To Capture the Moment

 Photo taken by Laurel Powell

I love the moments in-between shots. The ones that happen naturally, unposed and vulnerable. Our true selves not prepared for the lens. I find myself releasing my shutter constantly while I shoot, just to capture those moments. I don't look for them, mostly I concentrate on getting a great shot, but by taking two or three pictures on either side of the intended I find these moments when I go back and look. These moments grab my heart, these moments tell the story.

California Knows Coffee

Am and I met Laurel in Santa Monica one afternoon. We ate a late lunch at the library, found some fun things at the thrift store (including a chevron striped dress that I love), and ducked into a little bakery for some hot chocolate when the spontaneous rain found us.

 Beth and I got up early one morning for breakfast here. Isn't that little cream elephant to die for? 

This is how I love Bethany the most--we both kinda rolled out of bed that morning. She is AMAZING and it was so refreshing to talk with her. Just like my favorite mornings on Wilson Street.

 French toast, granola, strawberries--does life get any better?? Oh yeah, coffee.

J.C. Beans in Dana Point with my soontobe brother and sisters. They spoiled me all weekend with their time and birthday presents. We laughed and talked for a few hours here before going to pick up some great dinner down the street.  

Thanks friends!!

Things I Love About

Texas.

1. My fiance lives in Texas.
2. It rains and gets foggy in Texas.
3. My bed.
4. The sky, the sky is absolutely bigger and more blue.
5. Our house is full of warmth, Christmas and family.
6. Gas is under 3.00 a gallon in Texas.
7. The air is clean.
8. I can dress however I want and not get funny looks.
9. There is space enough to garden there.
10.

Miss you guys.

11. Texas doesn't know a thing about traffic. 

Christmas Smells Sweet

This rainy afternoon I went and baked Christmas cookies with a friend. She lives in one of those amazing homes with crown molding, old hardwood floors, a cozy sage-green clad kitchen--home to two baby bunnies and a pup named Taquito-- and fantastic windows. We baked shortbread and coffee cookies, decorated sugar cookies and munched on cheese, crackers, prosciutto and raspberries.

It was lovely to talk with the girls and not have to make mocha backups or Caramel Macchiatos. To have an intelligent conversation without stopping for a costumer or a coffee timer. I made these cookies and they turned out great! I changed the recipe a little at the end, and dipped them in dark chocolate.

Coffee Bean Cookies

ingredients:

2 tsp instant coffee (please use Starbucks VIA)

2 tbsp milk

3/4 cups butter, softened

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

process:

1. Combine the coffee crystals and milk. Stir until the coffee crystals are dissolved; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, vanilla, and milk-coffee mixture. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in four with the mixer.

3. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

4. Shape dough into 1 -inch balls. Shape each ball into an oval. Press the thin edge of a wooden spoon into the top of each so they resemble coffee beans. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 350 for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned.

Their bunnies names are Asterisk and Ampersand, how lovely is that?

Happy December!

James is apart of a decorating project at work, and was sent home with this little bread man to decorate. With his limited amount of time and love for sleep, I was more keen to tackle the assignment.

Look!

I love him.

Rhythm

I recently took some family portraits here, and just bursting to show you. But all in good time. 

We've definitely got a rhythm going here. Finally, it's been so long in anticipation. As a result of me working as hard as I can at Starbucks I've earned the right to a set schedule. Working from 4am to 10am means I have the afternoons open to wedding plan, visit with friends, and work on the ever growing To-Do list. Sometimes I feel like that thing has a life of it's own. James and I work the same schedule at night and often carpool to work in New Braunfels. Just the twenty minute car ride each way makes up for the days when I can't see him at all. As soon as I get home at night I crawl in bed to get some sleep before my alarm goes off at 3:10. 

Okay... 3:25. 

Rhythm is a good word. The house I live in operates on one. It's hard to say schedule, because there is not a schedule. However the morning has it's pace, the dishwasher gets unloaded in the morning and runs at night, it's quiet here at some point every afternoon about 2:00. The laundry comes and goes as do the crowd of people each Saturday night after Zach comes over to wash the floor. I get up early knowing I'll be back to take a nap in the afternoon. 

It's getting cold again, the rhythm I like best.  

Hurrahing in Harvest

 Caleb's smile pumpkin, isn't he perfect?

Thomas and Beth in their matching soccer shirts. They rock.

Something was funny...

My owl pumpkin! With lots of help from James. 

There has been a lot of fall around here lately-- these pictures are from a few weeks ago. This week we had a fresh box of produce delivered from a group of local farmers. It was full of butternut squash, apples, grapefruit, pears, basil, lettuce and everything was delicious. The trees are nothing like Maryland this time of year, but there are some turning and spreading color on the ground. It's rainy today and as I sit inside working on all things wedding it feels cozy and I am blessed not to have to work until later today.

I'm soaking up the fall while it lasts. My dad reported that it is already snowing at our home in Northern California, and Starbucks has definitely proclaimed it is now the Christmas season. We are in full swing today for Thanksgiving, beginning the preparations to have a huge family day here. Beth is teaching me how to have a houseful of people over always. My intro courses, Cleaning Everything In One Afternoon 101 and Boiling Noodles For 15, I've mastered and now we're moving onto the important things.

Delicious Turkey Dinner for Twenty.

Future

I received an information packet today from  Emerson College in Boston. Master of Arts in Publishing and Writing. I mean, just check out these classes...

My desire to go is immense.

Celebrate Wilson!

Wilson, how old are you?

Choo choo!! I attended Wilson's 2 years old birthday party Friday. Megan did a fantastic job with the train theme! (With colorful pennant banners, yes!) There were train sets out for the kids, 'smores to roast over the firepit, and unending conversations among friends. For dinner she made some of the best soup and chili I have ever tasted, complete with grilled cheese and pb&j for the kids. It was perfect to celebrate with them and so many friends in our community. Wilson and family recently moved to San Antonio and it already feels like they have lived here always. This last picture is one I love--Ms. Jodi is a beautiful part of our family and it was so lovely to see her there.

It was a joy to celebrate such a sweet boy.

Happy Birthday Wilson!

An Update of Sorts

Wilson and Z. Caleb on a beautiful fall day at the park in San Antonio.

This morning I'm sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking out of the pot of coffee Thomas made (I told him I only wanted one cup, I guess the rest is for him) with the cool grey light from the cool fall day coming in through the window behind me. I got up this morning to be on time to work at 4am, only to arrive and realize I wasn't actually scheduled to work today.

But who isn't happy when they get to go back home, get cozy in bed, and start the day over?

The effort to balance my life between two jobs, planning a wedding, an application to gradschool, and involvement in my current community (not to mention those I've previously invested in) has proved quite a challenge as of late. I work in the early mornings and evenings and all day on the weekends--this leaves most of my afternoons free. I think my only saving grace is that James has about the same schedule as well. We've started carpooling to work.

Lots of parties around here lately. Pumpkin carving parties, birthday parties, hang-out-and-play-dominoes parties, community parties. I feel like I've settled into here a little more in the last week. Looking around last night as our whole church community was gathered together I felt incredibly thankful for everyone I was with, and the life they bring.

Beth, Levi, Alina, Sarah, Wilson and Megan. Yaay special friends!