Proverbs 31:30

Hindsight of 2011

2011-12-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

I have seriously neglected this piece of Internet for MONTHS. Almost the entire first semester of school. What is wrong with me? So as I sit here with coffee in hand & no plans for the day ahead except for playing catch-up for myself, for you (whoever is reading this) and for the future lovelies in my life.

So as this year of 2011 comes to a close, I will reminisce. I have laughed, cried, jumped up and down, screamed, been disappointed, sang really loud. Most of all, I have enjoyed, been taught, loved, and cared.

Enjoyed each day to its fullest, or seriously tried to. Never really understood what that meant until I got to a point in my life where "endings" were often. Learned a lot about people, how they work & what their intentions are. Loved. Loved the people who are in my life NOW and moved on from the people who aren't. Cared. This is a biggie. Cared and been cared for. This past year truly showed me who cares and who could care less. I care a lot about people and I truly hope it shows. Letting people know when I miss them. Reminding those in my life that I love them. This is what truly matters.

I have met people who have seriously blessed my life for the better. It has been said that in life, you'll only be able to count your true friends on one hand. This has been proven true. So, so true. I've learned to let my haters be my motivators and that I am my own worst enemy. People can only upset you if you let them. Don't let them.

This year, I have learned that my favorite drink is an Arnold Palmer. Mr. Palmer, THANK YOU for combining sweet tea & lemonade together. Pure genius.

Another interesting tidbit for you all to enjoy is that I am looking into the wonderful world of Education. Think about it. Weekends & afternoons free so I am still able to do photography on the side. Free summers (when several weddings happen. Hello?! Perfection. Bingo!) Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to be a teacher. I kinda got away from the idea during the years I dreaded school (duh) but now that it isn't so bad after all, I'm really leaning towards the job. WHO KNOWS what will happen & I could completely change my mind but it is a desire of mine. To be able to invest in just a few students lives & really teach them something, academically & personally, that just sounds amazing to me. Oh, and being organized with a cute little classroom sounds fun too.

"So take too many pictures, laugh too much & love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back."

I'm really, really looking forward to 2012. I cannot believe this year is already almost here. The year I graduate from highschool. Whaaaaat? Endings left & right but also new beginnings. So excited for what God has in store for my life. He truly is my foundation & my rock. My sustainer and the One who will NEVER disappoint.

Anyways, I'm gonna go watch some recorded episodes of Friends and just sit. We leave for Passion 2012 on Monday. I'll tell y'all more about that one later on. Stay tuned for a lot of awesome.

Love,

Whitney

Holy Moly

2011-11-17T05:05:00.001-08:00

I've been gone for awhile now. My sincerest apologies.

I'll be back soon to update you on ALL the amazing things that happened over October and now into November. It'll be fun. I promise.

My Favorite Season :)

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Well, the Fall season is quickly approaching! I love that the temperature outside is already feeling somewhat cooler :) College football has already begun and yes, bow season starts this Saturday. Bring on the yummy deer meat, boys! Fall is my absolute FAVORITE time of year :)

It means for me: Friday night football games, bonfires, my 17th birthday this year (holla!), Homecoming, Gator football, adorable scarves, boots, wearing hoodies again, Pumpkin Spice comes back to life at good ole Starbucks, Halloween (and the super fun parties that come with it), Yankee candles, berets/beanies, and much much MORE! :) I absolutely LOVE this time of year!

Here are some adorable outfits that I randomly found on my new found website love, Pinterest.

I will sooooo have one of these this year! I'm not sure why, but I just love these military style jackets.

Pretty OPI nail polishes for the win!

October is my absolute favorite month to photograph weddings because in Florida, the weather is absolutely perfect. You don't feel like a jerk asking the bride & her bridesmaids to go outside for pictures because they aren't going to sweat off all the makeup they just applied for the past hour. :)

One of my favorite photos taken from a wedding back in October of 2009. Aren't they stunning?!

Anyways, I hope you all had a great Monday! I sure did. :) Going to bed early so that I can have a great Tuesday as well! ;) Love yall!

XOXO,

Whit

Gator Game :)

2011-09-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday around 5PM, my best friend, Larissa, & I took off to the Swamp! All decked out in our orange & blue, we were ready to cheer on our favorite college football team! This was my very first Gator game but it certainly will not be my last. :) I LOVED it! Sooo much fun! We had great seats & it was a fun Saturday night out. The Gators played the University of Alabama at Birmingham and to say that they got SLAUGHTERED would be an understatement. Wish I could've gone to a more prestigious game for my first one but this one was still pretty awesome :) The wave, laughing at drunks, being offered a ride home (that we definitely denied), remembering where we parked & trying our hardest to not get towed, making our way around Gainesville in crazy traffic, blaring music with the windows down, and much, much more. ;)

We took the word, "creeper" to a whole new level. ;)

In honor of 9/11.

Seriously made me consider going to UF one day. ;) Right up my alley!

XOXO,

Whit

My 'Why Can't We All Be Happy' Rant

2011-08-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

I don't know about y'all but it seems like the more I'm around people, the more I read through the ole newsfeed on Facebook, or even certain tweets on Twitter, I get a tad bit annoyed at some attitudes. Ha. Debbie Downers, my heart hurts for you.

Soapbox:
One thing that bugs the ever living mess out of me is when I see people complain about absolutely nothing ALL the time. I just don't understand. Attention seeking? Probably. Annoying? Absolutely! Life is SO fun, atleast to me it is, so honey, put your big girl panties on and buckle up for the ride! :) Hang out with friends, take as many stupid pictures as you want to.

Exhibit A:

Laugh and snap at the same time.

Make as many ridiculous faces as possible.

Pretend like you're in jail. With a plastic fork.

Throw in some 'thug nasty' if you want!

Get up close & personal. Look like the crazy, hyped up squirrel off of the movie,
'Over the Hedge.'

Say goodbye to the haters & kiss that drama goodbye for good! All you Negative Nancy's out there, you're raining on my parade! Want a hug? Come here then! Pray. Pray that God will take whatever you're dealing with away from You. Ask Him! "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."

This doesn't mean that life will be perfect, by any means. Yet, that promise He gives, often takes away my anxiety. Don't care what people think so much. Goof around, but use your best judgment to know when & where to be serious. Discern. Seek wisdom. Wake up early. Ladies, pick out a cute outfit & get dressed up. Put on some make-up if you want to. Wear your favorite eyeshadow and heck, match your outfit with a different purse for each day if you want. Jam as loud as possible to your favorite music. Read your Bible. Smile. Smile a lot. Breathe. And be thankful that you can. :) Feel better? Thought so.

"The sun will come out tomorrow!" Thank you, little Annie, you're adorable.

Okay, I'm done now. Thanks, Internet! ;)

XOXO,

Whit

First Varsity Football Game

2011-08-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

Our first Varsity football game was on Thursday night (regular scheduled Friday night football got changed due to the predicted weather--which we didn't even have. Thank you, Hurricane Irene!) It was our classic game against Ridgeview. Varsity only played a half & then JV played the other half. We lost but that's alright :) It was fun making the trip with Mackenzie, Ashleigh & Chelsea to support our boys!

Morning before school :)

Tucker #22!

Garrett #12!

Senior girls showing some support! :)

Holden #28!

And a stop for Starbucks on the way home :)

P.S. Yes, I did get my hair cut :) Just the bangs though. Felt like I wanted a change and I like it a lot! :)

XOXO,

Whit

Monday Routine :)

2011-08-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Hoooowdy! ;) Hope you all are having a GREAT Monday, like me!

1) Set alarm for 5:15AM. (School starts at 7:20AM. Yes, I know that I have PLENTY of time to get ready but I h-a-t-e being rushed! Besides, getting up early is good for you!)

2) Get up, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, apply face, make bed, brush teeth, grab keys, phone, purse, binder & head out the door!

3) Arrive at school. Hang out in the parking lot for a little while with friends :) Yes, this includes taking tons of pictures. Why not?

4) Go to locker. Try to open said locker. Ask someone to open the stupid thing because I can't get it open to SAVE MY LIFE. (Yes, I know the combination. Yes, I know how to properly open a locker. This one just hates me.)

5) Go to Digital Design 3. Watch videos about what we're going to learn this year.

6) 8:19AM. Walk to Anatomy & Physiology with Coach Geiger & take a page of notes.

7) Be completely entertained by his crazy stories.

8) TTR. "Time to Read." I am currently reading "The Help." The movie just came out and I want to read the book before I go see it :) I'm only on Chapter 2 but so far, it's great!

9) 3rd Period. Economics. Sit there and talk because we're the kids who finished our work early. ;)

10) 4th Period. English. This class is hilarious. The teacher is pretty easy-going & the kids in the class are great. Answer questions about the British. Ask questions about why we're learning about the British. ;)

11) 5th Period. Psychology. Hmm. I'm not quite so sure what I think about this class yet. Today = busy work because we had a sub which then ='s easy peasy.

12) Luuuuuunch! Die laughing because my table is so stinkin' hilarious. I love my friends.

13) 6th Period. 1:00PM. Math. Gonna be a good class. :)

14) 1:50PM. Grab keys, phone & head to that stupid locker. ;) Go to my car & then head home. :)

15) Chores, b-log & gonna head to the gym later.

Pretty good Monday, I'd say :)

XOXO,

Whit

Summer Wrap Up & the Start of Senior Year

2011-08-19T13:18:00.001-07:00

Sorry y'all. I've been a major blog slacker! Life surely picked up & took off running these past few weeks. Summer 2011 is officially over and it was incredible. So much happened but that is why I am thankful for technology & the ability to post as much as I want so that one day I can look back and remember all the fun I had :)

I'd say that I wrapped summer up with a big sha-bang!

Trip to the Ichetucknee river with a big group :)

A night of bowling :)

A GNO dinner to BJ's with some fabulous ladies! :)

A night of Man-Hunt with everyone and their brother out in the woods.

Family dinner with my aunt, Heather :)

Taking my brother to college!

Some $hopping of course!

Rocking our new shoes at church :)

Lazy days with Haley!

Movie night with Ashleigh & Shelby!

Now that summer has officially ended--Senior year has begun! Tuesday was my last first day of highschool and it was a GREAT day. I am pretty happy with all of my classes and I am just so excited about all that this year has in store :) "Enjoying every moment" is my new motto for this year. I finally understand what that actually means. Making memories is what I'm all about this year! ;)

Last week, the Senior Girls had to participate in 7th & 8th Grade Orientation for community service hours in the club. :)

That same day we also were able to finally purchase our parking decals :) This, forreal, excited me! (Oh yes, I finally got my license as well! Holla!)

Lunch with just some of the Senior girls!

Tuesday, we started school!

It has been such a great week :) I am soooooo blessed and I just love my life. Can't say it enough! Hope you all have been just as great! Tonight and tomorrow night I am singing in a choir/orchestra of almost 200 from several different churches in the area. We have been practicing for quite some time now & it's going to be a great night of praise and worship! Can't wait!

XOXO,

Whit

August 1st, Say What?!

2011-08-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! Cannot believe that today is August 1st. Seriously?! It will be Christmas before we know it. Friday night, 5 of us girls had dinner at Sonny's & then went to see 'Cowboys and Aliens.'

The time out was super fun (as always) and the movie was alright. Harrison Ford and the famous "Bond, James, Bond" guy was in it. That's probably why it was pretty decent. Recommend for you to go see it? Eh, if that's your thing then sure! Haha :)

Brianna: "He's got a nice body for an old guy.."
Melissa: "He's James freakin' Bond!" True, so true.

We went and walked around Wal*Mart afterwards to get some things for our beach trip the next day and that was plain F-U-N. A couple of times I felt like we were out for our Bachelorette party--running around grabbing things, throwing them in the buggy, trying on bathing suits, & getting ready for the weekend. HA! Sorry, I can't help it. I'm constantly surrounded by weddings and ALL things related!

"Mama Whitney" seems to be my nickname these days. Youngest in the whole group and airythang. I guess it's part of my personality, but if possible (and for the most part), I want plans to work out for everyone and for everyone to be happy! Can't help it :)

This next picture is the reason why 5 girls started CRYING due to laughter in the middle of the grocery aisle in Wal*Mart. A guy that a girl in the group is kinda sweet on is nicknamed "Twinkie" (don't ask.) Sooo, that must mean that if they started dating, wouldn't she be his "Honeybun"?!

The next morning, a huge group of Keystone girls & Bradford guys (hilarious, right?!) headed to the beach! :) We all wanted to do atleast one more sha-bang before school starts.

This Thursday, our schedules for Senior year are available for pick-up. I am so excited to see what teachers I will have and who will be in my classes! Ahh!

Countdown to probably my most favorite year of school ever: 16 days! :)

Friday during the day, I decided to color-coordinate my closet. WHY didn't I do this earlier?! I found myself just wearing the same stuff over & over. I think my new system is going to really help me with that problem!

Jackets to coats, jeans to pants, skirts to dresses! Patterns to lights, to neutrals to darks!

I tweeted this the other day and I really believe it. I have a t-shirt to wear everyday for the rest of my life and yours combined.

Ha! Hope you guys have a great week! I will be editing my day away!

Xoxo,

Whit

My First Car :)

2011-07-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

AHHHHH! I know, right?! This is very, very, very exciting to me. My parents are super awesome & have blessed me with more than I deserve. I am so thankful! :)

Anyyyyways, my time is finally here! I no longer am the one who has to call "shotgun!" but I am now the one who decides who won or not. And now, my life is complete. It's a great feeling, really it is. Hehe, I'm so lame! ;)

It runs so smoothe and gets GREAT gas mileage!

Okay, this might be weird but I now LOVE keychains. The giant flower & the Keystone heart were off of necklaces that broke so I used the brain that God gave me & stuck it on there. :) Little things in life, little things. Or, giant silver flowers.

A lot of things are changing. Some of my two best buds, Ethan & Anna, moved to Louisville, Kentucky a few weeks ago & I miss them dearly! So excited for their future & what the Lord has in store for them as Ethan is enrolled in the seminary there. My brother is moving to Graceville, FL for school on August 10th. When people ask me if I'm going to miss him, I just smile. Of course I'm gonna miss him! It'll be different not having him around as much, but life will soon recover around a newer normalcy. I get my license in about 2 weeks and I am so excited! A week after that, Senior year starts. Crazyness. Seriously. I am so anxious and excited for how God plans to use my life this year in my highschool. Can't wait to make lifelong memories with my friends & family this upcoming year. As of now, in these last few moments of my last 'official' summer, I am relaxing and enjoying the not-so-busy-ness of life. Taking pictures & editing them are pretty much what I'm up to these days. I love my life and I am so blessed. Truly, truly thankful! To God be the glory!

XOXO,

Whit

Some Super Summer :)

2011-07-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

Night of bowling with friends :)

Visiting the newest Katie Joy Rollins {Delivery Photos coming soon}

Hanging out with David & Larissa :)

Girls day out! Lunch at Sonny's and an afternoon by the pool :)

Edward's Road for slowpitch softball games :)

Along with 2 weddings, a newborn session and 2 other fun photo shoots with friends!

Trying to stay ABOVE water! ;)

Love yall,
Whitney

Abigail Claire Hodges {Newborn Session}

2011-07-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful newborn baby who was almost 1 month old in these photos. :) We had a blast one afternoon capturing her little features! Enjoy!

{P.S. Try & control your 'awwwww!'s ;)}

Summer So Far

2011-07-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

Summer so far has been relaxing, somewhat boring, and super fun. I miss the daily routine of school & always having somewhere to be, but I think that is just part of my personality. It has been nice to sleep in, plan days out & things to do with friends & to just take it easy. :) However, it is just now hitting me that it's summertime. A month from the 16th, we go back to school and I will OFFICIALLY be a Senior. Umm, what? On Tuesday, I was scheduled to take my formal Senior picture for the yearbook. WHY in the world they do it before school even starts to go in a yearbook that we get AFTER we graduate, is beyond me. Oh well. :) It was fun getting super-ready & taking some 'glamour shots.' :)

Tuesday evening, I had a session with a beautiful newborn baby! More photos to come! :)

The other night some friends & I went out to dinner at Gator's Dockside (my first time & I really liked it!) & to see Transformers 3..which was awesome! Despite it being almost THREE hours long & the unnecessary sexual content that was implied, it was really good. Probably one of the best movies out there as of now.

I am such a seasonal person & I just love holidays. So celebrating our beautiful country was a blast this past weekend. Hung out with friends, grilled lots of steak, jet skiied and tubed out on the lake & just plain relaxed. Saturday morning I was in our town's parade for a local pregnancy resource facility called "Answers." We walked in the parade, passed out candy & handed out flyers with a magnet on it about the organization.

A great friend of mine, Brianna is our reigning Miss KHHS & she also had a spot in our town's parade :)

Vacation Bible School is next week at my church & I am looking forward to helping serve the kids & prayerfully, lead the lost to Christ! Next weekend I also am shooting my 2nd wedding as lead photographer and I am so excited! God is opening tons of doors & bringing opportunities my way. He is awesome. :)

In Christ,

Whitney

Chad, Amber, James & Katie Joy

2011-06-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

This sweet, sweet family has one of the most amazing testimonies when it comes to their trust & faith in the Lord. He has brought them through so much in the past several years & Katie Joy, the little life growing inside of Amber, is a complete statement to their testimony. I'm sure that words are few when it comes to this humbling fact that indeed, after years & years of barrenness, God granted them a son through James and now is blessing them with Katie Joy. I had the great privelege of capturing such a special time in their lives & I cannot wait to share these images with you. This session was so fun and I love this family dearly! Cannot wait to meet you, Katie Joy! You are precious!

Happy 1st Day of Summer!

2011-06-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that TODAY starts the first day of summer. What were all those other extremely HOT days? Chopped liver? But, that's Florida for you.

Haven't really updated since school got out & a lot has happened since then. (Um, hellur, that's probably why I haven't updated. No, no, that IS the reason.) Life has been so go, go, go. Straight biz-ee. As of just YESTERDAY, I stayed home for once & caught up on some things around the house. Sleeping in has been sooooo nice. I forgot how much I LOVE to do that and because I'm 16, the right is pretty much granted to me. ;) "Mom, I'm still growing!" Ha. Yes, I have used that on more than one occasion. :)

*Sitting here trying to recall all of what has happened.*

1.) Keystone's Seniors graduated. Finally! Ha, did I just say that outloud? ;) I'm a SENIOR now...

David is a real live adult now!

So is Devin! :)

Shelby, Larissa & I are just waiting for them to officially leave. ;)

2.) Graduation Parties!

3.) LAKE DAYS! :) 'Nuff said.

4.) Kangaroo cups. Oh em gee. The best things ever created. You buy the cup for about $7 and you get free refills until September. AH-MAZING. I keep saying that I'm going to be the one who walks in the gas station, fills up my cup, grabs a snack and WALKS OUT. I'm so used to not having to check out anymore. And when that happens, I can say 'I told you so' to myself.

5.) Student Life Camp in Orange Beach, Alabama! Which was absolutely amazing. My church's youth group went away for a week to good ole Bama. ;) More like a beach retreat than camp, but it was incredible! It's always good to go away & be refreshed. Especially when Brett Younker & his band is encouraging you through their music & Matt Chandler is preaching nothin' but the gospel. We learned and studied what it means to be devoted to Christ. Finding our true joy & ultimate satisfaction in Him was also another main truth that stuck out to me this past week.

Deuteronomy 6:5 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind."

That's pretty much all I can think of. Funny that the Kangaroo cups were thrown in the mix of the things that have happened in the past couple of weeks. :)

As always, I hope you are all doing well!

In Christ,

Whitney

You Need to Call Your Manager

2011-05-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I didn't blog all week, I'm a slacker, I know.

This past week was super busy with an awesome maternity session with Chad, Amber, little James & sweet Katie Joy (who's still in the belly!) :) Be expecting that post..soon!

End of the school year = lots of tests. This past week, most of my teachers gave some sort of test/quiz and I was about to go crazy studying for all of them! Thursday was the Senior's last day of highschool & so now these next couple of days are going to be super relaxed. Like this:

Ahhh. :)

Speaking of tests, Larissa & I are now officially 'certified' in a High School's Financial Planning Program. Dats right. We sat through a class with RIDICULOUS ~~kids~~ Seniors & endured their ridiculousness. Was it ridiculous? Did I learn a lot from Mrs. Walls? Absolutely. So now I can put that I'm certified on my resume. Whatever that means, exactly.

Florida is SUPER hot. The heat is only acceptable at some sort of water joint, aka the beach, pool, water park, etc. Other than that, the heat is not welcome in my book. You walk outside and you sweat. It makes you wonder why you even put makeup on in the first place. It makes you wonder why you just spent 20 minutes making your hair perfect. It makes me want to cry.

Thursday afternoon, my Mom checked me out of school & we went to her Doctor's appointment for a routine check-up & then went to the mall to shop for a little bit. After an awful experience at Forever 21, my shopping mood was down to 0%. Basically, go to buy a shirt that was marked on sale & have it not be. Want to return the said on-sale shirt after they rang you up & they won't put YOUR money back on YOUR account for THEIR mistake. You can only get 'store credit' which you don't want or a check mailed to you that you will get in a 'short 3 weeks' which you also don't want. Pshht, girl, please. I have never in my life heard of such a thing. Just know that if I was that Manager, things would've DEFINITELY been handled differently. And I imagine the same for a lot of you. That's just not how I would want to run a business. Making customers mad? Yeah, no. Mama & I were fed-UP with some serious stupidity, no doubt. Oh well, you live & you learn. I digress.

Anyyyyways,

Last night (Friday), me & several friends went to Cracker Barrel for dinner & Yobe for some frozen yogurt afterwards. I felt like such a Mochi-trader, but GUYS!.. I HAD SOME FORM OF FROZEN YOGURT EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND IN THE MONTH OF MAY. Haha, I'm so lame. It was sooo fun! Laughed SO hard & I love my friends. After Yobe, we walked around a nearby park/pier at like 10PM. It was fun & relaxing & I looove the water!

Today, I second-shot Chris & Rebecca's wedding in Starke. Homegirl babysat me when I was little! My Mom & her Mom have been best friends for 30+ years. She was absolutely beautiful today and so was her special day. Best of luck to you & Chris!

For the rest of this Memorial Day weekend, I plan on taking it easy. Church, lunch with family & friends, church again, remembering exactly what Memorial Day means and why we celebrate it and then a beach day with some awesome people.

XOXO,

Whitney

Powder Puff

2011-05-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

This past week, the Junior class has been practicing for our annual Powder Puff game. Powder Puff is when the girls in your class play flag football & the guys are the cheerleaders..soo much fun! :) I have been looking forward to this game since probably 3rd grade, no lie. On Saturday, the big day was finally here & the Juniors completely WHOOPED UP on the Seniors. To say that the girls on the opposing team played dirty, well, that would be an understatement but our girls brought the heat just as well. Granted, we had about 3,000X the amount of girls playing than they did but who cares. ;) I wish we could of all had good, clean fun, but, oh well.

24-6 was the final score. We won by a landslide, thankyouverymuch. ;) Last Monday was our first practice & I was VERY proud of the amount of girls who showed up to play. Our class was basically all raised together & we are all very close. This past week/weekend gave me a little glimpse into how much fun Senior Year is going to be & I cannot wait! :)

Practicing! :)

This one is my favorite.. "Do you seriously have your phone out right now?!" .. You'll thank me later, Ev.

Our cheerleaders are SERIOUSLY good. I was super impressed at their skills!

Friday, during school, since we are an A-school, we had an FCAT party. (Breakdown: Florida Comprehension Assessment Test that made us an A-school & gave us money that we spent on a party!) Got us out of class to have fun, eat pizza & basically do nothing the rest of the day! :)

Show me your grr face!

Our 'trash-talkin' t-shirts ;)

Coaches :)

Getting ready :)

Warming up!

#1!

After sweating our booty's off in Florida's ridiculous heat, a bunch of us came over to my house for some pool time & a movie! :) We had a blast!

XOXO,
Whitney

I Love The Word, Nonetheless.

2011-05-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Wasssssuppppppp! It's Monday, y'all! And YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. It means I am about to blog all about my weekend :) Esactly. Read that with the 's'. I'm feeling a little bit hyper today for some reason, so, ENJOY! :)

{One}

On Friday, I went to school. GetOutOfTownIKnowRight.

This picture isn't from Friday but it still makes me laugh nonetheless (I love that word, or words...) I was caught off guard (looking super fly), Melissa & Haile are doing who know's what (looking..well, you know) & the guys were in a huddle probably plotting something ridic (looking dumb because they are.)

Anyyways, I did the whole school thing. Yadda Yadda Yadda.

Friday, AFTER school, was when the real fun started :) Went to Gainesville with Brianna to look for a dress that she needed for a wedding she had to attend. I was all like, "chyeah girl! I'll go with you!" On our way to the mall, we went to Sonic and hit up some Happy Hour. We were pleased.

That night we met up with a bunch of other friends for some Moe's (welcome to it!), a movie and some delicious Mochi, aka frozen yogurt. :)

We decided to see Insidious which was classified as a Horror film. I watched the Trailer beforehand and the thought of us about to PAY MONEY to not able to sleep for a week totally crossed my mind. I actually do like scary movies and enjoy the SUSPENSE in them, but not the horror and gory-ness of them. Those can just go away.

It turned out not even being that scary. Yeah, we screamed a couple of times but I actually laughed at some parts & predicted what would happen. So if you're a wimp and want to say that you saw a Horror film, go see it. If you want something truly SCARY, don't. :)

{Two}

Saturday, I did absolutely nothing. Forreal. It felt GREAT. Since Weddings usually take over my weekends, this is very rare. But I stayed home, made Chocolate Delight with my Mom, ate some wings with my Brother, took a nap, blogged for you all & that was about it. It was sooo nice.

{Three}

Sunday was church, lunch with the family at Johnny's, some time by the pool, and I even cleaned my room! :) It's still clean..by the way!

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend and kept it safe! :)

In Christ,

Whitney

Jay & Jenna {Wedding -- Reception}

2011-05-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

{Jenna's 'Getting Ready' Portraits}

{Details/Portraits}

{Ceremony}

Jay & Jenna's reception was held at Circle S Ranch in Lake Butler, Florida. Family & friends were there to celebrate their new life as a married couple with food, fun & of course, Wedding cake! ;)

Flowers by Sweet Aroma

All the single ladies!

Eligible bachelors!

Being pelted with birdseed is always so joyful ;)

Later on!

Jay & Jenna {Wedding -- Ceremony}

2011-05-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

{Jenna's 'Getting Ready' Portraits}

{Details/Portraits}

This ceremony was one of the sweetest I have ever been apart of. Their love for Jesus Christ was shown first & foremost and then their love for each other was displayed second. They chose to have a time for prayer with their immediate families on stage during the ceremony. Since I attend so many weddings on the regular, it takes a lot for tears to be brought to my eyes during a wedding. They were definitely there during this part of their day. SO sweet and SO special. Love it and this job rocks, forreal.

Photo by Amy Buchanan

Photo by Amy Buchanan

{Reception up next!}

Jay & Jenna {Wedding Portraits & Details}

2011-05-14T15:23:00.002-07:00

{Jenna's 'Getting Ready' Portraits}

Jay and Jenna were married on March 26th at their home church in Lake Butler, Florida. Like I've mentioned before, this was my first wedding that I shot as lead & I was so honored to do so! Amy & I had a blast! Enjoy the photos!

Flowers by Sweet Aroma

Photo by Amy Buchanan

Twirling :)

Adorable, most well-behaved child I have ever been around!

LOVE this one of these gorgeous girls!

The boys!

These last several images are by Amy & they're hilarious! Gotta love a little Bridal Party fun!

In Christ,

Whitney

Blogger and Our Love/Hate Relationship

2011-05-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed, or maybe not, that the left side of my blog was missing for a little while. I had no idea why and really, didn't have the time until today to sit down and figure out what the heck was going on. My "Gadgets" disappeared for an unknown reason. But, have no fear, Mr. Google (my BFF) helped me out tremendously and I think we are back on track. Blogger had some issues the other day but I think my problem was unrelated. Who knows? Obviously, not me. All I had to do was remove each Gadget and re-add them again. I don't have the techy answer and neither did Google, so if that ever happens to your blog, that is what worked for me to restore that beloved left side. :)

Anyyyyways. . .

Today has been the most relaxing day I've had in awhile. I've done NOTHING and it's been great. I plan on blogging several times tonight on different things so STAY TUNED! And cleaning my room but y'all don't care! With Weddings, I am rarely home on Saturdays so it's been weird. I kinda like it! ;)

XOXO,

Whitney

Miscellany Monday

2011-05-09T09:00:00.001-07:00

{one}

I know this is supposed to be all about 'Monday' but it's going to a mix of the weekend, mkay? It'll be fun, I promise.

{two}

Let's start with Friday. Had school, went to our (last) baseball game of the season. Saw some boys cry over their last highschool baseball game ever and that was sad. They made stupid mistakes and hey, that's life. But it was sad to see them end the season like that. Maybe we'll go to state next year. That would be pretty awesome for our senior year :) Anyways...

{three}

After the game and since it ended earlier than normal (we got 10-run ruled), a bunch of us girls headed to g-ville for some Mochi & good fun. Only Melissa and I had been there before so it was fun to go with a couple of first-timers. ;)

{four}

Since we're girls and all, we went down to krispy kreme after, "OMG! the hot sign is on!!!!" came from the backseat. Each ordered just one donut, because that's how we roll.

{five}

Saturday morning, our student ministry from church helped serve at our 7th annual Golf Tournament. We served donuts (i know, shut up), milk & juice for breakfast, helped set up, and helped serve good ole Johnny's BBQ for lunch. It was a good, relaxing time sitting on the golf cart during the 4+hours of free time. The weather was perr-fect and dare i say it? I actually got cold for a little bit! ;)

{six}
After the Golf Tournament, I headed over to a friend's house to take some pictures for our Prom (that I didn't attend.) I just didn't my act together this year to go and I think that going just for Senior Year will make it that much more special. So that's what I plan on doing. :) These girls looked absolutely gorgeous! {Pictures to come!}

{seven}
Saturday night, my aunt, my brother and some friends went to dinner at Laredo in town & then to the movies. We saw Fast Five and it was soooo good! I would see it again--it was that good! I feel like I missed a lot of parts because it's so action-packed. I definitely recommend it.

{eight}
Sunday was Mother's Day and we celebrated my amazing Mom by going to church & cooking hamburgers on the grill (her request!) :) It was a good day and I am so thankful for my Mama!

{nine}
Today was pretty good. Woke up at 5:15, headed to the gym, came home, got ready for school and learned some. You know. ;) Had our first Powder Puff meeting to form our team of amazing Juniors! I can't wait to play and BEAT some Senior girls in flag football! ;)

Hope you're all doing well & I plan on updating y'all soon on my previous Weddings and those Prom pictures, too! ;)

In Christ,

Whitney

If my computer had a face, I'd slap it.

2011-04-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Oh to the em to the gee. I have spent FOUR hours sitting at my computer today burning images onto discs to give to Amy, the photographer I shot yesterday's wedding with. WHY? Because my computer is SERIOUSLY CHALLENGED.

Several times today I just pushed the "Master" switch off and then on again because I couldn't.take.it.anymore. Technology, I thought we liked each other? :( Well, finally, FINALLY, all of the images are safely burned. Such a process, I tell you.

Sitting in one spot for FOUR hours takes a toll on a girl, sheesh.
The burning of over 700 images usually takes awhile for the process that I use but this was just ridiculous.

Um, sorry, but I am NOT sitting here for 19+ DAYS. Hahahaha, this just makes me laugh.

It all started out fine and dandy . . .

Then I was all like "GIRL, PLEASE!"

Then, Mr. Dell Computer That Stinks almost got HIT. Upside the FACE. If he had one.

And then, after the 5th restart--it started working properly. :)

Aren't those pretty? But, lets rewind to BEFORE my mental breakdown. Thank you, computer, thank you.

. . .

This morning I went to a babyshower for one of my favorite women EVER! Amber, you're gorgeous. I cannot wait to meet little Katie Joy in July! Earlier this afternoon, I went and got my haircut & highlighted. It's hard to tell in those pictures that I posted of my crazed self but I love it! This is the most blonde I've gone with & I like it a lot :)

Well, I hope you are all doing well & your computers are treating you right. I am off to go lay on the couch, order a PPV movie, sit back, relax & enjoy a night AWAY from the computer.

Later on!

-Whitney

Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T09:56:00.001-07:00

No, I did not wake up at 4AM to watch the Royal Wedding today. Mainly because I knew that it would be on TV all day and I was right! Kate looked BEAUTIFUL & I love the neckline on her dress. William looked good too, I guess. ;) I just love, love, love weddings! I couldn't imagine being under that much pressure but that's why I'm NOT royalty! ;) She walked with much poise & I admire her for that. I loved that she kept her dress traditional yet classy. So pretty! Congratulations to them from America!

I'm off to go shoot a wedding with Amy Buchanan. Is this couple royalty? No, but it IS their special day too!

Tootaloo!

Whitney

Wee Bit Wednesday...on Thursday

2011-04-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

I had every good intention on doing this post yesterday, seeing as it's called "Wee Bit WEDNESDAY" but, life happened and there was not enough time in the day. Oh well! ;)

{one} have you ever been stuck in an elevator?
Noooope. But I'd probably FLIP OUT once I realized I was stuck. Maybe not. IDK, I've never been stuck!

{two} have you ever ridden on an elephant?
not yet! ;)

{three} have you ever met a well known celebrity?
well known? celebrity? um, no. but i did meet the contestants of a season of the biggest loser in washington D.C!

{four} do you have any food allergies?
thank the Lord, i do not! :)

{five} do you know how to sew?
i know how to embroider... ;)

{six} did you get an allowance when you were young?
nope. not really.

{seven} how often do you fill up your gas tank?
don't drive..yet. :) august 8th--watch out!

{eight} have you ever been stung by a jelly fish?
i'd sting him right back!

{nine} have you ever been robbed?
i'd slap a fool. and no. :)

{ten} what is the worst haircut you’ve ever had?
hmm. i've probably had my fair share of them. but my theory is that hair GROWS BACK & if i don't like it, it will change soon. my hair grows SO fast. can't stay the same hairstyle to save its little life. geeze. speaking of hair, i have another cut & highlight appointment on saturday! im excited!

keep it real, loves.
-whitney

A Day Off

2011-04-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

The county decided to give us a day off from school yesterday. Not really sure why, but I'm not complaining! :)

I slept in, read some blogs, watched a movie about Amish people and said a prayer of thanks to God for allowing us the use of electricity, ate lunch, took a shower, ate Easter jellybeans, cleaned my room, put more paper in my binder & stocked up my supply of pens for school. That's pretty much it. It was nice to have a day of absolutely nothing after such a busy weekend.

Last night I went to see our baseball team play in Districts against Baker County..we WHOOPED some tail & I am incredibly proud of our boys! Our baseball team went to State back in '08 so hopefully we can do it again this year! Tonight we play our rival, Bradford County, and it should be a very interesting game..I have close friends from over there & I'm not really sure I'm ready to see some boys cry! I'm sure it will happen from those soft seniors though as this could possibly be their last game. ;)

In Christ,

Whitney

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Hello lovelies! Easter this year was absolutely wonderful :) Sang in both services with the choir, had a really fun & interesting lesson in Sunday School & was reminded about the amazing hope that we have in Jesus because He gave His life for us. Ate way too much food, took a long nap & just enjoyed the day with the people around me. :) I am so blessed & I love, love, love my life! Hope you all had a great Easter celebrating the resurrection and glory of Christ!

. . .

I changed my history teacher's perspective on life the other day. He tends to be on the negative side sometimes & if you know me at all, that is the complete OPPOSITE of my personality.

Someone said "Good Morning!" to him & his reply, "What's good about it?"

Me: "Coach, you live in a free country, you have clothes on your back & I'm pretty sure you're gonna have food to eat later on..it's a VERY good morning!" He called me a "sunshine beater" and we all laughed. He then tol me that he should be more positive & I fully agreed. ;) Seriously, though. Life is too good in this free country to be so negative all the time. Positivity can go a long way, things can always be worse.

Annnnnnyways, here are some lovely pictures of us girls all dolled up in our Easter dresses. Feel free to oooh & ahh as much as you'd like.

Anna & I, ain't she so cute?

The long-lost Shannon & I. I'm so glad I got to see her! If you want to be completely entertained all the time, read her blog. She's fab!

Haley & I! Want to know how to turn 1-syllable words into 7? Just talk to this girl. Country twang is an understatement. ;)

Miranda & I :)

Abby & I :)

Emily & I :)

Kaylee & I :)

My awesome Sunday School class! I love these girls!

Here are some more pictures from our Easter Pageant:

Hehe :) I hope you all have a GREAT week in the Lord! "If we believe that He is alive, we will live accordingly!" He IS risen, live like it! :) Love you all

In Christ,

Whitney

Insert Witty Title Here

2011-04-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Good Friday and it was certainly a good Friday indeed. Like I said in my previous post, I went shopping with my Mom for an Easter dress & anything else we felt that our little hearts desired. :) It was fun and it was nice to find good deals! We shopped, ate lunch at Chick-Fil-A (aka my favorite fast food place ever) and shopped some more!

As Mom & I were eating lunch I just couldn't help but smile as I looked around and saw all the nice employees serving their customers ("my pleasure!",) the quotes from Truett Cathy up on the wall & as I listened to the christian music playing in the background. Even being closed on Sundays, Chick-Fil-A holds its own with the 'leading fast-food' in the industry. God has truly, truly blessed Mr. Truett with a wonderful corporation such as Chick-Fil-A & it will always be a favorite in my book. :)

Now, where were we?

I got my Easter dress at JC Penney's and it's adorable! Very spring-timeish & I love it. I cannot wait to wear it tomorrow along with fun, cute accessories and duh, peep-toe wedges! You'll see pictures tomorrow ;) After we got back to K-town, I went & got a pedicure! Almost kicked the lady in the face, but no biggy. Good times, good times. ;)

Last night was our first performance of the Easter Pageant that we do every year at my church. It's basically a play of Jesus' life, death, burial and resurrection! It's so neat to serve along side the members of my church & sing praises to the King! Just another reason why I love, love, love this time of year!

Us girls all ready to sing! :)

Jesus, the clown. These were all taken on the rehearsal nights and these guys had to entertain themselves somehow! ;)

Pilate

Jesus carrying the cross

Glorious resurrection!

Heather & I! So glad she is singing with us this year :)

Be praying for us! We have two more nights of performances. Pray for lost souls to come, be ministered to & for lives to be changed, and pray for those involved in the Pageant and all it entails! :) Also, the Pageant will be shot LIVE & shown on our church's website! Check it out: here.

Speaking of prayer requests, there is a little girl in our church who needs the prayers of some awesome prayer warriors that I know read this! If you would, check out Paul Samson's (Kaylie's Dad) blog, that would be awesome. :)

Hope you all are enjoying your Easter weekend! I know I am! Now I'm off to get ready for our second performance! Love you guys!

In Christ,

Whitney

Happy Good Friday!

2011-04-22T06:09:00.000-07:00

Thought you would enjoy 2 things this beautiful morning:

1) This awful-one-lyric-song, Friday by Rebecca Black, everyone. It is sure to get stuck in you're head. You're welcome. :)

2) This amazing scripture that I read this morning and it quickly summed up this entire Easter weekend for me.

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His wounds we are healed."

{Isaiah 53:5}

I am walking out the door in about 2 minutes to go shopping for an Easter dress/other fun things with my Mama! Be back later on to inform you of all things amazing.

In Christ,

Whitney

Photographing Children in Weddings

2011-04-15T09:53:00.001-07:00

Photographing ringbearers and flowergirls can be one of the trickiest things to photograph at a wedding. Photographing children in general isn't easy.

At times, you get this and you just work with them as best you know how & as best the parent knows how:

{Google Images}

And at other times, you have perfect angels like this who are an absolute JOY to photograph:

What works best for me when working with kids who are probably tired, hot or itchy due to what they're wearing is this. . .

In the most obnoxious voice possible, even Granddaddy looks at me like I'm crazy, pointing to my lens & camera in general, I say, "Look at the circle!" Most kids know their shapes & can relate to what a circle looks like.

Having the parents/grandparents stand behind you while you try to take pictures of their beloved child will not help. The child won't know where to look and you'll end up with this:

{Google image}

See what I mean? Loud noises, jumping up & down, annoying voices. Anything you have to do to get the picture.

At Jay & Jenna's wedding a few weeks ago, they had the best flower girl I have ever worked with. She listened and did exactly what Amy & I asked of her. Went with the flow & was such a pretty little girl! :)

So if you're wondering what the trick is to child photography--there are many. And these are just some of the things that stick out to me when photographing a kid under the age of 5.

Good luck! Expect more posts like this--thanks to Brittany for some fun inspiration :)

In Christ,

Whitney

Weekend

2011-04-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Haaaaaaaaayy! I hope you all had a suberb weekend. Sorry that I haven't updated in a couple of days. This weekend was b-u-s-y! So lets back up & start where we left off! Shall we? :)

Thursday: Went to school, checked out of school because well, WE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING. Seriously. Unless you can count watching movies, playing Monopoly or reading blogs on the Internet something, then alrighty then! Since I got out of school around lunchtime, the day was declared as a hang-out-and-bake-in-the-pool-day. It was pure lovely-ness (if that's even a word.)

It is just dang HOT here in Florida and it's only April. I cannot imagine what June & July will be like. Oh dear. Thursday night was Senior Night for our baseball team so Larissa & I headed over to that game and, we won! :)

Friday was a regular day back at school, even though I really enjoyed the time off, it's nice to just get back into the swing of things to be able to get the rest of this year over with. :)

What says "TGIF!" like the dissection of some fish? Larissa & Ashleigh both looked at the fish, then looked at me, then looked at the fish again & I got the memo. ;) Who cut the fish open? Mhm, this homegirl right here.

After that delightful experience and two other classes, school was over & it was time to get ready for a night out with some awesome friends. If you've never heard Aaron Gillespie, YouTube him NOW. Underoath? Anyone, anyone? Six of us went over to a venue in Jacksonville to mainly see a band from our hometown, Lights of Evening, and to show some support! They did awesome! God was high and lifted up all night, and the bands made sure that we knew that He was their main purpose.

Saturday was Wedding Day for Michael & Suzanne and it was beautiful!

Sunday was just an awesome day in the Lord. Sunday School, singing in the choir & a great sermon from Pastor James, lunch with friends and a nap from heaven above! Sunday night, I went over to another one of my favorite churches to hear a special Easter-musical service in Lake Butler. I loved it! :)

Today, school was school. You know the drill. I am finding that the older I get, the more I just love to be home. I am such a go-go-go kind of person so this is pretty strange for me. I used to hate being home with nothing to do, but the busier life gets, the more I appreciate the days where I have next to nothing to do. "Nothing" doesn't really happen that much anymore.

God is richly blessing me and I am at a point in my life where I just want to be content in where I am at right now. I know these times will pass and I will greatly miss them so I am cherishing every moment. I just want to stop, be still and know that He is God. In all things. He is so, so good. And I'm thankful.

In Christ,

Whitney

Pumping Gas, Dork Nerds & Cantaloupe

2011-04-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

Today I slept in. If you call 7:30AM sleeping in. Then yes, that is what I did. Took the morning easy & then went into school around 4th period. I LOVE F-CAT days now! I watched the cutest movie ever.."Bolt" about the dog that saves the day..okay, sidenote coming up here: That movie is SO DANG CUTE. Whoever made it, made it for me. It has hilarious appropriate adult innuendos & it's just really good. Several different times I thought I was going to cry, but nope, I held strong & hit the kid next to me who was making fun of me for it. Dang straight.

Read some blogs/surfed the web in the other class and in my English class, we actually did work. I didn't mind because I'm ready to be d-o-n-e with writing an essay on The Crucible. Easy Peasy Day Times 2. :)

Here are 3 pictures that were taken today, for obviously no reason at all. And that is why I love today.

Here's me pumping gas for Kaylee because, well, I don't really know why.

I was planning on taking a picture of stuff at the gym & doing a whole post about that but people were in there & I would look like a MAJOR "dork nerd" if I started taking pictures of exercise equipment. Hints the blurry-act-nonchalant picture. Does that already make me the dork nerd? Probably.

Cantaloupe is my new favorite healthy snack to eat. It's really delicious & filling. And well, you can't sit down and eat cake while watching The Biggest Loser. Especially after you just got back from the gym. That's inhumane.

Wellllllllllllll (make sure you pronounce that like "whaaaaale"), I am off to put in a movie & just lay there. :)

{P.S. You should definitely comment below & tell me what you would like to see me post. I want to be posting more often about things that you like to read/want to know about! If I don't get any comments, I'll cry & I'm not a pretty cry-er. So, you know the drill. ;)}

In Christ,

Whitney

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

2011-04-11T08:58:00.001-07:00

Today was probably the easiest day of my life. Other than being 3 years old & livin' on love. Love from my family and other 3 year old friends, yep, today was the easiest I've ever had it.

So. easy. I. wanted. to. claw. my. eyes. out. or. the. kids. next. to. me. :)

This morning, for 2 hours, I took the Science FCAT. For those of whom do not know what this beloved "FCAT" is, let me break it down for ya: Florida Comprehension Assessment Test A.K.A. the test that makes kids throw up they're so nervous.

It's really ridiculous but thank the Lord, I am done with it. For years and years, I payed my dues. I bubbled in as best I know how. I used #2 pencils like the best of them. Finally, finally...I'm DONE. FOREVER. :)

After we sat & watched the guys throw fake grenades at each other (yes, they're old enough to drive), we went to 3rd period for about 20 minutes. I proceeded to watch a movie with a bear in it. Two bears, actually. It was cute.

Then came 4th period (Get it?! We go in numerical order in highschool!) Bill Nye the Science Guy was turned on & my day was completely ruined. Ha, just kidding. You gotta love Bill. And his creepy self.

After an hour of eating junk food, talking with good ole Ashleigh & listening to Bill's theme song, I went to my Digital Design II class where I sat & read this beauty:

Shannon, your blog keeps me sane. Thank you. From the bottom of my 4-chambered heart.

I even was bored enough to ~~tears~~ change my background and take a picture of it. *That's bored, I tell ya.*

Crowder, you made the cut.

After putting on huge headphones & blaring some Kari Jobe to drown out the sounds of Computer Dork Nerds, I had the complete honor to go sit in our gym & watch the teachers get paid to play basketball against our Student Council. Better than writing a paper for Mr. Boger, I suppose.

Tonight, since I didn't make it this morning, I went to the gym & had a pretty good workout. Always makes me feel better! I cannot believe it's almost 10:30 right now. I guess the gym gave me more energy. If I hadn't of gone, I would probably be in bed right now. :) And that is exactly where I'm headed next!

Hope you all have a great week! I know I will. It's going to be easy-peasy..again. More FCAT through Thursday = Whitney sleeping in :)

In Christ,

Whitney

Disciple Now Weekend

2011-04-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday to you, all. Hope it's been good to you so far. :) This weekend was amazingincrediblesooogood. :) Three youth groups from three different churches in the area got together for a weekend of worship and good studying of the Bible. D-Now, short for Disciple Now, has been around for quite some time but this is the first time I've been able to be apart. God taught me so much and I am so thankful for amazing leaders who invested so much time and effort into all of us.

Friday afternoon, we met at Trinity for registration, a pizza dinner, worship led by an amazing band, Lights of Evening & an annointed message from Doc. Alvin Reid. Afterwards we all broke into our different age-based groups & headed to different homes hosted by members of the church. Mrs. Kellye McCormick, Mrs. Marjorie Caouette & Erin Stanland were the leaders of a grand total of 10 highschool girls. They had their hands full! ;) We all had a BLAST. We laughed sooo much & I am truly thankful for the God-fearing women in my life. They're such a blessing & a true encouragement.

Here's our leaders playing one of the games :)

We had Bible studies, played games, ate tons of junk food & made lasting memories..I loved every bit of it! :) We stayed at a house on a lake and I SO enjoyed doing my quiet time on Sunday morning, outside! :)

Saturday morning, we woke up to breakfast & a morning full of rich fellowship in the Word. We discussed how Christ really is the only way to get to Heaven & how without that truth, our entire existence and the entire gospel would be meaningless. After lunch, we headed to First Baptist to get our service project assignment for the afternoon. Two groups held FREE car washes, one group went around to the different parks in town & passed out FREE water bottles and another group went up to our local grocery store, Hitchcocks, and offered assistance to those who needed help with their groceries & they also carried the carts back to the store. Several different ways to just give back to the community, serve them, & love the people in our town.

Here's Doc washing cars with us :)

My group held the carwash at First Baptist & on several different occasions people offered us donations and asked us why we were doing this for free. In response to their confusion, we just simply answered that we love Jesus & we love people. Not only did they leave with a clean car, they hopefully left with a renewed spirit & mind. It was so neat to be able to apply what we learned and experienced back in New York City, to our own little town.

After several HOT hours in the Florida sun, we headed back to our host homes to freshen up & get ready for the night. Dinner was ah-mazing! Chicken Alfredo, yes please. :)

We stayed in a house full of girls..tons of makeup & hair products everywhere! ;)

Kaylee & I :)

Anna & I :)

For our final service all together, God RAINED DOWN. Tears were shed & we were broken. Marty, the youth pastor at First Baptist, gave us an opportunity to pray for someone specifically that we come in contact with who is lost. Prayers were offered up in faith & divine appointments were asked for.

It truly was another amazing weekend. I learned so much, grew so much & it was a time away from our busy schedules to just be in The Word all weekend long.

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Love you all.

In Christ,

Whitney

Crazy Shoes & Tornado Tuesday

2011-04-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Take me to Chick Fil A, Lifeway & Target all in one day and I'll be your best friend. I absolutely luuurve days like that. Perrrrrrfecto. I even tweeted about it & Lifeway taa-weeted me back! (Shannon, we can be famous together!) I have no idea who it is controlling that profile but we carried on a cute little conversation together..

From Target I bought these cute things..

Sidenote: I never know what "size" foot I am..it varies all the time. Obviously, because shoes are made differently but I never can guess right. With these, I guessed 9.5 but, nope, these are 8.5. Crazy shoe, you.

Lifeway:

I didn't really find any books that caught my eye that I don't already have and I've been really wanting a small ESV Bible to carry in my purse with me. And, ever since I've been old enough to actually care, most stores don't carry things with "W"'s on them. They're W-name haters. But, not Lifeway!

Another sidenote: In elementary school, I can remember all the other girls having bracelets with their initials on them. Well, I wanted one, dangit! So I *shudder at my stupidity* bought a bracelet with a "M" on it & just wore it upside down. Dork. to. the. nerd. It was 3rd grade & all the cool kids were doin' it.

Had some extra time so we went into Ross. I can't even remember the last time I shopped there but all I can say is--What took me so long?! They have cute stuff, you just have to look for it & be willing to dodge all the clutter & the crazies. I found this suede purse & I luuuurve it too. :)

Yesterday, I just downright didn't feel good. So I stayed home from school. Sue me. My day included tons of catching up on blogs, some cleaning, reading magazines, and napping. It was nice to have a day completely off to get better, rest up & all that jazz.

And today, I woke up at 5:15AM, went to the gym with my Mama & came home to get ready for school. Normal morning, right? Right. Well right as I was about to walk over to my neighbor's house for us to leave for school, I looked out the window.

The bottom of the sky had LET LOOSE. Lightening, thundering & rain like you've never seen before. "Moooooooommmm!!!", because I soooo wasn't going outside in that weather.

From watching the News & from getting numerous text messages from my friends who were already at school, we were under serious bad weather. Facebook updates, text messages & tweets all said that around the school was chaos. Kids were huddled in the cafeteria, gym, library & safe hallways. Powerlines were down from a tornado that passed by in our little town and certain trees were knocked completely over. Different updates from all over the place but luckily no one was seriously injured.

So, I stayed home again. Scooooore.

This will only be a 2-day school week for me because Friday is our "Fair Day." Yes, we get a full day of school OFF due to the Clay County Fair being in town. Go ahead, hate. :) Haha! Well, I hope you all are having a pretty good week so far. I know I am :)

In Christ,

Whitney

Getting Ready {Mr. & Mrs. Norman Wedding}

2011-03-29T09:31:00.007-07:00

I was given the amazing opportunity to lead-shoot Jay & Jenna's March 26th Wedding in Lake Butler at their home church along with Amy Buchanan who was an amazing second-shooter/assistant!

Try to enjoy the photos, as much as I enjoyed shooting them. ;)

Jenna, you were beautiful! Can't wait to show off the rest!

NYC Day 6

2011-03-29T09:31:00.005-07:00

"This morning we were in New York City & tonight, we're in Keystone." I definitely miss it & I'm ready to go back! Day 6, Friday, ended our trip and we flew back to good ole, hot, Florida.

Me & Kaylee at the airport. About to go through security!

Mrs. Jeannie and I landed at Jacksonville's airport..safe & sound! :)

1) This trip was absolutely incredible.

2) I'll remember it forever.

3) God has placed such a love for the city & for the people of New York in my heart that won't ever be replaced.

4) We probably had way way way too much fun.

5) I can't wait to go back.

6) Our "team" was made into a family of brothers & sisters in Christ & that is awesome.

7) God renewed us, strengthened us & 10 days later, we are still reminiscing.

8) This was unlike any mission trip that you hear of or experience.

9) I can't wait to go back.

10) I can't wait to go back.

In Christ,

Whitney

NYC Day 5

2011-03-29T09:31:00.003-07:00

{Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, & Day 4}

Day 5 in NYC was so much fun (minus the freezing cold temperatures, that is!) We started the day in Times Square & ended it there. :) We took double-decker tour buses all around & that was an experience, to say the least.

To say that those that were on top were freezing would be an understatement. I don't think I've EVER been that cold. Wind & freezing temperatures = Whitney wanting to cry. :)

We jumped on & off the bus at certain sites that we wanted to see. First, we stopped at Chinatown. Most everyone went shopping for a little bit while the rest of us stayed warm at Starbucks.

Next stop was to Ground Zero where we walked through a cathedral that was used as an emergency clinic at the time of 9/11. Here is one of the uniforms put on display:

On the way to Ground Zero, we passed these cards made by local elementary students for the 9/11 victims that are still up to this day:

After we visited Ground Zero, we walked to where you can *kinda* see Lady Liberty. She was very small from where we standing but it was still neat to be able to see her. It was lunch time so we all broke into groups according to where we wanted to eat. Our choice was TGI Fridays! Mrs. Jeannie was there too--she was taking the picture. :)

After lunch we headed to the Rockefeller Center & this was the ride on top of the double-decker tour bus that almost killed us all. :)

We had about 2 hours to do pretty much whatever we wanted that was around the Rockefeller Center & that means..5th AVENUE! :) After we looked around at NBC's giftshops, we went to the some of the real stores.. ;) {Some pictures are from Emily's Facebook, btw!}

FAO Schwarz..coolest store EVER!

This guy was so nice! :)

This was a PACKED Apple store--we didn't try going in there. :)

Eloise at the Plaza, anyone? :)

We walked around the lobby & this hotel is GORGEOUS y'all..if anyone wants to get married there--PLEASE let me shoot your wedding! ;)

Central Park

After an awesome day of sightseeing & shopping, we headed back to Times Square for New York salad, pizza & breadsticks at John's Pizzeria..which sadly, used to be a church.

Anna looking rather "ghetto" or just trying to stay warm. :)

Group picture in Times Square before we all headed our separate ways..

Ethan, Anna, Tyler, Matt, Erin, Kaylee & I headed straight to some stores that we didn't get to visit earlier on in the week.

Hmm..our "leaders" watching Cars in the Disney store. ;)

After we left Times Square, some of us girls & Bro. Jeff (ha!) went to....KLEINFELD! :)

Say Yes to the Dress..mhmm! We were super excited & didn't really care that they were closed.

This was the perfect ending to an awesome day in NYC! :)

Stay tuned..one more day left!

In Christ,

Whitney

NYC Day 4

2011-03-29T09:31:00.001-07:00

{Start at the beginning: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3}

Day 4 of the trip:

Woke up, got ready for the day, ate breakfast, went to the church for worship & to hear an awesome man's testimony of how Christ radically saved him & redeemed him from a life full of perverse sin & wretchedness.

Day 4 was called "HIV Awareness Day" for City Uprising. We recieved our instructions of how to minister to the New Yorkers in the best way possible, especially when dealing with such a touchy subject in quite a few lives.

At first, I think that most of us were pretty scared about this one. Who really wants to go up to someone & tell them to go & get tested for HIV? But as I sat under Pastor Freddy & other members of the church, I heard the facts. How if one person was to go & get tested, then it could save multiples from getting this awful disease.

We took off with about 110 HIV cards each to different places around the city. My travel group for this day included me, Matt (the New Yorker), Josh, Mr. Jeff, Emily & Cody. On the back of the HIV cards were several different clinics listed. That way the people could easily find & access places who are ready to test that day.

After we visited a clinic that was nearby the church, we took off to a subway station. Spent a little bit of time there but we weren't getting as many people as we would if we had gone to a busier spot. After lunch, we broke in half & went to opposite ends of Penn Station to the subway stops. After a couple of hours, we were finally finished and the "do you know your status?" question was over.

Pray for the people of NYC.

Matt & Josh, standing & waiting at our first subway stop. (As you can see, this place wasn't as busy as Penn Station would be.)

Our view for the day ;)

Afterwards, we all headed back to the hotel to freshen up & get ready for dinner & the "Arts Engagement Project." Remember Day 2? When we invited people & told them that we were doing the survey for the AEP, this is what that was about. Basically, it was a way for people to come & see different artwork featured at the church in the "Salt Space" as well as see the many, many surveys posted all around the gallery.

We ate dinner at..you guessed it..a barbeque restaurant ;) It was pretty good--didn't try the "sweet tea", though. ;)

It was rainy/cold ALL week long. My coat and umbrella quickly became my best friends ;)

Here's a picture of what the 4th floor looked like at the church. Those pink sheets were the surveys & all together--they look pretty cool! :) If you look closely, you can see framed photos on the walls. Almost every team had a photographer with them so that after people answered the 2 questions, they could have their photo taken to go towards the Arts Engagement Project. (Basically, another way to get people to come to the show..so that they could see their picture & possibly take it home.)

Abby & I at the show :)

Matt (the New Yorker! haha) & I :)

Overall, this day was also a blast & a learning/growing experience for our whole group. We were forced to get out of our comfort zones & do something to honor & glorify God! It was truly amazing!

Stayed tuned for more! ;)

In Christ,

Whitney

NYC Day 3

2011-03-29T09:30:00.003-07:00

{If you haven't read Day 1, click here & if you haven't read Day 2, click here.}

Day 3 in New York City for City Uprising was a.ton.of.fun.

We started the day out at the church for worship & then started packing 10,000 bags full of an invite to the church & a granola bar. Yes, ten thousand. Our mission was to stand on the street corners & say to the people of New York walking by, "free granola bar?" or, "free granola bar!"..which ever way you wanted ;) This was probably the day that I enjoyed the most. People were so receptive to the granola bar..especially the "free" part.

People would walk right past us, turn around & say, "you said free?" & "of course!" was my response with a granola bar & invitation already in their hand. :)

It was so go, go, go on my corner of Broadway & 20-something that I didn't have time to whip out my phone to take a picture of our other team members going at it. It took us all about 2 hours to pass out all 10,000 of them. Some people asked what it was for, where the church was & that was awesome. Others would take the granola bar & you would see the invite on the ground or in a trashcan on down the block. Pray for those invites sitting on the New Yorkers counters, wondering if they should attend the Gallery Church or not.

After we passed out tons of invites & g-bars, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner..which was at Hill Country Chicken. We couldn't get away from our southern food for too long ;)

After dinner some of us went to Times Square & the rest of the group went to the Empire State Building to see the view of the city. Both were amazing!

On the way to Times Square, we saw some production & filming going on for a movie..walked down & asked some of the cast what was going on..they said that the Producer also made The Sopranos..so that was pretty neat. :) Mrs. Jeannie said that one of the actors looked familiar, but, hm, I think she made that up. ;)

Spiderman, who was definitely...Chinese.

Elmo..my main man!

Shopping :)

Day 3 was great. Some people had the opportunity to share a lot about why we were there. Divine appointments, for sure!

Stay tuned for Day 4 (Day 3 of City Uprising) of our trip!

In Christ,

Whitney

NYC Day 2

2011-03-29T09:30:00.001-07:00

{If you haven't read Day 1 of City Uprising, click here.}

On Day 2 of City Uprising we took off to different areas of the island & walked around saying, "Hey! We're working with an Arts Engagement Project & we're wondering if you could help us answer a few questions..?"

Sometimes before we could even make it to the questions, we were totally ignored, totally looked at like we were crazy or told in complete English after a long pause, "...I don't speak English." Um, suure.

But most of the time, people stopped & agreed.

Those two questions were "what are you doing tomorrow?" & "what would you do today if there were no tomorrow?" Honestly, I don't think you would even believe some of the answers we got. Some are the opposite of appropriate & I will not be posting them on my blog. :)

The main purpose of the 'survey' was to get people to atleast *think* about eternity and to see where the hearts of the people that surround the Gallery Church stand.

Some answers were, "Oh yeah, I'd probably call my parents & loved ones & tell them that I love them." or the complete opposite, "I'd walk my dog all day & then eat icecream." Some people even answered, "I would probably still go to work."

I'd have to say that most of the responses were pretty sad. People don't have Jesus.

I was paired up with Josh & as we were walking around the 2nd floor of Manhattan's Mall we asked each other, "well, what would YOU do?"..we both agreed that we would share the gospel to our lost family members. Josh made the statement that we know that we should be doing this everyday & be praying for them..but we fall short. This really challenged me & changed my outlook. We're not promised tomorrow.

We never had the opportunity to share our testimony, or the gospel with anyone but we did tell people about the church & I think we even handed out some tracts.

After the surveys, we headed back to the the church to debrief with what went on that day, then headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We broke into our mission-teams & headed to dinner with members of the church. Some groups got to go into the homes of the church members but others went out to eat to restaurants..my group went to La Corsa, which was Italian & it was SUPER good! The lasagna was to-die-for. :) After spending several hours in Harlem, we finally made it back to the hotel after a very long & eventful day.

Me & the NYPD in Grand Central Station :)

Yes, these are singing male 'nuns' in Grand Central..

This is the view from one of the church member's apartment..stunning!

Anna & I were getting a tad bit delirious.. ;)

Our room...minus Mrs. Cindy!

Stay tuned for Day 3!

In Christ,

Whitney

NYC Day 1

2011-03-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm not even really sure where to begin but I must start somewhere. This mission trip to New York City with 30 other members of my church was completely amazing. God worked in each & every one of our lives & hearts & it was incredible. When people asked me how the trip went, I flip-flopped from "amazing!" to "awesome!"..because I can't just pick one. The trip was THAT good. Probably the best one that I've been on--definitely a God thing. Christ was working on Day 1 & even Pastor Freddy T. Wyatt agreed. He mentioned to us on more than one occasion that he felt that maybe since it was a smaller group & we had a certain intimacy that the larger groups for City Uprising hadn't experienced..or the fact that God was working & each of us was seeking for His will & heart intently for the week.

Some of you are thinking...huh? Sorry. For several weeks a group from my home church has been preparing for a mission trip to New York City during our Spring Break. About a 1/3 of the group were highschool aged students, a 1/3 young adults & the other 1/3 "full grown" adults. ;)

We started and completed a 7-week course that readied us for this journey. God's work in us started then, to prepare us for this past week in a city much larger than Keystone Heights :) As a group of 31, we read "What is The Gospel?" by Greg Gilbert & we learned so much. God, Man, Christ, Response. That is the gospel. I am thankful for this.

Without the gospel, we fail. In witnessing, without the gospel, we would be at a loss & people would continue to have no hope. We would have no hope. Thank you, Jesus, for your truth!

Finally the countdown to the trip was over, it was 7AM on Sunday morning & we were getting ready to head to the airport. Circled up for prayer, we continued to ask for God to show up & show out (He did!), God's hedge of protection around our group, traveling mercies, and for lost souls to be saved.

Me with Matt & Erin on the plane :) This was Matt's first time flying..I think he liked it ;)

Anna on the plane :)

Our hotel, the Gershwin.

This is called art. Art is freaky.

Round the corner that our hotel was on & you can see this beauty, Empire State Building:

We jumped on a bus that took us to the hotel, quickly checked in our rooms, went downstairs to the lobby area to scarf down pizza & then headed to Gallery Church for worship & to start off the week..the night of worship & an amazing message from Pastor Freddy was just what we needed..just what I needed!

After the trip, several of us were asked "what were you expecting to get out of this trip going into it?"..honestly, I didn't know what to expect. God got ahold of my heart on Sunday night in an extra special way & quickly confirmed why we were there. People NEED Jesus & His saving power..they NEED Him. I have Him & I am commanded to go & share with others. In the words of my Dad, "what part of that did you not understand?"..it's a commandment. We can be so stupid at times.

On the way to the hotel that afternoon, we passed a cemetery. Not just any cemetery, this one was PACKED. With people who lived life & too quickly it was ended. My heart breaks at this picture. How many of these people are going to spend an eternity in hell because they refused Christ & His gospel? Or worse, how many of these people were never clearly told the gospel by believers? God knew we would pass this site on the first day we arrived. In His plan, for sure.

After amazing songs, a message & great fellowship with our new New York friends, we all headed back to the hotel. Riiight after we made a stop at our new favorite place, Cafe 28. Located on 28th street, this place became our new best friend! ;) After we bought way too many snacks, we headed back to the hotel to rest up for Day 2 of our trip..stay tuned!

In Christ,

Whitney

Life in Pictures

2011-03-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

Here's what I've been up to..taking pictures in school with adorable people, attending baseball games, going to Wendy's, having a "dress" day at school with cute girls & just having way too much fun in the process! I don't wanna grow up ;)

I love my life & I am so blessed!

XOXO,

Whit

And She...Snapped ;)

2011-03-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

It's wedding season, y'all! People are in love & we are documenting it! This past weekend Mrs. Pam & I headed out to shoot Michael Dean & Amanda's beautiful wedding at the Rodman House in Palatka. :)

Exciting news: I am shooting my very first wedding on March 26th with Amy Buchanan as my second shooter! I am SUPER excited & can't wait :) I've been photographing weddings since June 2009, but this is my first one as lead & it's a really awesome opportunity to be able to say that I did so at age 16.

Ready to shoot! {iPhone photos}

Eating fresh before a long day ;)

Rodman House

Bride & Groom

Bridal party

Here is a picture of Randi, me & Cortney..two previous brides! These two seriously are some of the SWEETEST girls I have ever met & they're two of my favorites ;)

More blog posts coming tonight..stay tuned! :)

Spring Must-Haves

2011-03-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

I'm in a serious case of cute shoe-envy.

There are just too many out there & the closest mall is 45+ minutes away.

Boo.

So, I figured I would just share some of my favorites from my all-time favorite store, Forever 21 with you ;)

Enjoy the adorableness!

. . .

Some adorable braided sandals ;)

Some girls love & some girls hate. I'm a lover of the wedge.

And heels. A girls best friend.

Hehe! Weekend post coming up soon!

In Christ,

Whitney

Ready for Summertime

2011-03-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

I took this with my iPhone on Tuesday, about late afternoon in my front yard. I just LOVE sunsets. God is such an amazing artist. My Dad was outside working on his tractor & I just walked outside to just be outside & to see what he was up to.

Nights like those remind me of summertime. I am beyond ready for nights that last 'till 8PM with sunlight, late evening walks, warm weather & more sunsets like this one.

Hope you all had a great Thursday!

I missed the gym this morning so I am about to head down there. Gotta fit it in someway!

In Christ,

Whitney

Weekend Recap

2011-03-01T09:43:00.001-08:00

This past weekend I went to Keystone's baseball game against our rivalry school..Bradford :)

We WON, of course ;) Hmm..about the score..yeah, don't remember. :)

Saturday night was Miss KHHS and the ladies that participated represented the class of 2012 so well! These pictures below of Shelby & I crack me up!

Miss Brianna Starling was crowned Miss KHHS and I think the judges made a fabulous choice!

Love this girl & she will do such a good job during her "reign." :)

Jordan, looking beautiful as always! :)

Love me some Morgan & Emma!

Jeff & Storm..the escorts for the evening :)

Mel, winner of Interview :)

Morgan, most talented :)

Some of us girls also in the class of 2012..cheering on our ladies! :)

Crystal & I after the pageant at Morgan's! :)

Hope you all had a great weekend!

In Christ,

Whitney

Long Weekend

2011-02-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

This past holiday weekend was great! I so enjoyed getting 2 days off from school & the 2 days from the weekend. Breaks are nice & this one was needed. So needed I couldn't handle being in class much longer that I checked out at 4th period on Thursday. Wasn't feeling good & we weren't doing much..sue me. :)

Friday, I babysat two very awesome boys while their Mama shopped! :) Friday night, some friends & I went over to Lake Butler to hang out with Chad, Amber & James for the evening..we had a great time!...shooting each other with marshmallows. Good times, good times.

I *really* hope I don't lose my life over posting this on the ole blog ;) Amber, you crack me up!!

Saturday, we had Easter Pageant choir practice at church and after that I went shopping in Jacksonville with some great girls :)

And say "HELLUR!" to my 2 favorite things ever. Which happen to be RIGHT next to each other in this mall..I was definitely being a creeper-tourist while stopping to take this picture.

After a much needed girls night with food & shopping came Sunday--also much needed! Church is so good. God is so good. I just love Sundays and the rest and "rehabilitation", if you will, that they provide.

Monday was President's Day and we had off..sooo, I hung out with some friends over in Starke..Dick's Wings for lunch was a must & so was a random Wal*Mart run..also, laying out soaking up some sun was thrown in the mix too! :) I loooved this weekend!

Eating at Dick's Wings

Dyllan & Alek :)

This picture makes me SO ready for summer..like you don't even KNOW.

I love these girls soooo much!

Sad that we had to end such a fun day :(

Ha! :) Hope you all had a great, safe weekend! Love you all!

In Christ,

Whitney

Weight Watchers - 4 Weeks

2011-02-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone :)

Mondays are the days that I weigh in & as of this past Monday (2/14) it marked 1 month of doing Weight Watchers.

I have lost 12.5 lbs!! I am super happy about those numbers for one month of counting my points, portion control & exercising at the gym.. when they say it is a "lifestyle change", they're so right! People tell me that I'm like a Weight Watchers spokesperson now..ha!

I don't think I could ever go back to just eating something & not thinking about how many fat grams are in it ;) It's a sickness..a good sickness though!

If you're reading this & wondering more about the Weight Watchers program or just have questions..seriously, ask me!

I will do my best to give you my personal experience & what I have learned works best in just this one month.

In Christ,

Whitney

BINGO!

2011-02-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

HELLOOOOOOOOOOO! (Say that like Mrs. Doubtfire does in the fabulous, Mrs. Doubtfire) ;) And if you have never seen that movie, get off the Internet now & go watch it. Twice.

Sorry that I am just now getting to my weekly update..on Thursday. I am atleast trying to blog on Mondays & update about my weekly plans, what happened over the weekend, etc..but this past Monday I was busy serving at a banquet for the Senior Adults in my church. Picture with me now--elderly people dressed in pink & red all ready to party the night away at a church function..to start off the night, I yelled, "BINGO!".. ha. Just kidding. ;) I did spill a drink though. That was fun..and cold.

But lets back up a couple of days, shall we? A week ago today I was serving at another banquet..for our town's new Pregnancy Crisis Center.."Answers"..such a humbling experience to see our town come together for such a great cause..such as the right to life!

Moving on to the 2nd banquet out of 3 in 5 days..

Sunday after both of our morning services, the group that is going to NYC for our mission trip during Spring Break held a fundraiser banquet for the members of our church..we raised about $2,500 & it was a great success! The baked ziti was super yummy too :)

The fabulous New York Skyline :)

Okay, fast forward to Monday..Valentine's Day, my brother's 21st birthday, school, & you guessed it..the 3rd banquet that I helped at!

My best friend, Larissa, got me flowers for V-day! How sweet is she :)

This party was hoppin'! ;)

Today completes the school week for me. Hooray for 4-day weekends! Tomorrow is a student/teacher holiday & of course Monday is President's Day & we have it off as well. I love mini-breaks! This week has been pretty good..minus the part of being sick and all :/

Hope y'all enjoy your weekend! I know I will :)

In Christ,

Whitney

Super Fun Weekend :)

2011-02-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a BLAST! :) Seriously, a TON of fun! I got my hair cut & highlighted, went to one of my best friend's 18th birthday party where we rode 4-wheelers with a bunch of country boys, then went back to Haley's & spent the night with her..and with church the next day, it was one I'll remember for awhile :)

Shelby & I before we got DIRTY!

The beautiful birthday girl :)

Most of the group :)

The best out there ;)

Eating supper :)

The group!

Smores with the birthday girl! :)

After the party, a few of us went back to Haley's & hung out.. here's proof that white boys can't dance. ;) But Dyllan & Jamie sure did try!

Ready for church :)

Finishing up her birthday weekend at church!

Hope you all had a fun & safe weekend! Love you all! :)

In Christ,

Whitney

My Monday

2011-01-31T14:52:00.000-08:00

Wellllll call me cray-zee but this morning at 5:15AM, I went with my Mom to the gym to work out BEFORE school. I know right? Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with me either.

I would love to tell you that I felt energized ALL day long, sang happy songs at the top of my lungs, came to school with a huge smile on my face & actually wanted to do work--but, neither of those were the case. I did feel alert throughout the morning but as the day went on, I began to get pretty sleepy. Maybe it's because I went to bed at midnight last night? Yes, probably. ;)

I am really excited to fit this into my morning routine, though. This morning I walked a mile on the treadmill for 20 minutes at 3MPH, biked for 10 & did some machines. And it was nice to have already drank a bottle of water before even going to school this morning.

(Sorry, I don't have a picture of me going to the gym--it was 5:15AM &, uh, no.) :)

School was school. We sat in desks, wrote some stuff down & then went to the next class. :) It's always a wonderful experience! ;) I then came home & took a nap, woke up to do chores & I am now running back in forth between this post & stirring the stir-fry. (Clever are those people who named such things.)

My Mama & I made a DELICIOUS meal :) Salmon with lemon, cauliflower, squash, broccoli, mushrooms, red onion & zucchini. Salmon is one of my favorite foods ever--I always order it at The Cheesecake Factory when we go.

(Yay for iPhone pics!)

Random:

When I find a new song that I love, I tend to listen to it over and over again. And over.

Well, as I sit here & type this to you, I am listening to my new favorite song.

Wonder of the Cross by Vicky Beeching is such a GOOD song--I just love it.

The lyrics ring so true and her God-given voice is a blessing! Go listen to it, here.

Replay is my best friend. :)

For Spring Break this year, about 30 of us from my church are going to New York City & linking up with the Gallery Church in order to spread the gospel and do the work that Christ has ordered us to do. I am *so* excited.

As part of our 7-week training, we are required to read "What is the Gospel" by Greg Gilbert in order to make sure that we are all ready to be able to better understand what we believe, so we can share it to the best of our ability.

Please join me in prayer for the next 50+ days as we prepare for our trip. (More posts soon about this topic.)

I hope you are all doing GREAT! :)

In Christ,

Whitney

WW Week 1 Report

2011-01-29T06:59:00.000-08:00

Meet my new best friend.

Week 1 of Weight Watchers went REALLY well! It's a competition & I kinda like it ;)

Week 1's total weight loss: 7 lbs :)

{I am pretty happy with that number for only one week! I will weigh in on Mondays so Week 2 isn't quite over yet..}

Mood: I'm feeling pretty accomplished & knowing that this is getting me on the right track to being healthier.

Last Friday, Kaylee, Larissa & I went for a walk! Our walk lasted about an hour & we walked a total of 4 miles. The weather was kinda chilly but I'd take that over sweating to death :) Hopefully we'll get in a regular routine soon with these walks.

^ Pure entertainment. :)

In Christ,

Whitney

Abby's Birthday!

2011-01-25T16:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday was my dear friend, Abby's Sweet 14! ;) Saturday night, a few of us girls headed over to her house for dinner, cake, presents, a sleepover & to just celebrate the life that the Lord has given her!

It was nice to get together & hang out..and the facials & manicures were a plus too! ;)

I love this sweet girl & I am so glad she's one of my best friends!

Birthday girl :)

Facials & manicures!

The girls!

On Sunday (her actual birthday) we went to Johnny's for lunch to celebrate some more! ;)

In Christ,

Whitney

My Comfort or His Kingdom?

2011-01-23T18:25:00.000-08:00

It's so easy for all of us to fall into this sin. The sin of a proud heart and selfish ambition. Tonight after a special service focused on prayer for revival at church, I felt convicted. Every single day do I wake up, only to pick up my cross & follow Him? The answer? No.

I am a dirty sinner. I am in need of a Savior. By the sweet grace of God, His son died for me & saved my nasty-ness. He loves me and I spit in His glorious face everyday with my mean thoughts, judgmental attitude & sinful nature.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

By His grace, we have food to eat every day, we have clothes to wear, and we have a roof over our heads or cars to drive.

{Lord, thank You for who You are. And You will never forsake me in my weaknesses. You're worthy of all the glory and honor and praise. Forever and ever. Amen.}

In Christ,

Whitney

Abby's New Blog

2011-01-19T13:21:00.000-08:00

My sweet friend, Abby, has a new blog! :)

Check it out--her posts are great. I had the best time helping her design her blog--it seriously is way fun! :) I tend to live kinda vicariously through her..such a girly girl but I love it. :)

I am also going to be posting more photos from the session where this above shot was taken soon..myself, Abby, Kaylee & Kelly went out & I had the opportunity to capture their inner AND outer beauty..love it! :)

In Christ,

Whitney

My Monday

2011-01-17T18:24:00.000-08:00

Was a GOOD Monday! :)

{Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by the way as well :)}

I had intentions to hang out with some friends today but those fell through. So, instead, I slept 'till a whopping 7:45AM! (That, sadly, is sleeping in for this public schooler who wakes up at 6 or earlier every morning for said public school.)

I then proceeded to eat breakfast, catch up on my wonderful Tweeps & Facebookers, clean my room, eat lunch, clean (and I mean DEEP CLEAN) 2 out of 3 bathrooms, take a shower, & then drive to Oakleaf to go grocery shopping at Publix with my Mama!

And may I add, that I absolutely LOVE the Publix over there! It is sooo nice & clean. And that did it for me. You know, it's just so hard these days for public places to be..um.. nice and clean. ;)

Today I also signed up for Weight Watchers along with my friend, Kaylee. I am excited! :) The Points Plus program is so easy to use & I was surrounded by some other friends this weekend who are also doing the program. They made it seem like a ton of fun & it really is like a competative challenge..I'm ready for it! :) I figure I will use my blog as another accountability source to use as well.

I am just ready to be in better shape & be healthier. I'm usually not one for "New Years Resolutions" but I guess you could call this that.. :)

{Insert random picture of me & Shelby from last night here. . . .}

Hope you are all doing well & I hope that y'all have a great week! I know I will, even if all day tomorrow I think it is Monday.. :)

In Christ,

Whitney

Early Christmas Morning

2010-12-29T13:49:00.000-08:00

IT'S OFFICIALLY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas, everyone! And Happy Birthday to Jesus Christ & my Granny! :)

It's 12:30AM as I sit here & type this and I really hope you all wake up after some good rest and are able to enjoy opening presents, good Christmas food & just the joy of Christ's birth surrounding you.

I am very thankful for my family, friends, and life in general.

Life is sweet.

Goodnight!

In Christ,

Whitney

Kaylee's New Blog

2010-12-28T23:10:00.001-08:00

Kaylee asked me to help her design her new blog. I LOVE doing that sort of thing, so of course, I jumped all over that! The header of her blog comes from a shoot that she & I did along with some other girls that I will be showing you soon!

I hope you will add her blog to your daily/weekly reads because I have a feeling some great and HILARIOUS topics will come from this girl. She is a dear friend of mine and I am excited that there is now something to share with all of you about her :)

Click to start the first chapter. . .

Story of Kaylee's Life

{P.S. My friend, Abby, also has a new blog & photos to go along with it. I will posting about hers soon & the photos from our shoot.}

In Christ,

Whitney

My 2010

2010-12-22T22:49:00.000-08:00

This 2010 has been great! It's hard to recall ALL of the memories, but that's what pictures are for! ;) Here's a blog post about each month & what stuck out to me the most in that month.

January:

Shelby celebrated her Sweet 16!

February:

Had 5th period History with Natalie :)

March:

Shot 3 weddings, attended tons of baseball games & celebrated Larissa's Sweet 16!

April:

My church, Trinity Baptist, hosted our annual Easter Pageant & the Strength Team visited us for a week.

May:

Did a mini-photoshoot with Ms. Pam on the side of the road in Lake Butler. Just real life, my frands. Shot one of my favorite wedding images ever at Joe & Cortney's wedding on the 8th.

June:

Youth luau & CrossOver Orlando mission trip.

I can explain this picture..we had to pick up TONS of cardboard and well, I found this entertaining.. :)

July:

Was a SUPER fun month. Just sayin'. Long summer nights with my best friends ever = the best memories ever. This past summer was the best one I've ever had. Attended Go Tell camp and had a blasty blast. Several trips to the Ichetucknee river were a must have too.

August:

Family vacation + Miranda to Tennessee & ended my Sophomore year with a big sha-bang!

September:

The month that flew by so quickly. Football season was kicked off (punny?!) & the month where I decided to do something drastic to my hairstyle.

November:

Only the best month e v e r ; ) I celebrated my Sweet 16 and it was so sweet. Homecoming Week & Thanksgiving were thrown in there somewhere too.

December:

Attended a wedding as a guest, went to Christmas parties, celebrated the real reason for Christmas/Granny's birthday and enjoyed time with family. Hung out with friends all Christmas break & just been relaxing, enjoying the end of 2010.

Granny's Birthday Cake

This was harder than I thought--so hard to narrow down some of my favorite pictures of the overall month. Yes, we did shoot more than a few weddings this year I just didn't showcase each & every wedding...yet ;)

This year has been absolutely wonderful and the Lord has blessed me tremendously. I challenge you to reflect on your 2010, you may be suprised at how good you had it.

In Christ,

Whitney

Christmas Party

2010-12-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

I was invited over to my best friend's house for her family's annual Christmas party. We had yummy food, exchanged our Christmas presents to one another & played 'Dirty Santa.' :)

I am surrounded by so much joy this Christmas and it's overwhelming. I love all the people that God has placed in my life and am so blessed. Over these past several months, I have sought for relationships with people that glorify the Lord & as I look around this Christmas, I am truly thankful for godly friendship. It's a big deal & I treasure each and every one of them.

I have realized that friendships come and go, but the ones with the Lord at the center, seem to stay. It takes two to work at it, but with His help, you can't go wrong. My friends mean a LOT to me and I love each and every one of them dearly.

Larissa and I both got Snuggies in the game :)

In Christ,

Whitney

Oody Family Session

2010-12-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity several weeks ago to photograph this beautiful family for Christmas. The Dad is my Mom's boss & we have known this sweet family for years.

Chance :)

Jace..he totally loved my camera :)

Sweet Annabeth

He was so sweet..he asked me if he could take a picture with just Annabeth.. umm, of course! :)

I LOVED this family session.. but I really love this..

The Christmas card! This is the first time my images have been printed on a Christmas card for all to see & keep forever! ;) It was pretty exciting when I saw it. LOVE my job! :)

In Christ,

-Whitney

'Tis the Season!

2010-12-07T11:15:00.001-08:00

Happy Christmas Season, everyone! I love this time of year. I am a huge fan of the cooler temperatures, the cute scarves & boots, and (most of the time) happier people! ;) It's just a great time of year. I am keeping busy with family, friends, events & school. Semester exams are next week and this week we are reviewing in all of my classes. Do you know how hard it is to remember something that we learned in August/September? Lord, give me knowledge!

. . .

I love this outfit. Chunky jewelry is my fav and darker colors turned chic are

way-stinkin-super-cute.

A chilly day after school in the car :) Love these two!

To start off my December month, I attended a wedding as a guest! I can't even tell you when the last time I was a true guest at a wedding. The theme of this December 4th wedding was Winter Wonderland--sooo cute and the weather was just right! I still took some pictures at this one for the groom's Mom, but shh ;) It was nice to be able to watch other photographers & how they work. It was also nice to be one of the first ones to the reception instead of one of the last ones ;) Weddings are a huge favorite in my book. I just love love!

Aj & Amy's first dance ♥

Jason, Larissa & I at the reception :) Aj, the groom, is Larissa's oldest brother & she was one of Amy's bridesmaids.

The next wedding that Mrs. Pam & I shoot will be on New Years Eve (cool, huh?!) so we get a little break from weddings during the Christmas season.

Hope you are all doing well!

In Christ,

Whitney

Christmas Cookie Cookbook

2010-12-01T09:52:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love love love computers, cameras, cell phones, or just any type of technology. Always have. Even as a little girl, I just adored boxes of cool machinery that can make things work. So, of course, every year that I have been a student at KHHS, I have taken a computer course as an elective. This year, I am in Digital Design II.

It's a pretty easy class & pretty fun too. My teacher, Mr. Holt, aka, Holtage assigned Haley & I an assignment the other day. The assignment was to create this year's Christmas Cookie Cookbook for the teachers. Students were to create the cover, the teacher chose their favorite one, and Haley and I were to design the book itself & edit the recipes in cookbook fashion. Took us several days, along with using some of our other classes to get it finished (but we didn't mind.;)

Here is a picture of our workspace..Haley, hard at work :)

After typing every single ingredient & direction, picking out font style/size, and trying to figure out why the dang Table of Contents wouldn't print, we finally were finished! :)

The final cover, made by Alicia :)

A sample of what the recipes look like on the inside :)

The best part of the whole book ;)

I really enjoy doing projects like this. Makes you feel like you've actually accomplished something! Hopefully the teachers will make something yummy out of it for their families this Christmas :)

Youth Reward Trip to Disney World

2010-12-01T09:49:00.001-08:00

Our youth group began a Thirst Discipleship program earlier on in the year where we had to attend check meetings, recite scripture from memory, complete daily quiet times for the week, attend choir, take notes in each service, etc. We all completed these mandatory assignments & off we went to Disney World for the weekend right before Thanksgiving break! :)

. . .

{Here's our weekend..through iPhone pictures :)}

This sign gets me so excited :)

Disney at Christmastime = my favorite!

Anna & I about to ride Space Mountain :)

All the girls :)

We ate lunch..and this was our view :)

Castle :)

"Scared" about riding Thunder Mountain ;)

They were worried about Space Mountain ;)

And this picture below CRACKS ME UP!!

After a very long, fun & magical day at Magic Kingdom, we stayed at Disney's All Star Sports resort..and here is a picture of our room..

The next morning, we went to 'Give Kids the World' and were able to serve families who come to stay at GKTW with their terminally ill child/children. Really an awesome place and this was a highlight of the trip for me. Myself and some other members of our group were able to help serve food, greet, clean up, help the families with whatever they needed, etc in this cute little Gingerbread House :) Such an awesome opportunity.

After a long day at Disney World and an early morning at GKTW, we went back to our rooms & took a nap/hung out & rested. That afternoon, we all got back on the bus & went to DISNEY QUEST!!! Loved Disney Quest!! It was such a blast and SO dang cool!

Anna & I waiting to go inside to play some virtual reality games ;)

After 2 days of some serious fun, expensive food, hilarious inside jokes, it was time to head home. But of course, we had to make a stop at Bass Pro Shops ;) Myself, Abby & Emily inside the happiest place on earth.. ;)

Overall, it was a great trip! We all had a great time, minus some getting sick..but that's a given with a big group..we all managed to stay safe & make some awesome memories! Can't wait 'till the next trip..love Disney!

Love you all!

In Christ,

Whitney

Sweet 16 Party

2010-12-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

I blogged earlier about my birthday along with some other things but never got a chance to blog about my party! It was a SMASHING success! Haha, other than the cake, but that is gone now anyways. :)

Last year I had a HUGE party, it was fun and all but I didn't really get to enjoy one-on-one time with as many people as I had wanted to, so that was a bummer. So, this year I knew that I wanted it to be smaller & more intimate--just at the house.

People arrived, we hugged, exchanged hello's, ate chili, nacho cheese dip (that my Mom makes and it is AMAZING!), hotdogs, cake & icecream, cupcakes, etc. :) It was a grand time & I really enjoyed myself! Thank you to all who were able to make it, your gifts & just you being there. I LOVE each and every one of you and I am so thankful for you!

Yummy & cute cupcakes :)

Some of the girls!

The gal pals ;)

Emily :)

Emily & Abby :)

Crazy girls!

Shelby & Kaylee :)

Cakes fall, oh well! :)

My aunt, Heather & Abby :)

Opening presents :)

Remember that post? Well, my awesome brother BOUGHT THAT BAG FOR ME!! I just luuuuurve Betsey Johnson! ;)

Overall, I had a GREAT birthday..month ;) I was showered with lots of love and gifts from those around me. Love you all!

Failure x 10

2010-11-29T19:02:00.000-08:00

So I had every good intention of writing a new blog post & I had the idea that I wanted a cute little Christmas background to cheer up all my readers (if I even have any), you know, just to spice things up a bit. And probably talk more about Pumpkin Spice (punny?!) from Starbucks and my unfailing love for it. But, of course, I EPICLY FAILED & kinda ruined my blog and stuff.

Ugh.

Thoughts attacked me about just completely deleting good ole Proverbs 31:30 and starting a new, fresh blog (yet again) but I'm just not feeling it. Atleast not until something HUGE happens in my life or something, like starting college, you know. Or, until I feel like it.

I think I am just going to say bye-bye to the larger pictures (it was nice for a change & still is, but I totally butchered all the codes & things..good goin, Whit..) and stick with the classic Blog style..

who.even.knows.this.is.just.a.blog.

One day, i will have my own website .com and this post will make me laugh.

Signing off before i mess up anything else,
the messed up blogger

My Birthday Day/Pow Wow/End of Homecoming Week

2010-11-08T16:53:00.000-08:00

My birthday fell on Pow Wow (a night full of skits from each class, introduction of Homecoming court, Senior Sweethearts, so on and so forth. . ) this year. I had a GREAT birthday this year and I felt so blessed to be surrounded by such fabulous friends who showered me with songs, lots of love, candy, gifts, food, and a very awesome video. . (. . which will come later. .) ;)

Lets just start with photos from "Whitney Eve" as my friends called it:

Night before my birthday me and some of my close friends went to Wendy's to eat after our Wednesday night youth service--and that's always way more than fun.

Anna and myself at Wendy's!

Mrs. Pam texted me that night and said that she had left me my present by the door and when I got home, this is what I found!

Urban Decay eye shadow kit (loooove!), one of the newest Vera's along with accessories (also another loooooove!) Thank you so much again!!! :)

Actual birthday:

Larissa suprised me with a caramel Frappe from McDonalds hidden in my locker & Kaylee had decorated it all! Love both of them so much. (Forgot to photograph the beautiful locker decor)

It was Homecoming week which means some pretty crazy days at school..so this picture is of me and Brittany, who dressed up as Mr. Boger, our English teacher & fit the description EXACTLY :)

Staci decided to be different and dress up as Mrs. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus :)

Gorgeous Beka (our Junior representative) & I at Pow Wow

Shelby & I at Pow Wow

The Junior skit crew :) I love these people! Our skit was AWESOME & we totally rocked it.

Day After:

Our Homecoming game was on Friday and we played Umatilla :) Beat them but it was the looooooooongest game of my life. Fun times, though :)

Me, Matt, Beka & Natalie :)

Beka & I again :)

Crystal, the Homecoming Queen and I :)

Overall, my birthday & homecoming week was awesome! I love my school, friends & family so much. I'm having a birthday party this Saturday, November 13th, so that is why this post is labeled as part "Birthday Day" :)

Hope you all are having a great week!

In Christ,

Whit

What's in the Bag?

2010-11-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

I saw this on someone else's blog & I thought it was a really cute post. :) So, what's in my bag? You are about to find out!

1.) Nine West purse from Belk

2.) Yellow makeup bag and I'm not really sure where I got that from :)

3.) Pink Mary Kay bag in which I keep my pens and pencils in for school because I have found that I lose them often if I don't have a specific place for them :)

4.) Glasses from the eye doctor ;)

5.) Brown wallet from For Love

6.) Hairbrush from CVS

7.) Bobby pins from CVS

8.) Flash drive from Wal*Mart

9.) Eclipse gum & peppermint from CVS

10.) Viva La Juicy roll-on perfume from Sephora

11.) Sweet Pea lotion from Bath & Body Works

12.) Lip gloss from Gap

13.) Germ-X from CVS

14.) Purell hand-wipey-thingy from Chick-Fil-A (love them!)

15.) Sunglasses from Bealls Outlet

16.) Headphones from Apple :)

And that's what is in my purse on a regular basis! :) You should blog a post like this--it's fun!

My Recent Life in Pictures

2010-11-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

Our Junior hallway for Homecoming week is finally complete! I think us girls did a fabulous job and it all payed off with all the time & effort that we put into tracing each individual football player, tracing each football, applying lots of glitter, taking projects home to finish them, etc. :) Good job, ladies!

This is a photo of the book that I just finished reading on the left and the book that my best friend, Larissa, is currently reading. Karen Kingsbury is THE BEST christian author. Her style of writing is right up my alley and she connects to her readers! I finished her book in 4 days and am now moved on the to the next one :) My Mom bought me three of her books last Christmas but I guess it took me awhile to finally dive into them and now I'm hooked! Definitely pick up a copy if you're looking for something WAY good!

This purse is my absolute favorite. Betsey Johnson = LOVE! Everytime I walk into Buckle, this just stares right at me. Love it! :)

'Tis the season for holiday Starbucks frappuccino's! :) They just make life that much better! I look forward to the day where I can pull up into the drive-thru & see Pumpkin Spice back along with Peppermint White Mocha. yeahitisaproblem.

Well, that pretty much sums up some of what I've been about/around/into :) I'm also just proud of myself for blogging on a normal basis here lately! Hopefully I can keep it up. What are some things that you would like to see blogged? :)

In Christ,

Whitney

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

This 'holiday' is just a fun one for me & my friends who just want to dress up, hang out & eat lots of candy. My friend, Shelby, had her annual Halloween party and it was a lot of fun just like always!

Shelby as a pirate :)

Taylor as Little Red Riding Hood :)

Courtney as a firefighter :)

Chelsea as an indian :)

And Logan & I who decided to dress like ourselves this year ;)

I've Been Tagged :)

2010-10-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Anna tagged me in a question/answer post! Such a fun post to get tagged in, because now I get to answer 7 questions that Anna asked me, and then in turn, I get to tag 7 other bloggers and ask 7 new questions :)

My 7 questions are:

1. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
~ If I could live anywhere in the world it would probably be in the mountains somewhere! I just LOVE that weather, but I would want my family to be with me. :)

2.What is your favorite book of the Bible and why?
~ My favorite book of the Bible is Proverbs, obviously ;) It is all about wisdom & I just do not think that we can ever get enough of it.

3. Which season is your favorite and why?
~ My favorite season is Fall because I love the colors, the weather, and just everything about it. Candles, pumpkin pies & new sweaters are just about the best things ever.

4. If you could trade places with anyone for one day who would it be and why?
~ Probably Jasmine Star, a photographer in California. She is amazing and I love her work. I would trade places with her for a day just to see how she shoots, edits, her workflow, etc.

5. What is your favorite thing to cook or bake?
~ Umm, good question. NEXT ;) Haha, just kidding! How about what meal is your favorite to help prepare? Definitely dinner! :)

6. If you where given a $1000 dollars where and what would you spend it on?
~ Probably camera equipment or shoes. :)

7. Who is your Favorite football team and why?
~ I have grown up around the Gators, but I honestly do not care all that much..so whoever! ;)

The people I tag are whoever else wants to do this :) Try it, it's fun!

Your 7 questions are:

1) What is your most prized possession and why?

2) If you could think of the perfect date, what would that be like?

3) Favorite flower and why?

4) What is your favorite book and why?

5) Funniest childhood memory you can think of?

6) Best day of the week and why?

7) Favorite piece of clothing and why?

Hope you all have fun with this like I did! Thanks Anna for tagging me. :)

October 2010 ~ School

2010-10-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

Well, we finished our first quarter of the school year! Those last couple days are always hectic with trying to get all of our missing assignments in & finish up late work, etc. Report cards will go out soon and I am pretty positive that I did well. :) Homecoming week is quickly approaching and our class is getting ready!

Here are some photos of the progress we have been making as we decorate our hallway:

Pow Wow (our night full of skits & just a lot of Indian pride is on my birthday this year! ;) it's going to be AWESOME this year for our class. We have been getting together quite a bit and finally got to record our skit the other day after school. I am one of the narrators. I love my class! We all get along so well & most of us have grown up together. The following day is our Homecoming game and I hope we win! The dance is that Saturday but I am not attending this year. I'll be shooting a wedding with Pam Saxon instead and I am excited about that.

(More blog posts to come!)

Every Season

2010-09-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

I love change. From the small things to the big things! Our youth group recently started our discipleship program called "Thirst". As we learn the disciplines of what it means to be followers of Christ, I am challenged. If I am doing this for our reward trip at the end of the year, I need to reevaluate. I searched my heart and I truly want to follow God's will for my life and I am so in love with Him and His word. We must attend 10 out of the 11 weeks, take notes in the services, memorize scripture each week & recite, do our daily devotions, go to choir, etc. Our reward trip is in November to Disney/Disney Quest for a few days, but that is beside the point. Join with me in prayer for the determined youth that want to do this and the ones that do not want to do it & that we will all truly have a heart for discipleship and not for the fun.

Lord, continue to reevaluate my heart. Make my priorities, Your priorities.

This Saturday morning I went off to my local hair salon & decided to get my haircut! My theory on hair is that if you don't like it, it will grow back but you should always go for it. I totally trust my hair stylist, Danielle, and she always does an awesome job on my hair. I just love it & the change. :)

As we are approaching the new fall season, I am reminded of these songs, "Every Season" by Nichole Nordeman and "Make Me Over" by Natalie Grant. Refresh your heart, mind, and soul this season! Be made over by Christ. Take this new season & be renewed.

"Make me over, make me new, make me a mirror, a reflection of You, take me all apart, take me to Your heart, and pull me closer, oh Jesus, make me over.."

In Christ,
Whitney

Junior Year

2010-09-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

As I sit here and type out facts about how my Junior Year has been, I am amazed that I am already a Junior. We're talking 11th grade, people. For some reason, this school year has been different and this different is a good thing. My classes still feel like school and work, but it just has a different feel to it. Maybe more grown up than in the past. We take a lot of notes in most of my classes, but I'm okay with that. I feel like I am going to learn more this year than ever before and I am more than excited about this school year. My teachers are very educated & very intelligent individuals. I actually look forward to school and not just because my friends are there! :) Spanish 2 is going to be my most difficult course this year, probably because I don't speak it ;)

I love high school. I really and genuinely do. I love these years and I try to stay aware that these are possibly some of the best years of my life. I will not take them for granted and I will enjoy myself as much as possible with my family & friends!

Sweet Summertime 2010

2010-07-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

First beach trip of the summer :)

Babysitting :)

CrossOver Orlando Mission Trip :)

TSM Luau "Team Turquoise" :)

Ichetucknee river trip with friends :)

Ichetucknee with Larissa :)

Tubing with Miranda on Lake Sante Fe :)

Random hang out times :)

This summer has been AMAZING! I am loving my time off from school! I've been pretty busy but it's a good busy :) Hanging out with great great great friends and I'm LOVING it! Not looking forward to school, but I know when the time comes, Junior year will be great! :)

Robbie and Rachel

2010-07-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

Say "hello!" to my very first engagement session! (They're my fav!) Robbie, Rachel, Miranda & I ventured out to the local Gold Head State Park! These two make an adorable couple and I wish only the best for them in the future! Their wedding date is set for September 4th of this year and I know it's going to be beautiful!

Rachel is DROP DEAD GORGEOUS!

These two are SO much fun! :)

Blogging From the iPad

2010-05-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

The iPad is awesome :) Right now I'm on the new iPad at the Apple store at the St. John's Town Center! Talk about modern day? Anyway, just because I can! :)

My Top 5

2010-05-22T10:05:00.001-07:00

What are your top 5 things in your life RIGHT now that you just love? 5 things that you adoooore :) Life is too short not to appreciate life itself everyday. I am constantly reminded of this fact so I'm taking time to "smell the roses" and they're delightful.

Well, here are mine:

1) The colors brown, pink & teal. Especially in weddings. And cakes. There's something about this combination of colors that just gets me excited and when I see them together, I take a second look. Love is an understatement.

(Taken from Google)

2) The Lauren Conrad braid. Never seen The Hills and do not know who Lauren Conrad is? Well, she's gorgeous and I love the "LC Braid." Kinda hard to do now that I got my haircut short, but it's still a huge fabulous favorite! :)

(Taken from Google)

3) My NEW fabulous camera bag that Pam Saxon got for me :) It's THE perfect camera bag and I am so excited to use it! To make our partner-shooting in weddings even more fabulous, we're both going to be sporting this bag. It's just too cute for words and I looove it!

4) Nice-ness and good ole southern hospitality. Lately, I am noticing more and more who cares and who doesn't. I won't rant. I just really appreciate manners and it's important.

5) Manicures. :)

(Mine and Miranda's nails at this year's Homecoming)

Now I am going to enjoy this beautiful Saturday afternoon outside and watching Lion King 1/2 :)