tapiocapuddin

Many of you have wondered where this photography blog is that I've mentioned here and there. Well, for those of you interested, you can finally see it without having to have an e-mailed invite! It's a work in progress, but I'm making more effort in my photography business. So hop, skip, or jump on over to my site: Northern California Lifestyle Wedding Photographer!

Labels: around the web, Life, Photography

This is late, but the Desiring God 2007 Regional Conference was amazing! It was held in west Sacramento at a friend's church where it was rumored they redid the lighting just for the conference! The topic was the Pleasures of God. If you've ever heard John Piper before, you know he's an incredible speaker. He is so passionate about what he believes that it carries over to the listeners. You can tell he knows God intimately . Yet he somehow causes you to forget about him and just be delighted in and focused on God! Thankfully for all those of you who weren't able to attend, you can download the audio and video sessions! I'll be posting more pictures from the conference on my photography site.

Download Links:
Session One Audio
Session One Video

Session Two Audio
Session Two Video

Session Three Audio
Session Three Video

Q&A Audio

Labels: around the web, Free Offers, Godliness, Life, Living for God, Photography

Chenoa and I met while attending the Institute of Photographic Studies in Texas. She's from Canada, so we had fun finding out we both were Rebelutionaries! My sisters were also there for the first week of classes, but they were talking to my roommate while I said my goodbyes and got this picture taken. Miss ya girl!

Labels: Friends, Fun, Life, Photography, Vacations

I don't know how to even begin describing the past month of my life. God is incredibly wonderful to me! My family was finally able to get broadband. Now we're not sure how we ever lived without it! On top of that, my parents bought me an iPod 80GB classic! The biggest blessing though was being able to attend the Institute of Photographic Studies (IPS) in Dallas, Texas. You ever want to do the impossible? IPS was that for me. I finally had to surrender my hopes and dreams to God believing at the time that His answer to me was "no." Then almost two years later I find myself (and my sisters!) sitting in class being welcomed to a week of intense and insanely awesome classes. This doesn't even begin to tell you all that God did in my life on that trip. His goodness is overwhelming!

Labels: Godliness, Life, Living for God, Photography, Prayer Requests, Technology, Vacations

I'll be posting updates on my photography sites.

Labels: Photography

Check out what I'm doing this week. I've been living an unexpected blessing from God!

Labels: Fun, Godliness, Life, Photography, Technology

I stole this idea from Chelsea Hudson Photography awhile back and couldn't wait to use it. I'm loving how this turned out and just had to share a sneak preview! The rest will be posted on my photography site.

Labels: Friends, Fun, Photography

Just when you think you've seen God's glory displayed, He finds another way to make you gasp in awe. Lunar eclipses aren't anything new, but last night was my first time to really see one. My mom and I drove to the office parking lot in town to watch and photograph the event. It was amazing to see the moon change so drastically in such a short time! I haven't had time to Photoshop them yet, but I was so excited to see how they turned out that I just stuck them together in collages.

Labels: Life, Photography

To catch up anyone that's interested... God answered my prayers about CYIA. It was one of the best years. Everyone agreed that we had the most competent and dedicated staff ever seen. It was great working with them because they wanted to do well and took on more responsibility to do it. I was so proud of them! My classes and small group also went well. Thank you for praying.

The week before the 4th of July the Ds' mom, Cheri, had a stroke. It was scary as they could not find out right away what was wrong, and she was in a coma. My family took care of five of the children for a week as their mom was with her mom in the hospital. Cheri is now awake, but the stroke was a rare kind with devastating effects. She is aware of what is going on around her, but is unable to take care of or feed herself. She is living with the Ds while her husband makes the house wheelchair accessible. Please keep the Ds and Cheri in your prayers.

Back around January we got an e-mail from some missionary friends in South Africa inviting us camping with them. We thought it was a joke until we realized the place they mentioned was real, and they would be home this summer. My parents went camping with them way back before I was born. This time it included my sisters and me and their children's spouses and children. It was neat to spend time with them up in the redwoods at Prairie Creek. A bizarre thing was that some friends from Burney were camping there too! Just have to tell you about a hard thing we did. One morning we hiked 5-6 miles to Fern Canyon and the beach. But unless you have those extra hours to spare, driving and just hiking the 1/2 mile is a fine option in my opinion. :-)

Last week was an unexpected blessing. A local, professional photographer friend needed an assistant as he took senior portraits. I got to help him and learn tricks of the trade while getting paid!

My newest discovery has to do with my heritage. While visiting a relative, I found out I'm not as German as I thought. I posses English blood, and ancestors that came over from England to America in the 1600's!

Right now I'm attending the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in Chicago. I'll just say the experience has been interesting. I'm looking forward to the second music conference and hopefully seeing Abby!

Well, this summer is going by way too fast. I have been accepted to Liberty University and am all signed up for DL classes. It's exciting getting everything together and heading towards the last phase. Now I just need a Liberty nalgene bottle to replace the PHC one that got ruined in the dishwasher. :-)

Labels: Life, Music, Photography, Prayer Requests, School, Vacations

More Independence Day pictures on my photography site.

Labels: Holidays, Patriotic, Photography

Labels: Friends, Fun, Photography

My pictures from


Pennsylvania


New York



Washington D.C.


and Virginia

are now up on my photography site!

Labels: Photography, Vacations

Oh no! Half black pictures! What's wrong with my camera?! It was the second day of my vacation, and I think I was too much in shock to panic properly, though my family could testify that I was not totally serene. Experimenting with different lenses, memory cards, and batteries did not help. "Camera crisis" calls to photographer friends did not help either.

My nightmare was coming true! A couple of months earlier I had had vivid dream of my camera breaking leaving all my new lenses worthless. A week after the dream a little boy stepped on my bag and cracked the back housing. Now on my vacation it was taking half black pictures. A new fad? I think not!

But the situation caused me to evaluate my motives for photography and the priority it had taken in my life. In the end I realized I needed to refocus on my true goal--as a Christian and a photographer--to glorify God. I cannot say I have stayed true to the goal though this is just weeks away. I have already struggled and failed too many times to my shame. And yet God has continued to bless me. Today I received my new Canon 30D, but that's another story.

Labels: Living for God, Photography, Vacations

More on my photography site

Labels: Photography

Labels: Photography

More pictures on the photography site.

Labels: Photography

Time wasn’t the only thing that began in the Garden. Marriage is one of those beautiful things that made it “very good.” As a friend joined her hand with another this last month, I was so privileged to be there and record the event through photographs.



More pictures on the photography site.

Labels: Photography

Labels: Photography

Labels: Photography

Grab your milk and ice cream.


Pour and scoop into glass.


Mix it up.


Enjoy to the last drop!

Labels: Fun, Photography