Randomness

I guess things are slowing down for me a bit after the holidays- I've seen yet another movie that I LOVED.

I rented this one last night- and it was so good! I will warn you- there is not a single man in the movie. Not even in the background- it is 100% women! I watched it with Zach, who was a good sport about it, but I kind of wished I had seen it with one of my girlfriends. Seriously, ladies- go rent it!
Next, anyone who knows me well knows there are few things I love as much as being cuddled up under a blanket. In fact, I have often wished that it would not be socially awkward to keep blankets in your offices and work places. If I had it my way- I would be under a blanket all day long. It doesn't matter what time of year it is- I LOVE them.

So- when I saw this infomercial, I got SO excited. When it came on, I grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.. and I must have had a look of excitement in my eyes- because Zach just looked at me and simply said, "No, Liz... No."

Marley and Me

I think it was good that Zach and I went to see Bolt last weekend- it geared us up for this movie...

If you have a dog, have ever had a dog, want a dog, or have ever loved a dog- you MUST see this movie.

You Can Take the Girls Out of 7th Grade...

... But you can't take the 7th grade out of the girls!

A few months ago, I posted a blog post on my relationship with these two girls. At least once a year, Laurie comes in town from Seattle and we all try to get together to catch up and talk. It's always so interesting to see how far we've come and where life has brought us individually. It's pretty cool how we all know that no matter how different we may become or how far we may end up- the three of us will always share something so uniquely special. I believe these are the kind of friendships that don't come along often enough; the kind that defy location or circumstance. This year, Laurie couldn't make it to Memphis, so Joanna and I took a short roadtrip down to Grenada, MS.

It was INSANELY windy all day long and Jo and I had to weather through tornado watches and thunderstorms on our way home- but it was worth every second. Of course, it didn't take much to get in touch with our inner 13-year-old selves... as can be seen from the pictures below.


These pictures crack me up! We found the most hideous, painted wall in Grenada and set the tripod up in front of it. We REALLY wanted a jumping picture. I don't know if you've ever tried to jump to a 10-second timer- but it is apparently NOT easy. Here are 3 of our 10-million attempts.

"I think we jumped a little too early that time, guys"
"Oh, Liz- you had it, but we were too slow. Let's do it one more time"

"Ok, that's just going to have to work."A few more pictures of our dorkiness..

Shackelford Family Christmas

Some pictures from the Shackelford Family Christmas...

I LOVE this picture of Tori and Lee- opening their Christmas present from Tami and Dan. A date on the Memphis Riverboat!

A Better World

So, my friend, JR, posted this on his blog earlier and it was news to me- so I thought I would pass it along to my network of people.

If you're consistently spending time on Amazon, or buying books online (like me), check out this website.

A Better World provides you with most of the books you'll find on Amazon- but will also send a portion of your money to address literacy problems around the world.

The following part is from their website...

"Better World Books collects and sells books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. With more than two million new and used titles in stock, we’re a self-sustaining, triple-bottom-line company that creates social, economic and environmental value for all our stakeholders. "

My new favorite movie

Sydney really, really, really, really wanted to go see the Movie "Bolt" this weekend. I'm not much of a cartoon movie kind of person. I generally tend to lean more towards the Hannah Montana and High School Musical scene (I'm not kidding), so I, of course, did not have my hopes up high.

But, this movie was SOOOOO good I haven't been able to stop talking about it. If you have a dog, want a dog, or have ever loved a dog- you need to see this movie.

Oh, and if you do see this movie and then you start to think you're completely lame because you actually tear up at the movie- don't worry- you're not alone.

Christmas in Cape: Part 2

Some pictures from our weekend trip...

Ok, so I know that Syd will probably KILL me in a few years for this picture, but I couldn't resist. When Zach put her to bed on Friday night, she asked if she could wake up with a present next to her. We laid this Hannah Montana outfit next to her early that morning. This was her as she woke up to her new gift from Tori! One thing we learned this weekend- Syd is most definitely NOT a morning person.


Our big gift to Syd this year was a guitar. Syd rocked out for us all weekend.






Zach took this picture this afternoon with his new Blackberry Storm. I was actually really impressed with the quality of the picture. I loved the light coming through the window.

Syd's Design Her Girls

So, Syd and I stayed up late last night, plaing around on the design her girls website, designing people on the computer. Sydney wanted me to blog about her images, so here they are!



This is Sydney with her Dad. Syd thought it would be funny to put a blonde beard on her dad!

This is Liz and Dad. Syd picked out our outfits. She said we were going out, and that Daddy wanted to dress up and Liz wanted to stay casual.

Sounds about right. This is Syd's teacher, Mrs. Seavers. Zach and I have never met Mrs. Seavers, but Syd says this looks exactly like her.

Christmas in Cape

I have officially started counting down. Ok, well technically, I started counting down two months ago when we set the date for our Christmas with Syd. But right now, we are 27 hours and 53 minutes from the beginning of our Christmas Slumber Party Weekend with Sydney!

Zach and I are leaving immediately after work tomorrow night and will spend Friday-Sunday in a hotel in Cape Girardeau (with Sydney) to celebrate Christmas. This trip is MONUMENTAL in so many ways.

This is the first time Syd will be sleeping over with Zach since she was a baby. This trip is one of two weekend trips that we will be taking before Syd starts spending periodic weekends with us here in Memphis!!! This is something that Zach and I have been praying for, and praying for, and praying for, and praying for FOR YEARS now! Her first weekend visit to Memphis will be in April.

It's been a long journey to get to this point, with plenty of ups and downs- but Zach and I know now, more than ever, that God answers prayers.

Ready or not, Syd... it's going to be a FANTASTIC weekend!!
A lot of people have been asking about the weather in Cape, ever since the miniature ice storm earlier this week. I've attached the forecast for all the mothers and grandmothers out there who have expressed concerns. It looks like we don't have much to worry about.

The Love Dare

Zach and I went with a group of friends to see "Fireproof" on Saturday. My thoughts on the movie:

It was a little cheezy and the acting was pretty bad. I also thought it was a tad one-sided, indicating that it is mostly the husband's responsibility to change the tone of a marriage. However, that may have just been because of this specific plot.

BUT- once you get past that, the wisdom that is offered to married couples is much-needed in today's society. It serves as a reminder that marriages are often idealized into someting that was never intended by God. It's a reminder that marriages can't be successful without patience and selflessness... two things I need to work on badly.

All that to say, Zach and I have decided to embark on this 40-day journey... The Love Dare.

Here's is what is on the back of the book...

"Unconditional love is eagerly promised at weddings, but rarely practiced in real life. As a result, romantic hopes are often replaced with disappointment in the home. But it doesn't have to stay that way.

The Love Dare is a 40-day challenge for husbands and wives to understand and practice unconditional love. Whether your marriage is hanging on by a thread or healthy and strong, The Love Dare is a journey you need to take. It's time to learn the keys to finding true intimacy and developing a dynamic marriage. Take the dare!"

Well, Zach and I are FAR from "hanging on by a thread," but we are also far from perfect. So, today- we're on Day 1. Our challenge today is avoiding saying anything negative to your spouse. So far, so good. :)

I'm eager to see what the next 39 days bring!

This is my my first Holiday Season as a photographer- and I'm definitely feeling what all my photographer friends have been talking about! I am swamped with tons of last-minute sessions, editing, Christmas Card Designing, CDs-- Aghh!! It's a little overwhelming, but I actually am LOVING it!

I'm doing my best to keep up and PROMISE that all of my clients will have their stuff on time, but unfortunately- my blogging is taking a little hit.

I just had to pause for a brief minute to show a little love to my hubbie who has been SO wonderful these past few days. He's been cooking all week long, cleaning the house, washing and folding clothes, grocery shopping, and even breaking to give me an occasional footrub (ok that happened after massive amounts of whining and begging on my part- but hey, I'll take what I can get).

I love you baby! I know this picture is old- so I'm thinking we should get out our Christmas decorations this weekend after Bama beats up on Florida.

All I want for Christmas is YOU! :)