad editing job can look really cool because of a certain effect, and because of it's newness in the photography community. It's also very exciting to learn new things, and to be able to accomplish things that are so complex - like editing a photo in Photoshop or Lightroom. So we will, naturally, do these new things and become part of the fad. Plus, it takes a while (years!) for a photographer to learn his/her own style. It's only natural to try out the fads.

The negative side of fads is that they don't stay forever. They become over-used and they burn out quickly. In other words, fads are not timeless. My advice to photographers would be to either stay away from them, or use them sparingly and in moderation.

In my opinion, less is more in regards to editing. A color bump, an increase in contrast, and a quick sharpening can make a photo really great. What's more, these simple things create a timeless photo. And with these simple editing techniques, the photo still looks real. A photo that looks fake will not stand the test of time.

But let's look at the positive a little bit. We all have our talents. Some people can create a timeless masterpiece using a so-called "fad" editing technique. I've seen it a hundred times! But then if I try out the fad, it turns out horrible. Haha! I just might not have the eye for that particular editing technique. (Which you'll see examples of in this post!)

This is a list of 9 post-processing fads in photography that have gone on throughout the years and even today. Please don't be offended about what I write. Take each thing with a grain of salt, and know that I have participated in almost every one of these fads at some point in my photography career (high school included). A couple of these fads I even LOVE. (We'll see if I still do in a few years, though. Wink!)

1. Selective Coloring. This is probably the first thing people think of when you say "editing fad". This one was big in the 90s-00s. Remember the black and white pregnant bellies with a pink bow tied around? Yikes. Just stick with color, y'all. If you want the color to pop, do it in-camera - eliminate clutter, and the color will stand out. (And obviously, I suck at this technique. I laugh every time I glance up at my pathetic attempt!)

2. The Glow. When I see this, I think of the typical Glamour Shot. I guess people liked it for it's dreamy blurred look. Like an angel in your photograph. I'm all for sharpness, so this is not up my alley. This fad has come and gone, thank goodness, and is actually the only fad on this list that I never took part in.

3. Sepia. To me, sepia just looks like a dirty photo. I remember dabbling in this for about a month in high school and then giving it up, though still liking others' attempts at it. But now? Yuck. Just stick with black and white, people. Black and white will always be incredibly timeless, and it just looks great!

4. The Barbie Doll. Plastic-looking arms do not look real. They never will. And people can always tell it's been over-edited. Of course, a slight smoothening of the skin in your photo is nice, and taking away a pimple may be a good selling point, as well. But everyone has some sort of lines under their eyes! Everyone. You might even offend someone by taking out a mole, freckle, scar, or even a blemish. Moderation is key here, folks. I want my client to look her best, yes, but I also want her to look natural.

5. The Heavy Vignette. Vignetting can sometimes really help a photo. But if you own a camera with a full-frame sensor, then natural, beautiful, and moderate vignetting will happen on it's own. If you want to add it in post-processing, again remember that moderation is key. But a heavy vignette is a sure sign of an amateur photog trying to go pro (I know from experience).

6. Texture Overlays. This is a tricky one. I have seen it beautifully and masterfully done. But not often, folks. As you can see above, I do NOT have a talent in this. Haha! I have tried several times and failed quite miserably. Poorly done, a texture overlay makes a photo look messy and dirty. And also looks like you need to clean your lens.

7. The "Vintage" Effect. I put this in quotes for a reason. When applied, the effect almost never actually looks vintage. The example you see here is not the only effect used when people try to go for "vintage" in their post-processing. The one above is just a very popular one. And it just looks fake. A complete change in tone will never look real. (Once again, I've seen very beautiful photographs with a vintage effect, but in these photos, the effect actually looks vintage. Not just yellow.)

8. Grain. This is a technique that is quite popular today. One of my favorite photographers, Amelia Lyon, adds grain in post-processing, and her photographs are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. But when over-used, the photo just looks low-quality. If you want natural grain, try shooting in a high ISO before adding grain in post-processing. Once again, moderation is key.

9. Film Emulation (or The Fade). This one is SUPER popular today, made famous by VSCO Film. If used correctly, this can be beautiful and is actually an effect that I love seeing when done right. This effect is supposed to emulate film photography, but not every photographer can make this effect beautiful on every image. (Just because it's emulating film doesn't mean it's what is supposed to be seen. When you look at the world, does it look hazy and faded?) Once again, I actually love this effect, but I'm afraid that it might become cliche soon, and just become a fad of the past. (P.S. these last two - grain and film emulation - often go hand-in-hand.)

In conclusion, when editing, think about what you would say about your photos in 10 years. Would you still love that "vintage" effect, or would you think, "What was I thinking?!" :) Try to stay with what looks real. Play around a little with the fads, but in moderation. As photographers, we capture real life (unless you're a fine art photographer of course), and because of this, we want our photographs to reflect real life.

--> I do understand that post-processing is very individual. Any of the above-mentioned "fads" have been and can still be very beautiful. If you are using any of these, and you love it, and your client loves it, and you are getting business, then who am I to tell you what to do?! :)

-->Also, I never want to discourage someone in their artistic endeavors. But since I have gone through over 10 years of post-processing self-actualization, I thought I could maybe help you skip a few agonizing years. :)

Can you think of more editing fads that you've seen or even (gasp!) been a part of?

GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS N.P. (PLUS MY GREATEST FEAR)

2013-05-07T06:30:00.000-05:00

Today's prompt for the Blog Every Day in May challenge is to blog about the thing I'm most afraid of. So I thought I'd tell you a little story along with my greatest fear.

I will, first of all, tell you my greatest fear. I am afraid of being unable to physically or mentally do the things I love to do.

I'm sure most of you know this already, but I have several chronic conditions that can be pretty debilitating at times. I'm in pain 100% of the time, and while sometimes I can handle it and carry through my day pretty normally, other times I cannot at all. I've gone into my conditions more in depth on this post if you want to know more.

One of my greatest loves is the outdoors. I love to hike, bike, swim, climb, kayak, etc. You name it. I was even a recreation major in college and I can tell you the history of the National Parks systems. I'm an outdoor geek. :) But my favorite thing to do in the great outdoors is backpack through God's creation. Backpacking (or backcountry camping) can get you to the most remote and beautiful places that you can't get to in a car, plane, or train. I love looking out over a beautiful vista knowing that the only thing that could get me there was my own two feet.

But backpacking is hard work. Hiking up a mountain with a 40-50 pound pack? Yup. Hard.

My most recent backcountry trips have been a testimony to my seemingly debilitating health conditions. My greatest fear is that I might have to give up this love of mine.

About a year and a half ago in the fall, we went backpacking at Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It is one of two national parks in Texas, the other being Big Bend NP. Visiting all the national parks in the US is at the top of my bucket list.

Once at Guadalupe Mountains, we got our backcountry pass, heaved on our packs, and started up the trail to our first campsite, with plenty of time to get there, or so the map and my research had told me.

But it wasn't before long that my knees started aching (already?!) and we had to take a quick break. Still in good spirits, I got out my camera (like I do during every break) and snapped some photos. There's Mark above, lookin all happy to be in the Lord's beautiful splendor.

There's Mark again, looking peeved that I needed another break. Haha.

Okay, I'll tell you a little about Guadalupe Mountains. It is in the Texas desert. Not many people know much about the desert, so I'll tell you a little. The desert is not how most people think of it: sand dunes, heat, dry, no vegetation, no rain, etc (of course it can have these things as well). The desert is a climate, not just an area. It can have TONS of vegetation. In this desert, in Texas, it even snows. There is a creek that has running water more than half of the year. When we were there, it was a good 75 degrees during the day, and 45 at night. Get down to the bottom of this post, and you'll see maple trees with beautiful fall colors.

I love the desert. I think it is beautiful, and is a place where you can feel peace in your solitude. It's an amazing place for getting away from the hustle and bustle of life, for connecting with a significant other or friend, and for deeply appreciating the beauty that God has given us.

Above: a little canyon.

It was about this time that I took another break. I took my pack off and sat down on a big rock along side the hiking path. I jumped back up, realizing that I sat on a cactus. Yikes! I hadn't seen it before I sat because it was very small. But I wish it had been big, as bigger needles are easier to get out.

So. There we were. With tiny cactus needles in my butt. Luckily, we were the only ones around, because I had to drop my pants in order for Mark to get the needles out of my booty cheek. Also luckily, we had tweezers in our first aid kit. Thank the Lord. :)

It took about 10 minutes of Mark really working to get them all out. And then we went on our merry way again.

I loved these fellas.

It was about this time that we were beginning to worry about getting to our campsite in time. We had hiked about 30 minutes longer than expected, but we also knew that we had taken more breaks than usual (to rest AND to take photos).

I was taking photos of this plant when a park ranger came by on a donkey. He told us that it was only about 30 minutes to our campsite. So we calmed down. And I took more pictures. :)

But then the sun started to set. And we kept going up and up. And we couldn't see an end in sight. At every switchback that connected us to another mountain, we fooled ourselves into thinking that this corner was the last one to turn since we couldn't see any more mountain above us. But we'd turn another corner, and BAM!, another 50 feet of mountain.

We had been hiking for an hour since we'd seen the park ranger. We were really worried. Was the ranger mistaken? Or did I just suck that much at hiking now?

There's me in the left corner, worried, hurting, and tired. In the shade. Because the sun was going down. Fast.

I remember when the sun went behind this little peak. I was so scared that we'd have to find our way with flashlights. What if we miss our campsite sign? Those signs are easy to miss even in broad daylight!

This was the last photo we took that night, since the sun went down while we were still hiking. We finally found our campsite, but it was barely still dusk. And it was about 2 hours after we had seen the park ranger.

We set up our tent in the dark, made dinner, ate, and went to sleep, praising Jesus the whole time that we had made it, and praying that the next day would be better.

I woke up refreshed, but aching. I made breakfast and walked around camp in my Chacos, glad for my feet to breathe before putting on shoes again.

Our view at our campsite.

The trees all around us were incredible. Really different, with crazy awesome textures.

I was actually reluctant to leave our campsite that day. I felt so peaceful just lounging around. And that scared me. Usually I'm raring to go see more and do more.

The hikes were easier while we were in the mountains. We barely ever had an incline after the first day.

Here's Mark, posing with his beef jerky. Heh.

And me! Yay.

Weird little Dr. Seuss looking plants. :)

At one point, we came across this vista. I loved it. The white you see is salt flats and salt dunes.

Desert plants, with their curly hairs. :P

And a beautiful agave plant!! Lovee.

We only documented one of our campsites this trip. Here's Mark looking happy! :)

During our descent out of the mountains, we came across beautiful maple trees that proved it was autumn. And made us think that we weren't in the desert anymore! :)

I went crazy with my camera, of course.

I even loved the dead leaves!

After this, we had planned on getting back to our car, dumping our packs, and making our way to a campsite at the base of the mountains. Our plan was to camp there one night, and climb El Capitan, the highest point in the park and in Texas, the next day.

That was our plan. But I was hurting so bad that I literally couldn't go on. I had always wanted to hike that peak, but I knew I wouldn't be able to reach it.

There's El Capitan, the highest point in Texas, from afar.

I was so sad while taking this picture. I had never set a goal like this and not achieved it without even trying. I couldn't believe that my body was failing me this much. This day was the day I realized that my dreams might be stronger than my ability to accomplish them. My pain was getting worse. And I was scared.

Mark helped me to see the bright side of things on the drive home. We saw amazing places! And El Capitan will just be another thing on our list to do in the future.

Since then (1.5 years ago), we've only gone on one other backcountry trip. And we made sure it was an easy one. I don't know what the future holds for my outdoor adventures. I am afraid that I'll have to give some of these things up.

Though losing my ability to backcountry camp/hike is my greatest fear, I will never lose hope that I'll be able to backpack great distances one day, without my chronic pain. And if I do lose this ability, I will never stop finding ways to see great vistas such as these. I will use Christ as my crutch, and pursue Him in His great creation, whether by plane, train, or automobile. :)

WHAT DO YOU DO?

2013-05-06T05:55:00.000-05:00

Today's prompt from Jenni's Blog Every Day in May challenge is: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, "What do you do?"

I've always found it nonsense that this is the first thing that comes out of someone's mouth when meeting someone. I remember living in Dallas and not having a job. People would ask this question and I didn't know how to answer it. "Nice to meet you. So, what do you do?"

"Um...well I'm looking for a job right now..."

"Ooh." That's it. No more questions. As if they just got to know me by my answer to that awful question. I don't have a job, so that defines me? What will they say when they're talking about me later with their significant other?

"Who?"

"You know - Bailey. The unemployed one."

Although, now that I have a job, I fall into this habitual routine we as westerners indulge in. "I'm a photographer, graphic designer, and blogger!" Yes, I am happy to tell everyone what I "do". I am proud of my work. I'm proud of the road I've faced to get here. I am even proud of the time when I was unemployed, not knowing what my next step was. It helped me get here. So I therefore can answer this question swiftly and happily now.

But when I think about it, I still don't like it.

I wish that this question didn't mean what it does. I wish it meant something deeper. Do they really know me now that they know I'm a photographer? Instead, I wish the first question we asked when meeting someone was something like, "What defines you?"

Hah. That would be weird, huh? "Nice to meet you, Kristina. So, what defines you?"

Haha.

But for real. How awesome would that be if this was the norm? So thought-provoking. So in depth. So much less shallow than, "I'm a photographer." Because, although, being a photographer shapes me and partially defines who I am, it is not who I am as a whole. Not even in the least bit.

So. What defines me, eh? (I guess I'll have to answer now that I've made a big deal out of everything!)

My Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, defines me. He has strung out every detail of my life from the beginning, and shapes every decision I make.

And to answer the first question. What do I do?

I live for Christ. I love because of Him. I care for others because He tells me to. And I want to because I know love, and have His love to share. I try to glorify Him in all that I do. Through photography, blogging, and design. From being a wife to a friend to a dog owner. In how I treat myself. In how I react towards unexpected news. Even in how I make mistakes. Everything.

I could talk about this for hours. If we ever did meet face to face, and you ask me, "What defines you, Bailey?" then I just might talk to you about this for hours. :)

MY BBF (BEST BLOGGER FRIEND)

2013-05-05T05:45:00.000-05:00

Today's prompt for Jenni's Blog Every Day in May challenge is to profess your love for a blogger friend. I'm so excited to tell you about that friend of mine.

My friend, Meghan, blogs over at Eat Live Make. Even though we've never met in person, she is truly one of my best friends.

That's David (Meghan's hubby), Meghan, and their sweet pup Dakota. Aren't they so cute?!

We first started getting to know each other when we swapped ads for the first time, sometime last year. We knew we had a lot in common, but we really didn't know HOW much until later. Let me just list a few of the things we have in common with each other. We both:

1. Are basically the same age, less than a year apart.
2. Have been married almost the same amount of time.
3. Seek Jesus in all we do.
4. Are bloggers. Duh.
5. Love to travel.
6. Love the outdoors. Adventure-seeking peeps just get each other.
7. Are healthy, natural living nerds. We're into natural ways of healing.
8. Are gluten-free celiacs and (mostly) vegan.
9. Love cooking and LOVE food.
10. Own dog(s) that we treat like our babies.
11. Are professional photographers and own our own respective photog businesses.
12. Don't have any children yet.
13. Love simplicity and frugal living.

But the biggest, most important thing we have in common is:

14. We both deal with chronic pain and chronic illness.

This last one is huge, y'all. Even though I don't want it to, my pain and illness ends up defining most of my life. It shapes me. And I hate that it does. (Read more about my chronic issues here.) While I would never wish my pain upon ANYONE EVER, it's hard going through life not having anyone who understands this thorn in my side.

And then I met Meghan. She gets it. She understands. And, just like me, she doesn't like her pain or her illnesses, but she knows they have a purpose, and that God is greater than her greatest pain. Like me, she prays and hopes for healing, and believes that God is our ultimate Healer, our Jehovah Rapha, but she also knows that He doesn't have to heal. And, like me, she's found peace in this.

We now e-mail each other back and forth, text each other, skype, pray for each other, and plan things together. Meghan even sent me an amazing watercolor painting in the mail!

I'm so blessed to have Meghan. She understands my weaknesses and can have sympathy while praying for me (and I do the same for her). She knows exactly what I need to hear when she encourages me on bad days.

I just love her, and I am so blessed to have her in my life. Hooray for blogging, right?! :)

So go check out her blog, Eat Live Make!! It covers a multitude of awesome things, like faith, natural living, photography, recipes, travel, the outdoors, health, life, and love.

HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE

2013-05-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

For a long time now, I have firmly stood in the belief that happiness is a choice. But I haven't always believed this. I thought that happiness was something that was given to me, not something that I had to work for. I've had my share of times in my life where I couldn't stop feeling sorry for myself. I would watch Peter Pan or read Harry Potter and wish that my life was an adventure, and cry myself to sleep over the beauty that I saw in fantasy stories that I would never see in real life.

Then I made the choice to start doing things. I planned my own adventures. I took photos and saw beauty in everyday life. I laughed along with a friend instead of staying quiet. I sang in the car instead of overanalyzing song lyrics. I savored food. I stopped to feel the wind. And I became happy.

Happiness isn't something that comes to you when you are sitting in bed feeling sorry for yourself, merely wishing you could be happy. Happiness is something you have to run after and fight for. I found out that doing things made me happy. So I choose to be happy by doing things.

My choice to participate in life made me happy.

So, what makes you the opposite of happy? Stop doing those things. Do you get sad when you're alone? Go out with a friend. Do you get angry when you're left out? Plan something and invite everyone before they have the chance to leave you out. Are you in a fight with a family member? Think of the memories you have with that person that make you happy, and reminisce with them.

I know people that hide behind their troubles. They want the attention they get from being "depressed", but at the same time want so desperately to be rid of their sadness. It's a complex emotion, I know. I used to be this person! But instead of feeling self-pity when you wake up tomorrow morning, ask yourself "What would make me happy today?" and then DO IT.

See? It's your choice.

And to make it easier for you to choose joyfulness right now, here's a Michael Scott quote:

I'm linking up again today with Jenni for day four ("Favorite Quote") of the Blog Every Day in May challenge.

6 THINGS THAT MAKE ME UNCOMFORTABLE

2013-05-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late to the game, but I'm going to try to participate in Jenni's awesome Blog Every Day in May challenge. I know for a fact that I won't do every day. But I will try to do as many as I can.

Today, the subject is "things that make me uncomfortable". And I chose to include 6 things, since going to a primarily Baptist school in junior high brainwashed me into being uncomfortable with the number 6. So there's a bonus for ya.

But let's get one thing straight. Something that makes me uncomfortable is totally different than something that gets on my nerves. Pet-peeves make me shake my head or want to fix what is wrong - like grammatical errors and people that still do the duck-face. When I'm uncomfortable about something, I squirm in my seat or have a strong desire to run away. If you want a list of my pet-peeves, go here. But the following is what makes me uncomfortable:

1. Maternity forums. There've been a few times in my married life that I've thought I was pregnant. So, of course, I googled my symptoms and found my way onto these forums. Whew! Let me tell ya, these woman have NOTHING to hide, especially when they are baby-crazed and trying to conceive. They get into everything from baby names to midwifery to things I would never talk about. Just reading that a mother is about to name her child "Hashtag" makes me uncomfortable, so yes, EVERYTHING ELSE about these forums do too.

2. Kids from the ages of about 2-10 that I've just met. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE kids. I'm also pretty good with them...once I get to know them. But no kid is the same, so I feel like I've gotta feel 'em out before I can get to their level and be able to play with them. I've even put my foot in my mouth a few times in some situations: "Nice to meet you, Sally! Oooh, I love drawing too! Look, I'll draw you an elephant!" And then the kid screams and yells that she was sprayed in the face by an elephant at the zoo last week. You just never know. But tweens are easy. They all like the same stuff. Same with babies.

3. Cats. Pretty much same as above. ;)

4. Talking about myself. I am a very private person. In fact, I have made a promise to myself and to my readers to be more open and vulnerable on this blog. So this post in itself is a big step. You should see me in person, though. When I'm particularly vulnerable, I start shaking and twitching uncontrollably. It's super weird, but it has always happened. If I'm with someone, I try to pass it off as being cold. :)

5. Having to talk to the camera in a video. Which is why you'll never see me vlog on here. (MAYBE if it was just my voice. Maybe.) I really don't know why being in videos makes me so uncomfortable. I guess I'm just a perfectionist, so I second guess everything I'm about to say. Catch me in a candid moment, and I'd probably be hilarious in a video, as long as I'm not speaking TO the camera.

6. PDA (Public Displays of Affection). This includes seeing others engaging in PDA, along with myself engaging in PDA. I just don't do it. Even holding hands with my husband is hard for me to do in public. And kissing?? No way. I know what it feels like to see it and be uncomfortable, so I never want to do that to others.

GALVESTON ENGAGEMENT SHOOT

2013-05-01T23:25:00.000-05:00

There was this one time when I shared about my photography business on this blog. I really don't know why I stopped! I want to start sharing my favorite shoots, because this job of mine is my passion!! (Actually, I really wish I could be a travel photographer and make a living from it, but getting hired by Nat Geo is pretty slim to none. Hah.) Joking aside, I LOOVE my job. I'm so blessed.

Last August, I got to shoot these two beauties for their engagement session. They were probably the sweetest couple I've ever worked with.

They chose Galveston Island for their location, and I couldn't have been more happy about that! I love Galveston! The beach, the town, the history. All amazing. We started off at East Beach in the morning. We then made our way to the Strand (downtown area), and ended up under a pier with amazing lighting.

And that is why I love my job. These two could not stop smiling the whole time. They had the hardest time doing a "serious face" because they were just so happy!! It's super contagious. I remember going home after the shoot with the residue of their giddiness still consuming me. :)

Check out their post on my photography website for more!

SANDIA PEAK TRAM

2013-04-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

Last year, on our 3rd anniversary trip, we took a road trip around the southwest. Our first stop was Albuquerque, and I LOVED it. I was so surprised at how cool Albuquerque was. Why don't people talk about the ABQ? Well here I am, talkin it up.

Our first outing was the Sandia Peak Tram, which is the world's longest tramway! You can reach the peak to have an amazing view of the city below and the surrounding mountains.

Even just riding the tram was super fun. There's our shadow! :)

There's a huge red deck waiting for you at the peak.

I loved this view. The deck just seems to drop off the edge. (Yeah, I'm one of those weird people that LOVES heights.)

If you're hungry, there's even a restaurant at the top.

We were staying up at the peak until sunset, so I had time to teach Mark how to shoot in manual with my other camera. He picked it up so fast!

He even got me in action! :)

Also, if you want to ski, there are a few slopes on just the other side of the peak. Take the tram up for easy access, unless you want to drive all the way around the mountains in order to get to the bottom of the ski lifts.

This was very neat. Every one of these pipe-like viewers was pointed in a different direction in order to show which peak or landmark was which. Mark had a blast with this.

The sun's going down...yay!! :)

I love the above one. And since we stayed until sunset, why not stay for another hour so we could see the lights of Albuquerque from above? :)

Usually we're hiking, so it's weird to get to see the sunset or night lights from such great heights. When hiking, we have to worry about getting back to our car or our campsite or wherever else we came from.

But with a tram, we didn't have to worry about it all! Just hop back on and ride down! What a treat! ;)

If you're going through the ABQ, make sure you take the tram up to Sandia Peak. Don't miss it!

OUR STORY, PART THREE - CAMP AGAIN

2013-04-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, I started sharing our love story. And I only got to part 2! I had planned on getting all the way to the wedding day so I could post our wedding photos on our 4th anniversary, which was March 28th. As you can see, that didn't happen. Why do I ever try to PLAN things? :)

I guess wedding photos will just have to be on a day other than our anniversary. Hey, we don't have to celebrate only one day a year, right?! :) If you are just now tuning in, please go read the other parts of our story. I've got easy links right here for ya:

Part One - Camp
Part Two - The In-Between

On to part three, which I've titled "Camp Again". This is a long one, guys.

I ended part two with Camp Blessing (a camp for people with disabilities) about to start, and me finding out that Mark was going to be transferring to my college after the summer. We valued our friendship, but both were dating other people. Mark was not going to be at camp (or so he and I both thought) and I was going to be working with his sister on the leadership team at camp.

Before I get to camp for training, my then-boyfriend (we'll call him T) seems annoyed that I am leaving him for the whole summer. He is happy for me; he just doesn't want to be stuck in a college town, working a crappy job, with all of his friends gone for the summer. I don't blame him, but I don't feel bad at all for being at camp. T understands, and says he'll write me letters. And that makes me happy, because getting mail at camp is absolutely the best! (If you've worked at a camp before, you'd agree.)

I arrive at camp, pumped and ready to plan. Kim (Mark's sister) and I end up being a perfect team, and we recruit a couple of other folks, Laura and Sterling, to be on leadership with us.

Laura, Kim, Me, and Sterling

While working and planning during training, Kim talks to me about Mark transferring to Texas State, and I tell her how happy I am for him and that we'll get to be friends while in college. I don't remember how or why, but we get into talking about my friendship with Mark, and how it started. I basically tell her everything I've told you guys already (the camper giving us nicknames, our e-mails back and forth, our social networking, and the time we met up for lunch).

Laughing, I tell Kim that Mark and I had once joked about going skydiving together on our birthdays, since our birthdays are only two days apart (and Mark saw skydiving on my bucket list on a Myspace post).

Kim also precedes to tell me about Mark's girlfriend (we'll call her G). They have been dating for about three years with one break-up in there somewhere, but Kim and Mark's family doesn't really like her as a girlfriend to Mark. G is a good girl, Kim explains. But G and Mark together make their individual bad traits come out. G is kind of a jealous person, but that was probably because Mark was apathetic (or vice versa). Mark was sometimes a jerk, but that was probably because G was naggy (or vice versa again). Things like that. Neither of them are bad people, but they don't make each other better or even want to be better, Kim explains. There's a little more, too. They don't share any of the same interests except music. Music is what got them together in the first place, but it seems that music is the only reason they are still together.

As camp training goes on, Kim, Sterling, Laura, and I (the leadership team) end up becoming closer as friends and as a team as we plan skits, bible studies, parties, games, and activities like crazy for camp. I am so busy that I completely forget about T until I get a letter from him. Everyone suddenly knows that I have a boyfriend because the letter was passed around camp (unopened, don't worry) before getting to me.

I'm excited about the letter, but all of the sudden, I have to tell everyone about T and me. Ugh. I hate that kind of attention (the kind that the only things worth talking about is boyfriends/girlfriends and who likes who).

I open the letter, and it's four pages long, front and back. Whew! I read it all, but it's challenging.

The rest of the week, I get a letter from T every day. That's about four pages, front and back. Every single day. I seriously stop reading the letters except for the first and last page. (I'm just not a lovey-dovey, sappy person, y'all. I find that stuff flattering at first, but if I get too much of it, I'll start closing off.) I finally decide to write him back after about five of his letters. I write to him about my new friends, the awesome leadership team, and how I wish he could experience the amazingness of camp. After about a page and a half's worth of blabbering, I can't think of anything else to write, and I send it off.

Camp starts. The days of planning, building, praying, working together, and learning are about to be challenged, and we are so excited for the campers to come.

I continue to get long letters from T every day. I end up dreading them, especially with my friends reading the sappyness over my shoulder and making fun of me because of it (all in jest, I swear). I even read a few of them in the bathroom so I could throw them away before anyone grabbed them out of my hands like they usually did when we got our mail during lunch.

The end of the first term of camp rolls around, along with the staff break, which is 24 hours long. There is a nearby mall that some people are going to, and I decide to go with. I end up talking with T on the phone the whole time, though, instead of hanging out with my new friends. T is kind of angry that I've only send him one letter and he's written me eleventy-hundred. I start getting SO apathetic about our relationship at this time in order to avoid conflict (which, of course, is really bad and something I'm not proud of). I figure I kinda still like him, and I really don't want to break up with another guy, especially over the phone, and because of something as petty as writing each other letters.

The second (and last) week of camp starts, and we get back into the mode of being busy. T continues to send me letters every day. I stop reading them altogether. My friends at camp don't even ask about him anymore.

A day into the last week, Kim tells me that Mark is coming to pick her up from camp because they have a funeral to go to. It's not far, so she's only going to be gone not even a full day. I get excited that Mark is coming, but in a totally innocent way.

Mark comes the next day, and as soon as I see him walking up the sidewalk to the building we're in, I get so overjoyed that this happy, goofy guy is here, and run outside to greet him. He sees me, breaks into a huge smile, and once again, gives me one of the best hugs ever (read about Mark's hugs in Part 2). It was that moment that the butterflies started flitting around in my tummy.

Mark comes in to meet the rest of the leadership team. He is immediately playful, goofy, and fun. It's a breath of fresh air. We talk a bit, Mark walks around camp to say hi to people, and then he and Kim leave.

Mark and Kim get back that night and, once again, I get butterflies. Kim talks Mark into staying that night so he doesn't have to drive home so late.

The next day, Mark hangs out with us and comes with me to a few activities that I lead. This time it's Archery, and I am again reminded why I liked the guy (just as a friend) in the first place. He is at home with these kids. All of them - kids with cerebral palsy, downs syndrome, autism, and everyone else. Once again, his smile doesn't stop and I find myself laughing along with the kids the whole time.

I am aware that I have a crush on him at this time. But after just one day of being around him? "It's just a crush, he's going to leave soon," I tell myself, and I brush my guilty feelings aside.

Mark ends up staying until the end of camp (which was just the end of that week).

We find ourselves camp-flirting with each other the whole time. Let me explain "camp-flirting" to you. At camp, you can't flirt normally. Normal flirting takes time - time which you don't have. Normal flirting has innuendos - innuendos that certainly do not belong at camp. Normal flirting includes invading the other person's personal space - which is strictly against the rules at camp. (Side hugs only, folks.)

Here's how we camp-flirted. Mark helped me lead activities. I asked Mark to help me lift heavy objects. We played frisbee together. Mark told kids to tickle me. I told kids to steal Mark's hat. We made jokes. And yes, we even noticed each other looking at the other from across the room, and may or may not have locked eyes for a split second before quickly looking away (gasp!).

He even looked at me sometimes when he was singing to campers onstage. I bet you feel the heat coming off the screen, don't ya?

Yay for camp-flirting! Can't feel too guilty for that, right?

Wrong.

By this time, Mark knows that I have a crush on him and I know that he has a crush on me. It's very obvious to us. A few friends at camp can tell, too, and one of them even mentions T and all the letters he writes to me right in front of Mark.

I become so embarrassed as Mark gives me a look as if to ask if that's true. I confirm with my red cheeks and suddenly sweaty forehead. Even though he also has a girlfriend, I still didn't want Mark to know that I have a boyfriend. I had again forgotten all about T. When I had justified my feelings for Mark earlier, I am now suddenly and painstakingly aware of how guilty I feel. I don't want to hurt Mark or T, and I don't want to lead either of them on.

My apathy towards my relationship with T becomes more apparent when my feelings toward Mark don't go away. I try to just ignore them, and tell myself that I just really like Mark as a friend. But I also stop even trying to think of T, and when I do, I don't feel that bad anymore. Because camp crushes are sometimes just that, and only last during camp. It's natural to crush on someone when you're working so close and with them all the time, right? Camp would be over in a couple of days, and everything would go back to normal.

But the camp-flirting doesn't stop. I lie to myself more and more every day about my feelings toward Mark and T, and my guilty feelings continue to decrease. Apathy is self-destructive.

If anything, Mark and I begin to like each other even more. I can't get over how joyous Mark is and how much fun I have when I'm with him. He's so good with every kid, he doesn't ever complain, he's open and honest, and he enjoys giving of his time, talents, and efforts. Mark is enthralled by my ability to plan camp and to perform under pressure. He thinks that I'm funny and that I create anti-drama. He's also never met a girl with all the same interests and values as him, and sees that my interests, values, and attributes are something he can learn from.

Mark and I end up talking about it on the last day of camp, finally saying out loud what we've both known for four long days already. Mark, never being one for subtleties, starts the conversation: "Bailey...you like me, don't you?" Oh goodness. Red face once again. We talk about how fun the next semester will be "as friends", which we both emphasize. We both feel guilty about our feelings, and don't want to end our respective relationships for a silly camp crush, but we don't feel guilty enough to sever ties with each other, either.

A life-long friend, Hayley (who is at camp at the time), invites me to her family vacation when camp ends. I accept the invitation, glad to have some relaxation after camp.

Camp comes to a close. Kim invites me to their family reunion at a lake. In my heart, I wish I could go, but my brain thanks Hayley for inviting me on her trip sooner. My heart wants to be around Mark and the rest of the Klentzmans, but my mind tells me that it wouldn't be a good idea.

The next day, Hayley and I are sitting by the pool at a resort on her family's vacation. Hayley asks me about Mark (of course she could tell), and I tell her honestly that I have feelings for him, but I don't want to break up with T. I tell her I think it is just a crush, heightened by camp euphoria (it's a thing, y'all), and she understands. She tells me she likes both T and Mark, but that I shouldn't break up with T just because of a crush on Mark. I thank her, because I think that's good advice.

The trip ends early because of torrential rains (thanks, Texas!), and I drive back to San Marcos to see T, still with the "crush" lingering inside of me. I tell myself that once I reunite with T, these feelings will go away. After all, it was only four days with Mark and this little crush! I had been dating T for two months before camp started, so obviously my feelings for T will make their way back. I also tell myself that Mark's feelings aren't anything more than a crush, too. His crush will definitely go away once he sees his girlfriend again, since they've been dating for three years.

Meanwhile, Kim and Mark are at their family reunion. Even though there's a lake with fast boats, tubing, fishing, and water skiing, Mark doesn't seem like his normal happy-go-lucky self. Instead of spending the night hours at the campsite singing around a campfire, talking, and playing games, Mark spends his nights writing a letter to me, confessing his feelings, which end up being wayyy more than just a camp crush.

------------------------

END OF PART THREE!

Oh, is that a bad place to stop? Well, suspense is key, folks. I guess you'll just have to come back for part four!

What I want to emphasize is that the timeline in the above chapter is less than 3 weeks. And from the time that Mark arrived at camp and the end of camp was about 4 days! Doesn't take long to develop feelings, huh?

Sorry I don't have that many photos for you here. Camp is too time-consuming for taking photos.

I can't wait to share the next part of the story with you!

FAMILY PORTRAITS ON THE BEACH

2013-04-22T17:35:00.000-05:00

Last August my family went to Puerto Rico for my parent's 30th anniversary. My mom had always wanted family portraits on the beach (and in white shirts and blue jeans), so they had the hotel we stayed at hire a photographer for us.

I love my family! Pictured above, from left to right, starting on the top row: Mark (hubs), Me, Stacey (big sis), Reggie (bro-in-law), Corey (bro), Melanie (sis-in-law), Carley (little sis), Carrie (my mom), David (my dad), Elise (my niece and daughter to Corey and Mel), and Bri (my niece and daughter to Stacey and Reggie).

The only person not pictured in these photos is my 2 year old nephew, Trey (son of Stacey and Reggie). He was just a little too young to come with all of the stuff we ended up doing.

Getting ready!

The original six.

Cause we're cool like that. And yeah, this was about 4 days into our trip, so we were all already sunburned.

Heh. Yeah, I don't know. We just did what the photographer told us to do. We had fun with it!

Mark was gracious enough to hold all of our sunglasses for us.

The four siblings!!

Oh gosh.

Mark loves being an uncle.

The grandkids! (Or at least the ones that were there. We love our Trey!)

Way to go, Bri, covering up Reggie's face. :)

I love this one of Elise with the sand on her face!

It was really windy, as you can tell. :)

Since we were taking individual family photos, Carley had the great idea of getting the photographer to take one of just her standing alone, since she's not married. Hah! But we invited her to take some with us, instead.

I can't believe we did this. I swore I never would. But I guess I give into pressure easier than I thought. ;)

Elise liked the idea of piggybacking in a photo so much that she jumped on our backs, too...

And then fell off. OOPS! (She was fine, don't worry. Happy to play in the sand again!)

The obligatory jumping picture. And you can't ever get one with everyone in the air. But I think it makes the photo even cuter. :)

Doesn't my family look like fun?! I love all of them so much! I plan on telling you a little more about them in a later post, but this one was all about the photos. Hope you enjoyed!

SOCO FOOD TRAILERS

2013-04-17T14:17:00.001-05:00

The days are being numbered for the park that holds several food trailers off South Congress in Austin.

Though this is the most popular place in Austin for food trailers, the developers that own this little plot of land are kicking the trailers out on May 25th to build a hotel.

If you've ever been to Austin, and more specifically, South Congress, you'd know that a hotel just doesn't go well with the spunky surroundings of SoCo. But who knows, maybe they'll make a hotel that will be a perfect little addition to this iconic area of Austin. Developers are supposed to be smart people, right?

Regardless, I'm going to miss this place. I'd encourage you to go before May 25th. And if you don't live in Austin, then I'd encourage you to visit before May 25th (and give me a call!).

It wouldn't be Austin without street musicians, sunshine, colorful tables, and tea.

My favorite food truck in Austin is Nomad Dosa. Their specialty is basically an Indian wrap, that just so happens to be naturally gluten-free and completely vegetarian (with many vegan options). They are also corn-free and soy-free, so it's right up my alley! And though the SoCo food trailer park will be gone soon, Nomad Dosa is here to stay in Austin. We'll see where they end up next!

There's Mark enjoying his dosa. :)

Not only do you get food trucks in the SoCo trailer park, you get clothes trailers as well.

If you don't get a chance to visit Austin before May 25th, no worries. The food trailer craze hit Austin long ago, so there are many other food trailer parks, as well as food trucks in parking lots, to visit. And I'm sure that one as iconic as the SoCo food trailer park will make it's name in Austin very soon.

PAIN-RELIEVING DETOX BATH

2013-04-14T12:30:00.000-05:00

I am one of those people that really hates baths. I know, weird. I'm just naturally a hot person, and I sweat sooo easily.

But I've found out that participating in detox baths are basically the only thing that makes my body feel better. This is a big thing for me. Basically nothing helps my pain, at least that lasts long. When I'm getting a massage, my pain eases while the massage is happening, but when it's done, my pain comes back. The relief I get from a detox bath ACTUALLY lasts longer than the bath itself!

Here is one of the detox baths I take often, because the ingredients are so readily available.

Healing Citrus Detox Bath
2 cups epsom salt
1 cup baking soda
3 tbsp ground ginger
1 cup raw apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's)
20 drops tea tree oil
large handful of mint
citrus slices

Directions:
Turn bath on as hot as you can tolerate it. Add salt, baking soda, and ginger near the faucet stream when bath is about 1/4 full. This will help dissolve these ingredients more efficiently. Add apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil. When bath is full, plop in the citrus slices and crush mint in your hands before throwing into the bath.

During the bath:
Immerse yourself in the bath up to your neck and soak for at least 20 minutes and as long as 40. Get your head under a couple of times, too. Crush the mint in your hands even more while in the bath. This will help the properties of the mint be released, and will also keep you busy during your exceptionally hot bath. Do the same with the citrus. Drink a little bit of water while you are soaking. You'll be sweating like crazy, so you need to stay hydrated. If you're like me, and need distractions to last as long as 20 or more minutes, do things to keep you busy, like reading a book or listening to music.

After the bath:
Try to relax after the bath. You may feel light-headed or dizzy. Drinking water afterwards will help with that. Try not to use harsh soaps, shampoos, or perfumed lotions for about a day after your detox bath. Your pores are fully open and will absorb the chemicals found in these products more. Use coconut oil or shea butter as a natural moisturizer after your bath.

How it works:

The hotter the water, the more beneficial your detox bath will be. Sweating is the easiest and most natural form of detoxing. If you aren't sweating in this bath, you aren't detoxing!

The sulfates in epsom salt help in drawing toxins from the body and heavy metals away from your cells, which eases muscle pain and aides in eliminating harmful substances from the body. Epsom salt also replenishes magnesium levels. Magnesium plays a number of roles in the body, including reducing inflammation, producing seratonin (a chemical in the body that creates a feeling of calm and relaxation), gaining energy, and helping nerve and muscle function.

The baking soda in the bath helps to neutralize the chemicals in your water. If you have filtered water, lessen the baking soda by half, as it also aides the body in increasing mineral absorption and soothes and softens the skin.

Ground ginger will kick up the heat in your bath, causing your body to sweat even more (remember - sweating is the most important thing here). It also has anti-inflammatory properties, improves circulation, and is soothingly aromatic.

Apple cider vinegar is rich in natural minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. ACV helps in binding to toxins and drawing them out of your body more efficiently. It can help with joint and bone pain by restoring your acid-alkaline balance, essentially eliminating excess uric acid in your body. ACV can also help with skin conditions like acne and eczema, and break up mucous throughout the body and cleanse lymph nodes.

Tea tree oil is my favorite essential oil. It is good for easing joint pain and reducing inflammation. Tea tree oil is anti-candida and anti-viral, and can help reduce fevers and headaches. It is also great for several skin conditions, including acne, dandruff, and itches of insect bites or chicken pox, among others.

Mint is another ingredient that promotes sweating. It also makes the bath smell so good!

Citrus improves your body's ability to get rid of toxins. Citrus is a body alkalizer, is rich in vitamin C, and boosts your immune system. Also, it's another way to make your bath smell amazing.

There are SO many natural, God-given ingredients out there that are good for adding to a detox bath, with so many combinations. Research the ingredients you have on hand, like herbs, clays, other salts, and different essential oils to see what you would benefit most from.

And change it up every once in a while. I did this bath recently, but switched tea tree oil for lavender oil, and I loved it. Don't let it get boring!

Note: I am not a doctor, health professional, nutritionist, or any of the like. This post is for informational purposes only.

MY BOYS - MOZART AT 14 WEEKS

2013-04-13T10:52:00.001-05:00

My dogs are the cutest. This was about 3 weeks ago, when Mozart was about 14 weeks old. 14 weeks old, and look how huge he is!! Though, since we got back to the states from Europe yesterday, it looks as though he's doubled in size.

We wanted to get a photo of the brothers. Quinn looks hilarious with his lower lip sticking out. He likes to obey his dad.

I love my cuties.

We tried for another family photo. But Mozart didn't want to cooperate, and wandered off.

But Quinn heard the word "stay" and wouldn't disobey. Such a great boy!

I had such a great time in Europe, but I'm so happy to be back home with these guys. I love my pups!

HEADED TO EUROPE

2013-03-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

We're off to Europe, heading out TODAY! So excited. This is in honor of our 4th wedding anniversary - coming up on March 28th. Yay! (For those of you following our 'love story', I'm sorry I didn't have it finished in time for our anniversary. You'll just have to stay tuned for part three when I get back! Until then, you can catch up or refresh your memory by reading part one and part two.)

Anyway. We are backpacking while in Europe - taking the Eurail around Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France, and Switzerland for 3 weeks.

Give or take a few countries, maybe.

We don't really have that much of a plan. We just have our few top things that we HAVE to do, and we know where we're staying the first night we're there. That's about all. :)

I will not be blogging at all while I am there. This IS my vacation, after all! :) But if you want to keep updated, I will be on Twitter and Instagram the whole time, trying to make iPhone photos do Europe justice. (Yeah right! Glad I'll have my DSLR there with me, too!)

So don't forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram in order to see what I'm up to while I'm away. See you in 3 weeks!

ALBUQUERQUE BOTANICAL GARDEN

2013-03-24T18:12:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but almost wherever I go, I want to see and learn about the vegetation there. I love plants and flowers and trees and learning about the biosphere that cultivates them. It's so amazing to me, and makes me want to bless the Lord all the time for creating such beautiful, complex, and wondrous things.

So, while in Albuquerque last year, we visited the Albuquerque Botanical Gardens (part of the ABQ BioPark). We were there right when spring was hitting the region, so while we got to see the buds forming on everything, we didn't necessarily get to see the complete and full vegetation it becomes by the end of spring. But it was beautiful regardless...just see for yourself!

As you can see, there are wide open spaces of greenery for people to lounge and have picnics! A perfect family spot. The ABQ BioPark also puts on little demonstrations for kids throughout the day in this area.

There were so many of these purple and yellow flowers just cropping up out of the grass. They were lovely. Perfect for picking and putting in your hair (but I restrained...this is a conservation park, after all!).

I was obsessed with the tree's shadows that day. And again, those little purple and yellow flowers. :)

One of my favorite areas. Can you imagine having a glorious wedding here? Great thing is, places like this look good in all seasons, with or without greenery on the vine (as you can see here). I'm sure it would look gorgeous with snow covering it, as well!

Fave. Oh, how I love the pink buds with a perfect sky blue background!! Such a good nature color combo. I think I was at these trees for about 10 minutes snapping photos like crazy before Mark could pull me away. :)

Love that New Mexico sunshine!

Such weird plants! I want them! :) For the life of me, I can't remember what they are called (I thought I took a photo of the name, but I guess not). If you know the name of these, tell me! They are just too cool.

One of the last things we did was go into a few of the conservatories. They are like giant greenhouses that have much more vegetation than outside, as you can see.

This was the outside of one of the conservatories. (See? Obsessed with tree shadows.)

This was part of the Japanese Garden. Consistent with most Japanese gardens, this one was very serene and peaceful.

The ABQ BioPark has a lot more to offer that we didn't get to do. In the Botanical Gardens, there are butterfly exhibits that were closed when were were there, as well as a farming area. As for the rest of the ABQ BioPark, there is an aquarium, a zoo, and children's play areas.

I loved this place so much and would love to go back at a different time of the year to see how much the vegetation has changed. (How many times have I said "vegetation" in this post now?)

PALO DURO CANYON

2013-03-22T13:19:00.001-05:00

Do you guys remember that time that I was away for a two-week road trip around the Southwest United States? Yeah, I didn't think so. That's because it was a YEAR ago, and I NEVER blogged it.

I'm pitiful. I didn't even get around to editing the photos from the trip until the other day. My brain does weird things. Since I basically edit photos for a living for other people, I tell myself that other people's photos are my number one priority. I put my own memories (i.e. photos) on the backburner. Well, enough is enough!! :)

Though I will still put my business and other people before myself and my own photos, I am going to try to be better about this, and at least put a teeny bit of priority on editing personal photos. YESS!

Anyway. A year ago, on our 3rd anniversary trip, we went on a road trip, touring New Mexico and Arizona. Mark's sister lives in Arizona, so we thought we'd make a fun road trip out of visiting her.

Our first stop was actually still in Texas, though (because Texas is HUGE, y'all, and takes FOR-EV-ER to drive out of). We decided to have a picnic in Palo Duro Canyon, in Canyon, Texas, just outside of Amarillo.

Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States, behind only the Grand Canyon. I've been to the Grand Canyon, and I was still captivated by the beauty of Palo Duro Canyon.

Look at that perfectly straight horizon line, y'all! I don't know why that amazes me so much, but that is one thing I love about canyons.

Palo Duro is 120 miles long and as much as 20 miles wide in some places, while the Grand Canyon is 277 miles long and as much as 17 miles wide. As you can see, the grandeur of Palo Duro is breathtaking, but in a completely different way than the Grand Canyon.

At it's deepest, Palo Duro Canyon is about 997 feet deep, while the Grand Canyon reaches 6,000 feet deep. Since it isn't as deep, Palo Duro is a great place for a day-hike, and you can actually drive into the canyon.

So that's what we did, since we only had a few hours to be there.

We went exploring in a few places when we got into the canyon. The colors were so vivid that day! I love the orange dirt and the golden grass.

After exploring a bit, we found a great picnic area to have our lunch. Our lunch was so fun that day, with food we found from a local grocery store that you can find anywhere! We had lettuce wraps, with all sorts of veggies in them, along with guacamole, pico, and salsa. And of course, peanut butter for dessert. :)

Eating lunch in the middle of a canyon, with nothing around you but the great outdoors, is one of the best feelings ever! We loved just looking around at the beauty while we ate.

After lunch, we found a little stream running through the park. Kids were playing in it, and it was a good thing we were wearing Chacos, because we decided to play in it as well. :)

We left the park hesitantly, needing to keep on driving to make it to Albuquerque. We have heard from friends that Palo Duro is a great place for rock climbing, so we can't wait to make it back one day.

GUEST POST from A SIMPLE KIND OF LOVE

2013-03-21T18:33:00.001-05:00

I'm leaving for my European anniversary trip on Monday, but before I go, I wanted to tell you all about one of my sponsors! Actually, she's gonna tell you a little about herself, not me. I'm sure she'd do much better. :)

Hi, I'm Beth! I am an Accounts Payable Coordinator by day and a homemaker by night and weekend. I've been married to my best friend for a year and a half, and we're trying to make the big city our home.

My husband was actually the one who encouraged me to open my little shop. At the time, I was unemployed with no job in sight. I prayed about it, because I wanted it to be for God's glory, not mine. A few months later, I started selling crafts, like the ones I had made for my best friend's bridal shower.

In January of this year, I started thinking about the vision for my shop. I was feeling that I was trying to do it on my own, rather than letting God be the center. So I was brainstorming and praying about what I could do for His glory. Well, a fellow blog friend was trying to raise funds to adopt their foster daughter, and I knew God was calling me to help with the process. For the first time since opening the shop, a percentage of sales was donated to their adoption fund. I was so blessed to see others purchasing items to help out. And next week, I will be blessed to see that little girl gain a Forever Family.

It's all for Him. I want to be able to bless others because He has blessed me so much. I am called to love Him and love others. That's what A Simple Kind of Love is all about.

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Go check out Beth's shop, where she has all sorts of homemade creations, like jewelry and home decor, at A Simple Kind of Love. You'll be supporting a great girl AND a great cause!

Also, follow her on twitter to see what she's up to and like her Facebook page to see sooo many photos of her great stuff!

NEW BLOG DESIGN

2013-03-16T19:18:00.001-05:00

Hey guys!! Sorry it's been so long. I've been CRAZY busy doing photo shoots, editing photo shoots, designing new blogs and brands, filing taxes, and getting ready for Europe (leaving March 24th). Whew!!

And on top of all that, since the beginning of March, we've had 4 sets of people stay with us. My sister, bro-in-law, and nephew came in one weekend for a softball tournament that my bro-in-law was in. The next weekend, my other sister came down for an open house at a hospital for a nursing residency. The next weekend, my best friend came down from Dallas to hang out during her spring break.

Lastly, this past week, a friend's band stayed at our house because they were playing at SXSW. Literally 13 people were here at one time, in our itty bitty 850 sq. ft. 2 bedroom house. The floor was covered with people (haha!) and two people even borrowed our tent and slept in our front yard! Gotta love SXSW craziness.

So while all that has been FUN, it has also been crazy!

And on top of that, my blog and hosting has been acting up for the past couple of days. But I had been working on a new design for Let Birds Fly, so I took that as an opportunity to finish it and install it while working out the kinks.

So here's the new design!!

I love it so much. I've been working on this for a while, in between other projects like editing photos and designing other things. I've been wanting something simpler for a while. I'm through with clutter. Let me know what you think!

Also, I'm still in the process of ironing out kinks and updating pages, so be patient with me through that. :)

zilker kite festival

2013-03-06T14:39:00.002-06:00

On Sunday, my sister, Stacey, and my nephew, Trey, and I went to the Zilker Kite Festival here in Austin. It was awesome!!

It was kind of a last minute decision to go, since my sister was visiting from out of town. I had planned to go with Mark, but he was out of town for his college choir reunion. So we parked down the street from the festival and took a pedicab to the park. Yay for supporting local businesses (especially a business that is SO Austin), but man, the pedicab ride was expensive.

Next year, I am making sure Mark will be able to go with me, and since we only live about 4.5 miles away from Zilker Park, we will ride our bikes there. AND take the dogs. AND bring food and a blanket to lounge on. You know, all the stuff we DIDN'T do this year. :)

I loved it anyway!! There were so many people there, and it was the most gorgeous day and weather we've had since moving here. Perfect. It just made me so grateful to be living in this city again.

Watching everyone try to fly a kite was pretty dog-gone hilarious. The wind was awesome for kite-flying, but the talent from everyone was not so good. :) In being at the festival, you HAD to be okay with a kite dive-bombing your head, or getting clothes-lined from the kite strings.

There were all sorts of kites, from home-made, to professional-looking ones, to store bought ones with Cinderella printed on them. This dragon one was my favorite! So cool.

I can't even begin to try to explain to you how many people were there. It felt like the whole city of Austin was there!! It's a free festival, so it makes sense.

I have no idea why some people were flying their kites around these trees. Poor kites met their fates through branches. I saw a lot of kites accidentally let go, as well. It was so windy that the kites just took off upwards like helium-filled balloons.

My nephew had fun running around, finding the kites with Nemo and Lightening McQueen on them, playing in the dirt, and climbing trees. Such a cutie.

We had such a great time. If you ever get the chance, PLEASE visit Austin in the spring-time. It is perfect here.

our story, part two - the in-between

2013-02-26T18:02:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I shared Part One of our story. (Yeah - love story. That's right!) If you haven't read it yet, hop on over and read it before you read part two.

In part one, Mark and I met at a camp for people with disabilities. I met his whole family, and loved them. But Mark and I didn't really connect until the last night of camp, because of a hilarious girl camper with down syndrome.

I call part two "The In-Between". (You'll see later why I call it this.)

via Silver Jeans Co

This is also the time where our friendship actually grew, but through unconventional means.

The internet.

Yup.

After camp, everyone who worked that summer got a group e-mail about something. And somehow through that, Mark got my e-mail address and e-mailed me just to say hey or something. There might have been a specific reason, but I don't really remember why.

We both e-mailed back and forth for the rest of the summer. It was seriously just friendly, though. Maybe a little of e-mail flirting, but just for fun. Both of us were dating other people, and we were ultimately just interested in each other's lives. The guy I was dating at the time started calling him "Jurgen" after the German soccer player/manager, Jurgen Klinsmann, since they have basically the same last name.

Anyway, Mark and I became friends on Facebook and on Myspace (back in 2006, when Myspace was AWESOME). We continuously made funny comments on each other's posts and pictures for a while. We found out that our birthdays were two days apart and jokingly said that during one birthday, we should go skydiving together (I had made a Myspace post about my bucket list, which included going skydiving). We also made faux-plans to do everything else on my bucket list together, never actually intending any of it to happen.

We called each other on our birthdays to say happy birthday, and later that summer, I went to another camp to work. He wrote me a few e-mails while I was there, the last one asking for prayer because he and his girlfriend of 3ish years had broken up. I said I would, and we kinda lost contact when school started back up.

Meanwhile, I broke up with my then-boyfriend, and a month later started dating someone else. Heh.

In October, I let Mark know that I'd be driving through his town, and asked if he wanted to have lunch. I met him at a McDonald's parking lot right off the highway, walked out, and recieved the best hug ever. (Mark's a good hugger, everyone agrees.) I got into to his car, and we went to a local Mexican restaurant. I remember being self-conscious about what I was wearing.

I don't think there was one silent moment from the moment I got into his car until the moment I got back into mine after lunch. However, it was Mark doing allllll the talking. I remember thinking, "Man, he talks SO much!" I don't think I got a word in. :)

The next month, I hounded him about missing the camp retreat, even though the rest of his family had come.

Around Christmas, I break up with the guy I was dating, while Mark gets back together with his old girlfriend. At the beginning of the spring semester, Mark fractures his foot, and has to miss a lot of school.

We lose contact a bit after this. You know, busy semester, Mark's foot...all the normal excuses. (But I think the real reason we lost contact was that Mark had started dating the same girl again, and was determined to make it work this time.)

At the end of the semester (May 2007), I get an e-mail from Mark. He explains that because of his foot injury at the beginning of the semester, he missed too many classes (2-3 weeks worth), and got a C in calculus when he needed a B. He couldn't afford taking it over again, and also just couldn't afford the private college he was attending anymore. He said he decided to change his major from math to recreational therapy, and wanted to go to Texas State. He said that I was the only person he knew that was currently at Texas State, so he wanted to ask me about it.

I about freaked out, because recreational therapy was my major, which I told him. I also let him know that recreational therapy was a perfect major for him. I then sold Texas State to him like crazy, my main selling point being the ultimate frisbee team (of which he later joined).

Around this time, I had also started dating someone else.

Though we were dating other people, I was excited for him to come to Texas State. There's nothing like camp friends! And I knew he would have a good time at Texas State, so I was just happy for him.

Camp was about to start the next month, and I was going to be on the leadership team with one of Mark's sisters, Kim, who is also one of my best friends (we had kept in close contact, more than Mark and I had, throughout the year). Mark tells me he is not planning on coming to camp at all, and so I think I'll just see him the next semester when he starts school at Texas State.

Little did I know, a whirlwind of a summer was about to start.

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END OF PART TWO! I know that these little things might not seem important to the story, but to us, these in-between moments mean everything. I feel if even one of these things hadn't happened, I would be telling you a different story. Maybe even a story without Mark in it!

The in-between is about ups and downs, hot and cold, and is a roller coaster of confusion sometimes. But these memories are SO worth it. If you are in a weird tandem moment, or in the midst of twilight in a relationship (or any other aspect of your life), have hope. But also, just keep going. The weird, tangled mess of the in-between (if it is trying OR even boring) will be filled with lessons you will be SO GLAD you went through.

Can't wait to get to the next part of the story with you!!

quinn and mozart - brothers!

2013-02-25T16:36:00.000-06:00

This past week, Quinn and Mozart made great strides with their relationship.

During the first two weeks of Mozart being home, Quinn was pretty indifferent. He didn't really care about Mozart, and just left him alone.

But last week, they voluntarily played with each other for the first time!! I saw them start mouth-jousting, and I was so excited!! I called for Mark to come and watch, and we both looked on with pride at our children. :) Finally, brothers being brothers!!

I love the paw!

Ahh, not the face!

His wrinkled forehead is the best.

Aww, they love each other. Yay!! :) And look at that eye! Cutie.

Love this.

Hug time!

Blurry photo, but so cute. Smush!

Boop!

This one is my favorite!! Haha. What a funny dude. They love playing together now. And I love it!! This is the exact reason we wanted another dog. They are finally brothers!!

Also, Mozart is growing at the speed of light. He's getting huge! And so is my love for him! :)

I love almond milk!!

2013-02-22T18:37:00.003-06:00

I grew up on milk. Friends would come over on Friday nights, and we'd order pizza and have milk to go with it. My friends would all think our family was weird, and asked for soda, which we didn't have. I thought THEY were weird! Milk with pizza is awesome!!

The point is, I freakin loved milk. But a little over three years ago, I went dairy-free for health reasons. No more milk for Bailey. :(

I've tried every milk substitution possible from the store. Bleh. Have you looked at the ingredients in store-bought nut milk? It's scary. But homemade nut milk is amazing.

And homemade almond milk is my favorite.

I've made almond milk quite a few times before. But now that I have a Vitamix blender, I'm making it like crazy! This stuff has me coming back for more and more.

Though I made this with my Vitamix, you can make it with a lower-powered blender as well. You just might not get as much milk from it, and it might not be as thick and almondy.

Almond Milk

1 cup raw almonds

4 cups water

3 dates

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

nut milk bag (or you can use a cheesecloth)

1. Soak almonds in water overnight.

2. Drain and rinse.

3. Add almonds, water, vanilla, and dates to blender, and blend for several minutes. Taste and adjust with vanilla or dates.

4. Place your open nut milk bag in a bowl and pour contents of blender into the bag to strain.

5. Squeeze as much of the milk out of the bag as possible, until the almond pulp in the bag is somewhat dry.

6. Place milk in jars and refrigerate.

Yield: 4 cups

Tips:
-Will yield less milk if not using a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec.
-You can find cheesecloth at your local grocery store. Fold it up a few times to get the most pulp out. A nut milk bag will yield milk with virtually NO pulp in it, therefore no grainy gulps of milk.
-Don't throw the almond pulp out! Dehydrate pulp and spin it in food processor a few times to make almond meal. Great for baking!

For a later recipe, you can add cocoa for chocolate milk. Or cinnamon and nutmeg for a spiced milk. Yum!

new great dane puppy - meet mozart

2013-02-13T12:00:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to tell you about our newest addition to the family!!

His name is Mozart, and he's our new great dane puppy!! YAYAY!! He is a fawn merle great dane with a recessive chocolate gene. Cool, huh? I love him. He has the cutest freckles ever!

See? TOO MUCH CUTE! He's 8 weeks old here.

We've wanted to get another dog for a while to be a brother to our other great dane, Quinn, so Quinn could have a playmate. But since that's not happening until Mozart gets a little bigger, WE get to enjoy him while he's young! :)

And we're REALLY enjoying him! He's part of the family already!

Quinn doesn't really know what to think of Mozart yet. He's so accustomed to other people's dogs visiting all the time that he might just think that Mozart is a guest. :) Quinn can tell Mozart's just a puppy, and can't play as hard as he wants to play, so he basically just lets Mozart play around him.

The above photo KILLS me. It's my fave. And it already reflects his personality so much, with the leaf in his mouth. Mozart is a VERY curious pup. Much different than Quinn as a kid.

Typical Quinn, with stuff stuck in his mouth. Tee hee!!

He's so super smart already. He recognized his name after about a day (his name before we got him was Spike...) and he also already rings the bell beside the door (hanging by a string) to go outside to potty or play.

Now, food is another thing. From the get-go, Quinn never went crazy for food. Quinn learned the command "wait" after only two days, by making him wait to eat his food until I said so. But this new guy....whew! He goes crazy. He has NOT learned to wait for food. So that's new for us! But we're trying!

Looks like Quinn wants some attention. :)

So why the name "Mozart", you ask? Well, we originally wanted "Amadeus" for our next great dane, but we realized that a 4-syllable name would be too hard for him. So we went with the next best thing, Mozart (since the composer Mozart's middle name was Amadeus)! And we definitely weren't going to go with Wolfgang. (But neither did the composer. Mozart went by Amadeus in real life. Fun fact!)

But we still sing him the song, "Rock Me Amadeus": "Come on and rock me Amadeus...Amadeus Amadeus! Amadeus! Amadeus Amadeus! Amadeus!" Never heard of it? It's a German song from an 80s movie about Mozart. And there's your 80s pop culture factoid of the day!! :) See a video of the song here.

Quinn has had a song from the beginning, too. And if you don't know it, then the "oldies" station in your hometown was already playing 80s music when you were growing up, and therefore you are too young! ;) Quinn's is "The Mighty Quinn" of course, by Manfred Mann.

We love our new puppy, Mozart, and hope you do too!!

(p.s. to all my friends north of Texas - yes, those are indeed shorts and tank tops that I am wearing. And the green you see is grass all over my front yard. That's what you get in Austin in February - 70 perfect degrees!! Come visit!!)