New Blog!

Hi friends!

I'm happy to announce that my new blog site is up and running. From now on you can keep up with all that is going on at www.kristin-j.com/blog. Let me know what you think! I love hearing your thoughts!

Keep On Keeping On

I'm back! True confession time: I have not been a good blogger. I know it and I'm sorry. I don't know what it is, maybe the summer heat, that has made it unusually hard for me to settle back into my daily/weekly routine after being out of town a few weeks ago. I've been feeling just a little blah and had creativity blockage (yes, it's a term) when I think about sitting down to type. Even today.

I have been shooting, but am having to keep a couple of my sessions top-secret for a few weeks before posting them. With no pictures to blog, I've been left to my thoughts and wondering if anyone really cares to hear about what book I'm reading, my trip to the lake last weekend, the new dress I bought, or what I've been eating for lunch.

So, to combat my recent lack of inspiration and creativity, I'm going to keep plowing on. I'm going to answer my e-mails, make the decisions that need to be made and learn how-the-heck to set up my new blog site (that will hopefully be coming soon). I may make chocolate chip cookies for brain food and for the man next door who kindly brings my trash can up from the road every week. After all this, I'll leave tonight to go hang out with high school students from church who will make me smile. Ultimately, I'll settle into the pages of my new J. Crew magazine that arrived in the mail today (my favorite go-to for shooting inspiration) and I'll be excited to get out and have some fun with my camera!

Until then, just in case anyone does want to know: I've been reading The Gospel in Life by Tim Kellar - completely challenging my thoughts on how I "do church". My trip to the lake last Saturday was amazing! I haven't tried to ski since high school and didn't plan to get up, but I did! I'm planning on a turkey sandwich for lunch, and... I got a new dress that I'm hoping will keep me cool at this weekend's wedding!

Follow me, Find me, Join me, Like me

Hi friends! I just wanted to let you know about another opportunity to follow what is going on at Kristin J. Portraiture. You can now "like" Kristin J. Portraiture on Facebook and stay up-to-date with the latest news and pictures of your friends and family! I'm cooking up a fun contest, so you'll want to make sure you're in-the-know!

You can join me on Facebook by clicking here.

And, as always, you can find me on Twitter here. It still kind of amazes me that 10 years ago we didn't talk in this language! I know, that makes me sound old. I promise I'm not!

Lessons from Last Week

Hello! I know I'm a little behind on blogging. Last week I was in Estes Park, CO with Fellowship Student Ministries. Every year, the high school students at Fellowship take to the mountains for a week of refreshing time with the Lord and good summer fun at Ravencrest. It was great to be able to spend some time with cell group girls and get to know them a little better! As always, Colorado was beautiful. I absolutely fell in love with gorgeous Estes Park and was reminded, once again, of the majesty of the Creator.

Monday (our first full day at camp) we had a little adventure that I was not prepared for. My 16 year old brother, Luke, went out caving with his group. He was the caboose of the group and, partway through the cave, got stuck in a place that required some tricky maneuvering. At first, it didn't seem like a big deal. People have gotten stuck there and are usually out within 30 minutes or so. This time, we weren't so lucky. They tried for several hours to get him free and eventually had to call emergency services and search and rescue to assist. After a looong afternoon and evening, Luke was out of the cave and down off the mountain at 8:30p after being stuck for 8 1/2 hours! You can't imagine my relief once he got down to the bottom. He was doing well, a little shaken up and strapped down with harnesses, IV's, oxygen and the works. We went to the ER that night and spent the next 24 hours in the hospital so that the doctors and nurses could keep a close eye on him.

Through all of this craziness, not surprisingly, the Lord showed Himself incredibly faithful and sovereign. There were many people praying and MANY prayers were answered very specifically. Just a few of our answered prayers:

1. A friend prayed that Luke would be out and down from the mountain by 8:30p (before it started to get dark and cold - low's in the 30's). We looked at the clock the moment his stretcher touched the pavement and it was 8:30 on the dot!

2. This may be kind of silly, but was a direct answer for me and showed me that God was there caring for the little details. I was having a moment of worry and was trying to form a prayer in my head. I said, "Lord, I just don't know what to do... I need a hug." At that exact moment, someone put their arms around me a gave me a huge hug without me saying a word to them. It's the little things...

3. Finances are taken care of. No worries on hospital bills, search and rescue etc. So thankful.

4. Luke's ok!!! The obvious answer to prayer. We were so blessed with incredibly skilled and KIND search and rescue workers, police officers, and hospital doctors and staff. They are awesome!

I won't go into all of the specific provisions and ways we saw the Lord at work, there are too many to count. I'll just say that it was incredible to experience Him in this real and personal way through answered prayers and His Word. It was good for me to be reminded that He is my strength, provider, and the ONLY thing that I need.

Thank you so much for your prayers for us last week and standing up on Luke's behalf. If you think about it, we would appreciate your continued prayers. Luke has some nerve damage in his right arm which is preventing him from being able to use his hand. The doctor said that it should return to normal, but may take a month or two. It's a little frustrating to him as he's right handed and not able to use it much at all for even the most basic tasks.

I'm excited to be back at the office this week working on some fun pictures and projects. Give me a call if I can do anything for you!

** On a side note, if you're interested in going to Bible school, you might look into Ravencrest. Ravencrest is one of 26 international Bible schools founded by Torchbearers International. They are the real deal for good solid teaching and instruction in the Word.

Fayetteville Engagement: Sarah & Ryan

Oh my, what a fun engagement shoot! Sarah and Ryan called me earlier this year to photograph their wedding this fall. After discussing several locations for engagement shoots, we decided to go out to Ryan's family farm in Greenland. His family owns 300+ acres of land, so we had no shortage of gorgeous scenery to choose from. There is so much that I love about this shoot: the location, the light, the green, the dirt road and farm equipment, the horses, and, of course, the sweetest couple I could have hoped for!

Sarah and Ryan, I had a blast with you last weekend! Thanks for being such good sports and putting up with the heat. It was totally worth it! I can't wait for your wedding in November (and maybe a little horseback riding in the future :) )!

A special thanks goes to Christy at Shabby Chic Salon in Farmington for doing a fabulous job with Sarah's hair!

Morrilton Wedding: Jenna & Seth

Good morning! I can't believe it's already Friday! The week has flown by!

Jenna and Seth got married June 12, 2010 in Morrilton, AR and I can't think of a better way to end the week than to show you a few pictures from their wedding! One of my favorite things about working with Jenna was that she truly decided to make me her friend. I frequently received text messages and e-mails saying hi and checking in to see how I was doing and telling me funning stories of wedding planning... I LOVED it! I didn't meet Seth until the day of the wedding and he quickly made me feel welcome. On a side note, a few guys in the bridal party decided to get even and turn their cameras on me. Those pictures will forever stay in the archive if I have anything to say about it :)

Jenna and Seth, I loved getting to know you and had a blast at your wedding. Thanks so much for letting me be a part of your special day. I hope you had a wonderful time in Maui!

Enjoy the story of their day.

I love the pink that Jenna's bridesmaids are wearing... so fun and cheerful!

Portrait time! It was hot, but we were so glad the sun was shining!

A sweet glance to Mom while walking down the aisle. Doesn't Jenna look sooo happy?!?!

Happy First Day of Summer...

Hi everyone! Happy first (official) day of summer! I hope you had a great weekend. After lots of traveling the last few weeks, I was back in Fayetteville this weekend and soaked up every possible minute of time at the pool. The tennis club behind my house just opened up a new pool area which, literally, is just out my backdoor. I went with my friend Ruffin, who knows how to lay out with style. She came prepared with lots of magazine and a radio so that we could have a little music. Ahhh, love. We're already planning for next Sunday and thinking poolside margaritas or milkshakes may be on the agenda! Can't wait! I'm going to have to resist the temptation to sneak out there again today so that I can get some work done.

Have a great day and take a little time to enjoy some summer fun!

A little sneak peek from a wedding I will be blogging later this week...