T stands for Trees at Sunset in Phoenix.
Whenever we go to Phoenix, I always marvel at the wide open spaces. This picture was taken at sunset at the Las Sendas Golf Course.
H stands for Happy Birthday Wishes from the Nams and my family on my 23rd Birthday.
It was a great birthday…church, lunch in a park, hanging out with my family, then a coffee ice cream cake from Nora.
A stands for Arizona.
Photography in Arizona is fresh and exciting because the landscape is vastly different than the East Coast. Dry, neutral tones are dominant, but every so often, you catch a glimpse of a lovely color that just punches out of the dust.
N stands for the Nams.
As many of you know, the Jansen and Nam families have become great friends. About 10 years ago, I began babysitting for their kids. Over the years, we have shared family dinners, golf outings, piano lesson days, and much more. Now, Travis and Nora live with them, and they kindly gave up their house over Thanksgiving week so that our family could all share the place together. Here we are at the Las Sendas Golf Course being silly (of course).
K stands for Kate.
One of the best parts about going out to Phoenix was watching this precious little girl grow up.
She is such a joy, and has added a whole new element of fun to our family unit. Kate already has such a dynamic personality. You can tell she is going to be a motivated little individual. She is getting close to crawling at 5 months, and quite alert.
S stands for Shopping.
You gotta love gearing up for Shopping in Arizona! Here we are about to go into Macy’s and Dillard’s. Ironically, out of the ten of us who went to the mall, ZERO bought anything. Nora and I hit up Target and Nordstrom Rack earlier in the week and got some fabulous deals, so that was good enough for us. I was very blessed by my parents and my brothers, who bought me a new Kate Spade purse for my birthday present!
G stands for Golf.
70 degrees. Lush Greens. Gorgeous views. What could be any better?
I stands for Inhale.
Now that Mom is an officially certified Pilates instructor, we made sure to take advantage of her skills in helping us learn how to properly Inhale, Exhale, and, as I like to say, ‘Get to the Core.’
V stands for Very in Love Parents.
On the 24th of November, my parents celebrated 30 years of marriage and love. I took this picture on our family hike. Here, we were making fun of Mom’s ‘chickadee’ hair which often sticks straight up because it is so wiry. Mom and Dad have such a neat romance…they seem just as much in love as they did back in 1978.
I stands for Ingesting CYCLO food!
Hmm. I suppose that sounds gluttonous. It’s not. Cyclo is our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Phoenix. The Nams know the Owner, Justina, so well, that she treats us like family. Here is Justina and Chuck laughing as we pretended that they were brother and sister. Not only is her service amazing, but her food is even better.
G stands for Grace upon Grace.
The morning I left for Arizona, I was suddenly and wonderfully hit with a very fresh sense of gratefulness. Gratefulness for God’s provision in my life, for family, for my sister, for Mom/Gigi, and most of all, the Gospel. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year because it reminds me of why I am to give thanks in all circumstances of my life. I have been accepted as a child of God, because of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross for each and every one of my sins. He has reconciled me to God the Father, because God “so loved the world, that He gave up His one and only Son, that whosoever should believe in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” No matter how crazy life is, no matter what our circumstances are,I have every reason to believe that life is good. Nora and Mom are two parts of my life that really make it good. They are my best friends, and it was such a blessing to have 8 days together. This is just one “grace” in my life, and truly, from Christ’s fullness, I have received grace upon grace.
And now, as we enter the Christmas season, I am so excited to enjoy the Grace of God in celebrating the virgin birth of Jesus.