capture2011 :: no. 194 :: 9.30.11 :: sleepyhead

this is my almost-two-month-old nephew isaac. he likes to have his hand by his face and make little fussing noises while he sleeps. kind of like purring. it is pretty cute.

capture2011 :: no. 193 :: 9.28.11 :: note to self

weed before september 28 next year——especially if those weeds include little maple trees growing through the rocks!

and while we are talking about those maples . . . as i was clawing, digging, and yanking up those persistent roots, i thought of so many biblical parallels to sin. those roots were strong, twisted, and deep, just like the roots of sin in my heart. and even though i had passed by those weeds behind our house so many times, i kept on thinking "i'll pull them out later." well, waiting meant that those weeds just had time to grow deeper. so as i weeded yesterday, i prayed that God would open my eyes to see my sin and deal with it now, instead of letting it grab a tighter hold in my life and become harder to deal with later. i attended a funeral this week for a high school friend who passed away, and one of the speakers reminded me that Jesus died so that my mind would be renewed. i am so thankful for a God and Savior who changes hearts, minds, and lives.

capture2011 :: no. 192 :: 9.25.11 :: sunday morning walk

going to the evening church service means we can take hour-long walks on sunday mornings. or sleep in. it depends on the day. :)

capture2011 :: no. 191 :: 9.25.11 :: shadow play

shopping with the girls

yesterday, my mom, sister, and i took a little shopping trip to the nicollet mall. it was a cool, crisp day and it was so sweet to catch up with them over shopping, lunch, and farmers market-ing. we even ran into a few friends who were attending the desiring God national conference at the convention center nearby.

capture2011 :: no. 188 :: 9.24.11 :: the posse

lovely ladies. and so stylish!

capture2011 :: no. 189 :: 9.24.11 :: free toilets

apparently taking a picture of a public bathroom is not beneath me——especially when it looks like this one at macy's. what colors! what amazing marble tile! and all in great shape. very deco, very cool. there was even text etched into the marble that said "free toilets." was it a common practice in years past to have to pay for the restroom?

capture2011 :: no. 190 :: 9.24.11 :: nature's bounty

i like the purple/white/purple/white pattern going on here. a little hometown football pride? too bad the vikings just blew a lead and lost. again.

on a side note: i realize i haven't posted anything other than capture2011 shots in a long time. if you like this blog for home projects, stay tuned! i finished a few things recently (and not so recently) that i can share. thanks for sticking around!

capture2011 :: no. 187 :: 9.22.11 :: chillaxing

ben has been extremely busy at work. he is helping to start a new business venture and has been working at home in the evenings. i think ben and i are the types who need to be home more than other people (we don't thrive on busy-ness), so i haven't minded our quiet evenings one bit. i think the cooler weather also contributes to the desire to stay in and nest. don't you?

AND may i note how much i love my insulated straw cup? five bucks or so at herberger's. i am very hydrated.

capture2011 :: no. 186 :: 9.21.11 :: new music tuesday

do you know thrice? their new album came out yesterday, and i can't stop listening to this track. i'm still breaking in the new album, but i think it will be a winner. i'm so amazed at lead singer dustin kensrue's ability to share the Gospel in unconventional lyrics using tremendously interesting music. (in addition to thrice and solo albums, he leads worship at mars hill.) we got to see thrice live during their last tour and it was one of the best shows i've attended. do yourself a favor and give 'em a listen!

capture2011 :: no. 185 :: 9.17.11 :: ice cream and ayn rand

a quiet saturday night.

capture2011 :: no. 184 :: 9.15.11 :: my namesake

oh, the dahlias. uh-mazing.

capture2011 :: no. 183 :: 9.15.11 :: the "uff-da palace"

on thursday, my friend cindy and i visited the minnesota landscape arboretum. this piece of art, the "uff-da palace," was out in front. cindy and i agreed that pictures can't capture how cool this thing is——it was made from branches and sticks and there are actual rooms inside. it was a fun start to our flower-gazing trip.

capture2011 :: no. 182 :: 9.12.11 :: she's here!

baby imogen. safe and sound.

capture2011 :: no. 181 :: 9.11.11 :: new frontiers

niece hannah is almost walking by herself now! and lauren had done hannah's hair in little pigtails. i melted.

and speaking of nieces . . . ben's brother matt and his wife christa are scheduled to be induced tomorrow morning! christa has had a tough pregnancy (bed rest for ten weeks!). we are praying for a safe and smooth delivery tomorrow. will you pray, too?

capture2011 :: no. 180 :: 9.10.11:: our river birch

i like this tree and its white, peeling bark.

capture2011 :: no. 179 :: 9.10.11:: don't you think daisies are the friendliest flowers?

why yes, kathleen kelly, i do.

capture2011 :: no. 178 :: 9.8.11 :: pantry purge

many, many expired items. a lifetime supply of ramen. a few new meal ideas. and a crooked smile from a box of rice. overall, a success.

capture2011 :: no. 177 :: 9.7.11 :: back in the saddle again

after taking some time off at the end of the summer, i'm taking freelance editorial projects again. i had a proofread this week. oh red pens, wite-out, and cms, i did miss you!

capture2011 :: no. 176 :: 9.4.11 :: maggie and isaac

a proper photo of my nephew isaac, awake and alert! we visited on sunday afternoon and got to spend some precious time with this little guy. my, they change so much in those first few weeks.

so easy to get behind

it was almost 6pm on saturday, and i still needed to take three pictures for the week. why do i procrastinate so?

at the time, we were at ben's parents' property dropping off a borrowed truck and some yard supplies. we weren't in a hurry, so we explored a bit. ben grew up on that farm and spent countless hours doing chores and playing in the woods around the house. plus, we got married right in the backyard overlooking the pond. it is a special place. ben showed me some of the trees he used to climb and we saw lots of antique farm equipment that his dad has collected.

i didn't have my slr, but ben had his phone in his pocket, which pinch hit for me so that i could meet my goal for the week.

capture2011 :: no. 73 :: 9.3.11 :: nostalgia

capture2011 :: no. 74 :: 9.3.11 :: the garden shed

capture2011 :: no. 75 :: 9.3.11 :: tree down

i should have had ben in the picture for scale. this huge tree was rotted through and fell over. is it weird that i think tree stumps are interesting? maybe it is just because i am anxious for my plants to grow, but i wonder how long it took for that tree to grow so big. years and years and years. remember learning to count the rings in elementary school to learn the tree's age?

capture2011 :: no. 172 :: 9.1.11:: i saw some rhizomes today

have you ever seen the roots of an iris? they are so amazing! they look like little knobby potatoes.

my yard work took me to the side of the house today, which is where these lovely irises lived. see them in bloom here. they were planted right near the window well, so i needed to move them and give them more space. i grabbed a hand spade but didn't really know what to expect. i was surprised to see such a shallow root system considering the height of the plant, but the roots were strong! and i could see all sorts of little sprouts with teeny-tiny blades shooting up to make new plants. new life!

i stepped back and thanked God for the tilt-a-whirl moment of wide-eyed wonder in experiencing His spoken world.