Surfing in December

Last December Paul and I were out in sunny California. First time for me. It wasn't as sunny as I thought. :) Cold and rainy. We did enjoy a visit with Paul's grandparents in the lovely town of Oceanside. A "hoot and a holler" from the shoreline, we would walk down to it every day





One regrettable thing that happened is the loss of Paul's wedding ring. He had to jump in the water and of course it was FREEZING. So cold water + finger shrinking = no ring. :( A very sad day indeed.
RIP...
-----------------------------paulkimphotography-----------------------------

One of those days Paul rented a wet suit and decided to try his hand at surfing. I stayed safely on shore and snapped some pictures.

Here is my handsome husband:







Ending this post with silhouettes. :)

Little Nephew Joey

Back in September of last year I went to Texas to stay with my brother Joe. He lives there with his wife Bonnie and their(at the time) almost a year old little boy, Joey. I stayed about three months and loved the entire experience.

I spent alot of time with Joey. I took him on walks, read him books, gave him baths....everyone should have a nephew as adorable!

The following pictures are ones I took during my stay. With a point'n shoot :)

The last two are from a trip to Florida....still super cute kid.

Job 38

I snapped this picture on my way back from school a couple years ago. It captures the beauty of the Lord's creation.

What an AWESOME God we serve!

Job 38

"Who is this that darkens my counsel
with words without knowledge?

Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.

Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?

On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone-

while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?

"Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,

when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,

when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,

when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt'?

"Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,

that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?

The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.

The wicked are denied their light,
and their upraised arm is broken.

"Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?

Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death ?

Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.

"What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?

Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?

Surely you know, for you were already born!
You have lived so many years!

"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of the hail,

which I reserve for times of trouble,
for days of war and battle?

What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?

Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,

to water a land where no man lives,
a desert with no one in it,

to satisfy a desolate wasteland
and make it sprout with grass?

Does the rain have a father?
Who fathers the drops of dew?

From whose womb comes the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens

when the waters become hard as stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen?

"Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?
Can you loose the cords of Orion?

Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
or lead out the Bear with its cubs?

Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God's dominion over the earth?

"Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?

Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, 'Here we are'?

Who endowed the heart with wisdom
or gave understanding to the mind ?

Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens

when the dust becomes hard
and the clods of earth stick together?

"Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
and satisfy the hunger of the lions

when they crouch in their dens
or lie in wait in a thicket?

Who provides food for the raven
when its young cry out to God
and wander about for lack of food?

Ramon Noodles in a.....tree??

"Come on Mary! We are going on a hike!"

It was a cold misty January day. It had warmed up earlier this week so there were patches of dead grass poking through the snow.

I got my warmest clothes on and headed downstairs. Paul was waiting by the door with a backpack and my camera. We started out across the fields.

Here are a couple shots of us at the beginning of the trek...




Paul found some snow to play with.






Continuing on with our hike, we jumped streams, climbed fences, and reached the summit of many hills....









Looking back we could see our little house. This picture is proof that when we say "middle of nowhere" we mean it!


We had just crested the top of another hill when Paul says, "This is perfect!", and runs down to this awesome tree.

We proceeded to climb it and sat in the lowest branches. The tree had a natural well in the middle and its here where Paul made the fire. He pulled a pot, water, and some broth out of his backpack and started it boiling. Soup a tree? Nice!






When it was done we ate it out of the pot with forks. It had a really awesome smoky flavor to it.










It was just what we needed to warm us up.

Before we climbed down we poured a bunch of water over the fire.




Lets finish up with one last shot of our tree! :) Good times.

~MR

Snapshot Memory: Eleven Brothers

Growing up with eleven brothers brought its own excitement and challenges. Over all it was amazing. I loved it.

Here are some facts about how life is in a male dominated house-hold:

-There is never enough food.

-Things are constantly being
destroyed...walls, windows,
furniture...etc.


-Wrestling is a way of life.


-There are plenty of clothes
to go around.


-Mirrors are never fought for.



-"Buzz-cut" was the popular
haircut.


Here is the effect of eleven
brothers on me:

-I acquired a
mean "right
hook"


-I never wore make-up.
Didn't even know
what it was.


-I was a daddy's girl.


-Dressed like a boy.


-Was heartbroken
when I
got my first bra.


-Loved the "Girls Night Out"
with my mom.




My brothers are my best friends. I love each one. From the oldest(29) to the youngest(6). They shaped the woman I am today.Wouldn't trade my family for anything.

Oh Christmas Tree!

So we finally took it down. Yeah, I know...its a little late. But it was our first Christmas tree. I wanted to keep it for a while. :)

But if it had to go we were sending it off with a bang!

The following pictures were taken at great risk. Don't try this at home.



A little gasoline.....


A match.....


KA-BOOM!



Caleb got in on the action:


Paul joined in....

They were jumping the fire....NICE!

Here is whats left of our tree. *sniff*


Here is a group shot of the pyromaniacs....


Have a good evening. We did. :)

P.S. Today Paul and I have been married 5 months!!

Over the moon for you! :)

I was going through some pictures on the computer today. I found the ones we took on our honeymoon. We went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The beach was beautiful.

First of all we had to make it Facebook official. Of course!!

We headed down to SC the Monday after our wedding. It was an 8 hour drive. We started out pretty late so we spent the night at a hotel. Driving the next day we passed a bunch of flowers on the side of the highway. Paul made me stop and ran and got a few for me. We didn't have a vase so we stuck them in our coffee cup.

Much later we arrived. Headed to the beach first thing. Both Paul and I love the ocean. The west coast is where Paul spent most of his salt water swimming. He lived in Santa Barbara for a while before I met him. The east coast offers warmer waters(much to Paul's surprise). We spent hours there.
I love this shot of Paul. Looks like the only guy on the beach! :)


In the evenings we would sit on the beach, read the Bible, smoke a cigar, and listen to the waves. It was so peaceful.





We had an awesome week. There is nothing like the first time together. Couldn't ask for a better husband. Lord willing we will have many more weeks like this. :)

Oh......can't finish out honeymoon pictures without a kiss picture. Yeah I know....BLAH! haha....