My new blog is finally launched! Hope you will follow me there. Make sure to update your readers and such.
Take Me There
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Back in the Saddle Again :)
Just a quick update. So my new blog didn't exactly get the attention it deserved this weekend; but for good reason. I am now the proud new owner of Carter, a seven year old quarter horse cross. Pictures and full post soon to come!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Just Thought I Would Throw One Up
This weekend (in-between enjoying the sunshine) I am going to be submersing myself in bloggy world hoping to come out with a new blog :). Keep your fingers crossed!
This picture just makes me giggle. I snapped it earlier this week. Gotta love dogs! :)
This picture just makes me giggle. I snapped it earlier this week. Gotta love dogs! :)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Good Things Are A Comin'
...and I promise, when each one happens, I will share them with you. In the past month I have attended some amazing workshops that left me feeling inspired and motivated. I am filled with new ideas and excited (and nervous) be begin this new chapter of my life. I look forward to:
Macro photography fascinates me; however, it is also something my camera doesn't have a setting for. Thanks to Ryan and Holly, I learned to achieve macro images using what they call a "poor mans macro". This little tool produces macro settings without the cost of a macro lens. Love it!
the launch of my business...
rockin' logo ((hugs)) to Kristen:)...
new and improved blog...
Macro photography fascinates me; however, it is also something my camera doesn't have a setting for. Thanks to Ryan and Holly, I learned to achieve macro images using what they call a "poor mans macro". This little tool produces macro settings without the cost of a macro lens. Love it!
Monday, April 6, 2009
I'm Still Here...I promise
I have been absent lately in my little blogging world. In fact, I kinda miss typing along my ramblings on my computer. I miss attaching photos of what I see. I had been meaning to send out a little shout to let you all know that I still do exist, I promise. So when Cathy, a fellow blogger questioned if I was okay, I thought it might be about time to get to that post. On a side note, make sure to check out her blog here. Cathy, thank you for checkin' up on me. First, I am doing just fine. Second, I want to apologize for neglecting my blog. My hope is to be up and running again soon. Truth is, other than the workshop I attending last weekend, I haven't even picked up my camera in the past two weeks. Eek, I am ashamed to even admidt that.
Brian has been working feverishly on our "new" lawn which means I have also been enlisted to help. We have been tearing up, dragging, seeding, watering, blah blah blah, for the past two weeks. Passersby’s probably assume we are planting a field of corn. And until green grass pops through, I will leave my fingers tightly crossed.
Friends of our have recently purchased a home a few doors down from ours. We have been helping them in the renovation process from tearing out the old and bringing in the new.
My hunt for a new computer is almost complete so our weekend runs to Grand Rapids will be coming to a close. I am truly bad at making important decisions.
I have been also trying to work on a little spring cleaning. Whoo-hoo spring! Now if only the warmer weather would finally stick. We have quite a few little birds that look so miserable huddling together in the trees. It makes me want to give them a heating lamp.
The dogs have a bad bout of spring fever so Brian and I have been trying to make sure they recieve daily walks.
And now that the weather is starting to break this whole me working days and Brian working nights has really thrown a monkey wrench into our schedule. Thankfully, it looks as if this will be changing soon. He may possibly be moving back to the day shift.
So, I am still here. Still alive. My blog however, has been receiving the abuse of our hectic schedule. Good things are coming...I promise!
Brian has been working feverishly on our "new" lawn which means I have also been enlisted to help. We have been tearing up, dragging, seeding, watering, blah blah blah, for the past two weeks. Passersby’s probably assume we are planting a field of corn. And until green grass pops through, I will leave my fingers tightly crossed.
Friends of our have recently purchased a home a few doors down from ours. We have been helping them in the renovation process from tearing out the old and bringing in the new.
My hunt for a new computer is almost complete so our weekend runs to Grand Rapids will be coming to a close. I am truly bad at making important decisions.
I have been also trying to work on a little spring cleaning. Whoo-hoo spring! Now if only the warmer weather would finally stick. We have quite a few little birds that look so miserable huddling together in the trees. It makes me want to give them a heating lamp.
The dogs have a bad bout of spring fever so Brian and I have been trying to make sure they recieve daily walks.
And now that the weather is starting to break this whole me working days and Brian working nights has really thrown a monkey wrench into our schedule. Thankfully, it looks as if this will be changing soon. He may possibly be moving back to the day shift.
So, I am still here. Still alive. My blog however, has been receiving the abuse of our hectic schedule. Good things are coming...I promise!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Changing Point In My Life
So I have been debating all week whether or not to let you into something very personal in my life. After much consideration, I decided, because this makes up so much of who I am today, to share. I think I have typed and retyped this story about ten times. It is hard, the scars still seem fresh but at the same time, it seems like a lifetime ago. And I don't tell this story for sympathy or as a "poor me". I tell it because it is me. I tell it because it is real. I tell it for as a warning of the dangers of those who drive under the influence. Every time I see this picture my hands get clammy, my armpits begin to tingle. It takes me back to that day, six years ago tomorrow, March 28, 2003.
I was a junior in high school. My life, I thought, was pretty alright. I had wonderful friends, a fun job and a pretty cool boyfriend (now a pretty cool husband). It was Friday afternoon; school was out for the week. I dropped my friend Paige off at her house; I can still remember our silly conversation. As I pulled out of her driveway, I clicked my lap belt into place. For me, the next week of my life remains an empty slate. I still cannot imagine what that week was like for my family and friends. Phone calls, prayer chains, hugs and tears; their lives were tossed in a whirlwind. After a week had passed I remember lying in bed, unable to speak, to painful to move. Flowers surrounded me, monitors beeped. “Think” “What do you remember” I told myself. Nothing… For me, all I have are stories. Stories from my family and friends; the story told in the police report.
I was headed home, on a two lane road, less than a mile from our driveway. My car was headed south, his was headed north. A stop sign sat about a quarter mile up the road from him. One car separated him from the stop sign. He decided to pass, pulling out directly into my path. I had no time to react; my foot still remained on the gas pedal when they pulled me out. He hit me full force, head on. Each of our cars went spinning into opposite ditches. He was fine; high on cocaine and an overdose of anti-depressants, I was not. An approaching truck stopped and noticed that I wasn’t breathing. He administered CPR until the first responders arrived. He is my angel; he saved my life. Two hours later, I was pulled from my car. My seat was bloodstained and syringes lay in the backseat from morphine, helping to keep me calm. I was rushed to Gerber Memorial Hospital where listed stable and then transferred by ambulance to Butterworth. News was beginning to spread. My mother, who was at the beauty salon, heard they had Warner shut down between 72nd and 80th because of an accident; she said she just knew it was me.
I was rushed into emergency surgery to repair my internal injuries begin work on my external injuries. Doctors repaired what was critical and decided to finish surgery when I became more stable. I was put in a medically induced coma. Two days later, another surgery followed, this time repairing my remaining injuries. I suffered:
-left and right broken femurs
-left and right broken tibias
-right shattered knee
-right shattered ankle
-lacerations to my spleen, which they removed
-lacerations to my liver, which were repaired
-a collapsed lung
-lacerations to both my hand and face
Metal rods were inserted into both my left and right femur and left tibia. Screws and plates held my right knee and ankle together. Staples and stitches covered and held together every injury on my body. A breathing tube was inserted. I also had a tube inserted into my side.
After one week in the ICU, they removed my breathing tube. For me, this is when my memory started back up. I was then transferred onto the orthopedics floor; where I spent an additional week. When the doctors had done all they could for me there, I was transferred to MaryFree Bed to learn how to adjust to my “new” life. While preparing to leave Butterworth, I remember having the staples and stitches removed from my hand and face. I asked to see a mirror; I had not looked at myself up until this point. I cried. In the mirror I saw an ugly girl who was swollen, red and scarred. My one week spent at MaryFree Bed proved challenging. Therapy sessions exhausted me. My muscles were weak, my brain was slow and I was still in large amounts of pain. I was placed in a wheelchair, where I would spend the next six weeks. And while, adjusting to life in a wheelchair at MaryFree Bed was difficult, it proved even harder when I went home. The hospitals had become my comfort zone. They were fully equipped to deal with me; my pain, my injuries. I was surrounded by people who were in similar situations to me.
The next few years of my life were filled with doctor appointments; follow up surgeries, shots, etc. I went from wheelchair, to walker, to crutches, to walking boot. My senior year of high school was started while I was still on crutches. I faced mountains of challenges and hurdles but was determined to succeed. My doctors were worried about my injuries long-term affects. I have proved to be their “miracle”. My family and friends offered words of encouragement, they became my support system. Brian stood by my side every day, while most guys would probably walk away. I could never say thank you enough to my “angel”, the first responder team, the many doctors and nurses who cared for me and my family and friends.
Through everything I have become strong and determined. And although this experience forced me to grow up pretty quick, it has shaped who I am today. I see a different light on life. My hugs are a little bit longer, my breathes are a little bit deeper. I am in no means, perfect. I still have bad days. And it is still easy to sometimes take life for granted. But I use those days to build on all that I have to be thankful for. So, tomorrow, I will celebrate a day that has a special meaning to my friends and family, a day I will never forget.
I was a junior in high school. My life, I thought, was pretty alright. I had wonderful friends, a fun job and a pretty cool boyfriend (now a pretty cool husband). It was Friday afternoon; school was out for the week. I dropped my friend Paige off at her house; I can still remember our silly conversation. As I pulled out of her driveway, I clicked my lap belt into place. For me, the next week of my life remains an empty slate. I still cannot imagine what that week was like for my family and friends. Phone calls, prayer chains, hugs and tears; their lives were tossed in a whirlwind. After a week had passed I remember lying in bed, unable to speak, to painful to move. Flowers surrounded me, monitors beeped. “Think” “What do you remember” I told myself. Nothing… For me, all I have are stories. Stories from my family and friends; the story told in the police report.
I was headed home, on a two lane road, less than a mile from our driveway. My car was headed south, his was headed north. A stop sign sat about a quarter mile up the road from him. One car separated him from the stop sign. He decided to pass, pulling out directly into my path. I had no time to react; my foot still remained on the gas pedal when they pulled me out. He hit me full force, head on. Each of our cars went spinning into opposite ditches. He was fine; high on cocaine and an overdose of anti-depressants, I was not. An approaching truck stopped and noticed that I wasn’t breathing. He administered CPR until the first responders arrived. He is my angel; he saved my life. Two hours later, I was pulled from my car. My seat was bloodstained and syringes lay in the backseat from morphine, helping to keep me calm. I was rushed to Gerber Memorial Hospital where listed stable and then transferred by ambulance to Butterworth. News was beginning to spread. My mother, who was at the beauty salon, heard they had Warner shut down between 72nd and 80th because of an accident; she said she just knew it was me.
I was rushed into emergency surgery to repair my internal injuries begin work on my external injuries. Doctors repaired what was critical and decided to finish surgery when I became more stable. I was put in a medically induced coma. Two days later, another surgery followed, this time repairing my remaining injuries. I suffered:
-left and right broken femurs
-left and right broken tibias
-right shattered knee
-right shattered ankle
-lacerations to my spleen, which they removed
-lacerations to my liver, which were repaired
-a collapsed lung
-lacerations to both my hand and face
Metal rods were inserted into both my left and right femur and left tibia. Screws and plates held my right knee and ankle together. Staples and stitches covered and held together every injury on my body. A breathing tube was inserted. I also had a tube inserted into my side.
After one week in the ICU, they removed my breathing tube. For me, this is when my memory started back up. I was then transferred onto the orthopedics floor; where I spent an additional week. When the doctors had done all they could for me there, I was transferred to MaryFree Bed to learn how to adjust to my “new” life. While preparing to leave Butterworth, I remember having the staples and stitches removed from my hand and face. I asked to see a mirror; I had not looked at myself up until this point. I cried. In the mirror I saw an ugly girl who was swollen, red and scarred. My one week spent at MaryFree Bed proved challenging. Therapy sessions exhausted me. My muscles were weak, my brain was slow and I was still in large amounts of pain. I was placed in a wheelchair, where I would spend the next six weeks. And while, adjusting to life in a wheelchair at MaryFree Bed was difficult, it proved even harder when I went home. The hospitals had become my comfort zone. They were fully equipped to deal with me; my pain, my injuries. I was surrounded by people who were in similar situations to me.
The next few years of my life were filled with doctor appointments; follow up surgeries, shots, etc. I went from wheelchair, to walker, to crutches, to walking boot. My senior year of high school was started while I was still on crutches. I faced mountains of challenges and hurdles but was determined to succeed. My doctors were worried about my injuries long-term affects. I have proved to be their “miracle”. My family and friends offered words of encouragement, they became my support system. Brian stood by my side every day, while most guys would probably walk away. I could never say thank you enough to my “angel”, the first responder team, the many doctors and nurses who cared for me and my family and friends.
Through everything I have become strong and determined. And although this experience forced me to grow up pretty quick, it has shaped who I am today. I see a different light on life. My hugs are a little bit longer, my breathes are a little bit deeper. I am in no means, perfect. I still have bad days. And it is still easy to sometimes take life for granted. But I use those days to build on all that I have to be thankful for. So, tomorrow, I will celebrate a day that has a special meaning to my friends and family, a day I will never forget.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Spring Has Sprung???
I am one who doesn't mind the winter season but when we get a few teasers of warmer weather, enough is enough. Bring on the sandals and warm summer nights, I am ready. With the upcoming warmer weather ahead of us, it has given me time to look at where my life has been over the past couple of years and where it will be heading. In those short two and a half years, Brian and I have purchased a home, planned a wedding, gotten married, remodeled our home, worked full-time and well...just lived. Summers flew by without even blinking an eye. Photography has always been a passion of mine and recently, I have begun to dabble in taking that to the next level. I have attended workshops, read countless books and photography articles, researched and practiced my skill. The lovely Kristen, of k. holly photography, even crafted an amazing logo for me. So what about that next step? I am thinking sometime in 2010. Remember when I said the past two and a half years have been crazy? Brian and I are going to take the time to relax and just enjoy being newly married. We have a few short trips planned to relax and add in some extra fun. This summer we want to hike and explore the natural beauty Michigan has to offer. We want to have weekend grill outs and sit by the fire late at night. We want to just enjoy each others company. My blog may look a bit different; little everyday happenings in our lives. A picture of what I may see out of our front door, a recent hike or a day with the dogs. But I promise, I won't disappoint :)
With all this talk to spring, I thought this picture of Kahne with his favorite warm weather pastime, playing catch, was very fitting. Hands down, this is my favorite picture of him. The exposure, eh isn't the best, but it was when I was first learning. His expression says it all and makes me both smile and giggle. This is just how Kahne is.
With all this talk to spring, I thought this picture of Kahne with his favorite warm weather pastime, playing catch, was very fitting. Hands down, this is my favorite picture of him. The exposure, eh isn't the best, but it was when I was first learning. His expression says it all and makes me both smile and giggle. This is just how Kahne is.
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