Nature's Light Photography {Sveta D.}

Smiles

2012-03-01T09:14:00.001-05:00

"A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside."

"A smile is a curve that sets everything straight."

"A laugh is a smile that bursts."

"So keep your head up high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about."

P.S. This is my 500th post! Wow. 500.

P.S.S. I'm participating in the March photo a day challenge, and I'll be posting my pictures on the NL facebook page...maybe I'll do a once a week post on here, I don't know yet.

Entering this into: Wild and Wonderful Wednesday, This and That Thursday, and Wordless Wednesday

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-02-26T17:24:00.000-05:00

Hey there! How are you all? Life has it's ups and downs, but all in all I'm doing good. On a sad note, I lost a follower this week...but the happy side of that is I also gained one. (And I just want to say a quick word: Blogger is shutting down Google friend connect, so if you don't have a blog yourself, you won't get my updates. Be sure to follow through email or FB) Ok, changing topics here...I finally did it-- I got this in the mail Friday: (!!!!!)

Anyways, I've been taking a lot more pictures since then, and ALL these pictures are from this week. :) I'll have a few more posts up this week with more new pictures too. Have a great week!

1. Crossed

A couple weeks ago we visited a Dollhouse museum. It was a lot better than I imagined it to be -- it was like a walk through history! So much fun.

2. A Glimpse

We've been having quite the "glimpse" into Spring these past few weeks. The daffodils started blooming in early January, so, as you can imagine, we haven't had much a winter. That's Kentucky for ya!

3. Handwritten

Spanish. If you don't see me on here much it's because I am working on this. I'm really far behind right now, and have got big dreams to learn other languages, but I'm not aloud to until I finish Spanish. So I suppose I'll be working on it...

4. Bliss

bliss (bls)

1. Extreme happiness; ecstasy.

I think this picture fits pretty good. :)

5. Gray

Our gray cat. She's the best cat ever. It's kinda funny, my dad and I picked a cat out and when we went to our neighbors to get one of their kittens, we couldn't tell the difference between the two kittens. So daddy just said, let's get them both! It turns out this is the cat we weren't going to get, and it's our favorite of the two! (We do like the other one too, though.)

Well, that's it for now! Do come again my dear friends!

A True Soldier

2012-02-23T15:46:00.000-05:00

"A true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."

-G.K. Chesterton

Bicycling, Spring-y Weather, and Something Exciting!

2012-02-19T16:33:00.003-05:00

Hello friends and strangers. How is your month of February going? Mine's full, full to the brim: with school, cooking, babysitting, cleaning, nursing home ministry, music, work (I work at an organic garden), orthodontist appointments, and miscellaneous things thrown in between. It feels as if I haven't posted in forever. Only three posts, and the month is half gone already! So I'll fill you in with what's been happening.

First off I have something super exciting and awesome to tell you.

*drumroll*

I've booked my second wedding!!!

I never thought I'd be doing weddings. Especially at age 16. I mean, yeah, I liked weddings and all, but I was more interested in casual family or senior portraits. I guess God had other plans than me. And if it's His will for me, I will do it to my best ability and give Him all the glory.

Now, on to the pictures. Before my dad left for Africa, he and mom went on a three day date for their anniversary. I stayed home and watched kids. Fun. (no, actually it was quite fun!) We did [some] school, cooked together, biked, whole-heartily enjoyed the 70 degree weather, laughed to our hearts content, worked, and argued. I really didn't want to throw that last one in there...but I just had to keep it real. Being siblings, I'm sure there was an argument or two. These pictures are from a bike ride we took during that time.

I have to go get ready to go out now, so I'll leave you with the pictures.

~Sveta D.

Oh, I almost forgot. Here are my dad's two reports from Africa so far.

Don't we live in the most beautiful area?!

These next few pictures I are bit over exposed, but I like them anyways! :)

Why God Made Little Girls

2012-02-11T17:07:00.000-05:00

God made the world with towering trees, majestic mountains and restless seas.
Then paused and said , "It needs one more thing...
Someone to laugh and dance and sing. To walk in the wood and gather flowers...
To commune with nature in quiet hours."So God made little girls
With laughing eyes and bouncing curls, With joyful hearts and infectious smiles,
Enchanting ways and feminine wiles. And when He'd completed the task He'd begun.
He was pleased and proud of the job He'd done.
For the world, when seen through little girl's eyesGreatly resembled Paradise.

Coffee

2012-02-09T12:20:00.000-05:00

Here's to tell you:

I'm alive.

and

I've got at least 3 post ideas that will be going up this weekend and next week.

And I needed to let you know that me and coffee are best friends. :)

Godspeed, Daddy

2012-02-01T09:24:00.000-05:00

Remember I said I had something to tell you today? Well...for those of you who have been following for at least a year, you may have known what this was going to be about. Last year my dad traveled to Tanzania, Africa to teach church leaders. He was handed down the ministry, and is in charge of Forward in Africa. So he departs us again to teach others about Christ and the church so that they in turn can teach even more. He left this morning, and will be gone for six weeks. Please pray for him, that he will have safe travels and teach well; for us, that we will be able to survive without Dad around :); and his students, that they will learn well and be equipped to teach many people.

Q & A Fun!

2012-01-31T10:26:00.000-05:00

1. What do you do each year for the New Year? Stay up late and wait for the ball to drop, go to a party, etc...?
We don't really have a New Year's tradition. Sometimes we'll have friends over to play games, last year we went to a party and played volleyball, games, and hung out with friends. This year was my favorite though...I went to work with my sis (she was working night shift at a children's home) and stayed up all night with her watching movies, talking, etc...

2. How do you celebrate Valentines Day? Do you go all out (decorate the house, go out to dinner, etc.), do you just give each other Valentines or chocolate, or do you not acknowledge the day at all?
We just give each other Valentine's. :)
3. Do you get snow in the winter? How much?
Yes and no. Last year we got lots of snow (well, a lot for where I live), and this year we got snow two days, about 2 inches each time.
4. How do you celebrate Easter?
Easter is a big celebration in our home. We have an Easter Vigil church service, and afterwards have a big bonfire, dance around the bonfire, sing, laugh, etc...On Easter morning we have cinnamon rolls, go to church, have a nice dinner, etc...Easter is celebrated almost as much as Christmas is. :)
5. "April showers bring May flowers." Does this saying describe where you live?
You know, I haven't really paid attention to when flowers come out or how much rain we get...so I can't really answer this. But I can say, daffodils are blooming already!
6. June is a month well known for weddings. How many people do you know that have been married in June?
Actually, none that I can think of.
7. Do you celebrate the 4th of July with fireworks? What is your favorite kind of firework?
We do. And I could care less what the fireworks look like. haha!
8. Ok, so August gets really hot. How do you like to cool off on a hot summer day?
Oh, my yes. It is hot in August! My favorite? An iced mocha, on the hammock, with a breeze of course. But most ideal? Call a friend with a swimming pool. :)
9. Ahh... September the month when you get in your last digs of the summer, the leaves might start changing colors, and you start school. What do you like best about September?
Hmmm....probably the weather. It's the month were it's not too hot or too cold. Last year, I liked the fact that we had vacation that month...and went to the Oregon Coast.
10. October... now that involves pumpkins. :D Do you and your family go to a pumpkin farm or the store and get pumpkins? What do you do with them? Do you carve them or make pies out of them (if they are edible ;))?
Well, we don't celebrate Halloween, and don't really do anything with pumpkins. Except grown them and make pies. :)
11. Thanksgiving is a wonderful start to the Holiday Season. What are you thankful for this past year?
I am thankful for Christ who came to die for me, a sinner. I am thankful for my family, who put up with me everyday. I am thankful for my friends that never leave my side. I am thankful for a trip to the ocean. I am thankful for flowers. I am thankful for my first wedding to take pictures at. I am thankful that God has given me life.
12. Christmas is such a wonderful time... how do you celebrate Christmas Day?
Christmas Eve midnight mass is my favorite service of the year. :) And then on Christmas day we sleep in and open presents. The past couple years I've been in charge of making dinner, so I work on that, with the help of others. After dinner we just relax/hang out...
Well. That's all I'm going to answer right now. You should head on over and enter this giveaway that had these questions... :)

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-01-29T21:57:00.000-05:00

1. Smile

I snapped this portrait during the civil war reenactment we went to last Saturday. (More on that is coming...)

2. Stand Alone

3. Rusty or Something Old

Well...I think this picture qualifies in both categories. I finally found a car...my first car...that fits my budget. [smile]

4. Artificial

I could think of nothing in this category! I finally remembered about some pictures a crocheted pin cushion I had from about a year ago...as you can see, I typically take living pictures. :) Oh, wait...I just thought of those artificial flowers from the wedding. Forget it, I'm too lazy to go find them.

5. Repeating Pattern

Notice the repetition? I thought of this from our sermon this morning that was centered around this verse: "But knowledge puffs up while love builds up." -1 Corinthians 1:8

Entering this into Scripture and Picture

You all have a great week! And I'll be back with a bit of news on Wednesday morning...but I will keep you in suspense. (Okay, one clue: Africa) Until then. God Bless.

~Sveta

Sweet Little Girl...

2012-01-25T20:24:00.001-05:00

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-01-22T16:05:00.000-05:00

1. Sunset

Sunsets are so beautiful, but I rarely capture one on the camera. Where we live, there are woods on three sides of the house, and the sun sets on one of the sides. And sunrises aren't captured at all, because: 1) I like to sleep in. 2) The sun rise is blocked by the road going up and houses. 3) I have yet to walk up the road at 6:30 am to the neighbors for a picture.

2. Black and White

Yesterday we went to a Civil War battle reenactment. I've always wanted to attend one, and now well...the obvious, I have. :) It was fun, but I know that was was real one day, and still is. Men have a problem with pride, therefore they fight in order to get even. (Okay, I guess woman have the pride issue too...) I really, really want to be in a reenactment; or at least wear the costumes. Anyways, more on the reenactment in an upcoming post!

3. Day in My Life

Cooking is a huge part of my life, and fortunately I love doing it. Pictured above is my sister and I making noodles for the first time (successfully, that is). Please excuse the bad hair...

4. Four

Okay, I had to hunt for this one, and I wanted to participate this week so this picture will just have to do for the "four" challenge. (Wow, that was awful! I promise, I can write. I don't like run on sentences any more than you.) Anyways, this is a star my Dad made when we were decorating for Christmas.

5. Colorful

My sister's pineapple upside down cake was awesome. Just sayin'...

Now go! Join the fun.

A Girl's Heart

2012-01-21T16:44:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday!

2012-01-19T21:36:00.001-05:00

We've had our good times, and bad ones too. I know that sometimes we really, really dislike each other; but in the end forgiveness is given. We've had many adventures. I love watching you grow from a little girl to a young woman. Love you, sis!

HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY, IRINA!!!

Faith

2012-01-16T15:31:00.000-05:00

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
-Martin Luther King Jr.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-01-15T15:43:00.000-05:00

Yippee! We finally got some snow! (and twice in one week at that) So most of these pictures involve snow. :)

1. Stacked

I went out one morning to capture some snow pictures, and my dad suggested that I check out the brick pile. And I photographed them and an evergreen -- and I only lasted out there for 10 minutes before I was just too cold to stay any longer.

2. Winter Wonderland

A leaf that was on the bricks...

3. Sweet

Mmmmm.... raspberry smoothies.

4. Hole

This is kind of an "optical illusion" picture. Notice all the holes everywhere? Notice that the snow on the ground is in focus. :) I thought it turned out pretty cool...

5. Frozen

It's got to be freeeezzing cold out for there to be snow here!

How do you like the new look? It's the winter theme, and should last until Spring.

Thursday Thoughts

2012-01-12T17:15:00.000-05:00

Before you keep going, I must warn all: This post is completely r.a.n.d.o.m.

I took this picture yesterday afternoon around 4:30 PM. My original intention was to get a shot of a pretty rainbow in the sky, but the rainbow was gone when I got my camera out. So...I went ahead and shot. I captured the warm sunlight after a rain. And I love it. (Almost as much as the rainbow)

Today, also around 4:30, I shot this picture. Notice the drastic weather change?! I also really like this picture. It's not perfect, and sometimes it's hard for me to deal with that, but I'm learning to love the imperfections of life.

R igh now my little bro and I are the only one's at home.

A nd all is pretty quiet.

N ever once in my life have I gone hunting.

D ancing is great fun.

O nly an awesome person would read this blog.

M y followers are the best!

Okay, back to that imperfection problem I have? It took a lot for me to post this picture on here. It's my family, and there's not a thing wrong with them. I'd post a pic of them any day. But those squinty eyes? Lighting? Smile-less people? That's what hard on my eyes.

The Little Things in Life...

2012-01-07T16:30:00.000-05:00

little boys.

cats.

spring flowers.

shady trees.

cooking.

hikes in January --

with friends--

in fall weather.

hay bales to sleep upon.

snowflakes.

paper snowflakes.

candid pictures....

This list could go on, and on, and on...I think you get the idea. :) When you ever feel down or sad, write a list of 100 things you are thankful for. It's so easy to fill it, and go beyond 100 things. Because life is precious. amazing. lovely.

I'll try to be back tomorrow for Scavenger Hunt, see ya then!

~Sveta

Memories, Dreams, and Reflections of 2011

2012-01-01T16:13:00.000-05:00

Prepare for a major photo dump!

1. Me!

There you have it. A picture of me...it's a year old (no snow this year) but who cares. It's me. I posted this on Facebook yesterday morning and thought that it was appropriate to share with this picture.

"I love looking at this past year, reflecting on the beauty and grittiness of it. I've grown -- as a photographer, musician and young woman. My faith has been stretched and grown. I am far beyond perfect, but am ever so grateful that God has given me this year and I look forward to the coming one. I am ready to take on 2012 and strive to be more like Christ."

This year many things have happened: My sis went to college, I took family pictures and got paid for it, I took senior pictures, I went to an awesome camp -where my faith in Christ grew- for the first time, my braces finally came off, etc...but what am I most proud of accomplishing? Shooting my first wedding, at age 15. That was pretty amazing.

2. I Love You

I love my sisters. There is one missing in this picture, but I love her too. :)

3. Still Laughing...

At a baby shower we went to they asked this question...there was a table of the younger girls (15 and under) and we all decided to write things funny and random... "She made me eat my vegetables so I would grow tall." (That was mine, and I guess it worked - I'm 5;8.5") ... "She taught me how to count my toes." ... " She taught me how to change a diaper." ... "She made me wash dishes." ...

It was probably one of those things that you had to have been there to really think it's funny, but we had everyone laughing.

4. Winter Wonderland

The only place it snowed around here was in our kitchen. ;)

5. Birthday

My big brother turned 19 this year!

6. Friends

'nuff said.

7. I Was Inspired

This year my dad and I were able to attend the last Rebelution Tour Conference. I was challenged, strengthened, and inspired.

8. Spring Fever

Ahhh...to see spring again. New buds, daffodils, and green goodness. I. love. it!

9. Travel or Vacation

I'm sure you all already know about our trip to Canon Beach, but if not check my archives and look at the pictures. It was amazing, fun, hard, beautiful...the list could go on.

10. Summer Days

Were full of working hard, living, and playing. And swimming. :)

11. A Day in My Life

Right now and for the next couple years, my days are filled with schoolwork.

12. All Smiles

"Everyone smiles in the same language."

13. Autumn Harvest

14. Family and Home

This is my family, with a few extra people. But I like to consider them all family. :)

15. Celebrate!

Easter.

Our church has a tradition now to have (after the Easter Vigil service) a big bonfire. Usually all the kids will run/dance around it together. It's such a fun way of celebrating!

16. Let's Do it Again

*sigh* I would love to do this again.

17. I Miss You

This is my awesome Aunt and Uncle that we got to visit this year. And I miss 'em...

18. Beautiful

Not description needed here. :)

19. Dress Up

My sis and her roommate at college all ready to go to the Ball. So elegant.

20. Macro

Mommy: "Sveta! Come take a picture of this for me! ..."

Me: "Ewwww!! Why in the world do I want a picture of a...a...SPIDER?!"

Irina: "Hey! It's coooolll!"

Me: "Whatever." *quickly snaps picture and leaves immediately.*

This is pretty much the how this picture came into being. And now I like it. Guess it's smart to listen to my mom. :)

21. Holidays

Christmas festivities in our home are pretty much centered around Christ. And this manger scene is a highlight.

22. My Favorite

These gardens in WA were beautiful! It was so much fun walking through them. I wished I had a regency dress on...it would have been so much fun!

23. Don't Ever Change

And listen up Heather, Anna. That is a command.

24. Just Because

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

25. Hopes and Dreams

This is my prayer for the new year, and for my life. To become more and more like Christ.

God Bless!

Merry {8th day} Christmas, and

Happy New Year!

~Sveta

Friday Favorites

2011-12-30T10:40:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends. Welcome! Welcome back. It feels like I haven't posted in forever, but I know it's only been five days. It's been an interesting week. And we had a wonderful Christmas. My sister came home on winter break for three weeks, and I am thoroughly enjoying having her around again. :) She brought back with her an international student from Afghanistan for the whole break. For a few days we also had a sweet young lady from Haiti and a young man from South Korea. So over Christmas we had four different nationalities in our home! Such fun...Well, I'm going quit my rambling and get on with pictures.

~Sveta

Here are a few of my favorite things...

Evergreen Trees,

A warm, cozy fire to sit by,

And making a 3d effects puzzle with my siblings...

Little Shepherd boys in Christmas plays,

The song "Glory to God in the Highest",

And this manger scene: (From our Church's play)...

Listening to my cousin read to my sick brother,

Baking new things,

And homemade peppermint patties...

Meeting new people,

Dressing up for Christmas,

And these people:...

Blue eyes,

Black and white photos,

And my friends...

Candles,

Beeswax Candles,

Lighting the fifth Advent candle...

Road trips with my sister,

Pottery sales,

And any sort of pottery...

Shopping at Goodwill,

Finding pretty tiered skirts at Goodwill,

Being happy...

Trying new recipes,

Playing "slap" with friends,

Trying authentic Afghani food, cooked by an Afghani...

Brown paper packages,

Sewing aprons,

Kitties...

the Annie Moses Band,

Jamming with friends,

Watching my sister play electric guitar...

French braiding my hair,

Hoodies,

No more braces!!...

Snowflakes on our cabinets,

A housefull for Christmas,

Christmas dinner...

And Merry Christmas!!

(There are 12 days of Christmas, you know...)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T17:08:00.000-05:00

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

Candle of Faith

2011-12-23T19:02:00.000-05:00

I will always light my candle of faith again...oh yeah.

I will always light my candle of faith again.

Sometimes this world tries to bring me down,

Tries to turn me aside, tries to turn me around.

But I won't stay out here too long,

I'll come running back to you.

Singing this song...

I will always light my candle of faith again...oh yeah,

I will always light my candle of faith again.

Sometimes satan tries to make me doubt,

Tries to tell me some lies, tries to turn me about.

But I won't stay out here in this chilly, cold night.
I'll come running back to the warmth of your light.

I will always light my candle of faith again...oh yeah,

I will always light my candle of faith again.

And I will draw close to God,

and He will always light my candle of faith again. Oh, yeah.

He will always light my candle of faith again.

(Lyrics by: Paula L. [our neighbor])

Of Christmas Concerts, Sisters, and Dancing

2011-12-21T12:38:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago I was able to spend a week with my sister in College. I stayed in her dorm, and saw the "fun end of college"...I was never able to go to a class with her. Every time I planned to go to a class, something came up. So anyways, We had fun...and she's got an awesome roommate. :) We stayed up late talking, watched movies, cooked together, studied, hung out with friends, and much more...

When my mom and other sisters dropped me off, we went out for pizza and went to the College's annual Christmas Concert.

The Bluegrass band was my favorite...

There was several different choirs, but at the end they all joined together to sing a song. My second favorite was the Black Music Ensemble...they are the people wearing black with the purple of top.

One thing we did was finish her learning center. I helped her and others with things like wrapping boxes in paper, printing stuff...just whatever anyone needed. It was fun seeing everybody's stuff. And I even learned a little Chinese. :) (I've been wanting to learn that language for a year or so...hopefully I can take it for school next year)

Here's my sister at a Christmas/Tree decorating part we went to at one of her teacher's houses. We had a lot of fun that night too. Ok. I think we had fun every night.

My sister is on a Country dance team, and I fortunate to be able to watch one performance on my last day. These last photos were taken there...

I really need to get off of here, so I'm going to close quickly. Bye all! Come again.

~Sveta

Holiday Bokeh

2011-12-19T10:29:00.000-05:00

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-12-17T20:55:00.000-05:00

1. What is it?

This one was hard! I don't take such close ups that you have to guess what they are. So I settled with this picture of a picture someone drew for a pictionary game we played a ~~while back~~ year ago. (who cares, is's scavenger "hunt" right? *sheepish grin*) Can you guess what the picture is of?

2. Sleeping Babies

I will admit, this one came from the archives too. But it's adorable...so who cares about that. ;)

3. Joy

Does this picture not shout "joy"? To me it does. I love my sister, she's such a joy and blessing in my life.

4. Window

I captured the sun coming through the window while we were driving during a sunset.

It may be taken through a car window, but that's the point of it fitting this category.

The window may have fingerprints, but that shows that there are kids around.

The sunset may not be completely visible, but that's because I was in the front and did the best I could.

The picture may not be perfect, but that's because nothing is perfect.

(haha...I tried to make it somewhat poetic.)

5. Half

It's only half of the word, Christmas, but it's the most important half. 'nough said.

Can you believe it? It's the last week of Advent. Christmas is in one week. 2012 is in two weeks. 2011 flew by! And on a more minor note, I turned 16 today. It's seems like yesterday I was 11 and couldn't even imagine being 16 like my big sis (pictured with "joy"). And now I am that age, and it doesn't feel that old. ;)

I'm sorry for my poor writing and random paragraph. But that's just me.

I pray that you all have a blessed Sunday, and Christmas season.

~Sveta

Here I am to Worship

2011-12-16T18:34:00.000-05:00

Light of the world

You stepped down into darkness.

Opened my eyes, let me see.

Beauty that made this heart adore You

Hope of a life spent with You

Here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely
All together worthy,
All together wonderful to me

King of all days
oh, so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came
To the earth You created
All for love's sake became poor

Here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely
All together worthy,
All together wonderful to me

I'll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

I'll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

I'll never know how much it cost

Here I am to worship,

Here I am to bow down,

Here I am to say that You're my God

You're altogether lovely

All together worthy,

All together wonderful to me

I'll never know how much it cost

to see my sins upon that cross--

Christmas Ball

2011-12-12T20:26:00.000-05:00

I didn't take too many photos at the Ball, although I did get some of my sister and her roommate before we left. So here they are. Enjoy!

My beautiful sis. :)

"/>

Anna and Autumn being themselves. I love these girls.

Portrait.

Dancing the night away...

To Be More Like Thee {poem}

2011-12-09T12:27:00.000-05:00

I wrote this poem a few nights ago as I was going to sleep, the next day I remembered it and jotted it down, fixed it up some, and the rest is history. :) I thought the picture went well with it too...

*changing topic* Tonight I will attend my first ever Christmas Ball. Pictures (I hope) to come later!

You all have a blessed weekend.

~Sveta D.

Perfection

2011-12-08T20:26:00.000-05:00

"A beautiful thing is never perfect."

(Photo credit: my nine year old sister)

Personal | Cannon Beach {Final Post} Family Portraits

2011-12-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

Our trip to the ocean was one that we will never forget. One night while we were there, I went out in the moonlight and just walked along the water’s edge praying and spending time with the Lord. The ocean just made the evidence of God creating the world even greater. I don’t think the starfish just happened to evolve out of nowhere – they are too amazing for that! Every little sea animal, every rock, everything pointed to God and His love for us.

I want to thank Grandpa and Grandma for everything they do and have done for us, and for letting us come visit. We greatly enjoyed out trip! I also want to thank Uncle Joe and Aunt Anne for what they did with us and for us. Y’all are amazing! And thank you to Aunt Amy for her hair-cutting skills. J Love you all!

I love these kids. tons.

Here we are...the KY folk half-way across the country in Oregon!

The End. Of the story...Memories will live on forever. This trip will never be forgotten.

~Sveta

And Then She Snapped, Wild and Wonderful Wednesday, Live and Love Outloud

Dereck and Samantha | Wedding

2011-12-06T21:11:00.000-05:00

To view the rest of the album CLICK HERE

Pumpkin Pie and Butterhorn Rolls

2011-12-06T15:02:00.000-05:00

I know you've already seen these pictures, but I just had to make your mouth water again. ;) And enter this photography contest.

P.S. Nela, the button would not work for some reason. So I hope it counts with just the link above...and let me know if you get the button working so I can put it on here...

Personal | Cannon Beach {Part 7} Wednesday

2011-12-05T13:18:00.000-05:00

Mid-morning Wednesday, we said goodbye to the Cannon Beach, and set off in the “Clubhouse” to go to our “home away from home”. It was a long ten hour drive, but the stop for lunch, and another stop at Multnomah Falls in Oregon made the trip seem shorter. I think those were the most beautiful and biggest falls I have seen. More evidence of the wonderful Creator we serve! We arrived home around seven p.m. and set out to un-pack and cook supper – actually it was Mommy who cooked the delicious supper, thank you, Mommy! Not too long after us, Grandma and Grandpa arrived home.

.:Multnomah Falls:.

My brother and two young sisters. <3

Psalm 1:3

2011-12-04T14:30:00.000-05:00

"You'll find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes..."

2011-12-02T10:56:00.000-05:00

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Entering this into: A Christmas Linky Party

Personal | Cannon Beach {Part 6} Tuesday Evening

2011-11-30T21:12:00.000-05:00

After supper, we went for a swim and then out to the beach for a campfire with s’mores! When the sun started going down, I ran inside to get my violin, grabbed my camera (and Irina to take pictures), and went out on the water’s edge to play the violin in the sunset while Irina took pictures. It was, for me, a majestically, breath-taking, astounding experience to play the violin on the beach, during a sunset. The beautiful ocean sounds made for great play-along music! I think this may have been one of my favorite things I did at the ocean.

Entering this (above) photo into:

Personal | Cannon Beach {Part 5} Monday and Tuesday Morning

2011-11-30T20:20:00.000-05:00

On Monday morning Irina and I wanted to walk around downtown Cannon Beach, and Aunt Anne decided that she wanted to go with us. So we set out for a fun “Aunt/Niece” time…going to the tiny, two store mall, wonderful smelling candy shop, an antique shop, a quaint, little used books store, a Christmas store where Irina wanted to turn on every noise making thing in it J, and lots of other places. Meanwhile, Susanna and Jonathan had a great time flying a kite on the windy beach for the first time in their life. Just seeing the joy in their little faces makes one wish to be a little again!

On the left is the mall. Pretty small...the right top is just some cute shops. I loved the "village" feel. And at the right bottom is the quaint little book store. I really like the colors.

Yep, you guessed it. The candy shop. [smile]

Security camera + me + my camera = self portrait time.

On Tuesday morning Uncle Joe announced that he was going to take us kids to Tillamook, about a forty-five minute drive from Cannon Beach. We set out around ten a.m. The first stop was at Fred Meyers to get something for lunch. Then we found a little secluded beach at the dead end of a road to eat at. It was a beautiful beach with driftwood and lots of wave action. Irina kept bugging Uncle Joe that we could get free wood from the beach instead of buying “five dolla’ wood” for our campfire that evening. He finally gave in, and they all collected two bags of driftwood – which made for a great fire later on. Our next stop was the Cape Meare’s Lighthouse. It was one of the shortest, yet best lighthouses on the Oregon Coast. We were not allowed to climb to the top because of vandalism that happened last year. While we were at the lighthouse, we also visited the “Octopus Tree”, which was at the same place. This tree had eight different “trunks” coming from one trunk – pretty cool! Our trip was concluded with a visit to the Tillamook County Creamery Association. There we saw where they make and package cheese. After watching them do that for a while, and sampling all the different kinds of cheese, Uncle Joe treated us to some of their ahhhmazing ice-cream. So yummy! We arrived back in time for me cook up a quick dinner of Tuna Cheese Casserole – which, I think, everyone enjoyed. J

This is one of my favorite shots from the week.

On the bottom right is the "Octopus Tree". It had eight trunks.

I hadn't done a Cannon Beach post in a couple weeks, but I figured I should finish up the series. :) There's a couple more posts left. Then we'll be on to Thanksgiving pictures.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-11-28T20:29:00.000-05:00

Entering this into: Macro Monday

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-11-27T16:52:00.000-05:00

1. Waiting

Waiting for the butterhorn rolls to raise...

2. Foliage

Autumn is my favorite season of the year. Usually the leaves are beautiful, but this year it rain most of September and the leaves died.

3. Candid

My bro and cousin (the little guy) on Thanksgiving. :)

4. Fork, Spoon, or Knife

Yumm!!

5. Rule of Thirds

This is the ring bear from the wedding I shot. (Pictures yet to come...) Isn't he adorable?!

I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. I know I did! My sister came home with two friends from college and spent four days with us. We also had a small family gathering. It was a wonderful week.

~Sveta

P.S. Don't forget to vote on my poll at the top of the page!

I'm Thankful For...

2011-11-25T22:09:00.000-05:00

A - The A, B, C's!

B - Babies

C - Coffee

D - Daddy

E - Emails

F - Food

G - Games

H - Home

I - Internet

J - Jesus Christ

K - Kittens

L - Life

M - Mom

N - Neighbors

O - Outdoors

P - Photos

Q - Quotes

R - Rain

S - Sewing machines; I just hate hand sewing...

T - Trees

U - Universities

V - Violins

W - Water

X - X-rays

Y - being Young

Z - zzzzzz....

Give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ.

-1Thessalonians 5:18

My Little Bro and Sisters...

2011-11-21T20:40:00.000-05:00

Love this trio. They're the best set of little brother and sisters God could ever give anyone. I know I'm blessed to have them. And I really like this photo, it shows each one's personality. Perfectly.

Linking up with Capturing Beauty

P.S. Did you notice that poll at the top of my blog? If not, scroll to the top of the page and you will notice. Now that is there for you to vote on (really!)...so don't hesitate. Please do cast your vote, it'll only take a second of your day. :)

Scavenger Hung Sunday

2011-11-20T13:58:00.001-05:00

Ok. I have not been taking many pictures lately. I know it's a horrible excuse, but life has gotten extremely busy, and photography has gone to the bottom of my priority list. *sad face* So the last three pictures here have been pulled out from my archives, but oh well, you'll just have to live with it. :)

Just a quick plea: Please say a prayer for the country of France. The past few generations have drawn farther and farther away from Christianity, and it's getting worse...the leaders are now encouraging persecution, and they are putting on a nation-wide play telling lies about Christ and the church. So please, take a moment and pray for this nation.

Now on to the pictures.

1. Mainly One Color

I know, this is a pitiful picture. But it was the latest "one color" picture I've got...

2. Around the Home

My little sister ate Mr. Potato Head last week!!! *tears*

3. Reflection

No caption needed.

4. Words

Everyone else is posting pictures of books, letters, etc...so I decided to be a little "different". :)

5. Water

Yikes! Really old picture! (from July 4th) But it will have to suffice. Pretty cool water picture though...

I'm challenging myself to get out, this week, and spend some quality time with my camera. She's been neglected too much lately, and I need to make up to her for being so patient with me.

You all have a lovely Sunday, and remember to give thanks at all times.

~Sveta

Holiday Decor Photo Contest

2011-11-18T18:39:00.001-05:00

I know it's not even Christmas season yet, but we really don't have much fall decor. And we don't have Christmas out yet either, but still wanted to participate in this contest, so I looked through my archives and found this...before we got our tree last year, my little brother was playing with the lights. Adorable, eh? [smile]

Basketball

2011-11-17T13:05:00.000-05:00

We recently started a homeschool basketball night in our area, the plan is to put together a Homeschool boys team to compete with other schools, but for now, anyone can practice with them. This week I brought my camera along in the hopes of getting a good action shot. I really didn't get any, but when I added texture to this one, I kinda liked it. I think I'll bring my camera next week to get a better shot, but I'm pretty satisfied with this one.

On a side note, how do you like the new design??

I am Blessed Beyond Measure

2011-11-15T21:18:00.000-05:00

The Lord has greatly blessed me! He has given me so much, and I should be thankful. And that I am.

I'm thankful for:

{My family}

{Candles}

{This Curious Cat}

{Pumpkin pies}

{Tiered Skirts}

{Yellow leaves in Autumn}

{Wood stoves}

{Our Church}

{My parents}

{My big sister}

{Pumpkin Spice Lattes}

{Music}

{My big, comfy bed}

{Hikes with my friends}

{This girl}:

{Hot chocolate on a cold morning}

{Lace and ribbons}

{This girl}:

{Violins}

{Books}

{Chickens that provide meat and eggs}

{Wildflowers in the Springtime}

{Records}

{Shoes}

{Autumn}

{My little brother}

{Cows to provide milk, and cheese}

{the gift of life}

{Our Savior who died for me. for you. for our sins.}

For these things, and many others, I am thankful. The Lord has blessed me beyond measure.

I'm linking this post up with Simple Delight's Thankfulness Challenge. And I'm taking up her challenge: to be Thankful everyday. Not just the month of November. Not just Thanksgiving. But everyday.

Along with this challenge, she is also having a give-away. So head on over and enter!

Authentic People Blog Party {Just for Fun}

2011-11-14T17:41:00.000-05:00

{Introduce Yourself}

My name is Sveta.
Well, that's actually my nickname, but I don't like to put my full name on the internet.
And yes, it is Russian, and no, I am not Russian; nor was a born there.

I will soon be able to sing "Sixteen-Going-on-Seventeen" accurately.

I'm tall. 5'8.5" to be exact. And I don't talk much -- unless I know you really well.

I like to express my self in different forms of art -- photography, music, scrap booking, etc...

I love old-fashioned things, but with a modern twist too them.

I love to read. C.S. Lewis is awesome, and so is any missionary story.

I play the violin/fiddle, am learning the recorder,

and want to play the mandolin and cello.

I am a sophomore in highschool (and homeschooled :).

And most importantly, I am a born again Christian.

What's the nerdiest/geekiest/weirdest thing about you?

I kinda like oatmeal...and don't really like chicken.

And, I'm always correcting people's grammar when they talk, and grammar in writing.

Which is kind of rude, so I'm trying to break the habit.

Little or big, practical or frivolous, what is one of your favorite items in your house?

Probably our record player. Yes, we have one. :) And it's awesome! It's got two big speakers, (Big thumbs up!) plays records, cd's, the radio, or tapes, and we can plug the computer in to it too. Oh, the sound is MUCH better on it too...and if you know me. Music is an essential in my life.

Do you like animated movies? If so, what is your favorite?

Yes! And I would have to say Tangled is at the top of my list of favorites.

What is your favorite household chore?

Sweeping. I don't know why, but I just like to sweep. And if you call cooking a chore, I love doing that. (In fact, I cooking dinner as I writing this post.)

What is your favorite pizza topping?

Just about anything. But two restrictions: it's got to have meat, and no mushrooms.

Waffles or pancakes?

Waffles. Defiantly waffles. :)

Do you like to play games? If so, what is your favorite?

I love to play games! I like a fast paced one...dutch blitz, spoons. Oh, and Euchre is a favorite in our home.

Have you ever dyed your hair?

Nope. And I don't ever plan on it. I think each person's natural hair color looks the best. "For you are fearfully and wonderfully made..." God gave you that color for a reason. :)

Do you make your bed every morning?

Uhhh...no!

(My mom is out to fix that though...)

Do you like carpet, tile, or hardwood floors?

Hardwood. Except in the bathrooms -- tile. (I love our wood floors, they came from an old army barracks, and really have that "vintage" feel to them)

What is the last thing that made you laugh?

I try to laugh everyday. It's healthy you know. :) The last time I remember laughing a lot, was last night. Our youth group went caving. And us girls went up a "side route", and have to "crawl" on your stomachs. We were all laughing at each other. Boy were we muddy when we finished. But it was so. much. FUN!

Head on over, and enter! There are over $200 worth of prizes too. :)

Black. and. White.

2011-11-09T13:15:00.000-05:00

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were big things."

-Unknown

Thankfulness.

2011-11-07T18:19:00.000-05:00

"There is always, always, always something to be thankful for."

I am so very thankful for:

My family.

My friends.

My awesome God.

My amazing Savior, Jesus Christ.

Autumn.

Yellow leaves.

Gardens.

Photos.

And oh, so much more...I would be here for days if I were to name everything to you. :)

Cannon Beach {Part 4} | Sunday Afternoon

2011-11-02T18:24:00.000-04:00

We kids were ready to get out for a bit, and I wanted to go see a big tree that Daddy told me about; Uncle Joe came to the rescue by taking us to see the world’s largest Sitka Spruce, and then on a walk downtown Seaside. The Spruce tree was pretty cool, but a few years back it was struck by lightning during heavy hurricane winds. The top of the tree fell off, and the middle was chopped down, so the only remaining part was the trunk – and that was still really tall.

All of us in between the trunk and the part that got struck.

My beautiful Mom.

My ~~annoying~~ lovely sister.

I went off on a little walk by my self while the others climbed the tree, and what would I find? None but Nature's Living Room itself. Don't you see it...To the left is a little couch, in the middle is the coffee table, and at the right is another couch. Love it!

Seaside was a busy town on the Ocean, and with it being the weekend, it was even busier than normal. We walked around, went in a few shops to buy shells, saw the end of the Louis ‘n Clark trail, took pictures, and laughed – laughing is an essential to life. J All in all, it was a well spent afternoon. When we got back the Inn, the kids went on their daily swim. Much time was spent in that indoor, saltwater pool.

End of the Louis n' Clark Trail.

This is the only picture I got of Seaside. Sad huh? But hey! There's a cool car!!

Swimming...

Does she not look like an angel coming up from the water?! Awesome. What great photography skills my Mom has. :)

Well, you all have a great day! I think I have one [maybe two] more Cannon Beach posts, but in between those; you may be seeing some Autumn loveliness and Wedding pictures [!!!!]. ~Sveta

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-10-30T14:25:00.000-04:00

1. Macro

I *love* this season of the year! Such beauty all around us...

2. Found Texture

Ok. So I absolutely love this picture. I love the texture from leaves in the background, the yellow. And well, just everything about it!

3. Home

What would a home be without laughter?

4. Cover

Leaves have covered the ground by now...

5. Tree

Okay. First I have to give my Dad credit for this picture. You see where I get my photographic eye from? :) Although I am kind of jealous I didn't notice this tree when we were hiking, but oh well...at least he got a good picture. :)

Well you all have a great day! I'm off to go on a hayride, have a cookout, and play music. Fun evening!

F. Wedding | Sneak Peek

2011-10-29T13:12:00.000-04:00

2011-10-28T13:05:00.001-04:00

Cannon Beach {Part 3} | Sunday Morning

2011-10-24T17:46:00.000-04:00

Ok Y'all. I really need to apologize. I said I'd post this on Thursday or Friday...and it's Monday evening. My weekend just slipped right by me! I went to see Courageous one day; worked on school, baking, cleaning, etc... another day; took wedding pictures another (!!!!! Post coming soon.); and went to heat the MacDonald Family sing another! Now it's Monday, and I'm finally free to post.

Hope you enjoy the pictures. Have a great evening!

At five thirty a.m. Sunday morning, I heard a knock at the door and remembered that I was supposed to up and ready to go on a walk on the beach with Uncle Joe! So with coffee in hand, and my camera around my neck, we headed out for a walk down the beach. It was a beautiful morning, and I was able to spend some quality time with Uncle Joe, and get some great pictures.

No caption needed.

Ahhh...soaking in the Ocean beauty!

My uncle, who went on the walk with me.

Starfish!

Sea anemones!

Fellow Photographer. :)

King of the Seas!

The best flying shot I was able to get.

A duck?

Yours Truly.

We met my Momma and brother, Jonathan, on our way back.

We had a wonderful mass with the congregation at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church. It reminded me of home, with the small church full of friendly people. It turns out the priest was from Tanzania – near where Daddy goes to teach! We live in a small world. We came back to see Aunt Anne cooking up a storm! French toast, bacon, fresh fruit, and yogurt; what could have been a better Sunday Brunch? We had to say our goodbyes to Aunt Barbara, Kira, and Jalen; but wait! Before they left we ventured out into the cold, windy weather to get a group picture.

Windy, Windy day!

Jalen and Jonathan.

Kiera

<3 Sisters. <3

The Family Portrait.

Front (L-R): [Cousin] Kiera, [sister] Susanna, [brother] Jonathan, [cousin] Jalen, [sister] Irina.

Back (L-R): [Aunt] Barbara, Grandpa, Mom, [Uncle] Joe, [Aunt] Anne, Grandma, and Me.

Daisy

2011-10-21T14:26:00.000-04:00

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

Proverbs 31:30

Entering Photo #1 into: Favorite Photo of the Week

Also entering:

Autumn Love

2011-10-19T18:31:00.000-04:00

What I love about Autumn.

via

Roads like this.

via

Pumpkin Pie, with a dash of whipped cream!

via

Coffee.

That is what I love about Autumn.

via

Biking down little one-lane country roads with friends. so. much. fun!

via

Leaf catching! Try it. It's harder that you think!

via

Taking pictures. :)

via

I just couldn't resist posting this picture too. All I have to say is, "Someday." [smile]

(I play the violin...)

Cannon Beach {Part 2} | Saturday

2011-10-18T16:49:00.000-04:00

I'm back with Cannon Beach, part two! I'll let my "journal" and pictures tell you the story.

Mommy rose early the next morning to walk along the beach during the sunrise, and when the little kids finally got up they were quite upset mommy did not wake them at 6am! I reminded them that they did, indeed, need those extra hours of sleep, and there would be many more early morning available for sunrise walks. After breakfast Mommy and the kids went outside to play on the beach while Aunt Anne and I went to Seaside to do some grocery shopping. Of course we needed those marshmallows and candy corn, I mean come on….who could live without those!? J We were greeted by my dear Aunt Barbara when we walked in the door. It had been three years since we’d seen her and her children, so it was nice to see her smiling face again. That afternoon was spent on the beach playing with Aunt Barbara, Kira, Jalen, and Uncle Joe. We enjoyed playing Frisbee, running along the water line, digging holes in the sand, building sandcastles, and catching up with each other.

My sister, Irina, and brother, Jonathan, looking for beach treasures.

Mom playing the banjo...

The *very* important candy... [smile]

I had gone out on a walk to the Haystack Rock by myself that morning. And I absolutely love this picture I took.

Along the way I met my sisters, Irina and Susanna, dancing on the ocean-side. What fun!

This is one of my favorite shots from that week!

Another one of my favorites, I love how the picture is one color, yet different colors at the same time.

Beach treasures. :)

Playing with Aunt Barbara...

Sand Creations.

Frisbee!

Irina and me.

By the looks of it, my sister didn't have much time to deal with her hair that day...and she wanted it out the of the way...

Haystack Rock

Writing in the sand with your toes. *Love it!*

One of the other favorites...stretch your imagination. What does it look like? Ships sailing in the sea??

My cousin, Jalen enjoying the [freezing] cold water!

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Psalm 113:3

Well, that's it for today...which was your favorite? Look for another Beach post on Friday!

Cannon Beach {Part 1} | The Drive

2011-10-15T15:51:00.000-04:00

Hello! Yes, I am finally getting around to posting about our beach trip. Yesterday I wrote a paper about the trip, so I thought I'd put the parts of the paper that go with each day in the posts. That way you can kinda know what we did through words, and then see some pictures. Sound good? Each post I'm gonna ask...well I'll ask at the end of the pictures. [wink] Ok, now on to the beginning of the "story".

As I was sitting on the couch with Grandma, I could hear little voices of delight out the window. Those voices came from my little brother and sister, Jonathan and Susanna while they were flying kites on the beach – for the first time in their life. What a joyous occasion! These kids are going to remember this trip for the rest of their life. Let’s start at the beginning…

“I just got off the phone with your Grandpa”, Mom announced in the spring, “and Susanna, Jonathan, Irina, Sveta, and I will be going to visit in September. We’ll also be going to Cannon Beach for a week!”

A stampede of children, shouting cheers, came from all parts of the house. “Yippee!” “How long are we going to be gone?” “When, exactly, are we going??” “Awesome!” “How long do we stay at the Ocean?” You get the idea; excitement was brewing in our house.

Fast forward to the end of August…It is twelve noon, September 6^th, 2011; all of our luggage neatly packed up in the trunk of the car, and we all squeezed in, without an inch of room to spare. We had a long, boring three hour drive to Nashville, TN where we would board our plane.

Fifteen hour later, five very tired, yet still somehow smiling D’s (I don't want to put my last name on here.) arrived at the Spokane International Airport. Searching for a familiar face, I found one…our amazing Aunt Anne was walking our way. We grabbed our luggage, loaded it into the Volkswagen, known as “The Clubhouse” for the next month, and drove the short twenty minute drive to our final destination; Grandma and Grandpa St. John’s home. After saying hello to Grandpa, who very nicely stayed up for us, we all headed off to bed to catch a good night’s sleep. The next day was a whirlwind of activity as we prepared to leave for Cannon Beach Thursday morning.

Thursday morning came, and went. We had planned to leave in the morning, but as plans always seem to change, we did not get out the door until 12:30. A majority of the next day and a half were spent in “The Clubhouse”. We did, however, make quick stops for meals, spent a night in a hotel, and had a visit with some friends in Oregon.

When we finally saw the Columbia River meet the ocean Friday afternoon, we were rejoicing. I don’t know what made us more excited; getting to be at the ocean for the first time, or ending our clubhouse meeting – which we all thought lasted way too long! When we opened the door to our condo, the delicious smells of a home cooked meal were coming from the kitchen. What a delight to have such wonderful Grandparents who cooked that meal for seven hungry and somewhat grouchy people! Immediately following supper, Irina, Jonathan, and I hurried out the door to get out of the crowded condo, and onto the open, and what seemed to be endless, beach. It was considerably cold, so I didn’t last long out there. Just enough time to photograph my two siblings running in the ocean sunset and soak up the fresh ocean breeze.

Road Art.

We saw lots of these...

The visiting friends I talked about...well, here they are! Just the kids, with myself and my sisters and brother too. It was so much fun meeting Lucia and her family! Thanks for having us over. :)

Lucia plays the piano, her sister Olivia plays the guitar and mandolin, my mom had her banjo, and I had my violin -- and together we {tried} to play some music. That was interesting...but so much fun!

Ahhh...the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean! We're almost there!!!

And...Cannon Beach! That's Haystack Rock in the background. This is the view we had from our Condo. Pretty amazing, eh?

And I mentioned getting a picture of my sister and brother in the sunset the first night; here it is.

Well, that's it for now, but do keep on the lookout for another Cannon Beach post. It'll probably be Monday or Tuesday.

Oh, the question...Which picture was your favorite? (There aren't too many good ones to choose from in this post, but I assure you, there will be tons of great ones to come...)

Coming Soon!...

2011-10-12T11:06:00.000-04:00

Sunday afternoon hiking with my family....

And, our one week ocean trip!

S-M-I-L-E

2011-10-10T19:36:00.000-04:00

"A smile happens in a flash, but its memory can last a lifetime."

-unknown

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-10-09T13:33:00.000-04:00

1. Landscape

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Exodus 14:13a & 14

2. Complementary or Triadic Color

I think my picture goes more along the lines of the triadic variation. I had the hardest time looking for one with either complementary or triadic, so I just had to settle with the variation.

3. Black and White

We have the best kats (kitten/cat) ever. 'nuff said.

4. Food

Okay, food is just one of those things I don't take pictures of...I cook the food, but never really found much fun in drooling over it for ten minutes trying to get a good picture. ;) So I'm gonna have to side with Ashley, candy is food, right?

5. Blank Space

I had to dig way back into my ooolllllllddd folders for this one....actually, so old, I think I took this with my old point and shoot in June of '10.

Just a Little Boy and His Bike...

2011-10-07T21:34:00.000-04:00

I know these are kind of blurry, but I really like them. My bro and I went on a short bike ride trying to catch the sunset, but we were too late. So we just biked around a bit. And I captured these pictures of him.

But I want them is for memories.

Memories of my little brother, his cute, dirty face (He's gonna hate me saying that!), and our fun times together. He comes to me almost every night asking me to play a game or read a book with him. Needless to say, I love you Jonathan! You're the best little brother anyone could ask for. :)

New Name, New URL, New Header, New...

2011-10-06T15:14:00.001-04:00

As you have probably noticed, I have had a "blog makeover". As you may or may not have noticed, I have also changed the url, and combined my two blogs into one. Ok, that was kinda blunt...lol. I realized that I really had no need for two blogs, so then I combined them. Then I wanted to have it a photography/life blog, so I just kept my photography name. Because of this, I changed the url to:
sveta-nl-photography.blogspot.com. And, this little corner of the blog world needed an autumn feel to it. :) What do you think of the changes? Do you like them, dislike them, there're ok. Give me suggestions if you have a better idea...and in the meantime, thanks for following me. Have a lovely day!

Changes

2011-10-05T19:17:00.001-04:00

A few changes are going here, just wanted to warn you...and please excuse the mess. :)

Psalm 30:5b

2011-10-02T17:07:00.000-04:00

I love this picture of my brother. Candid Joy.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-10-02T16:50:00.000-04:00

1. Inspired by a Book or Movie

Fiddler on the Roof. Okay. I'm not playing the fiddle on the roof, but for some reason, this picture reminds me of that movie. What do you think?

2. Brown

This is some shade of brown, isn't it? I found this on a gate in front of a little abandoned cottage near the beach. Adorable! I want to live there someday...

3. Hazy

This is one of my favorites from Oregon. It's foggy, and a bit well, hazy, and I absolutely love the waves crashing against the rocks!

4. Coffee or Tea

Beach + Coffee + Camera = Perfect Morning!

5. Linger

I'm not sure that this reaches the definition of "linger", but I'm on my Dad's computer, which only has pictures from the past month on it. (And those are either vacation or right before we left...but I didn't have much other than beach. haha.) Hey, don't bubbles linger around and then fall to the ground? :)

Well, you all have a glorious Sunday!

What a Wonderful Day it is...

2011-09-30T15:41:00.000-04:00

Ahh, at last, fall has made it's way to our little neck of the woods.

And today, I'm spending this wonderful, 60 degree, fall Friday working on organizing our family's loose recipes. I slept in. Late. (But I have an excuse, I'm not used to the time change yet.) And then did prayers. After that, with a cup of Starbucks caramel coffee in hand,

Piano solo background music,

a pile of recipes in front of me,

and a computer waiting to be used,

I began my job for today.

So far I've sorted all the recipes into categories (e.g. breads, cookies, main dishes, etc...)

and started typing them.

In the end, I'm hoping to have them all neatly arranged in a three-ring binder. Now, I'd much rather be reading a great missionary story on the hammock, but this isn't too bad of a way to spend Friday. (Especially since I've been talking about doing it for a long time...)

And hey, with all these delicious recipes in front of me, I've decided to share one with you.

Lemon Blueberry Bread

4 eggs

2/3 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 Tablespoons grated lemon rind

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour ( I use whole wheat, and it works fine)

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups blueberries

Mix together the first seven ingredients, and then add the last three. Bake in two greased bread pans at 350 degrees for an hour, or until a knife comes out clean when you poke it. When the bread in done, and on a cooling rack. Pour the mixture below on top of it.

1/3 cup white sugar

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Mix on stove until the sugar is dissolved.

Mmmmmm....this is one of my favorite breads. In fact, I'm making it for dinner tonight. :)

Uncle Tom's Cabin & Photo Challenges

2011-09-29T18:43:00.000-04:00

Our family has always loved to read. Book stores, and book sales have been a weak spot for us. :) So we have lots of books! A few months ago, we had to add some shelves down the middle of our ~~school room~~ library. (Us kids were fine with that!) So I've seen a couple "book" photo challenges, and asked my sister to do a little photoshoot...

I' entering this one (above) into Raquel's contest...

So she picked out Uncle Tom's Cabin (Wonderful book)

Thought we should warn you...

There are some funny parts,

Some horrifying parts,

And well, I guess there were some surprises in there too. :)

I'm entering this picture into Raquel's and Mikayla/Allie's contests...

We love books. 'nuff said!

I'll Fly Away...

2011-09-28T18:22:00.000-04:00

...to home!

We flew home yesterday!

The vacation was awesome, but I was glad to be home.

Now I've got to unpack, AND....

Post about our trip!

I'm thinking about putting the Ocean trip in a 3 or 4 part series, and the rest of it in 1 or 2.

So be looking, I'll be posting soon. :)

Take the Time...

2011-09-27T15:08:00.000-04:00

...To watch this. I know it's 33 minutes, I know you probably "don't have time". But watch it, you won't regret it!

Manito Park

2011-09-25T19:52:00.000-04:00

I went on a bike ride this week...to a park called 'Manito Park'. It was beautiful! There was a Japanese garden, rose garden, greenhouse with a bunch of really cool cacti, and this garden (pictured above). Is that a cool picture or what?!

(btw, that's me in the picture, and my little sis took it...thanks girl!)

Psalms 51:10a

2011-09-25T19:33:00.000-04:00

I thought this verse fit well with my purity ring. :)

Two Giveaways!

2011-09-21T15:17:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to let you all know about two really awesome giveaways that Lucia is having! You can find them HERE and HERE.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday in Cannon Beach Pictures

2011-09-18T16:14:00.000-04:00

Ah! I'm finally able to participate in SHS again. :) All of these pictures are from our trip to the beach, so you can get a 'sneak peek'. We are still in Spokane for another week or so...and today I am going to the Spokane Symphony Orchestra! So I'd better get off of here and get ready. Enjoy!

1. Street Photography

One day we walked around Seaside...talk about a tourist city!

2. From a Distance

Haystack Rock and the Needles, probably one of the most photographed rocks in the US. They were beautiful, but I kinda like the other end of the beach better...

3. Sunday

Yeah, you probably weren't expecting a picture like this for 'Sunday'. I had a picture of the church we attended, but I wanted to be a little more creative [smile]. I came across this one, and thought.."Hey! We go to church on Sunday, to praise God, so why can't this work?" Praising God is what we do on Sunday, and this is what I was doing when my sis took the picture...

4. Liquid

On our way home, we saw a huge waterfall (I'll put pictures of the whole thing up later), and I took a picture from the bridge..looking down. Creative, eh?

5. Behind

...Behind the camera lens. That's where you'll find me most of the time. [smile]

1 Peter 1:3-4a

2011-09-18T15:37:00.000-04:00

Quote

2011-09-16T23:32:00.000-04:00

“Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning...”
― C.S. Lewis

I was...

2011-09-16T21:28:00.000-04:00

At Cannon Beach! It was amazing. Words cannot describe it. Anyways, this was the view from our condo. And I'll post more pictures soon. Actually, I'm not sure how soon because I am editing them right now. And I've got a bunch, so it will be a little while. :)

Keys

2011-09-12T19:30:00.000-04:00

key¹

n. pl. keys1.

a. A notched and grooved, usually metal implement that is turned to open or close a lock.

In the Book of Matthew, Jesus said to Peter:

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Thankful for the Gift of Brothers and Sisters!

2011-09-12T13:32:00.000-04:00

Jonathan

Full of energy,

loves to sit and read with you...

or play outside,

Always wanting to be with Daddy.

And his latest accomplishment:

Chess!

Always showing those dimples! :)

I love this boy.

Susanna

My adorable sister.

So graceful.

She's a great helper.

And also a great sister.

Although, she has her [bad] moods.

She's also got a sweet, lovely spirit inside her.

Irina

This girl.

Is amazing.

Smart.

And Joyful!

We aren't always the best of friends...

But I still love her!

Esther

Where do I start?!

This girl is so amazing!

She's so fun...always got a smile on,

Even if times are rough. :)

We have had such fun together...

I'll miss her when she leaves.

I love you tons, Esther!!

Ethan

My big Bro.

You are awesome.

I can't imagine a better brother.

Love ya!

(btw, he's thowing acorns at me in this pic...haha..he's my brother, what do you expect.)

Anna

My best friend.

My sister forever.

I don't think I could survive without her.

She's the best!

I love her soooo much..and miss her a lot.

Do You Sew? I do!

2011-09-09T12:38:00.000-04:00

So...do you sew?

Or do you scrapbook?

Or do you do card-making?

Or do you make jewelry?

Or...

What is your craft?

Honestly, I love just about any kind of craft. That's my...gift. I guess you could say. I feel like the Lord is showing me that it is through art that I can serve him.

Okay, a little off topic here...(I did get an A in English/Writing, although it might not seem that way...) Whether you like to sew, or not, I love to sew! I sew skirts and dresses...and purses and backpacks...and nightgowns, and costumes. And I have quite a list of what I want to lean how to make...shirts, pants, and mastering the art of pattern making are a few.

It may sound like I can make a lot! But believe me, I've made lots of mistakes...and need a lot more practice!

I love to hear the sound of the sewing machine. And it feels so good when I try a new pattern, and it turns out. Really, just to know that I tried my best, is what feels the best. If I fail, I get up and try it again! Eventually, it will work...I know it will. :) Because, "if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got!" (via Alex and Brett Harris)

A few weeks ago, I took a big step, and made my first pattern! Now, I guess I cheated a little, because I took one of my sister's skirts that I really liked and made a pattern from it. Then we could both be happy. (she was moving...) It was so wonderful to know that I could make a pattern.

Then I tried making my third dress...my second one was a complete failure...and succeeded! So I made another matching one for my sister. :) We love them...they are cute, modest, and pretty.

Today, I decided to make a skirt for my little sister. Well, I was going to down-size a tiered skirt pattern I use for myself, and make it for my little sister. I couldn't find the pattern. My sister couldn't find the pattern. "Now what am I gonna do?!" *thinking to myself* "I can make the pattern from the skirt I made!" So I went to my closet, got the skirt, grabbed a sewing tape measure, and made pattern.

I was using cloth that my Dad brought home from Africa...so I did not want to make any mistakes, and waist the beautiful , rare cloth.

And guess what? An hour later, my sister had gained a new piece of clothing for her wardrobe. :) Now I have the confidence that I can make a pattern...my next "assignment" is to make a real pattern..from scratch, with now skirt to use a measurement. I'll let you know how that goes. :)

So what do you like to do?

What is your God-given talent?

Post about it...and leave me a link.

I'd love to know!

Or just leave me a comment. :)

Alsoooo...don't forget to vote on the poll on the sidebar!

Yes, We're Open

2011-09-08T19:23:00.000-04:00

Where is Sveta?

2011-09-07T20:37:00.000-04:00

Sveta was waiting in the airport for two hours before boarding the plane...

Her mom and sister were too...

Wait...so was her brother and another sister. :)

They flew with Southwest Airlines...

All the way across the country.

It was her little brother's first time flying...and I think he liked it.

The clouds were really cool!

Art? I think so.

Once again, Sveta got to see a sunset above the clouds...it wasn't as good as the last one she saw, but is was still pretty.

Ohhh!!! She also got to see the Grand Canyon for the first time. :)

And as you already heard, she stopped in Las Vegas to change planes.

And then went on to:

A place that none of you guessed...

******

The state of WASHINGTON!!!

And the city of SPOKANE!!!

So now you know where Sveta and her family is at.

I have another poll for you to vote on. :)

We are having a "vacation within a vacation."

Where do you think that is?

I'm giving you one hint:

It is a Beach, at the Ocean!

So check out the poll on the sidebar and VOTE!

And I'll tell you where that is...next Thursday.

But first, you must vote! :)

P.S. I will not be bringing my laptop to the ocean with me, but no worries! I have some scheduled posts ready. :)

Right Now I'm in....

2011-09-06T23:13:00.000-04:00

Lost Wages....I'm mean, Las Vegas. ;)

And this is not the final destination....