tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30383101774602412692024-03-04T22:44:52.212-08:00madison katea photo blogmadison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.comBlogger399125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-18039645067555132712013-03-17T19:46:00.000-07:002013-03-17T19:46:08.370-07:00its simply better to take your senior pictures with your best friend // nikki + annie<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8567640830/" title="IMG_4881 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4881" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8567640830_533218e960_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8565930329/" title="IMG_5278 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5278" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8094/8565930329_9e1e734751_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8567056024/" title="IMG_4648 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4648" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8514/8567056024_fa1260651f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8567056194/" title="IMG_4650 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4650" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8567056194_e4a57b2408_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8565904415/" title="IMG_4649 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4649" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8524/8565904415_58432c6237_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8567000256/" title="IMG_4800 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4800" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8567000256_1d3e0ceb43_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8567577862/" title="Annie - Color2 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="Annie - Color2" height="572" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8567577862_ab4af73711_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8567000994/" title="IMG_4626 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4626" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8567000994_ee14cd7317_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8565904255/" title="IMG_4718 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4718" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8565904255_7f1f25d8fa_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8565901859/" title="IMG_5368 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5368" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8520/8565901859_840a4d1b30_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8566479417/" title="Annie - Color3 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="Annie - Color3" height="572" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8566479417_43f3b569bf_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8567577642/" title="Nikki - Color1 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="Nikki - Color1" height="572" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8104/8567577642_5e524e53cf_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8565902357/" title="IMG_5064 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5064" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8385/8565902357_11f5b9328d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8566998650/" title="IMG_5062 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5062" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8566998650_7b18eff5af_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8567577152/" title="Nikki - Color3 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="Nikki - Color3" height="572" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8567577152_e08c1bcaba_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8566998454/" title="IMG_5091 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5091" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8566998454_c7d2b02235_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8566478669/" title="Nikki - Color4 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="Nikki - Color4" height="572" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8244/8566478669_ef25ed9ae6_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8565903507/" title="IMG_4831 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4831" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8238/8565903507_a6464c7ca3_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8566999550/" title="IMG_4909 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4909" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8511/8566999550_d40e388b35_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8566999022/" title="IMG_4951 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4951" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8248/8566999022_a27ac027a3_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8566543053/" title="IMG_5344 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5344" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8384/8566543053_799503be0a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
ah, what to say about these girls. i don't have to tell you that they're beautiful. but you should know that they truly are beautiful from the inside out. i have never known annie to be anything but genuinely kind. and never have i seen nikki without a smile on her face. i suppose its customary to sketch out a blip of good qualities underneath a collection of photographs of a person, but here i am, saying only what these girls are. its a rare thing in this world to find people who are true and honestly themselves. i spent midday with two of them. annie showed me around her home, we walked the grounds outside, she made me feel instantly at ease. (which i know is opposite of how its suppose to be considering i was the photographer, but that's annie). nikki arrived and we began the shoot. we had a perfect day for it too, a warm change from the cooler weather we've been use to. we dodged bees. ventured across fields. they switched in and out from being my camera's subject. and it was so much fun. slightly bittersweet, seeing these two get along as i know they have for years and years in school. college is a big change, though i know they both will rock it. their friendship however, i see it staying. growing. i loved listening to their memories and stories of pastimes. it made me thankful that people can depend on people, for the strength of friendship.<br />
i'm blessed i got to do this. and blessed by these girls. xmadison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-67585615311197058152013-02-27T09:45:00.000-08:002013-02-27T09:45:10.625-08:00a little boy turned six today which makes him not so little anymore<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513648244/" title="IMG_4182 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4182" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8091/8513648244_dc51e63d87_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513650804/" title="IMG_4148 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4148" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8525/8513650804_ed24eccf70_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8512537245/" title="IMG_4205 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4205" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8225/8512537245_f4d1690c88_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8512537961/" title="IMG_4179 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4179" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8520/8512537961_c79cb61d92_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513648446/" title="IMG_4178 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4178" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8513648446_cc1b92d85b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8512539339/" title="IMG_4149 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4149" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8512539339_20d3630b3a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513650558/" title="IMG_4150 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4150" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8104/8513650558_8eab07b5aa_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513649160/" title="IMG_4187 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4187" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8229/8513649160_4af9629ecf_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513649186/" title="IMG_4185 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4185" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8095/8513649186_c3a36cca98_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8512538741/" title="IMG_4167 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4167" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8097/8512538741_e1315394c9_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513649874/" title="IMG_4169 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4169" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8513649874_56f327ca1f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513649710/" title="IMG_4171 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4171" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8513649710_b627f1707f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8512537365/" title="IMG_4172 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4172" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8528/8512537365_58af57726e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513648170/" title="IMG_4207 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4207" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8089/8513648170_3f720f0984_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513649558/" title="IMG_4173 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4173" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8513649558_e6e19e2138_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513649026/" title="IMG_4192 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4192" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8513649026_7846d6da04_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8513649472/" title="IMG_4175 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4175" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8241/8513649472_68a8c95ea5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8512538047/" title="IMG_4177 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4177" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8094/8512538047_607fd487e9_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8512537541/" title="IMG_4197 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4197" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8512537541_184be1206e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
there is a tiny burst of reality that comes around with the birthday of a younger sibling. or a birthday of anyone. but with kids, the knowing is especially there. <i>where has the time gone? it seems like just yesterday... </i>words alike pop into your head and it hits you that these days are flying by.<br />
<b>solomon natnael turns six on this cloudy, fine wednesday.</b><br />
<b>he wished for a hot and ready cheese pizza from little ceasers.</b><br />
granted, he pitched a two minute fit because we are making him wait till tonight to open his presents. granted, he pouts sometimes. granted, a little boy will be a little boy. this baby has taught me more than he knows about parenting and patience and what it means to let go. to let go of arguments, of the strictness of rules, to just be. he has always been the one with the fantastic imagination. his mind is color. his heart is good. solomon inclines himself to care for others. from the nest-thrown-baby bird we found years back on our walk in the woods, to a sick family member - he is constantly on the look out for ways to help, ways to nurture, to make life better for anyone and everyone. he is head strong, not easily swayed. he sometimes acts like bill cosby. he likes to listen to louis armstrong and old jazz.<br />
<b>my sweater was a bit much to fit him, but it was cozy. </b><br />
whenever i make a run to starbucks, he's up for the go. i can remember one sunday afternoon that he sat with me and drew pictures in his sketch book and sipped chocolate milk. it doesn't take much to keep him happy. he's content. he's a backseat driver, but that's okay. he is a star wars fanatic. he likes blue, lions, spiderman. he loves learning and loves his school.<br />
<b>the very first moment i saw him. he was tiny, wearing a white shirt. he was also wearing the sweetest grin i've ever seen. and waiting never had been so worth it. </b><br />
his first words were daddy, mommy, and moo. he loved to stick his tongue out as a baby. he would rock his head from side to side on his pillow to fall asleep at night. french fries were "dee-eyes", yogurt was "yogrit". i wasn't madison to him, i was meme. he was a persnickety picky eater. he was a man of many faces, mostly serious stare you down expressions that made us question if he'd ever smile again. but he did. he convinced us to build forts out of quilts in our living room and play jungle expedition. he was born with rhythm, born to dance, to move.<br />
<b>he finds the bright side in everything. </b><br />
and now six years have come and they've gone. i can honestly say i look forward to watching this kid grow up. because he's doing it right. happy birthday, little buddy.madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-55027502963349015312013-01-03T21:19:00.004-08:002013-01-03T21:19:42.789-08:00thoughts on the year passed and the year ahead<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8344881892/" title="6 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="6" height="200" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8353/8344881892_14ac5b9c05_z.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8343825183/" title="5 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="5" height="200" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8077/8343825183_0efd5eabb5_z.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8343826057/" title="4 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="4" height="200" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8081/8343826057_135043409f_z.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8343826207/" title="3 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="3" height="200" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8353/8343826207_26bbf4b479_z.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8344885216/" title="2 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="2" height="200" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8224/8344885216_80f81f84c1_z.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8343826453/" title="1 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="1" height="200" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8075/8343826453_ebefde7a07_z.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8344885740/" title="photo by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="photo" height="200" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8220/8344885740_e041c8b558_z.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8343822293/" title="9 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="9" height="200" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8211/8343822293_b7cdd64a1e_z.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8343854207/" title="78 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="78" height="200" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8222/8343854207_e9d7e09552_z.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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time is a funny thing, isn't it? days can fly by or drag on. this year seemed, for the moments i was in, an everlasting stretch. looking back on it now though, i can't really believe its gone. i'm sure i'm giving you a dose of cliche. but time...it <em>is</em> a funny thing. a beautiful thing. i find myself trying hard to sum up last year in a single paragraph, perhaps with some piece of knowledge i came across, an inspiring lesson, something astounding i discovered. <em>silly girl, when are you going to learn that there simply aren't words for some things? </em>because time isn't something i should spend in order to have something to say at the end of the day. it is not a process of engaging myself so that i can have something interesting to blog about, to impress my friends. sometimes i'm so busy with life, it doesn't cross my mind that i might want to remember what is happening. sometimes i'm not busy at all, and that's okay. i find that i take life as it comes. there are times i grin and bare it, times when i cannot get enough. moments i wish i could relive. others i dread to even reminisce. people say life is crazy, life is good, life is a bowl of cherries. <em>and here is what life (these past twelve months) is to me.</em> </div>
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it is a story</div>
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it is moving on from highschool, but not moving away from home, learning to sacrifice, learning to love life</div>
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<strong>it is being surrounded daily by sweet little faces </strong></div>
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it is having my life touched by people i don't know, witnessing that the body of Christ is everywhere </div>
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<strong>it is shooting my first engagement couple, being blessed by them</strong></div>
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it is new life in spring</div>
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it is fresh food from our garden in summer</div>
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it is breathtaking color in autumn</div>
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it is hot cups of tea in winter</div>
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<strong>it is chaos</strong></div>
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<strong>it is truly enjoying good health, because it has a whole new meaning to me now</strong></div>
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it is a neverending process of learning</div>
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<strong>it is being restless until i rest in Him, finding only He can satisfy wholly</strong></div>
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it is fearing the unknown, being comforted by hope</div>
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it is noticing that my sunday morning drives to church are paintings, blue skies and green fields</div>
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<strong>it is finding out that love brings us closer and heals our hearts in ways we could not imagine</strong></div>
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it is little outtings with cousins and friends, laughing so hard our stomachs hurt</div>
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<strong>it is failing, falling, and being taken under His wing</strong></div>
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it is making plenty of mistakes</div>
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<strong>it is relying on Him for all my needs</strong></div>
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it is laced with sickness and sadness, prayers and tears</div>
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<strong>it is dancing on the stage for the last time, dancing under the stars for the first</strong></div>
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<strong>it is knowing things will never be the same, learning to be okay with change</strong></div>
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it is movie dates and dinners with my man</div>
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it is leaving for beach conference with new friends, coming back home as close friends</div>
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<strong>it is letting out hurt, speaking and not holding it in anymore</strong></div>
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<strong>it is having forgiveness because of grace</strong></div>
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it is a journey</div>
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\\</div>
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life is a constant of understanding that i am blessed with breath in my lungs. it is remembering to live for my Jesus, to love because i am loved. this year, i want to seek Him more. i want a hunger placed deep inside of me that leaves me wanting Him more than anything this world can give me. i want an appetite for life, whatever it brings me. i want to be thankful. i want to stop wanting things to go my way, and to appreciate the spontaneous moments that occur, knowing these moments were planned by Someone all along. i want to be content. i want to see the beauty amongst the pain, to strive for joy reguardless of my circumstances. and so, two thousand thirteen is here. twelve months, just twelve. i could say that want to make them count, do something great with this year. but all i want is a sincere want for Jesus, to always lean on Him. and everything else in my life will follow. </div>
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happy new year, my friends </div>
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x</div>
madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-4593825400969897972012-12-17T20:27:00.000-08:002012-12-17T20:27:13.692-08:00a poem and a favor to ask of you<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8283357508/" title="IMG_3186 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3186" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8218/8283357508_b96634b77f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8283357412/" title="IMG_3187 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3187" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8074/8283357412_4fca79c78e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8283365432/" title="IMG_3171 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3171" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8497/8283365432_219f6d9d2b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8282298631/" title="IMG_3191 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3191" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8198/8282298631_497e02ed8d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8282298489/" title="IMG_3192 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3192" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8216/8282298489_530cb6cc29_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8282306939/" title="IMG_3174 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3174" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8221/8282306939_729abdcf6a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8283356926/" title="IMG_3177 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3177" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8073/8283356926_1a9cd8399a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
the words of this poem have been hanging on the inside of one of the cabinet doors in our kitchen. from as far back as i can remember, the sheet of paper has been there. from being too small and not being able to reach the cabinet, much less read the words. now that i'm older, i understand the purpose of this poem and the meaning behind it. <br />
<br />
if i had my child to raise all over again, <br />
i'd build self esteem first, and the house later. <br />
i'd finger paint more, and point the finger less.<br />
i would do less correcting and more connecting.<br />
i'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.<br />
i would care to know less, and know to care more.<br />
i'd take more hikes and fly more kites.<br />
i'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.<br />
i would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.<br />
i'd do more hugging and less tugging.<br />
i'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often.<br />
i would be firm less often, and affirm much more.<br />
i'd model less about the love of power,<br />
and more about the power of love.<br />
<br />
to say that what happened in connecticut last week was shocking, would be an understatement. it was nothing short of devastating. heart breaking. my mind has been heavy with thoughts i cannot speak or put into words, weighed down with feelings of loss. however i do not wish to rant or give my opinion on anything today. i simply feel compelled to ask you to do something. <em>pray. </em>for when we speak out, He surely hears us. pray for this country, the people who lead us, their hearts. in a world searching for answers and truth, pray that the Truth will be found. i pray that we will turn our eyes upon Jesus. this world is so broken and lost. pray for peace, starting with peace inside us<em>. love</em>. if you have siblings, children, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandparents, uncles, aunts, friends, people you've never met, strangers that pass by. show love. hold on a little tighter and longer when you embrace. say an encouraging word to someone who is having a grey day. take time for others. remind them that you love them. say it more than once a day. write it down for them to find, because we can all use little reminders like this. its no surprise, for reality does not hide from us, we don't have long here. love others, draw near to the One who loves us unconditionally. only what is done for Christ will last. <br />
madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-9238075963105238162012-12-12T11:29:00.000-08:002012-12-12T11:29:30.230-08:00my december so far<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8266329644/" title="IMG_3036 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3036" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8349/8266329644_3616cec1a5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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<br />
<br />
i. there have been a few touches made to my room, to make it feel a tad more holiday-ish. snowflakes hang from my ceiling, a tiny cedar sapling is on my desk. <br />
ii. somewhere during the crazy rush of these days leading up to christmas, we all find time to chill. even the cat.<br />
iii. a string of lights in the hallway. walking past walls is just better if they're lit by tiny glowing bulbs.<br />
iv. we were payed a visit by some dear family members. the littlest one especially loved playing in the bathroom sink with his cousins. i had forgotten the simple joy that comes with having a baby in the family, dove-like coos and tiny stomping feet across the floor. laughter could be heard from all the way across the house, emitting from the bathroom. apparently it was better than any water park in there.<br />
v. raspberries and banana slices for breakfast. paired with a good book? a good morning.madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-76578788380238503112012-12-04T18:39:00.000-08:002012-12-04T18:39:44.981-08:00sometimes we forget to take a moment and love the day<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8245235069/" title="IMG_2347 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2347" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8201/8245235069_0d0f93ff59_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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<br />
its six twenty a.m. just another day, just another morning. the time when our house becomes a bit of a mad house. little bare feet slap the floor, running here and there and everywhere. spoons and bowls clank in the sink after cereal is consumed, glasses of milk are downed. turns are tried to be taken for occupation of the bathroom. water runs steadily and faces are washed with washcloths, teeth are brushed, hair is combed through. khaki slacks and polos are either ironed or taken off hangers, jeans are buttoned, belts are looped and buckled. i was halfway across the living room, when i saw this kid through the window, sitting on the front porch. i opened the door, "whatcha doing out here, buddy?" the air was surprisingly warm and a mass of rain clouds hung in the sky. it was calm, quiet. "oh. just putting on my socks." he had found the perfect place to escape and take in the morning. by himself. contently fitting his stockings around his little toes and heels. listening to the stillness of the beginning of the day. <br />
the moral of this story is to love the day. take a moment for yourself. because its there for you, always. when busy seems all that you are, remember to breathe. stepping outside or closing your eyes is nice, but its not a must. <em>simply be all there. </em>wherever you are. take a good look at the place and the people around you, i promise you'll find a reason to love today. i'm not saying to take in the moment with selfish intent, but rather in adoration to the Maker. today belongs to Him, He has given it to you. today holds purpose. every day does. and today, it took a little boy sitting on the porch putting on his socks to remind me of this. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-65829624129405119952012-12-02T14:45:00.000-08:002012-12-02T14:45:19.893-08:00december's here and so is the tree<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8236004299/" title="IMG_1925 by madi kate, on 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src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8338/8237069710_6bd98bbdd6_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8236003679/" title="IMG_1995 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1995" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8061/8236003679_8b45477b73_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8236003559/" title="IMG_2003 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2003" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8070/8236003559_e9ba81fa7f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8237070390/" title="IMG_2159 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2159" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8482/8237070390_b6649eba7a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8237068558/" title="IMG_2049 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2049" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8063/8237068558_01cb92f1e7_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8237069274/" title="IMG_2006 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2006" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8200/8237069274_edf55d41b1_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8237069180/" title="IMG_2013 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2013" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8066/8237069180_739f789688_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8236003111/" title="IMG_2038 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2038" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8200/8236003111_e66f0bf97e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8237068736/" title="IMG_2040 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2040" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8062/8237068736_060ccd3212_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8237068404/" title="IMG_2057 by madi kate, on 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src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8345/8237067958_e7640e40bf_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8237067840/" title="IMG_2110 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2110" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8342/8237067840_f51e30d729_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8237067720/" title="IMG_2143 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2143" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8064/8237067720_da74c165c8_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8237067604/" title="IMG_2155 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2155" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8202/8237067604_995aa1d7d1_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8237067526/" title="IMG_2156 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2156" height="534" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8488/8237067526_03e8fe3332_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> <a 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on the last day of november, my dad walked through the back door carrying a bushy pine. the branches filled up the space between his arms and chest, the sweet scent of the tree harbored in. and there it set, tall and waiting. my sister and my littlest brother and i put our midmorning to good use with dressing up the bare branches. we hauled five lights-from-last-year-filled grocery bags onto the coffee table and begun to unwind the strands. tangled christmas lights can either make you or break you. disembroling the strings adorned with tiny glass cylinders is either a chore that has the possiblity of driving you mad, or you can think of it rather like a puzzle to solve. your prize? a pretty lit fraiser. we took our turns rounding the tree, holding messes of lights. <strike>i mostly took pictures</strike>. taking breaks to taste sprinkled sugar cookies and sip on ice water and read a few pages of the nutcracker book. the bottoms of our socked feet gradually collected fallen pine needles, as did the window sill adjacent to the tree, and most of the living room floor. though the ornaments didn't make their appearance that day, it was good to see the hundreds of tiny lights that evening. when dark was all around, the gentle glow of the christmas tree put a warmth in our home that only this time of year can bring. <br />
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happy december, friends xxmadison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-56645304678529288972012-11-28T10:41:00.001-08:002012-11-28T10:41:09.926-08:00she will be loved<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8143095372/" title="IMG_9818 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9818" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8143095372_6d52d5d090_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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i won't pretend. i won't, i won't. slip into the monotome of happy when i write, because its so much easier to do. finding nice words is always easy. its the gritty ones that tell the truth that don't come to mind as quick. i've contemplated whether or not to publish this post many times through. my intention is for my readers to see His work and His truths through my story. afterall, if my life were sunshine and roses, His love would not have been revealed to me in the way that it is through my pain. not that my life is a web of trials, but its seems fake to come here and write only of the good moments. so here is mine. i know this is a good sized bite to undertake, but i want to be real. this isn't meant to be sad, just real. and i hope as you read, you'll bare with me.<br />
i've cried more in the past two years than all of my nineteen. crying. the word sounds so hopelessly sad and pitiful, i almost want to find some cheerier looking synonym to replace it. though i know that it comes despite if i want to or not, sometimes i simply need a good cry. you get that horrible lump formed in the middle of your throat, your voice goes and you gulp for air like some seal, your eyes swell with water that streaks down your cheeks leaving behind cold itchy wetness and trailing along the part in your lips so you can taste salt. i admit i am a crier. holding in tears is more painful than letting them out. and crying makes you better, i'm not sure how, but it does almost every time. when you feel dishearted, there are no words that can express feelings like tears can. its getting through those minutes of wrenching brokeness that hurts the most. <br />
besides being a crier, i am an overthinker. usually i create problems within my head that weren't meant to be there in the first place. my mind takes great leaps from here to there, far too ahead into my future and pulled backward into my past. dwelling more than what's good for me in the now. for some, depression of sorts takes years to develope. i can singley think myself into a depressing mood within seconds. at times the impossible thought developes in my mind, am i even loved? its crazy, yes. but i have my moments. when all i'd like to do is crawl under the covers of my bed and press my head into my pillow and sleep for days, letting myself dream and secome myself to a world of white noise nothingness. when all i'd want is to get in my car and drive for hours till i find a place so far from my troubles that the distance would stand between me and my negative thoughts. though i can't. i'm left in the place where i began to worry and where i think i can't go on. <br />
looking back, i want to share with you these two moments.<br />
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<em>my dad and i stand in the kitchen, my arms hang awkwardly at my sides as i listen to his voice. he speaks only truth, only truth. i'm scared and so is he. his wife, my mom, has been battling cancer for so long now and we've been met with days when its hard to get by. so, so hard. but neither one of us are pretending anymore. its okay to break down and show that you're scared. because we have each other. family isn't just a word, its a bond and a promise. to look out for one another and to be there when you have to cry your eyes out and say that you're frightened. because sometimes you can get so frightened. his voice though, it brings me back. his is the voice i've heard every day of my life. tones of comfort and surety. his words are real and i know i can trust them. because that's what a father is for, trusting in. my dad is more than a parental figure who instructs and keeps my family strong, he is someone who sympathizes with me when i don't understand why things happen. he never fails to give me hope again.</em><br />
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<em>i am sitting in the passenger seat, he is driving. late summer countryside passes by us. before this, my day has been one of those hard ones. one when its hard to get by. i was lying on the living room sofa when he walked up the front porch steps, without a thought i fell into his embrace as he came through the door.</em><br />
<em>do you want me to take you away from here?</em><br />
<em>yes.</em><br />
<em>okay, come on, lets go away.</em><br />
<em>because i thought i could get away from everything that was bothering me. the feelings inside about my mom and how unfair i thought of life to be like this for us. but no. here i am sitting in the passenger seat, crying my eyes out as he steers the wheel gently down the road. expressing my thoughts through written words is one thing, but expressing them by tongue is a task. i'm sure half of what i'm saying isn't making sense to him, for it barely makes sense to me. i spill thoughts and feelings and worries and fears. i tell him what my heart aches to let go of. and he listens, silently, keeping eyes on the road, but i know he is listening. when he stops the car, he reaches for my hand and holds it. kisses it tenderly. and i wonder what i did to deserve a love like his. someone who knows just what to say, just what to do. my best friend who will let me unload on him, who will take what i am carrying onto his own back.</em> <br />
<br />
i am loved. though i cannot be sure of many things, i am sure of this. love is greater than fear, than doubt, than sickness. in the midst of my sadness, i have a father who sympathizes with me, i have a friend who takes my words of fear. they're the ones in life that i do not deserve, they are the ones who get me through. and these two people remind me of Someone ever more loving, they are lights which point back to a Light brighter than any other. when i feel lost and alone and afraid, Jesus is there. never leaving or forsaking, always guiding and working. quite frankly, i cannot comprehend why He loves me, when i fail to walk with Him and run to Him daily. but still, He chases after me. i am sought out, a city not forsaken (isaiah 62||12). and has given me two examples of His love. my dad and my guy. and my friends and people who will randomly call or text just to check in with me. all of you. though it may feel like i have a load on my plate, i don't have to bare it all by myself or keep it bottled up inside. God has given me so many good friends, people who genuinely care and love and won't stop loving and caring. they're here to walk along side of me, a constant reminder of what my Father does for me. catches me when i fall. lifts me up off the ground. pulls me back on the path when i stray. loves me, loves me, loves me. what's more; He has placed others around me. so i do not have to go through life alone. to reflect His love. to reflect the love that is much deeper than any i have ever known. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-38993069029329736172012-11-23T21:45:00.003-08:002012-11-23T21:45:42.154-08:00thanks should be given every day; thoughts on this thanksgiving weekend<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8213259974/" title="IMG_1138 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1138" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8483/8213259974_e5b042a58a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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we stood there, we all stood there. hands clasping the hands of whoever stood beside. tummies rumbling, calling for the feast that awaited us. my little brother on the shoulders of my guy. we took our turn, we all took our turn. saying out loud of something we are truly thankful for. <em>our freedom, healing, just right now. </em>i watched as eyes filled with tears (because we all get a little emotional, that's just us). my parents looked at each other, expressions on their faces that told only of love. <em>family and friends, being together, loved ones' homecoming. </em>but the thanksgiving of my momma spoke loudest to me.<br />
<strong>life.</strong><br />
it was different this year, a circle gathering in the living room of my house. sun streamed through the windows although the air outside was chilly. ever since cancer touched my mom and my family, i can say that the worth of each day has meant something more to me. there is no such thing as a day wasted. because it is given. a gift. another twenty four hours to be with the people who fill the minutes with joy, the ones who make you wish you could relive minutes. life doesn't always go the way we plan it out. its never picture perfect or flawless. there are messes and arguments and runs that smear and destroy. <em>but here we are, we have each other, we have an everlasting love by a God who will never leave us</em>. taking our time for granted is just not worth the time spent. time is worth so much more, so much more. <br />
<strong>i want to have a thankful heart. </strong><br />
when people see me, i want them to see a girl who is thankful for the life she's been given. that my actions and words would reflect the love of my Savior and the blessings He's bestowed on me. i want them to see Him. it shouldn't take something like a sickness to make me realize that life is something i should thank God for every single day. i should do that on my own. thankfulness should be something that comes out of knowing i am blessed beyond measure by a God who loves me beyond measure. it really should not be something that comes from fear of dying, the raw and bitterness of knowing life could be taken from me in a second. being thankful is a condition of the heart. i want so earnestly for my heart to always be thankful. but i forget, i get lost and caught up in my selfish way of living. as if this is my life and my time to spend how i wish it and to treat others based on my feelings. as if i am alive because of me. <em>how wrong i am. </em><strong>i am alive because He gave me life. </strong>there's truth, the truth i need to etch on my heart. this is not my life, it belongs to the One who covered me in my mother's womb. my existance is soley because He is good. i'm here to bring Him glory. through loving others and giving my time to them and proclaiming His love to others. when i think of how awesome in might and in glory and in power He is, i'm baffled and embarassed as to why i sometimes believe that my own intentions are better than His. i need to realize my need for Jesus more and more. and it needs to start with having a content and thankful heart.<br />
<strong>i am thankful for my mom who is brave and strong and is still fighting,</strong> for beautiful sunsets and sunrises, that my family is as close as they are, <strong>for forgiveness, </strong>for comforting words, for my devoted and faithful parents, <strong>for my freedom, </strong>for loving hands to hold, for clean water to drink, <strong>for acts of kindness, </strong>for always having what i need, <strong>laughter, weekends, </strong>for songs that trigger memories, for handwritten letters, <strong>grace, mercy, </strong>for honesty, for tears, for hot cups of tea, for a warm bed to sleep in. <br />
<br />
<strong>now its your turn. thanksgiving. one word. what's yours?</strong>madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-73839861494959689412012-11-15T11:28:00.002-08:002012-11-15T11:28:32.400-08:00aren'tcha, bright eyes and bushy tail<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8188983028/" title="IMG_0920 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0920" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8339/8188983028_79ed9b356b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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so. my sister's boyfriend got her a kitten last week. she had been <strike>desperately begging him almost to the point of harrassment</strike> asking him for one and hoped her birthday wish would come true. it did. he rescued her from an animal shelter and now she's here to stay forever. she is called latika (a character name from the film, slumdog millionaire) and shares a room with me and my sister. an inside house cat, totally didn't see this coming. but its okay. i let her sit on my bed with me every now and then. on my beanie chair. and on my desk chair. sometimes she explores my side of the closet. okay so she pretty much goes wherever she pleases. and if she decideds to jump upon my desk and spill a vase of flowers all over the floor? c'est la vie.<br />
obviously, cats are photogenic creatures. period. no questions asked. they have this graceful nature about them that in one second flat can go unwired.
she has the personality of oh hello i am the sweetest angel in all the land so please come pet me, also the personality of don't mind me i'm just going to test the sharpness of my teeth so i hope you don't mind losing a finger. unlike any of the things i've photographed before, she's not afraid to suddenly climb my leg in the middle of a photo session to eat the drawstring of my sweatpants. tiny razor claws sunk into my shin and knee and thigh as she scrambled upward, it hurt, and kinda caught me off guard. all jokes aside, one of these days i'm going to master a decent picture of this cat jumping in the air. its on my bucket list. and lastly. honestly i've never been much of a cat person, but i'll just say, this girl is something else.<br />
on a side note; these are not dirty tissues on the carpet. promise. as it turns out, facial tissues make good distraction props and they are fun to bite on and shred to pieces. <br />
also. latika may or may not have tasted the laptop while i was blogging.
madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-49777649071839667812012-11-10T21:34:00.002-08:002012-11-10T21:34:09.501-08:00there have been a lot of birthdays going on around here<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8174182782/" title="IMG_0365-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0365-001" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8483/8174182782_f8467ba4fe_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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november is like the month of birthdays for us. my little sister turns seven, my handsome guy and my best girlfriend both turn eighteen, my twin sister and i both turn nineteen. so i thought it might be nice to share my bit on why turning a year older makes me smile. because life is ridiculously crazy and beautiful. why not get excited about the recognition of another year you get of it? i hear a lot of negative when it comes to birthdays. the oh-not-another-year, i-dread-getting-older, its-no-big-deal attitudes. but what about the people who aren't here to celebrate each passing year? the ones who aren't here to close their eyes and blow out candles and make a wish. i'm merely trying to say that age shouldn't be depressing, it should be a realization that we are blessed. and being blessed with life is a big deal. life is ridiculously crazy and beautiful, there is so much to explore and discover. there are way too many laughs to be had and to be heard. besides that, we've got all the memories to look back on. i hope when we look back, we're proud of what we see. i hope we can say that our mistakes made us stronger and drew us closer to a God who perfects all things. i hope we can see that we lived and didn't just survive. we're only given one life here and we're not told how long we have. so let each year sink in. birthdays should be days in which we are reminded that we are loved unconditionally, that we are given a chance at this life. remember, there's a silent celebration for every breath you breathe. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-47686107863665184582012-10-31T18:11:00.000-07:002012-10-31T18:11:59.693-07:00the littles went trick or treating on halloween eve<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8143091300/" title="IMG_9858 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9858" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8046/8143091300_6d197ece5d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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confession; i have an irrational fear of all things dressed up. masks. painted faces. the whole deal kinda freaks me out. i can't exactly explain why, but ever since i was a little i've avoided tricking and treating and all that jazz. the embarrassing thing is i cannot call my fear a childish one, because children find disguising themselves on the thirty first of october - thrilling. my three younger siblings are oh so brave. they delight in an evening filled with door to door recieving of candy in costume. before the kids headed out on their mission in the minivan tonight, i gathered them to the front yard for photos. its these rare moments when i know i am the "annoying photographer" i try so hard not to be. i mean really, who wants to be photographed when there's candy waiting somewhere else? its understandable afterall. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-28132261834169897902012-10-21T13:47:00.000-07:002012-10-21T13:47:59.380-07:00i belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8109849546/" title="IMG_9283-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9283-001" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8109849546_6974c2dc70_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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i remember on one of the last days of summer, we named off the events we would have to look forward to during the school year. to help ease the reality of knowing we'd only get weekends together once classes started back. he listed the dates of all of the breaks and days off. and he mentioned something about the dance of october twentieth. it seemed like such a long way away then. but time flew and suddenly i looked out the window to see that handsome young man walking up to the front porch. looking quite dapper with a bowtie. giving me that contageous smile and an <em>i love you.</em> its those three words that are anything but just three words, for they will only mean more everytime he says them. with his hands around my middle and mine resting on the back of his neck, we danced last night. he is a perfect gentleman when slow music plays. he is a burst of energy when fast music comes on. i'm absolutely certain that boredom will never find me, laughter always will, when i'm with him. after the dance, we listened to <em>two is better than one // taylor swift ft. boys like girls </em>while driving through the country, for a movie with his friends. he shared his water and popcorn with me. and let me fall asleep in the car on the way back home. i honestly cannot express how blessed i am to have him in my life. maybe its true that there just aren't words for everything. i think that being in love is not something that can be perfect. you both will fail and fall again and again. but when you both care more for eachother than you do yourself, a selfless love is a strong love. our relationship exists because Christ loved us first, i want us to forever pursue Him first. because He has blessed me with a loving guy. every second with him is a second spent with my best friend, the one i fell in love with last october at the homecoming dance. <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">credit to my sister for taking these photos beforehand, for being hilarious and not giving us the chance to fake our smiles || if you haven't heard 'ho hey' by the lumineers, go listen right away</span>madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-71168607513307404722012-10-18T18:29:00.002-07:002012-10-18T18:29:20.850-07:00thoughts on being stuck in a creative rut<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8101117975/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="IMG_9251 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9251" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8050/8101117975_c725d9fe10_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8101121585/" title="IMG_9162 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9162" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8336/8101121585_c6801cb99d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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<strong>BLACK AND WHITE. </strong>or, rather, the truth of the matter. the not-so-cheery side of things. its no secret; i've been stuck for a while. i've lost my taste for writing, literature altogether. getting through a novel seems like trudging up a mountain to me. my zeal for photography is slacking as well. i feel like i capture the same frame over and over and over. and to be blatantly honest, i don't like this. i miss the days of having opportunities to take my camera different places with new faces and grander scenes, the days i'd crave reading like a fresh drink of water. but i just haven't been my old self lately. my life of creativity; its either black and white or color everywhere. that's just how it is sometimes. so, here i am, typing out words for you to read. still stuck in this rut. i think it seems almost against nature when i have to force myself to blog. or to pick up my camera and to take pictures. writing and photography are my passions, aren't they? then why do i feel compelled to give them up sometimes? second guessing myself comes easy in times like these. <br />
<strong>SOME COLOR. </strong>i have come to the conclusion that we all find things in life that just click with us. completely, and in every way possible. sometimes they must be searched for, found through trial and error. we find ourselves surprisingly able to complete and create, to pour forth our talents into these things. we call these our passions. it is what we live to do, pointing back to our knowing we were created for reason. passions are our ways of living out reason. and to be true to ourselves and our motives, there must be questions. in other words, i'm saying that it is okay to get stuck sometimes! to rethink, to take a hiatus, a breather. true, its going to feel awfuly unsure and might get you worried for a second or two. but these ruts sometimes are opportunities to sit back and take a look at your work. they're proof that you're serious about what you're doing. for me, photography and writing are, in majority, fun. but ever so often i will get this tiredsome feeling and must take a break. or i'll run out of ideas and inspiration. because photography and writing are actually work. my passions will and do challenge me. i'm constantly working against myself to find new angles and new words. to stretch my vocabulary and stretch my point of view. i think if you take your passions seriously, you will find yourself stuck in a rut at least once in your life. the important thing is to remember you will find your way out, back onto solid ground again. and you can only get better from there. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-3640691316383501412012-10-14T12:08:00.002-07:002012-10-14T12:08:36.128-07:00you are never too old for dressing up and going to costume parties<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087166261/" title="IMG_9002 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9002" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8473/8087166261_784a69561c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087163328/" title="IMG_9029 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9029" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8332/8087163328_8bff7dda9d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087159549/" title="IMG_9057 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9057" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8054/8087159549_ff167b89db_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087167072/" title="IMG_8994 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8994" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8054/8087167072_122e1e14c4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087164400/" title="IMG_9020 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9020" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8185/8087164400_5222d77969_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087166759/" title="IMG_9000 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9000" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8334/8087166759_613164a493_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087160241/" title="IMG_9055 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9055" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8325/8087160241_679e53d18a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087161861/" title="IMG_9042 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9042" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8044/8087161861_26b78097ec_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087162403/" title="IMG_9036 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9036" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8334/8087162403_11b0939649_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087162750/" title="IMG_9030 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9030" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8087162750_9ec2c3b34c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087165147/" title="IMG_9012 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9012" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8087165147_951b34585e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087165695/" title="IMG_9005 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9005" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8467/8087165695_e377c6e505_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8087168384/" title="IMG_8990-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8990-001" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8053/8087168384_40ae730673_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
last night <a href="http://theinkwell7.blogspot.com/">these girls</a> hosted their annual october party, in which we all went as characters from books and television shows and movies. our hosts were the lovely crawley sisters from downton abbey, lady sybil and lady mary. cary grant was there as well. pocahontas, or peter pan's tiger lily, she said it could have gone either way. the always talented audrey hepburn. one of the nicest kids in town from hairspray. angelica from pirates of the caribbean. mrs. scarlett with her lead pipe. batman attended this party too. and of course, i was catwoman. <br />
all of us grazed on delicious food, some of us pretended the water was vodka, one of us ate more than her share of desserts. there was a game of clue. also a bit of screaming on my part (they forgot to mention the shrieking that would occur when i turned on the light in the bathroom). i can't remember half of what we talked about, but i do know that our conversations were constantly accompanied with laughter. this has to be one of the main reasons i'm blessed to have these people in my life - they make me laugh, we make each other laugh. we can be ourselves and be a tad on the goofy side if desired. and we simply enjoyed each others company for the evening. its strange to think that some of us are already in college, that the other half of us will be graduating this coming year. time flies. but nights like last night make me thankful i have the best friends a girl could ask for. people who are true and there for you. people who will dress up along with you. afterall i think we're all still kids at heart. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-58390641652886110572012-10-11T14:49:00.002-07:002012-10-11T14:49:36.124-07:00here is what happens when a class of preschoolers take a field trip to a farm in the country<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078034909/" title="IMG_8858 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8858" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8192/8078034909_ec6c50b7f8_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078041845/" title="IMG_8807 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8807" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8055/8078041845_0a4543135c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078021118/" title="IMG_8928 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8928" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8050/8078021118_6ba70d07f3_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078033501/" title="IMG_8864 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8864" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8473/8078033501_348775da32_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078039123/" title="IMG_8835 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8835" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8078039123_8d02e78e93_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078029516/" title="IMG_8836 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8836" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8049/8078029516_3626f20816_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078037891/" title="IMG_8838 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8838" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8334/8078037891_df7e4d10d4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078027110/" title="IMG_8855 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8855" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8044/8078027110_f9f7f417f9_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078033155/" title="IMG_8865 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8865" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8474/8078033155_45ccc578f7_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078023436/" title="IMG_8870 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8870" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8190/8078023436_27a610750e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078034557/" title="IMG_8861 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8861" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8186/8078034557_234cd0876d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078026602/" title="IMG_8857 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8857" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8471/8078026602_68829110a6_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078018992/" title="IMG_8943 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8943" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8332/8078018992_732e2f7a6e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078031989/" title="IMG_8873 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8873" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8192/8078031989_5c7d41ae7f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078022148/" title="IMG_8879 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8879" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8332/8078022148_b84423a94a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078021724/" title="IMG_8892 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8892" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8050/8078021724_33c8c8bba3_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8078021418/" title="IMG_8910 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8910" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8336/8078021418_d2fabe1e92_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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the trip begins with an expedition of a curvy road and a wagon train of minivans. quilts and towels are strewn across the grass, brown paper bags are emptied and peanut butter sandwiches are consumed to fill tummies, lunch is done in giant picnic style in the field overlooking a still lake. everyone climbs aboard the trailer and sits close together like sardines packed in a can, a little boy asks me five hundred times if we are going to ride horses later, the tractor pulls us around the farm with the sun stretching its rays through the clouds to warm us. a half acre long patch is adventured upon, hands hold onto stems and arms swing the orange spheres to and fro, pumpkins are adopted and shall soon be carved to set on our front porches. farmers tell about the importance of maintaining a local farmyard, feet kick up dust and straw as the children strive to be still and listen, little hands sift through corn and wheat grain that fill troughs in the barn. though a tad exhausing for the adults, the kids have boundless energy. and we all agree, this fieldtrip makes for a good thursday in october. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-56676988329351829012012-10-04T17:54:00.002-07:002012-10-04T18:16:58.374-07:00we took a little hike this afternoon<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8054813016/" title="IMG_8276 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8276" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8181/8054813016_611cc1691e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8054820386/" title="IMG_8200 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8200" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8038/8054820386_8977a9a200_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8054817764/" title="IMG_8228 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8228" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8169/8054817764_c8b5d136db_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8054814044/" title="IMG_8258 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_8258" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8054814044_cd8143db8e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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confession; over the years i've developed a rational (and somewhat sensible) fear of such woodland tragedies such as poison ivy and bugs. unfortunately, i think being a girl has gotten to me in some ways. dare i say it, i have screamed at the sight of a gastly six legged creature. and three leafed plants make my stomach turn. but over the years i've learned to tell myself, come now, use common sense and embrace the outdoors. there's really nothing so terrible out there that should keep you inside all of the time. so today, i followed the adventurous three, who seemed to know their way around these woods. they talked not so quietly among themselves (because when you're not inside you can obviously use your outside voice). i didn't say much, i simply took everything in. the boys were sure to fully indulge in the hiking experience by wearing boots and taking along their walking sticks. every now and then one of their little heads would turn to check and see if i was still there. as we strolled in a winding pattern up the hill, around bushes and stumps, i noticed this wasn't just any hill. it was <em>their </em>hill. a place they had made for theirselves. there was a bundle of sticks tucked against the crook of a tree. the ground had somewhat been cleared of the leaves and debris. there were handfuls of corn kernels sprinkled about for the deer and squirrels that pass through. oh, to be young again. i can remember being all too familiar with the hillsides and valleys around my home. i'd rush outside as soon as i finished my schoolwork sometime in late morning. the hours of daylight i used up exploring and letting my imagination rule. collecting acorns from the forest floor, peeling chunks of bark off trees, stacking sticks on top of one another. finding a fallen oak and making a fort inside the crevis of its upturned roots. laying pine needles and moss down as carpet. being lost in the world of pretend. and i'd be swept back into reality when someone's voice called me back to the house for dinner. maybe it has something to do with being a kid. or loving wide open spaces, fresh air. hearing the wind rustling through the leaves. seeing the colors that can only be of fall. as much as i can be content with staying indoors, that fondness for nature remains in me still. true, i might have misplaced my lens cover along the way today (yeah...oops). esther shed a few tears over the stinging nettles that somehow ended up in her pinky finger. and there were times we had to clamber through the thickets of thorns and low hanging branches. no journey can be perfectly ideal or it fails to bring what a journey should. much like the hike we took this afternoon, the journey is the prize. we had no destination set for us, we simply started walking. there was no time to dwell on where we would end up, we were much too caught up in every little moment. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-76724943178189842672012-10-01T10:06:00.003-07:002012-10-01T10:06:21.863-07:00ten photos of a toothless girl<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8043964913/" title="october 2012 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="october 2012" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8033/8043964913_f352d55d2d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<br />
let me just say; collages are, in my eyes, little cheaters. they cut short the length of a blog post. they mesh together what should've - could've been separate. its easy to miss the little details when a picture isn't standing by itself. i appreciate every single frame captured and always want to each one to have its own place. but... this kid is the exception for today's post. she lost tooth number two. and is lookin' pretty cute without it. gaps in the smiles of children are the sweetest kinds of smiles. its kinda like watching childhood happen all over again for real. its exciting and new and plain old fun. she can't stop grinning. and laughing. and sticking her tongue through the hole where that little pearly white use to be. if you were to come over, she'd run to the front door, swing it open, and hold out the envelope for you to see. because its not everyday you get a visit from the tooth fairy. can i just say that i love her a lot? madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-16821678946835447392012-09-24T19:40:00.002-07:002012-09-24T19:40:45.877-07:00lately p.1<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8021670389/" title="IMG_7846 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7846" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8173/8021670389_1cbaeeda20_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8021672734/" title="IMG_7849 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7849" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8316/8021672734_a1feea0749_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8021674401/" title="IMG_7766-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7766-001" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8171/8021674401_1f98962ed5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8021665995/" title="IMG_7900 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7900" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8319/8021665995_0420c3ae59_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8021667284/" title="IMG_7908 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7908" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8021667284_62b3706ac5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8021685560/" title="IMG_7656 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7656" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8173/8021685560_7162ef3b3f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8021666411/" title="IMG_7889 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7889" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8444/8021666411_b3632be6ea_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
<strong>LISTENS </strong><br />
to the downton abbey television score via ipod (music has a beautiful way of slowing life down for a moment), to the crazy/wonderful things my five year old brother says to me, to the subtle chirp of crickets that sound in this early afternoon.<br />
<strong>CATCHES</strong><br />
the whiff of smoke from a campfire my brother is building.<br />
<strong>FEELS</strong><br />
the flannel of my shirt against my skin, a briskly cool breeze of autumn. <br />
<strong>TASTES </strong><br />
a savory fall dinner dish of turkey corn pot pie and sweet potato okra stew.<br />
<strong>PREPARES</strong><br />
for a camping trip this weekend mainly by making lists of what to bring (possibly am a procrastinator, possibly just loves list making). <br />
<strong>LATELY </strong><br />
i've learned over these past days that there is much accomplished in making small choices (waking up early, starting the day off with a bit of reading, drinking plentiful amounts of water). i have been an avid journaler. and finally have gotten back in the habit of letter writing, dropping envelopes into the blue metal box quite often. this week is full of work for me, helping my boss prepare for her monthly furniture/craft show. plans are filling up the days, my schedule is slowly being packed for the end of september and the beginning of october. i suppose i don't mind staying this busy, its good for a change of pace. and now that fall is here to stay, i too am ready for this glorious season to commence. <br />
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<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">the layout of this post was inspired by this post <a href="http://manyrandommusings.blogspot.com/2012/09/currentlyvo-2.html">here</a></span></div>
<strong></strong><br />madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-63035069420986951272012-09-18T20:03:00.001-07:002012-09-18T20:03:32.382-07:00autumn <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8001604586/" title="IMG_7111 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7111" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8030/8001604586_d4d05eab0c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8001605693/" title="IMG_6986 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6986" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8316/8001605693_50384eedfd_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8001606032/" title="IMG_7226 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7226" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/8001606032_6f0546629c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8001605630/" title="IMG_7032 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7032" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/8001605630_3f3b17af87_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8001602937/" title="IMG_7113 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7113" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/8001602937_fa2ed89929_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8001606093/" title="september 20121 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="september 20121" height="572" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8036/8001606093_5a5b848e75_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8001606857/" title="IMG_7093 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7093" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8450/8001606857_971af8eab7_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/8001606617/" title="IMG_7105 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_7105" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8448/8001606617_e3ef2c5f91_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
for some reason, i always associate seasons with new beginnings. afterall, when nature changes, the change is a powerful one and not something we can ignore. seasons to me are second chances. chances to start fresh and begin a new. in some ways they truly are. we tend to take on patterns with how things naturally form around us. now that fall is among us, i realize how people depend on it. the trees change colors, the green is stripped and branches adorn themselves in reds and deep oranges and golden yellows. we too change our dress, less of summer's uniform and slipping into a phase of long jeans and sweatshirts that colors' promote the season. scarves around necks and knitted socks on feet. comfort is not just a wanted thing now, it is the trend for the season. the air takes a turn and becomes shockingly crisp. begging us outdoors. promising no stifling heat. we crave campfire foods and hot beverages. stock our cabinets with bags of fluffy marshmellows and boxes of chocolate powder mixes. <br />
although we have the perfect picture of what each season should be, i see now that holding true to the form is impossible. and should it not be? i think its better this way, life is better this way. we have the little nitty gritty moments in between the choiced ones that go the way we want them to. crazy, unplanned, unsettled. i think those are the moments that make up real life, that create it and make it our own. <br />
<em>here is mine.</em> fall is sitting by the one you love on a rock around a crackling fire under an endless star covered sky. wearing his hoodie, which is just a little oversized on you, but it keeps you warm and it smells of him. it is always having a mug of something hot on your desk in your room. it is the ground gradually being laden with leaves, that crunching sound when you take a walk. squirrels and chipmunks scampering in the trees and making it rain acorns. it is stopping the car in the drive to see the deer standing in the headlights' glow. it is truly marveling at your surroundings, fathoming your Father's handiwork, as He reveals a little more of the artist He is. knowing this masterpiece will change over the next few months, into something incredible and into something nothing less than beautiful.<br />
this change is sometimes what we all need. i think its more than coinsidence though; that a delight comes with the arrival of fall. its something deeper, found only in asking from whom all blessings flow. <em>every good and perfect thing is from above.</em> it is no mistake, it doesn't just happen. my Father knows the number of hairs on my head, knows my heart. the coming of a new season is a reminder of the good things of life. it is another undeserved blessing that He pours out to me. winter, spring, summer, fall. these things come and leave, but i am never left wanting or left unsatisfied, because another season is on its way. there is time, and just enough of it. tomorrows are new days with no mistakes yet with mistakes waiting to be made. yesterdays are gone but the memories will last. my wish for this season is that i will not try and conform to what i think fall should be, but that i will embrace each day and whatever it holds. making the most of now and of this autumn. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-72219148740481912752012-09-10T19:49:00.003-07:002012-09-10T19:49:51.573-07:00my essy<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7974533918/" title="IMG_6767 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6767" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8320/7974533918_74612be952_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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<br />
my little es is not so little anymore, i notice that more and more with every photo i take. that frizzy hair on her head turns a light shade of copper in the sun light. and she can't keep those brown eyes closed for too long without giggling. she's my favorite, my only little sister. she has always been much more than just an early riser, really, even the sun can't beat this girl to greet the day. she is a cuddle bug. a constant of energy. sweet and sassy. she's got a fantastic pair of lungs and loves to use them (cause who says you have to sing <em>only </em>in the shower?) comes home from school with the most interesting comments. is definitely a people person, a social butterfly. she has a content nature and is fine with a simple afternoon of doing nothing, just as long as she's with someone. she is forever asking me to hand over my camera and let her take a few shots of me. and in a way, the sweetness of her admiring my passion for photography, almost makes up for the fear i have of her dropping my camera. according to this child, there is no such thing as personal space; she's in everyone's bubble. and loves it there. smart as a whip, reads every written word, spells out almost every spoken one. although she's not the little girl she use to be, esther still has that innocence. the imaginative childlike mind that sparks those conversations between her and i. the ones about unicorns and fairy godmothers and how she is planning on living under the staircase in my house when i get married in the future. her smile is my reason to smile. she's more of a spark of lighning than a ray of sunshine. she's tech savy too. and this first grader is already is in want of a cell phone. <strong>baby girl, you're growing so fast. slow down. </strong>let these days sink in, make the most of each one. there's plenty of time for being grown up, it can wait. you can be little for a while longer. xmadison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-26388160069900160642012-09-05T14:14:00.000-07:002012-09-05T14:14:06.141-07:00midday<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7889971240/" title="IMG_5789 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5789" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8438/7889971240_af3a59e93a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7889976020/" title="IMG_5755 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5755" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8303/7889976020_7f92a184b6_c.jpg" width="800" /></a> what little i do around the house, i much enjoy the feeling of getting things done. standing barefooted by the ironing board in my mom's sewing room, preparing uniform polos and slacks to look decent for school. pressing out wrinkles and avoiding the melting of buttons and pulling fabric. keeping my fingers free of the iron's path. with the help of sj, spaghetti and sausages were fixed for a late lunch. the stove was singing, one pan bubbling with hot water, the other sizzling with browning meat. a handful of noodles slid from their box into the steam covered pan, we both jumped when drops of scaulding water plunged towards us. he threw a towel on the floor, i mixed together a red sauce and sprinkled oregano to finish. all with a child hanging on my back, arms wrapped around my neck. i then brewed a cup of peppermint tea and set it on the counter. then he and i walked to the garden and picked the last of the flowers. i will miss having fresh blooms this fall, but i'm glad to see the heat and smudgy humidity leave us. we ran back up the lane and rinsed the plants in the kitchen sink. shred the leaves off the stalks, put them into vases. the cup of tea was poured into a jar on ice, a bit of sugar added, swirled together, and we shared it.<br />
i like spending the day with my little brother, accomplishing nothing to great but something elementary, it is not perfect - for no day is completely, yet it is happiness in simplest form when you are content. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-13532609588071199452012-08-29T17:33:00.000-07:002012-08-29T17:33:54.072-07:00a chihuahua is bathed<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7889968270/" title="IMG_5894 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5894" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8034/7889968270_e426d4efa5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7889967640/" title="IMG_5897 by madi
kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5897" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8315/7889967640_65d20cbc5d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7889959112/" title="IMG_5972 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5972" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8453/7889959112_763d0310a0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a>
and you know how dogs are on this sort of event. i'm sure if loki could talk, cries for help would be sounding in a high pitch. honestly, its just water and soap. we're not asking you to swim a lap. you just have to stand there for three minutes. this little guy reacts like we're trying to make him suffer. shaking like a leaf, nervous as heck. but when you smell like you hang out all day with the skunks, baths are a must. we can't just let him go sour with every scent of the week hanging on his fur. the bathroom fills with air of sweet clean. suds cover his coat and shampoo is lathered by a gentle pair of hands. the poor thing looks longingly at the door, shooting helpless looking expressions at my camera lens. four toothpick sized legs stand dripping wet, nails clicking quietly on the white bath floor. warm water rinses off every last soap bubble, leaving behind a soaked chihuahua. towel dried and spotless, he leaves the bathroom in a towel. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-89353015399981089782012-08-25T14:35:00.000-07:002012-08-25T14:35:06.124-07:00samson smiles<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7859432856/" title="IMG_5415 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5415" height="533" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7110/7859432856_2946cd7cf0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7859417476/" title="august 20121 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="august 20121" height="572" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8291/7859417476_3e2a694b02_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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you learn a lot about a person by photographing them. and this is little brother's turn. he reached for my hand as we walked down the gravel lane to a clearing under some trees. the greens glowed against his dark skin. the afternoon sun glistened in his eyes. as an aspiring photographer, i constantly attempt to capture truth. posed and perfected and staged are not what i shoot for. i yearn for genuine emotion, for what is real. spur of the moment reactions. my desire is to have a reflection of the inside. samson smiles. and there is a childlike joy, appeal for life. he closes his eyes and i watch as a million thoughts race through his mind, he lifts his hands, feels the wind. i watch and wonder what he could be thinking. he laughs at me, ducking in and out of the branches hanging low around us. a simple game of hide and seek among the trees, kindles laughter. a sound that carries far into my heart. a face that was once thousands of miles away in africa, is staring back at me. feet away. i let the memories rush in all at once. years of waiting and praying, seeing this little one for the first time, having him complete our family. i let them pass. and capture a glimpse of his sweet grin. <em>beautiful boy, i love you so much. </em>madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3038310177460241269.post-30289933532765973212012-08-19T20:17:00.003-07:002012-08-19T20:17:42.965-07:00boys<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7820272164/" title="IMG_5143-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5143-001" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8290/7820272164_7ac138d50b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7820254776/" title="IMG_5194-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5194-001" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8284/7820254776_4d74e8c896_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7820253674/" title="IMG_5198-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5198-001" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7820253674_1f61359317_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7820243262/" title="august 2012 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="august 2012" height="572" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7820243262_c6ea068b38_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7820281482/" title="IMG_5133-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5133-001" height="533" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/7820281482_1cd0183594_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7820273670/" title="IMG_5165-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5165-001" height="533" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7820273670_e1bd98730c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7820276126/" title="IMG_5161-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5161-001" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8293/7820276126_4540ff495d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7820244962/" title="Beach 20121 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="Beach 20121" height="572" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7125/7820244962_5498219b86_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7820247470/" title="IMG_5127-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5127-001" height="533" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7251/7820247470_1bc346a7a0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/disfromage3/7820278386/" title="IMG_5126-001 by madi kate, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5126-001" height="533" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7270/7820278386_fcb7b517d0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
the one who is a brother. he use to be little, you still think of him that way. but now he's suddenly growing up faster than what you can believe. he actually got over his fear of cooties. his palms sweat and he does some nervous floor pacing, glancing down the driveway every five seconds to be sure she isn't coming. acting silly and goofy when she arrives. taking a walk with her and talking. and you watch as he's falling in love. <br />
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the one who holds your sister's heart. puts his arm around her while they walk side by side. he makes her smile illuminate. he's someone who brings out the best in her, because she brings out the best in him. they're soulmates. he adores her. and causes her laugh to sound something a whole lot like happiness. <br />
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the little one who holds your hand down the lane. camera in one hand, his hand in your other. he smiles up at you like you're the best thing in the world. asks to see the picture after every time your finger hits the shutter button. you hold onto his little dark hand, admire his chocolate skin against your fair own. madison katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06220168396040393851noreply@blogger.com11