Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Rainy Summer Week

Last week was just a good week, especially the latter part of it.  

Due to this rainy weather Colby got to come home early one day.  However, Colby is the epitome of a hard worker.  Rain doesn't stop him.  He came home around lunch and got straight to work around the house.  I am so thankful for his work ethic.


Another good part of the week was the Fourth of July.  When I woke up, I made a mental list of the things Colby & I should do on this day.  I wanted to throw softball, eat hot dogs for lunch and watch The Patriot.. all before we got together with family to grill out and watch fireworks.  Well it was rainy, we didn't have any hotdogs in the fridge and The Patriot wasn't on TV as it usually is.  So we stayed in our PJs til noon, had a Breaking Bad marathon and Colby made us a pizza pie for lunch.

Later, I helped my sisters-in-law with some patriotic Pinterest ideas that were much harder than expected.  We grilled out and engorged ourselves with burgers, potatoes, country vegetables and an array of blue and red desserts.



And the grand finale: fireworks at the local ball park with the rest of the community.



On Saturday, my family invited Colby & I over for a meal of fish tacos and a corn hole tournament.  We ate outside (where it began pouring the rain as soon as we sat down) and devoured these fish tacos that my sister made.  She tried to make them like the restaurant Cabo Fish Taco in Charlotte and she nailed it.  They were spot on... well done, Ash!  And then later, we played two corn hole tournaments.  It was a sweet night of good food and sweet company.




And lastly, to conclude our ridiculously good weekend...  Colby & I tried a new church and had the best lazy Sunday afternoon ever.  Ahh, I am so thankful for this past week and summer nights in our small town.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Currently enjoying

There are a couple of things I am currently enjoying...

Orange Gatorade.  It was literally my life source for the million years I was playing on a ball field.  I always had an orange Gatorade before every ball game (& fruit punch flavor if they didn't have orange).  Colby & I are active people.  We are always doing something... biking, throwing ball, messing outside, now kayaking.  Our newest source of fuel is orange Gatorade.  I am loving it.  Those intense Gatorade commercials are fabulous.  After a work out or taking a break from kayaking, sweat pouring, your thirst at it's newest all time high, a good chug of orange Gatorade is currently hitting the spot.

 

The idea of decorating my own house.  Colby & I are currently renting this sweet little house in our hometown.  It is completely furnished.  Which is great for many reasons, for one, we don't have any furniture of our own except for a bed set.  But it's not so great because it's decked out in the owner's stuff.  It's not a place where I feel inspired or creative, simply because I didn't decorate it.  I feel like I'm on a month-long getaway to the mountains/amazon forest (there are more plants and animals in my front yard then I know what to do with).  You're probably thinking.. "I would love to feel like that!"  But you know when you have been on vacation on a while, you just start to feel like "I can't wait to get back home, in my space."  That's how I feel.  So as Colby & I wait for the Lord to move to help us to decipher where our next home is, we will continue to embrace our mountain getaway and I will continue to dream of decorating my own house, Pinterest style.

4th of July Decor.  Speaking of decorating...  I love the 4th of July decorations.  I told Colby this week, that once we get a house that is ours and we have a little bit of spending money, I want 4th of July to be our holiday.  The one where we entertain our folks and friends before the fireworks at the nearby ballpark.  The one where he entertains while grilling all-American meals and I entertain while pouring you a patriotic cocktail.  The Today Show this week was killing it with all of the 4th of July decorations, recipes and general ideas.  I was so in love.  Hopefully, next year Colby & I will be able to host our first 4th of July cook out!  Fingers crossed.


This rainy weather.  Everybody on social media has made it very clear that they are not loving these endless amounts of raindrops.  Personally, I am loving it.  Well, for now.  We have a covered side porch where I love to sit outside, drink my coffee and just watch.  It's refreshing and calming in so many ways.  Now when it starts to look like this small town in turning into Seattle, then I'll join the anti-rain social media rant.

She Reads Truth.  I love their devotions on their website because they are created for women.  I have decided, especially since becoming a wife, that it's important to take the time to understand the word as a woman.  Especially in the application aspect.  How I apply the truth can be different from how Colby does and I love that there is an online body of women who are teaming together to help us understand that.
 

What are you enjoying on this rainy Wednesday?

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

If you don't use it, you'll lose it.

I am so serious about this.  This is in context (well, kinda) to photography.  I love photography.  It is a passion of mine.  I am not a professional by any means, but it is something I love to do.  A couple months ago, I made a deal with Colby's sister, Jenny, that if she would monogram some bridesmaids' gifts then I would take some pictures of her family.



In the midst of finals, moving out, and wedding planning, I put that photo shoot in the back on my mind.  I thought to myself, "I done several sessions, I'll be fine."  I looked up some different poses as I was taking my breaks or when I got bored.  But I never really researched it, practiced or challenged myself to improve before the session.  I haven't shot a session in a couple of months, I have never shot a family session, and I most certainly have never shot a session with two 18 month-olds.  If you don't use your skills often or challenge your skills often, you'll lose it.  I promise you.



I got a few good shots, but for the most part I was so disappointed in myself.  More than half of the pictures I took had three clear humans and then one blurry human or vice versa.  I didn't research settings I could use, I didn't adjust my settings much at the actual shoot.  I was so disappointed in myself.  I was distracted with a world of other things and I didn't pour my heart and soul into the task at hand.


But what I learned most from this experience was that I was not loving my neighbor as myself.  I put my needs and wants above Jenny and her family.  I put my selfish heart before Jenny, Jordan, Crews & Tate.  Putting others before yourself is something you have to practice!  I'm serious! It does not come by nature because our natural instinct is sinful.  So as a result, when we don't practice dying to ourselves and putting others before ourselves, our sinful nature reveals itself and we begin to walk in darkness again.  And I did just that.  I lost the opportunity to truly spread the gospel through action.


The introduction to 2 John says this: Therefore, all who claim loyalty to Him must be committed to these ideals: following the truth, living the truth, reflecting love and acting with love towards one another.  My eyes have been widened and I now understand why my photo shoot didn't end the way it should have.  I really don't even know why I felt led to tell ya'll this.  Maybe accountability?  I don't know.  But what I do know is that "if we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable and straightforward—he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil." (1 John 1:9)  I've learned from my mistake.  I am walking in the light again, completely ready for another opportunity to spread the gospel through photography.



Monday, July 1, 2013

Reliving May 25th, 2013

I wanted my wedding on video.  I didn't want my parents to spend an arm and a leg on it, but I definitely wanted one.  My sister's best friend knew somebody that knew somebody and I ended up with Grace Jones as the gal I needed to contact.  I talked to Grace one night over the phone and I was so in love with how honest she was.  She told me she was an elementary school teacher and videography was a passion and hobby of hers.  She told me that if she did our wedding, it would only be her second wedding (first paid).  She sent me some videos just to see her work and to make sure I wanted to book her.

Obviously, I said yes. 

I LOVE MY WEDDING VIDEO.  You can watch it here. Seriously, I am so thankful I decided to budget that in.  She captured the best day ever and especially my favorite moment of the day (after the recessional and the barn doors were closed so we could be alone for a few moments) so perfectly.  I just watched the video again and the part I always cry at is after those barn doors are shut.  It is to date the sweetest moment of my life.

Grace, thank you, thank you, thank you.  You are absolutely fabulous.  Your heart is sweet as it could be and your work is fantastic.  Thank you so much for being such a huge part of our day.  Love ya!

Kayak Crazy

Two Wednesdays ago, Colby came to me and said "Babe, I want a kayak."  That following Friday, Colby & I went to Bass Pro to pick up two kayaks. Was it an impulse buy?  Absolutely.  Do we regret it?  Nope.


 Since we have bought the kayaks and all of the necessary equipment such as life jackets and paddles and anchors, we have been on a pond or river every chance we gotten.  For example, this past couple days went as follows: Thursday, Colby & I went in a pond to fish; Friday, we paddled up and down one area of the river; Saturday, Colby & I went on a three hour trip; and Sunday, Colby, myself, my brother, his girlfriend and his buddies went on a two hour trip. 













I think it is safe to say that the Scott's are officially kayak crazy.