~*Smile*~

Photography is one of my passions.
It makes me happy.
It helps me escape life's little problems.
I love capturing and preserving memories.
Here is a photo I took today. I hope it makes you smile.

This is Lindsay & her 3-month old son Lucas. Her husband, Ben, is overseas. It was my pleasure to help her capture some photos of their sweet baby to send over for a Father's Day present.

A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety. ~Ansel Adams

Unlike any other visual image, a photograph is not a rendering, an imitation or an interpretation of its subject, but actually a trace of it. No painting or drawing, however naturalist, belongs to its subject in the way that a photograph does.

~John Berger

Repeat

It's weekends like the past one I just had that make me wish we could repeat spans of time. The long weekend allowed me to spend time with family (some who I rarely get to see) as well as some of my amazing friends. Times like that make me realize how great life is. It really bothers me when I read people complaining about petty little things. What bothers me even more, is when people take to their status updates on social networks to complain about things that really don't need to be complained about, or just should be kept to themselves.

In reality, complaining in a status, makes you look pretty foolish and ungrateful, in my opinion. We each choose how happy we are and how, for the most part, our lives play out. So, instead of complaining about your job, your friends, your boredom, etc. do something about it. It's all up to you to choose your own destiny.

Sure, I'm not perfect, I occasionally complain about something that is pretty silly in retro-spec, but I try everyday to be thankful just to be alive. Knowing that how my day pans out is up to me, makes me try to live it to it's fullest.

So, if you take at least one thing from this short blog, I hope it's to savor life's moments, whether they are good or bad, and instead of complaining, get up and do something about it.

~*Carpe Diem*~

Thank You For Being My Friend

We're all guilty of something. One thing I am guilty of, and I think many others may agree this speaks true for them as well, is taking life for granted. Specifically those who are by our sides daily. For me, these people include my family and friends. Unfortunately, I think it is just human nature to become comfortable with their presence in our lives, that we often forget to say 'thank you' or show our appreciation for what they do for us.

This week in particular I have stepped back and looked at the wonderful friendships I have gained, the friendships I am forming, the friends who have stuck by my side for years, and reflected on those friendships that have diminished.

It has become more apparent that some of my old friends have different priorities in life which have an effect on our friendship. I remember my mom telling me about the time in my life where friends would start moving in different directions, and not to be surprised. Well, the time has come, and I am still surprised by the abrupt changes there seems to be. I am still thankful for the friendship I was able to have with these particular people, however, am sad to see it go and sad that it will never be the same bond.

But those who have stuck by my side, and the ones who I consider my closest friends, are amazing. Usually I am the one offering up advice for others, sharing my personal experiences. I am naturally a listener and someone who wants to help. So, I often neglect my own feelings and do not share them to get advice in return. This week I sought that out, and realized I have very supportive people to talk to. It was nice to get the reassurance and advice. It made me feel less lost and I was able to get back on track. It is that act of friendship that makes it so valuable. I can't imagine not having friends who truly care about you.

It sounds cliche' saying that I don't know where I would be without my friends, but I do feel this way. Life would be so dull without them. Having people to share life's moments with is priceless, and should not be taken for granted. I look forward to continuing to make new friends, and work on the friendships from the past. We can all learn from our friends, it's just up to us to appreciate those friendships and advice, and then return the favor. Thank you to all of those who are there for me. I may not always directly say it or show it, but I truly appreciate that you are in my life. You make life's ups and downs more bearable by just being there.

"Life is partly what we make it, and partly what is made by the friends whom we choose." - Tehyi Hsieh

Early Morning

I try to be a leader, not a follower, but this morning I am the latter of the two. A friend of mine recently made the switch from Xanga to Blogger. She has many reasons for this, and I couldn't agree more with them. Blogger was actually the second blog site I ever explored (LiveJournal was first), but I ventured away and blogged on Xanga starting back in 2004. Xanga helped me with sharing my wedding plans and college life, but it's been losing it's appeal over the past year or so. I have met some really interesting people there, and some even helped me complete my undergraduate research paper, which revolved around the world of blogging and disclosure. Now I believe I am looking for a place where I don't feel forced to write about certain topics, and where I can take better control of what I want to write about. I would also like a blogsite that I would be happy for any of my friends to read daily to provide insight or just to see it as something fun to read.

So, here I am, returning back to Blogger to start fresh. New starts are always fun. Writing is a passion of mine, therefore, I choose to blog. I hope to return to more regular blogging with this change. Maybe meet some new people, but most of all to share what's on my mind and to pose life's questions that sometimes just can't be answered.

Here's to new blog beginnings!