kansas :: six

Another fun thing about Kansas, besides seeing the places where things in our story happened? Having fun in places he knows well, making new memories that involve laughter and road signs.

Yes, I said road signs.

Neither of us can remember whether this photo was my idea or his, and I guess at this point it doesn't really matter. We laughed hard while we were making it, marvelling at the odd symmetry of it all: the pregnant lady and the road sign. Apparently Flickr peeps liked it too, because it made it into Explore.

If you're my friend on Facebook, you've probably already seen it. But if not, I give you the photo with a thousand possible captions ...

life imitates art (& road signs), or
warning! dangerous curves ahead, or
by kirsten.michelle (2010)


Got one of your own (a snappy and clever title for this photo)? I'd love to hear it!

Some other newly-posted summer lovin' photos from Kansas that I love ...

tireswing
(Yes, I got in. And yes, the process of getting out was hilarious)

a tall drink of water
Many, many of these were consumed in KS

So here I am, inundating you with more pics from our trip. It's nearly the end of July and I haven't even asked about you. What are some of your favorite summer memories so far?

kansas :: five

This isn't any ordinary dirt road in Kansas.

the road
by kirsten michelle (2010)

This road leads to a place that changed both of our lives forever -- even though I wasn't present when it happened. I know there are some new readers here who don't know the love story of Kirsten and James. A fuller version lives here, but here's the condensed version:

James and I knew each other in college (Biola University in La Mirada, CA). We never dated, and we weren't close friends and we didn't know each other well. In college, we had one class together. We had a mutual friend and had just a handful of conversations during my four years there. My general impression of him was that I thought he might make a good monk. He graduated in 1999 and I graduated in 2000. He stayed in CA for awhile, and I immediately moved back to WA. We didn't keep in touch in any form.

Fast forward mroe than eight years to October 2008. James has been back in Kansas for a couple of years working with his brother on the family farm (raising beef cattle) and drilling oil wells. After parking his truck on this road, he drove up on a four-wheeler (because the six-wheeler was broken) to repair some fence. Going up a hill, the four-wheeler couldn't handle it. He fell off, the four-wheeler rolled over the top of him, and he broke his neck.

Because of the broken neck, he got on Facebook (which he never would have had the time for with the impossibly long days he was working) since enough friends wanted to be kept up to date as to his recovery. Because of Facebook, we reconnected. We became Facebook friends on November 12, 2008 (a little over a month after breaking his neck). We became engaged on February 4, 2009. We were married May 23, 2009.

This isn't any ordinary road. This is the road that leads to the place where he broke his neck, to the place where a love story that started over a decade ago got a great big push.

I love that road.

kansas :: four

I almost missed this one.

We were going back through the shots of the birthday party after I had already pronounced myself finished processing them (it's just a reality that when you take nearly 500 pictures of an event, you have to be choosy as to which ones are given the special treatment). And I saw this one. I was drawn to the energy and the much-younger version of myself I saw in it.

jump like you mean it
photo by kirsten michelle (2010)

This is Dacia, our niece. She's the one on the diving board, arms thrown back, knees bent, poised to jump, daring the water. She's not scared of jumping in, she's not hesitating, and she's not being quiet about it.

Once upon a time, this could have been me. This picture spoke to me and made me wonder so many things: about what happens as we get older that makes us scared and hesitant and too practical for our own good, about how we start to be afraid of the water instead of daring the water to be afraid of us. Somewhere along the way, I stopped throwing my arms back and jumping in. Somewhere along the way, I became the type of person to dip my toes in first, to slide into the water gradually and let myself acclimate to the temperature instead of making a splash.

I became the type of person who cared if her hair got wet. What the heck?!

I'm not talking about becoming irresponsible, but living with passion and abandon and enthusiasm, of taking some calculated risks, of giving something your all -- of daring the water to be afraid of you. Because you're fierce. Because you are a force to be reckoned with. I know how the ability to live this way is lost; what I'm more concerned with is how I get it back.

I really want to know your thoughts on this:

Do you feel like this has happened to you at any point in your life (losing your ability to "jump right in")? What does this look like? Have you made changes in any area of your life that allow you to live this way? Any stories, anecdotes, experiences, or insights you have in this regard are welcome here.

kansas :: three

One of the places we visited was the Brit Spaugh Zoo in Great Bend, about half an hour away from where we were staying in Holyrood. Most of us have been to the zoo at some point in our lives, I presume, but one of the many things that makes this one special (aside from being a place that we enjoyed while we were in Kansas) is that it is totally FREE. Can you believe that?

The zoo admission price is FREE. I can't get over that. I live in one of those places where you can scarcely sneeze without getting charged for it. I love Kansas!

I took hundreds of shots here, but I'll restrict myself to showing you just a few of my favorites.

James' grandmother's passed away a little less than two years ago, but her house is still vacant. This is where we stayed while we were there. Having a chance to spend a week where she lived was fascinating; I was captured by the immense amount of details that told a story of who she was and what captured her heart. There are many, many more where these come from and I imagine I'll be sharing some of these details for some time.

An apricot tree in the yard

Hats and coats hanging in the laundry room
 

Spools and spools and spools ...
 

A wall in the kitchen

From the garden, looking past the clothesline and into the chicken shed

And next door to her home, there was an abandoned home. These always fascinating. I wonder who lived here and how they left. I wonder what stories those walls could tell.

There are many more I'm anxious to share from our trip. And don't worry -- I won't go through all 1800!

kansas :: two

One of the things we did on our last night in Kansas (besides watching a completely awesome lightning display) was go out to the family farm. Now, c'mon people ... you know me. And you know James a bit. We totally did a photoshoot at the farm.

Here are a few of our favorites ...

Psst! This last one made it into Flickr Explore ... wahoo!

(If that doesn't mean anything to you, I explain it here.)

For someone who doesn't mind having her picture taken, it's so fun to have someone who has skill with the camera nearby. And lest you think I don't take a bad picture, well ... let's just say I wish I hadn't deleted some of the ones where I look drunk, severely pained, or like I swallowed a double-wide (which describes approximately 80 - 90% of the photos taken). You should really see those babies!

I've got so many more (and more interesting) pictures of the scenery here that I can't wait to show you. Look for those tomorrow!!

on vacation

Starting tomorrow, the hubby and I are going to be out of town. Our ride to the airport is picking us up at 3:25 am. Even a habitual early riser like me is groaning about that hour!! As to our destination, it is neither exotic, nor tropical, nor where all the babymooners are heading this summer season.

We're going to Kansas!!

That's right, we're visiting family. James' family lives there and every summer, there's a big birthday bash for all the nieces and nephews (at last count, that's twelve kids, I think. By the time this little bean is done baking, it will be 14). That shindig is going to be this weekend. While we're there, I also look forward to seeing the Petermann side of the family, some friends who have been on the other end of several phone calls over the last year and more, all of whom haven't seen me since I was wearing a wedding dress.

Boy, are they in for an eyefull!

This means, of course, that I'll be away from blogging and social media. I'm not even sure that my cell phone will work there. Trust me, this is much more likely to hurt me more than it hurts you.

We'll be back on the 16th, and I look forward to catching up with you then!

firsts

One of the purposes of our recent trip to Southern California was to do some maternity shots for Sarah and Dave. It was my first maternity photoshoot, and it was to celebrate the impending arrival of their first baby, who has since arrived on the scene!! Many firsts were celebrated in the few days we were there.

So even though wee little Mirren Clarys (BTW, don't you just love that name?) is now outside the womb, I thought I would share a few special shots from the day. There are more where these come from (I think I took close to 400), but these stood out to me as immediate favorites and I am just bursting to share!!

Congratulations to Sarah and Dave, and a warm welcome to the world to Mirren Clarys!! You are all much loved.

photos and processing by kirsten.michelle
copyright 2010

we are home

Landed @ Sea-Tac Airport
12 January 2010
Taken with camera phone

Greetings, blogging friends!!

James and I arrived home to a wet and windy Seattle yesterday afternoon. I thank you for all your great ideas and suggestions for my self-portrait project and look forward to picking a winner this afternoon.

It's back to the grind for me today, but I look forward to sharing more with you about our time in SoCal soon.

Blessings and peace to you!!

where we've been

James with my Canon 40D
Taken on the coast near Carmel, CA with my Blackberry

At about 2:15 this morning, James and I rolled in to Issaquah after a long weekend trip to the Central Valley area of California. Successive hours in the truck allowed us to connect with each other deeply. We were able to enjoy time with dear friends, connecting with them on a heart level that is only possible in person. God blessed us in ways we could not have planned or foreseen.

We left them with the best kind of sadness, the kind that makes you want to stay until the last possible second (hence the 2:15 a.m. arrival time).

We will be in the process of recovering for a few days, catching up on sleep (I got two hours last night before needing to come into work today), doing laundry, and going through the seven hundred or so pictures we took. There is much that my heart is pondering and treasuring from this trip that I hope to share with you when time and sanity and the headspace/heartspace will allow.

Until then ... I wish you well and I wish you peace.

making plans

February 6 - 24, 2009

Sis & I are taking a trip to Ireland.