It's time for another Lovely Photo Wednesday!

<a href="http://manyrandommusings.blogspot.com/search/label/Lovely%20Photo%20Wednesday"><img vspace="none" hspace="none" alt="Lovely Photo - Wordless or Not-So-Wordless Wednesday at Aspire" src="http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt255/ElvishAuthoress/LovelyPhoto.png" align="center" /></a>Link up your lovely photo and tell us a bit about it, or none at all! Write what you want or don't say anything, but share a picture and link it up below! Then, remember to bloghop around a bit and comment on at least three other entries. Ready? Go!

I'm thinking that these are the last few flowers of the year. With fall coming, it's bye-bye petunias, and hello leaves.

Which is perfectly fine with me. I'll take scarlet, gold, and crimson leaves, crisp air, a cup of coffee or chai and fuzzy woolen sweaters and hats over pink flowers, green fields, shorts and lemonade any day.



This week, I'm going semi wordless. Have a lot on my mind right now, and am fairly tired--but I'm excited to see all of your lovely entries! Link up, friends. And go eat some fudge for me. Think of it as a happy fall present.

Ciao, lovelies.
Hannah

Miscellany Monday

1. I have recently fallen in love with I Love Lucy

There's something about the show that's so hilarious! And it's refreshing how clean it is; which isn't surprising, considering it was made in Fifties. Yet clean doesn't mean censored--rather, it's funnier, especially when you think of that's what they watched back then. And here's a fun fact for you--when Lucy was pregnant, there was a large debate over whether or not they could show a pregnant woman on television, or even say the word! They ended up using the word "expecting."

2. Salt melts ice.

If you didn't know that, now you do. I know, we use it on the roads in winter, (at least up North where I live), but seeing it first hand is pretty cool. Take an icecube out and then put a little salt in a small clump on the top. Then watch what happens.

3. Awhile ago, (I think for Miscellany Monday), I wrote that I was giving up cake.

That didn't work out so well.

4. Eli likes to take pictures.

I downloaded the photos from my camera and found that Elijah (that little stinker!) Had gotten ahold of my camera and taken a photo of himself. The result is this blurry shot of this cutie.

5. My Saturday's are gone.

Every Saturday, I'm at the dance studio from 10:30-4:00. From 10:30-11:30, I have pilates, 11:30-1:00, ballet technique, then 1-3, rehearsals for Nutcracker. Then I have to wait for Chloe, (who had a break from 1-2) who has rehearsal from 3-4. Finally, Grace has rehearsal 4-5:30. So yesterday, while she was dancing, Chloe, Mom, Sam and I went to Target.

6. Eli wants a camera.

I just heard my mom talking to Eli upstairs. "Is that Hannah's camera?" She asked. "Yes!" Eli said. This frightens me somewhat. I can't decide if I'm more scared of the thought of him breaking it, or becoming a photography genius. At three.

7. I'm once again going to reference this picture.

Yes. I think I fear the latter in number six.

8. Labor Day Fun.

On Labor Day, my friend Hayley and another friend named Hannah went out to the outlet mall near my house and shopped for a bit. There were some great deals and we had a blast--and ended our shopping experience with lunch at Perkins. Like the brilliant photographer/photo-journalist I am, I documented the entire day. Not. I wish I could say that's how it went, but I've learned that with photography, you're either experiencing the moment, or taking it. I did, however, get this shot of some lights at Perkins--preferably in Bokeh.

9. I was tempted to buy these.

I can't believe I'm putting this photo up. More from our Labor Day fun. I was really tempted to buy these...except for the price. But I think they're kinda cute. Kinda.

10. I need to go write this down.

I will not put embarrassing photos on my blog. I will not put embarrassing photos on my blog. I will not put embarrassing photos on my blog.

11. Oops.

So much for number ten.


Feeling miscellaneous? Go and link up with Carissa!

Dear Sam, Happy Birthday.

My sweet brother Samuel turned one yesterday.



Looking at his face, I can't believe that he's so old. I remember when he was little, and had this funny tuft of hair down the middle of his head. There's such a sweet sense of nostalgia when one whispers, "I remember." Because the remembering one thing brings back another, and pretty soon you're drenched in bittersweet memories. Bittersweet, because they are now memories.



Sometimes I still think back to the day where he swallowed a sequin. And I wonder, "what if?" What if? What if the outcome hadn't been good? What if he was gone? So today, and for the rest of my life, I'm praising God that the "what if's" are only that. Praising God for little baby Sammy's life.



These thoughts only make me want to snuggle closer and kiss him. My precious little Sammy boy.



How can you be one already?



Happy Birthday, Sam.



I love you.

Name this photo...

Chloe and our awesome friendly neighborhood spiderman, fondly known as Mason. Engaged in a game of kickball with several other neighbors. I can't decide if Chloe's trying to evade getting "out" or if they're dancing the tango.

My bet is on the tango.

What do you think? What would you caption it?

I'd love to know.

Lovely Photo Wednesday - Bokeh on the Ride

It's time for Lovely Photo Wednesday! Join in with any photo that you've taken recently (or even awhile ago) that you simply love. Tell us about it, or maybe just put a photo up and say nothing at all--leave us guessing! And make sure to bloghop around a bit. :-)



Who out there loves Bokeh beside me? Raise your hand and give a holler if you do. This was on the way home from Grandma's house. We celebrated some birthdays, picked some apples, made some apple sauce and pie, and just enjoyed each other. And then the ride home begged for some bokeh.

More on that later.

So what's YOUR lovely photo? Anything that you just took that you've fallen in love with? Or maybe you found a forgotten photo, buried away in your photo album archives on your computer. Whatever it may be, link it up below and share it with us all!

What really matters?

Life is crazy. I rarely have any moments of downtime. There's always some place to be, or something to do. And there's such a sense of hurry, hurry, hurry. Rush, rush, rush. As if I'm always just a bit behind with everything.

And if I stop for a moment, it'll all come crashing down around me. This isn't right. That's not how God wants me to live. What ever happened to the still, quiet moments? Did they just disappear into the hurry?

Yes. They did.

The moments in the early quiet of the mornings are gone; replaced with other things to do. The time that I should be spending with my Savior is gone--pushed aside as if it doesn't matter.

But it does matter. More than anything else, my relationship with Jesus is the most important. My relationship with my Heavenly Father is something that has to be nurtured, cared for. And I have to spend time listening to Him, seeking Him, and praising Him.

Because my God is good. He is so, indescribably good. But if I push him aside and pray only when I'm afraid or have a favor, then that's not a relationship.

That's not life.

In the hurry of everything, I've lost sight of what is really important. Jesus. Family. Relationships. Real, vivid life. These things matter. And when it comes down to it, will I really remember how many hours I did so-and-so each week, or the times that I stopped to play blocks with Sam and Eli. Or to run outside with Brennan and Caleb. Or to laugh and giggle with my sisters. Or to spend time with my mom, or my dad. Or to take moments to tell my family and friends how much I love them--how much they mean to me. And to spend time with them--growing in faith and living life together. Real and whole. Vividly.

What is important? That's what I need to redefine. And Jesus has to be at the core of it; at the center.

Because lately, I've been losing sight of what matters. And I don't want to live a life where it's rush, rush, rush.

I want to live a life that matters.

And Jesus has to be the main focus. Everything else comes after Him. If that means cutting out some things in my life, so be it. I don't need any extra baggage, or any extra activities, or anything that's keeping me from living my life for my Jesus. I want my life to glorify Him, and I want to be completely sold-out. Nothing in my way.

And I need to change how I'm living my life right now. Because it's not working. The hurry, hurry, hurry is deterring me from living life vividly. It's deterring me from my walk with my Savior. It's deterring me from spending time with my family. It's deterring me.

But not any more.

It's my prayer that I'll seek Jesus earnestly, and that I'll spend time doing what's important. That I won't waste my life--that I won't get caught in the rush, rush, rush. That I'll live with Jesus at the center.

What about you?

The winners of the blog design giveaway & the LPW challenge/competition are...

I don't know about you, but the LPW challenge was a blast! Like I said before, I was in awe of the entries. There were several photos that I sincerely loved, but all of the pictures were amazing! And lets not forget the the beautiful photography of SugarBridge who generously gave the winner a pick of any print from her Autumn section.

And the clear winner was Traci @ Ordinary Inspirations, with her photo...


BIG congrats to Traci! And a great job to everybody--like I said, it was fun for me to see all of your lovely photos! Which brings me to a question...Is anyone interested in some photo challenges at Aspire? (this would be in addition to LPW) What do you think about it? Have any ideas? Let me know!

And the results of my blog design giveaway are also in, and the winner is...


Another congratulations to Krystle! (what a pretty name!) You can email me at aspireblog[at]hotmail[dot]com to claim your blog design! To those who didn't win, a good friend of mine will be giving away a blog design shortly, so you have another chance to win. Stay tuned!

Thanks friends! Have a beautiful, blessed Sunday! And since it's Sunday, go and make bread pudding.

What? It's good. We have it all the time.

Try it. You'll be glad you did.

Hannah