Happy Birthday to you...

55 years ago today a boy, who would become a wonderful man and father, was born. Thank you for all that you are, Daddy!

My harsh reality...

So now I leave without a sound,
except that of my heart shattering
as it hits the ground.

With that, I have decided that there is nothing left to do but give it all over to God. I know with him there will be happiness again.

Surprise, Surprise. Another black and white...

My favorite little boy turns 4

Just Me

I love black and whites. Maybe too much. There is just something about them.

I took this photo one sunny afternoon looking out an east facing window.

Learning to shoot in manual exposure.

I am thrilled to be learning how to really use my camera. This week's "homework" is to practice shooting in manual exposure. These are few from my first practice on a very sunny Saturday.

Thesis!

http://dc.library.okstate.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/Dissert&CISOPTR=800&CISOBOX=1&REC=7

A little history of me...

I was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma in the month of June, 1980. My parents were high-school sweethearts; meeting at Casa Bonita when they were 16 years old. We moved to Tulsa when I was a year old and I lived there until I headed back to Stillwater to attend Oklahoma State University. I feel like I have the most incredible childhood memories; waking up on Saturday mornings to my dad playing classic rock on the stereo throughout the house, summer library reading lists, my mom being my girl scout leader, each new school year, friends that will last a lifetime, spending the night with Konga and Papa, playing outside late on summer nights, school-girl crushes, Scholastic book sales, dancing, summer camp... too many to name today but I truly feel blessed.

I graduated from Tulsa Memorial High School in 1998 in a class of a little over 200. Some of my closest friends I had know since Kindergarten. I was on the Pom squad all four years and can still remember the feel of doing band dances on the sidelines in the fall. It is something I will forever cherish. I started working at Outback Steakhouse at 16 as a hostess and left 6 years later as a server. Most nights felt too fun to be a job and that is why I stayed so long.

In the fall of 1998 I decided to brave a try at Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton after being offered a full scholarship to dance. Even though it was a small college I felt honored to be recruited and offered a full ride for something I loved doing. It was not the right fit for me but I never regretted trying. The next year I moved to Stillwater and started what may be the best part of my life thus far. I loved, loved, LOVED every minute of my time at OSU. I loved life in Stillwater, walking on campus no matter what the weather, football and basketball games, learning, buying books and supplies at the beginning of each semester, studying in the library, dancing at Joe's on Thursday nights, Saturday nights at Murphy's, attending class and taking notes with my array of colored pens and highlighters, meeting the person I spent the last seven years with, wearing orange, and making friends that will last a lifetime. I graduated in May 2002 with a BS in Dietetics and started right away on my MS in Nutritional Sciences. I was hired as a TA and RA and studied osteoporosis in rats. I became very attached to #1, my white lab rat, and desperately wanted to make her my pet. I was heart-broken the day we had to kill her in the name of science. I met my "nerdy boyfriend" that first year during a necropsy when he showed me how to detach the foot of a rat. Romantic, huh? I asked him if he would tell me if I was doing it wrong, he was so shy I didn't believe he would.

When I was 19 I was in a terrible car accident on a Sunday night heading back from visiting Tulsa. My car flipped three times and crossed the highway landing upside down in a ditch. I was beyond fortunate to walk away. The only lasting proof are some pictures, a dented forehead and a scarred left pinky. I had angels with me that night.

I now live in Moore, Oklahoma and work for OU (Oh no! How could I work for my sworn enemy? ;)) at the Health Sciences Center as a Metabolic Dietitian. Most people don't even know what a dietitian does and 99% have never heard of the rare genetic disorders I work with so it is always fun to explain. I enjoy my job because it can be a challenge and is very rewarding to prevent mental retardation and death in these patients. I also get to travel and have been to Boston, Denver, San Francisco, Atlanta and am planning a trip to Baltimore and Seattle!

I am newly single after being in said relationship for seven years with someone I truly believed I would spend forever with. I never doubted that we would be together until the end of time. I believe in love that lasts for an eternity and know I will find him. I love being in love and the feeling of someone loving me. I can't wait to find it again.

I have two dogs, Callie (chocolate lab) and Ophelia (pointer/lab mix). Callie was a tiny, precious Christmas gift 5 years ago. Ophelia is my tomboy from the pound and the most incredible dog. Both are my running partners and will nag me until we go if I am feeling lazy. I appreciate their motivation most days.

I am passionate about and enjoy many things; photography (especially black and whites), all things Autumn (I love the smell, the feel, and all the activities that go along with it, I honestly can't help but grin ear to ear and even become teary on the first day it really feels like fall), reading, indie and folk music, Greek Mythology, SpongeBob, Oklahoma thunderstorms, cookbooks, sounds of summer nights, living green, cryptoquotes, Egyptian history, libraries, running, cooking and baking, my nephew, Williams Sonoma, peonies, tulips and calla lilies.