So... long time no blog. BUT. I wanted to pop on here and invite anyone who may be interested to join an online women's Bible study.  www.womensonlinebiblestudy.wordpress.com is the link to the study site.  There is more written there, but basically it has been put on my heart to start a study for women who may not have access to a Bible Study in their area.  Or maybe they do, but for one reason or another don't go.  It will be a simple format, nothing fancy or super involved.  Just a study posted once a week for you to do on your own, and then an optional chat online to talk through the lesson.  The point is to encourage you in your own, individual study of the Bible.  The studies will be straight from the Bible itself for now, no other books involved.  If this resonates with you, click on the link provided for more information.  Or you can email womensonlinebiblestudy@gmail.com to let me know you'd like to join. (there is no money involved, just send a note so I know to email the studies to you if you want) And feel free to ask questions.

and MAYBE I'll blog again sometime soon.... one never knows.

Love! Abby

  So I decided to order the Canon 24-70 2.8 L. I talked to someone on the phone at the Nat'l Camera Exchange and asked some advice, and they recommended collecting lenses before getting a new body.  If I am remotely happy (75% happy or so) with the images my body is producing, that I should buy lenses, they said. Well, I'm not completely satisfied with the image quality of my camera, but it helped me realize the lens was more of a priority, I think.  Plus he talked about how new bodies are always coming in and out. And how buying the 24-70 is a great investment.  It will be here tomorrow!!  I just talked to B&H on the phone today to the confirm the order, so now they are shipping it right away!! I used the rest of my bday money to pay for next day air shipping, lol. That way I can have it to use this Saturday at a wedding. I wouldn't have had to, I guess, but I just was too excited. And somehow, spending that much money on a lens (sadly) makes a person feel like an extra $30 is a mere trifle. :-S I felt a little shaky when I was clicking the "Place Order Now" button. In the grand scheme of photography, it wasn't that huge of a purchase, but...it's a lot of money to put into ONE piece of equipment. So far I've gotten away in business without buying that much professional stuff. I have my high end amateur camera and a few basic lenses, but nothing that quality.  I did buy photoshop and lightroom, I guess, but I felt like now I was ready to buy a more professional piece of camera equipment, and God provided the money, so I guess it was time. This whole photography thing is quite the adventure for me in trusting and following God step by step... I have no idea how long I will work as a photographer.  I could see it all being over in 3 years...or not....  It's really quite curious to me.  I wanted to be a photographer for a while, and didn't have any equipment, money or opportunities.  And it was like God said, "Ok, now." I am convinced that it is a gift to me, one through which He has given me learning and enjoyment.  I am grateful to Him for it, and also grateful that He's given me a heart that would not be crushed to lose it tomorrow. He's worked in my heart an understanding that each step is under His directive, and that His main objective is to humble me and test me and see if I will follow and trust Him in every situation.  "...This the work of God, that you believe on Him who He has sent." John 6:29

I took Anika to the park this morning, and now I'm going to read her a few books and put her down for a nap.  I have some photography paper work to do and I need to clean my house, do some laundry and get some things ready for supper company tonight.  But really, I would just like to journal all day...my thoughts are so spread out in 85 categories I feel I need to collect them and funnel them into one stream. lol!!!!

When Anika wakes up I'm taking her out to the yard to play in her kiddie pool.  It's going to be HOT out this afternoon!!!! I'm looking forward to sitting in the sun a bit while she plays. 

Well, my little break is over.  5 minutes until nap time, and I'm THIRSTY from being at the park.

Little bonus: Here's a birth announcement I designed for my friend yesterday afternoon! Pretty basic, but thought I'd throw it on here for the fun of it. I'm hoping to do a photoshoot of this little girl sometime in a couple months, but for now we just used pics Lindsay took and sent to me. Don't you love the name Daylyn?

Happy Thursday!!

Today I am experiencing a case of NO MOTIVATION! I don't have anything hugely pressing that needs to be accomplished, just a lot of somewhat-necessary things like tidying up the house and folding some laundry. I'm taking Anika to the park later this morning, so I am trying to tell myself to finish doing those things before I go.  It's not working.

Jonathan and I are possibly going camping this weekend, just for one night.  So I'm planning a couple easy grilling/over-the-fire meals to have on hand just in case we go.  I didn't make any reservation so we're just gonna play it by ear and go Sat. afternoon if it works out.  I have a short photoshoot Saturday morning to do first, as well as another small event of sorts. And next weekend I get to go to Minneapolis with my mom and sisters! Can't wait for that!  

After that it's back to doing more weddings. I think by the end of this summer I'll be growing weddings out my ears. But I am thankful for all the learning it's affording me. I just finished the last LONG wedding booked on my old pricing list, so that's exciting. It's a LOT to take over 2000 photos and edit down to 1000. And I'm finding it's an almost overwhelming amount of photos to give a bride, too. Hundreds less still tell the story of their day quite sufficiently. I guess you just keep adjusting your packages and pricing as you go. Oh, and I ordered my lens, but didn't get it.  Long story, but basically I've figured out what the deal was with the crazy cheap photography equipment prices I mentioned in my last post.  They are no-good companies just trying to lure people in to sell them higher priced equipment. They don't actually sell the equipment that cheap.  It's just bait.  (should have figured.) Thankfully no harm done, the problem got corrected and I changed  my check card number to avoid any fraudulent charges just in case.  So now it's back to saving! And actually, lately I've been wondering if I should just save up longer and buy a different camera body first anyway. Then again, we're talking saving over $2700 instead of $1200.  *large eyes* .........thankfully just a bunch of thoughts for now!

I just ordered a bunch of family photo prints from the photoshoot we did in April! I am planning on decorating the wall above my couch with them, so I'll post before and after pics when it's done.

Well, time to go do something productive...

This week I'm working on STARTING spring cleaning, but probably won't get too far.  I have a ton of Studio A loose ends I'm tying up from different weddings and such, basically a lot of paper/computer work, sending out bills and figuring out totals and talking through wedding day scheduling and lots and lots of editing!!!!!!! My computer has a very small "brain" so I have to shift photos in and out as quickly as possible.

Jonathan and I took a bunch of photos together yesterday at the fabulous Plains Art Museum in downtown Fargo, ND!!!! My sister Rachel took them for me and she did SO great, and my other sister Janna was incredibly awesome keeping track of Anika.  Here are just two that I edited today, and I desperately want to do more, but just can't right now! Tell me which of the first two you like better! Oh, I just loved how SO many of the 500+ photos turned out and can't WAIT to share more with you guys!!! I am planning on decorating my house with them. I think it will add so much to the decor...

We had a little birthday party for Anika tonight who is turning TWO on Wednesday! Oh boy! So I made cupcakes with frosting and sprinkles, and made her pancakes, because that's what she asked for.  (WE had french dip sandwiches and corn on the cob. )

Yes, lots of busy house-wifery is going on...I am constantly washing dishes and doing laundry it seems, as well as changing diapers (potty training, PLEASE come and get it over with soon!) and reading Anika the same books over and OVER and OOOOOver (Praise the LORD for the LIBRARY!!!!!)

Friday night I am doing a little talk at a teenage girls/moms event at a local church, talking about Proverbs 4...Keeping Your Heart.  A bit of an emphasis on purity, etc, but mostly talking of keeping your heart to God in the deepest and most important sense.  I just got a chance to sit down tonight after Anika was in bed.  I scribbled a lot of thoughts and verses out, and will have to go through it tomorrow and put it in more of an organized format and add illustrations and such.

Tomorrow morning we get to go visit our friend Anna, and then I go to the P.O and also the Verizon store to get my new cell phone activated.  Qwest apparently is ending wireless service... merging, rather, with Verizon.  So we have to switch back, which meant getting a new phone.  AND Verizon did NOT offer a free pink phone option.  I shed a tear and felt sad for a day and then decided I needed to move on.  I sure did enjoy my pink phone for the year it lasted....

Saturday it's off to Ortonville, MN for another wedding shoot!

But now it's off to bed!!!!

Good morning.  It's still dark out, but I'm up and thinking ahead to this day.  We went to bed early because Jonathan was so tired and had to be at work early this morning.  I, on the other hand, was not tired.  And couldn't sleep for a long time... maybe the nap from 4 - 5:15 pm yesterday was a contributing factor???

So, I got in a parking lot accident on Tuesday. I was at the meat market and backed into a 85 year old fellow's car.  It was a tiny little parking lot with only one entrance, and when I climbed in my car there was only one other truck in the parking lot, to my left.  I look at the entrance, (also to the left) and no cars were coming through, so I backed up...and right into a car that had already passed to my right and was turning into the spot next to me.  Sigh.  What can you do? I shouldn't have assumed the right side of the parking lot was clear.  So, a very .... laaaaaarge.....sum of money later (we are settling it personally, not through insurance.) I had my 2 soup bones that I came for.

In a strange way, it was actually very timely, and in the end, provided me with a deep realization on the matter of assumptions.  Interesting how we can hold to assumptions about God based on what we've heard.  Here is a world riddled with interpretations and ideas - many complete fiction, many of only partial truth.  Yet the Bible sits there, full and complete, just waiting for the individual soul to discover on its own the Complete Truth. 

And it sure taught me not to make assumptions in parking lots again, either.

Today I'm working through more wedding photos, running out to buy some flour and other baking ingredients so I can make some bread, perhaps, and of course, spending time with Anika. 

I'm figuring out lightroom more and more.  It's really a great program... I've been already able to accomplish a lot of work that would have taken me much, much longer.  One thing I still can't quite figure out is how to move a photo from lightroom to photoshop, and then BACK again.  I can get it there, but can't seem to figure out how to quickly move it back to the collection I'm working in.  I suppose it will come.

I made a German meal the other day... Rouladen.  I think that's how it's spelled.  Jonathan's mom first made it for me, and then his aunt as well.  It's delicious... and actually quite easy.  I took some round steak from our freezer, cut it into thin rounds, and rolled it up with some chopped bacon and onion.  Browned it a bit coated in flower, and then crock-potted it on low for 8 hours drenched in brown gravy.  Quite fabulous, really. Mmmmmm.  I just might have the last little leftover piece for my breakfast.  Everything's better with bacon, you know.

Started some little flower seeds, the other day... I'm so excited about putting them in hanging pots on our porch! I hope I can successfully accomplish that.  :-S Never have been very good at plants and stuff.  One of these days I need to take a trip to the greenhouse.  My favorite place to go in the springtime...

Off to begin the day.