Excuses, excuses.........

I have an appointment today. An appointment for something that has filled me with dread for over a week now. As this day has drawn closer and closer I have rationalized in my mind of countless reasons why this "appointment" just probably shouldn't take place. *sigh*

Here are some of the excuses I've concocted in my mind:

1. The weather is bad
2. (therefore) My hair is frizzy
3. I'm getting a zit on my chin
4. The cat scratched my face this morning while we were playing
5. My lipstick melted in the car
6. Let me try to stay on my diet one more week and then we'll see
7. I need to pack for our trip
8. "If you're too busy, we could just reschedule?!"
9. It was a bad idea to begin with?
10. A Dillard's gift card is a much better gift idea about now!

OK. Now, let's see who can tell me what this appointment is that I'm dreading SOOO much.

My excuses provide ample clues.

Vacation a'comin'!!

Today was officially the first day of my vacation. And I am not even ashamed to tell you that I stayed in my pajamas ALL day! It was lovely. It was divine. It was................down right fantastic! It was a dreary, rainy day. The perfect type of day to sit around in your pajamas and just enjoy relaxing. I had the entire house to myself. It was just me, the cat, the dog and a good book. Ahhhhh.....vacation!!!

Tomorrow I'll be getting everything washed and packed for our trip. We'll be heading to Orlando for the rest of the week. We'll be at Epcot on my birthday, Thursday. We'll be spending the rest of the week visiting family there and making day trips here and there.

I will be taking LOTS of pictures to document the journey, so I guess I'll see you back here next week.


Chao!

The Newly Engaged Couple

Without further ado..............................

Hope to see you again soon. I'll be posting some pictures of my niece. So much fun! Stop back by.

Let's Play A Game

Today we'll play a game called "Guess Who".

Two Saturdays ago I got to spend the day with some very special folks that are near and dear to my heart. Here are some pictures from that day. See how quickly you can guess who it is. Feel free to post your guesses. I'll be revealing the answer with more, More, MORE photos this weekend so you'll be able to check back and see if you were right!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Road Trip!

I had to go to Blakely, GA again today for some more training. I went last week and saw some really beautiful scenery and wished that I had my camera. I went prepared today! Here are a few things I saw upaire in Georgie!

I love churches. They are just beautiful to me. I really enjoy photographing churches of all sizes, shapes, styles and denominations. I especially love steeples. And the sky today couldn't have been a more perfect backdrop.

This train caught my eye on the way into Georgia this morning. It was an actual steam locomotive! Too cool! I hate that I didn't get the engine car. Sorry.

This is the Early County Court House. Very beautiful with strong character. It was neat hearing all about some of the history behind it. I dig stuff like that!

That is actually a functional wind vain that was placed there by a relative of one of my new Blakely friends!

This is an old covered bridge. It's not drivable anymore, but it sure is neat to look at.

I took this shot at the boat ramp. I just love the bright crisp greens. Won't be long before I'll need to go back and shoot it again to capture the oranges, reds and browns! Keep a look out for that update. I'm sure it will be gorgeous!

This was a special memorial to all the men and women from Blakely that served in the United States military.

There was plenty of beautiful country roads to enjoy throughout my journey today. It's so peaceful to travel those hills.

And THIS, is the Bank of Early, where I spent the day. The folks there are so great. I have really enjoyed getting to know them all. They are a great bunch to work with and I can't wait until I get to go back again!

I thought I would leave you with this serene last shot of the creek that was under the covered bridge. I wish you could hear the babbling waters as they flowed. I could have pulled up a lawn chair and stayed a while. It was absolutely wonderful.

Well, I hope you enjoyed your little virtual tour of my day.

God Bless!

Backed up and bogged down........

..........there's just GOT to be a better way!

I've been thinking about all the pictures I've been wanting to share here on my blog and then I think of the hundreds of other things I need to do too. I have decided to make exercise a priority in my life, so as I went for my walk this afternoon, I tried to organize things in my mind. I know that it all comes down to planning and sticking to the plan. So, I have decided that I will designate 60 minutes a day to the computer in the evening. This time block will include as much as I can/need to accomplish but only within that 60 minutes. In that time frame I can check and respond to emails, post to my blog, edit pictures from photo shoots, upload pictures to my Shutterfly, watch YouTube videos, Google, or whatever comes along. Paying bills, mind you, does NOT fit into this category; THANK GOODNESS!

OK, so as to not feel so overwhelmed by the months of pictures I've yet to post here, I'm going to summarize (or should I say "summer-ize" hahaha!) the summer for you all in this post. Hold on to your hat.

And...............away we go:

Back in the spring of '04 (not really, it just seems like it! It was actually the beginning of summer. Yes! THIS one!) we took a little mini vacation to Eufaula, Alabama. It was beautiful, lovely and relaxing. Here's some photos of what we saw there.

This was my view from the deck off the back of the cabin we stayed in.

Sunrise.

I sat out there on that deck every morning all by myself in the solitude, having coffee with my devotional and a nice long, leisurely visit with Him. Very, very peaceful.

Here are a couple of shots from inside one of the mansions in the historic district. They have a couple of museums with very rich history and curators are at each museum to tell you about the era, the original owners and answer any questions you might have.

Alright. That was June. Now on to July.

July was a HUGE month for the Worley family. I don't mean big OR large. I mean HUGE!!!

In the middle of July, David turned 21! WooHoo! Yeah, that's a biggy. Here are a few shots from his surprise 21st Birthday party.

Then at the end of July.......................David & Haley got engaged!!

He did it, and he did it well. He proposed in front of Cinderella's Castle at Disney World. She was totally suprised. And quite happy, I might add.

OK, that should pretty much catch you up. I have LOTS more photos to share, but that'll have to come another day. My hour here is up.

Coming soon:

More shots from Eufaula

The cutest babies ever

David & Haley's first shoot (after the engagement)

From pageant gowns and winning crowns to cowboy boots and tractor roots

Ya'll come back now...................ya hear!

I have an issue.........

Is it just me, or have you ever found yourself going and doing too much? I have a problem saying, "NO". My husband will be the first one to tell you that I can't say no when people ask me to volunteer to do something. He's told me before that I need to stand in front of a mirror and practice saying, "NO". I don't know, I just hate to disappoint people and I find it difficult to let people down. I mean, they wouldn't have asked me if they didn't really need the help, right?! Or do people ask me to do things because they are aware of my condition? (That of not being able to say no)

Anyway, I suddenly found myself busier than I need to be to stay healthy even and my calendar gagging with things to do, people to see, and to do lists galore. Has anyone else ever felt this way? Or do all of you out there take good care of yourself and discern what you should and shouldn't do? Am I the only one that goes overboard?!

Well, last week, I met myself coming as I was going. I thought I looked familiar, and sure enough as I got a little closer, I realized it was me! So, that's when I knew something had to be done. I mean, that's not healthy to meet yourself coming and going, right?! I have decided, after much prayer and soul searching, that I would release myself from some of my responsibilities. As I prayed and prayed for guidance in this matter, I suddenly felt at ease as a scripture came to mind. And when that happens I KNOW that He is talking to me and leading me. The scripture that came to mind was:

Ecclesiastes 8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.

I really believe that we are to do the work of the kingdom, but the Bible also tells us that we are to enjoy life and with that comes some time for refreshment of our bodies and our souls. It is good for us to relax some times. It is not good to always say yes if our whole heart cannot be "in it" because we are completely tired, worn out and stressed out. So, I purged some of my responsibilities and have minimized my load some and I feel so much better for it. I feel bad for letting some folks down, but I have to take care of me.

Has anyone else ever had this dilemma? Do tell. I'd like to know I'm not alone and it's not just me.

OK, enough of this. I'm off for some quality "me" time. I think I'll read a book! Ah, just the thought of that makes my soul smile!

God Bless!