Documentaries

I love documentaries. I like that they show reality (and I'm not talking about Jersey Shore reality). I like learning about different topics and seeing parts of people's lives that I may not have ever seen. I just love documentaries. So here are a few of my favorites:

1. The Business of Being Born
The first time I saw this doc I was amazed! It's no secret that women nowadays are terrified of the whole birthing process. I love how this movie really takes away all those fears and shows how normal and truly beautiful birth is. I've always been interested in having an all-natural birth, but there are so many nay-sayers out there ("You're gonna want that epidural! Are you crazy?!"). Well, according to this documentary, I'm not crazy! It can definitely be done (as long as the pregnancy is not high-risk). I love the idea of having a water birth either in a birthing center or at home with a midwife.
Watch this movie. Alex watched it with me and he loved it too. It's nice having a supportive husband who sees the beauty in birth. Get educated, people...don't be afraid of the birthing process! Do research and make an informed decision. If you decide you still want to go the epidural route, that's fine, it's your birth, but don't make decisions out of fear and ignorance. You don't have to be afraid. Be empowered.





2. Danielson: A Family Movie
I saw this years ago and I loved it. This film focuses on Daniel Smith, a very eccentric musician/artist. He led a band made up of his siblings and they were actually pretty popular in the indie/Christian music world. Daniel is a bit disturbed and it's fascinating and sometimes a little scary seeing his ups and downs. The music is interesting and there's even an appearance by Sufjan Stevens, a family friend. I love music and creativity and seeing that whole world...so if you're into that you may enjoy this film also.





3. The September Issue
Okay, I think you all know I love fashion! It's not my life...but I appreciate fashion and all the creativity and aesthetics that goes along with it. This doc follows Vogue as they prepare for their biggest issue of the year, the September issue. The focus is on Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue and legend in the fashion world. As interesting as Anna Wintour is, I was really fascinated with Grace Coddington. She is the Creative Director at the magazine and in my eyes, an absolute genius. She would pull together the most beautiful photo shoots. When you first look at Grace you don't really think much of her (at least I didn't), but as the film goes on you begin to realize that this woman knows what she is doing and seems to almost effortlessly make these incredible fashion photo shoots happen.




4. Food, Inc.
I'll admit, I avoided seeing this movie for a long time. I didn't want to know how my food was being made. I just wanted to eat, drink, and be merry. But I finally broke down and decided to watch it (thanks to Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution) and it rocked my world. I was so disgusted with...everything. I hated seeing how cows and chickens were treated and what they were fed. I hated seeing how American companies would take advantage of undocumented workers. I hated seeing how local farmers were being bullied. I was just disgusted with the food industry in general. This film really exposes a lot of ugly truths. Since watching the film I have tried to make some changes in how we eat. I shop for produce at the local farmer's market and only buy beef that is grass-fed and I purchase cage-free eggs. I'm trying to make a change, but it's difficult. If there is anyone out there who has advice on how to eat organically and sustainably (while not spending a whole lot of money), please share. This movie is really eye-opening and I highly recommend it. It's not just about eating healthy...it's also about being humane.
I think when we move to Colorado, this will be even easier to do because it's such a healthy state and it seems that the people there are big advocates for eating sustainably.





Those are just a few of my favorite documentaries. What are some of your favorites? Any recommendations? Which one should I watch next?

ServeRDU

This past week our church had a week of local outreach with ServeRDU.
You might remember my post about this from last year.
This year I was able to participate in several different projects (the perks of unemployment!) and I loved every minute of it.

On Monday our small group hosted a picnic for refugees that came to the States from Nepal, but are originally from Bhutan. Many of these refugees had been living for years in Nepal (they fled from Bhutan because of ethnic cleansing that was going on) and had to leave because Nepal felt they could no longer care for these refugees. There are a few people in our small group that are actively involved in ongoing ministry with the refugees so that is how we came to know of them. This is the organization that has been helping them out.
A group of us went to the apartment complex where many of these refugees live and were able to help cook their food with them. Well, I really just chopped vegetables and watched them cook. ;-) Then we loaded up the cars and headed to a park nearby where we enjoyed their delicious food (seriously, it was so good!), chatted with them, played games, and learned some traditional Indian dances that they enjoy.
The kids loved Jaxon. He was in doggie heaven running around with them, getting his picture taken, and enjoying all of the attention. The picnic was so much fun and I loved getting to know the refugees.

Tuesday evening the Pregnancy Support Services of Wake Forest wanted to do a photo shoot for some of their clients. We all know how expensive it can be to hire a professional photographer for maternity and family portraits, so I, along with four other photographers, went to a beautiful farm in Wake Forest to shoot some photos for these clients. Again, it was so much fun and I loved chatting with all the different moms and moms-to-be. So many of them expressed their appreciation for PSS of WF and are so thankful for all the different practical programs they offer. They really walk with these women and their families through their pregnancy and even offer help after the baby is born. They are doing great work there.

(our location - Horseshoe Farms in Wake Forest, NC)

Wednesday morning I helped with a baby shower being hosted for one of the clients from PSS of WF. I was really just there to take pictures...capture the moment. :-) The client and her boyfriend loved the baby shower. They were really blown away by all the great gifts. The girls in charge of putting the shower together did a great job. Again, it was great to see how PSS of WF has really committed to help this couple figure out how to care for their unborn child.

Finally on Saturday I was back at PSS of WF with a big group of people to help do a deep cleaning of the center. We scrubbed and vacuumed and mopped until it was looking shiny and new. It was a joy to be able to serve them in that way after all the ways they have served our community.

I hope everyone else from the Summit enjoyed their service projects as much as I did. Check out this brief recap video about our ServeRDU week and click here to see how you can stay involved with local outreach in the community.


ServeRDU from The Summit Church on Vimeo.

hymns

I love old hymns.
I'll admit, I didn't always love them. I used to be a punk teenager that thought I was too cool for hymns. Who wants to listen to old boring songs?? Laaame.
But over the years, I've grown in my appreciation for these beloved spiritual songs of the faith. I love how these hymns have so much theological meat to them. They're beautifully written. They don't just say, "I love Jesus...God is awesome...Praise Him." They say so much more.

One of my favorites is called "Be Thou My Vision."


Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.


Another old favorite is "My Hope is Built," (I know it as "On Christ the Solid Rock").


My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.


On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.



And then there are modern-day hymns written by people like the Gettys and Stuart Townend.
In Christ Alone, How Deep the Father's Love, Before the Throne of God Above. I love all of these songs and I love how they point to God and remind me of His love, greatness, and sovereignty. They really touch me in a deep way.

Here are the lyrics to Before the Throne...this one seriously gets me every time. The beauty of my God and the deep unconditional love He has for me is so overwhelming.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart


When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me


Behold Him there! The risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless, Righteousness
The Great unchangeable I AM
The King of Glory and of Grace
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God

Do you have any favorite hymns? Please share!

Jaxon is famous!

We've had a great time with Jaxon the past few weeks that he has been a part of our family. He is incredibly sweet...and spoiled! He loves to be cuddled with and if you stop petting him he will nudge his little nose on your hand to let you know that you should keep petting him.
He's very sweet with everyone he meets...other dogs, however, that's another story. We're considering enrolling him in obedience classes to help with his aggression/anxiety towards other dogs. I'm sure he will get over it if we keep working with him...because really, he's so sweet!

All Dog Blog somehow saw my blog post about bringing Jaxon home and featured our little pup on their blog. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the post. Click here to see it.

We love you, Jaxon!

This is dedicated to the one I love

He's 25 years old today!
So here are 25 reasons why I love him:

1. He cracks me up. 
2. He balances me out with his easy-going nature.
3. His beard. It's awesome.
4. He loves unconditionally.
5. He works hard to provide us with our needs.
6. He convinced me to get a dog. (one of the best decisions we've made)
7. He is pursuing a deeper relationship with God everyday.
8. He's a problem solver.
9. He's a good cook and enjoys whipping up delicious meals.
10. He's a talented photogrpaher...getting better everyday.
11. He plays a mean guitar.
12. He gives my abuelita hugs and kisses and tells her that he loves her.
13. He is trustworthy.
14. He always tries to make me happy...
15. ...But he also tells me when I'm being a spoiled brat.
16. He knows the importance of family.
17. He respects his mom so much.
18. He hates college football just as much as I do. 
19. He gives the most amazing kisses.
20. He's a great cuddler.
21. He cries during emotional commercials/tv shows/movies... it's great!
22. He's not afraid to admit when he doesn't know something...he's humble and asks questions.
23. He does a great Cuban accent.
24. He's a techie. 
25. He married me. :-)

Happy Birthday, lover. Thank you for being you.

The Crane Family

I adore the Cranes.
Thomas, Leslie, and now little Baby Judah are great friends to us. I did Leslie's maternity photos a couple months ago and now Judah has joined us (he was born on our wedding anniversary, May 31st!).
I am so impressed with Thomas and Leslie. They are first-time parents and they are doing such a great job. God has really been blessing them and we are thankful!

Thomas' parents (who are missionaries in Africa) traveled to NC to see their first grandbaby. Thomas' brother, sister, and brother-in-law are also in town and it's the first time the whole family has been together in quite some time. So of course, a family photo session was in order! Don't you just love how babies bring families together?

We went  down to Joyner Park in Wake Forest to snap some photos. They're a great family and I really enjoyed spending time with them.

Here are a few of my favorite images...and you can check out more at my flickr account.

Adoption: Identity & Inheritance

Our church, the Summit, is currently doing a series called "Fatherless." 

Here is what the Summit has to say about the fatherless and the church's role in the lives of orphans:


Though we were once "fatherless" and far away, we have been redeemed and brought near by the blood of Jesus. We have been adopted as his sons and daughters. Join us as we talk about the implications of this for our personal lives and what it means for our responsibility toward those who are "fatherless," both here in RDU and around the world.


This weekend, Trevor Atwood (college pastor at the Summit) gave a message entitled "Adoption: Identity & Inheritance." It was truly incredible.  Trevor and his wife, Keva, have adopted two boys (Micah from Russia and Isaac from Ethiopia). He talked about we have been adopted by God through Jesus Christ and related that to his experiences adopting his sons.  The way he delivered his message was truly flawless and touching.  


The clincher for me was at the end of his sermon when he said, "If we truly believe the gospel, all of our lives will demonstrate a love that is not self-focused...but a love, like God's, that sacrifices to bring others to the realization that they have a Father that loves them... We will reach out to those in need, those experiencing the brokenness of our world, to show them that there is a heavenly Father who will make all things new. Race, disease, special needs, finances will not keep God's church from adopting orphans because sin has not kept God from adopting us." 


Powerful stuff. I suggest you go HERE and listen to the full message. You truly will not regret it.  It's truly a beautiful, eye-opening explanation of the gospel, our adoption, and what our response should be in light of these truths. 


One more quote that really grabbed me:
"If the gospel story of our adoption is true...then from Durham to Raleigh to Chapel Hill to Mebane to Garner to Wake Forest to Cary to Apex to New York City to Denver to North Africa to Central Asia and back again, the stories should be flowing like legend of the way God's church has taken care of the orphan, the widow, the marginalized, the alien, and the outsider...because that is what we all were without Christ!"


Again, such a powerful message and one that all of us who call ourselves Christians should listen to and consider.
Click here to hear the message yourself.


And if you're interesting in reading another story about adoption and the gospel pick up a copy of Adopted for Life by Russell D. Moore. I just bought it yesterday and can't wait to read it (I have a few other books I need to finish up first). 

Meet Jaxon

Jaxon is finally home!
We drove about an hour and a half to pick him up yesterday and he instantly became part of the family.
It's amazing how calm and gentle he is. He's very well-trained (potty and crate) but doesn't really follow commands yet (sit, stay, etc). It's okay. We'll keep working on it.
He's very sweet and lovable. He follows me everywhere I go and loooves to be cuddled with.

Yup, it was pretty much love at first sight.

Of course, Alex made a little video to commemorate the occasion.  Check it out below. (if you're reading this on facebook be sure to click here to see the video on my blog) We hope to get him groomed soon...just waiting on some papers from the schnauzer rescue. He's going to look so handsome.

Meet Jaxon:

Music Philosophy

I've been posting quite a bit this month...I guess that's what happens when you graduate from school and don't have a job. Meh.

Anyway, I had to share this neat website I found called Music Philosophy. 

A designer named Mico decided to combine his love for music and typography in this project. Every week he adds a new design with a different song lyric in which he graphically interprets the philosophical implications of the lyric. He does a great job. Incidentally each of these designs looks great as an iPhone wallpaper...so find your favorite lyric and download it now. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

New Pet Peeves

We all have pet peeves.
Whether it's noisy eaters, nail biting, drivers who don't use their turn signals, bad grammar, bare feet, emoticons (which I happen to love by the way), etc etc. Pet peeves are all around us.

Well I have found a whole list of new pet peeves since moving to North Carolina! Hoorah!

First of all, what is the deal with men calling their wives "my bride"? WHY do they do this? It's the most annoying term of endearment I've ever heard. "I'm going out on a date night with my bride." "Can't wait to get home to my bride." "I love my bride, she's the best." BLEGH. Remember that day when she got all dressed up in white and you wore that dorky tux? That's when she was your bride. Now she's your wife. I don't know, maybe they're trying to keep the honeymoon phase going, but it is truly so so annoying.

These same men are usually the ones who have some sort of smart comment to say about guys who are dancers/artists/musicians. As if a man being a dancer/artist/musician makes him less manly somehow. Are you kidding me?! Male dancers are amazingly strong, agile, and could probably kick your butt without even trying. Male artists and musicians are much more talented and creative than you could ever hope to be.
Watching football and dressing like a slob doesn't make you manly.
Enjoying art, dance, poetry, or playing the piano doesn't make you un-manly.
So let's cool it with the offensive comments.
(In case you hadn't guessed, that there was my second pet peeve)

And then there's these women who get pregnant and have to make every single conversation about their "delicate condition." I'm happy for your little miracle, but can we please talk about something else for a while? This YouTube video was made for them:


So that's it. I'm glad I got that all off my chest. I feel so much better now.

What are some of your pet peeves?

Adopting a Pup

I've written about my feelings on adoption before. It's a beautiful thing.
Well, those sentiments extend out into the animal world as well. I'm not gonna lie...I did NOT want a dog. Alex and I had many many...many...discussions about it. He really wanted one, I was adamantly against it. Some of our friends even jumped in on the debate. But I just wasn't having it.

Over time, however, my heart softened. I began doing some research and finally came to the conclusion that if we were to get a dog...he would have to be a miniature schnauzer and he could not be a puppy (house training? no thanks).  There are so many abandoned dogs out there who need some lovin'. So why not welcome one of them into our home?

So we searched on petfinder.com and found the dog of our dreams.
He is a four year-old salt and pepper mini schnauzer...and according to his "foster mom" he is as friendly as can be. We are so excited to adopt our little schnauzer...especially because it's been about a month since we first filled out the application through the Schnauzer Rescue. It's a long process since they want to make sure their dogs will be going to a good home.

On Sunday Alex and I will be driving out to Asheboro to pick up our pup. We'll be posting pictures next week! In the mean time, here are a few pictures from the petfinder website:

Anniversary Cookies

This past Monday (May 31st) Alex and I celebrated two years of marital bliss.
As I mentioned in my previous post, we spent the day driving home from D.C. and stopped in Richmond for a bite to eat.
But I also got a great idea for a little anniversary gift from a blog online. Aren't these cookies sweet?!

Unfortunately I can't remember which blog I saw this on...so if you've seen this please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!

Anyway...
I'm not exactly an experienced baker, so I asked Megan Desko for help. She makes beautiful and delicious cookies and I could not have pulled this off without her.
She made these cookies for Leslie's baby shower:

And she made these for small group one night:

Check out her blog...she's so talented!
It took us two nights to get the job done...and I could not be happier with result. I got a cookie jar from Target and presented Alex with his gift on Friday before we left for D.C. He loved them! (he's seriously a cookie monster)

Thanks for all your help, Megan!

DC

As a graduation gift my parents took us to Washington D.C.
Alex and I had never been before, so it was a real treat to be able to experience this city with my family. We did all the regular touristy things...monuments, museums, botanical gardens. We also got the chance to wait one hour in line at Georgetown Cupcake (so worth it) and visit with my dad's sister and her family (they have six amazing children...I loved getting to know them).
We also got to experience Rolling Thunder. I have never seen so many bikers in one place in all my life! It was interesting.
Oh, and best of all we were able to visit Restoration Church. This is a church plant that's less than a year old being led by two SEBTS graduates. It was so encouraging to see them doing what we will hopefully be doing next year. They're doing great work in D.C. Please be in prayer for this young church and give if you are able.

On Monday Alex and I drove back home to Raleigh. We stopped in Richmond and had lunch in Carytown to celebrate our two year anniversary. It was deeelicious. Carytown is a really quirky place, we'll definitely have to go back and spend more time there.

Thanks mom and dad for a great trip! It was so awesome getting to spend time with you in D.C. <3

View more pictures here.

SEBTS Graduation

We're back from our trip to DC and I have a lot to catch up on!

First I wanted to share a few photos from my graduation last Friday.
It was a great day and I am so happy that my family could be there to celebrate.
I am so thankful for my parents...they paid my way through school and I could not be more grateful. They're always there for me and inspire me to do the best I can.
My sister and grandmother were also there. Two strong beautiful women that I love. It's always nice to spend time with them.
And of course, my wonderful husband. What a man. ;-)

View pictures here.

D-O-N-E

That's it!

I'm done! 

All my exams are over, I picked up my graduation regalia, and I'm ready to walk across that stage.

You can't imagine the relief I feel. It's fabulous. I can't wait to get this weekend started. Tonight my mom and dad are flying in from Texas. Tomorrow my sister and grandmother are flying in from Miami. Friday is the BIG day and then we'll be off to Washington D.C. I'm so excited. I've never been and I can't wait to enjoy this vacation with my family. 

It's also our second wedding anniversary on Monday. It's been two years of wedded bliss with my man. Not sure how exactly we'll be celebrating. We'll see what DC has to offer.

Anyway... I'M GRADUATING!

Here's me with my Class of 2010 tassel...it's the one part of my graduation regalia I get to keep. 

(and yes, I cut my bangs...ack!)

25th Birthday Celebrations!

As I mentioned previously, I'm not THRILLED about turning 25...but my family and friends made it much more bearable thanks to all the celebrating.

• WICKED at the DPAC.
• New tattoo.
• Lunch with family.
• Dinner with friends.

I love my life. :-) 

Click here to see photos.

My 25th

Hard to believe I am TWENTY-FIVE years old today. I'm feeling a bit of a quarter life crisis coming on...

At least these images from weheartit cheer me up.

Patty's Wedding

We're back from our quick weekend trip to Miami!
The main reason we were in Miami was to celebrate Alex's mom getting married. The wedding was so much fun. Lots of music and dancing. So I'm here to share a few photos. I'm sure Alex will post many more (he was able to get all the photo files from the hired photographer, so he's going to do something special with that).

Congratulations to Patty & Istvan. May God bless your marriage always.

*click on photos to enlarge