jer and ash are pretty wierd. it's micah and tyler that will bring you back for more!!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Quit Reading me
:( these are sad days for this beloved family blog, because no longer will we grace it with our posts. The business is officially off the hook, and we are no longer the types of people who have time to be a family, run a successful business, have a social life, and also keep up three blogs. we are the types of people who have type to be a family, run a successful business, have a social life, and keep up two blogs. ;) so, until life gets boring again, we will be posting all of our crazy adventures in home, friends, life, photography, kids, etc. on: THE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
This Christmas held so much fun, excitement, adventure, and richness to it that is is a BIG job to try and recap it all in a blog post. But, alas I will try and share as much as possible with you all. Christmas for us started in our living room with the boys over a week before christmas day. With our packed December, it was the only night we had free to open gifts just the 4 of us, but it was great - it was definitely an apple Christmas for jeremy and I. (watch the video to see what i mean) my superman husband got me and the boys Christmas cards with beautifully penned notes inside. I loved the joy in micah's face when he opened his - a Thomas card, of course. For the next part of our Christmas story, jeremy and I hopped on a plane to go to New York City and visit our dear friends Devon and Zak and Tim and Krysten. Tim and Krysten had just returned for Christmas from Kuwait where they are living for a 2 year period as teachers at an international school. All four of these people are so very dear to us, and we find ourselves wondering how we live life without having them in close proximity, but whenever are together it feels like the way things should be - they are definitely family to us. Our adventures in NYC began with getting all glammed up and going to see the Nutcracker at the Lincoln Center and it was even more incredible than I ever dreamed it would be. Then, we went home, got on our pj's and I made an epic fondue dinner (my families recipe for each Christmastime since we lived in switzerland 24 years ago). we spent the evening catching up on life, stories, and sharing pieces of our glorious culture like THIS that tim&krysten are currently missing out on.
We also introduced Dev and Zak to Flight of the Concords, which is by far our favorite show of 07.
A big piece of the puzzle was missing in our absent friend, sarah. So Devon made a picture of her and we took her everywhere we went - from Rockefeller Center to ice skating in central park. and yes, ice skating in central park the week of Christmas was as magical if not more than I ever thought it to be on the movies. Skating hand in hand with a handful of the dearest friends we have as christmas music played in the background and the city's tall buildings loomed overhead was truly pefect.
times square at night - nothing like it Among the amazing places that we ate (Grey dog, Pastisse, gyro place, City crab, and more) none could ever satisfy a sweet tooth like the chocolate by the bald man - Max Brenner. The hug mug of dark hot chocolate, the urban smores with rich melted chocolate on the side and the chocolate shake were all to die for!!! (chocolate is also a natural aphrodisiac as shown by this picture of j and I. ;)
We left new york with sadness because we miss our friends so much, but we had joy in the incredible memories made, and anticipation for the rest of our journey. Next was Christmas at the Parsons home with Jeremy's family. All of his sisters were home and the night we arrived home from NYC, we spent the night there and the next day had great family christmas with them (on christmas eve eve).
The next day, we boarded a plane to fly to Georgia to spend Christmas day and the 10 days following it relaxing and making memories at my parents house.
being a child warm in pajamas with those who adore you and new toys on Christmas morning - is there anything better at the age of 2 and 4?
Two days after christmas, I flew back to KC to photograph a wedding. It was a beautiful wedding with beautiful images (click here to see some) and when I returned, I was happy to have a week to relax with my family at my parents house and enjoy a vacation. It was truly a wonderful Christmas, and I am still overwhelmed at how blessed we were to share it with so many of the people that we love dearly.
CLICK HERE for the quick slideshow of our adventures!! (ps, it may take a couple of minutes to load, and you may have to click the play button a few times, but it does eventually work - sorry for the glitch, but it is worth the wait!!
How do you feel about a new year? In the past we have found ourselves feeling already let down, already falling short of what a new year could hold. Or, we have been entirely idealistic thinking "this will be the year that we get it ALL together" and by the 2nd week of January things aren't going the way we wanted them to. But this year is different. This year seems pregnant with hope, not because it will be without its trials, not because it will erase the past, not because we are going to be entirely faithful in our resolutions, but because we prayed a prayer together today that invited Jesus to be the first foot in our home. In Scotland and parts of England, the new year is given a special importance. People go around from house to house blessing each other in the coming year and sharing fellowship. But the greatest importance is put on the first person who steps through your door, and there is a great belief that the first honored guest will have the power to set the tone for the entire year ahead. And so, there is a Celtic prayer called "The Opening Door" or the open door prayer, where we have the chance to ask the Lord to be that first most honored guest, to be the one who will set the tone for the year ahead. As Jeremy and I prayed this audibly today together, I could feel the tears welling in my eyes because I know full well that all blessing and goodness that will flood our lives this year will be by inviting the presence of the Lord into them, to not only be our most honored and first foot through the door, but to daily take up residence in us, and that, dear ones is supernatural.
The Opening Door
This day is a new day that has never been before. This year is a new year, the opening door.
(physically open the door to your home)
Enter, Lord Christ - we have joy in Your coming. You have given us life; and we welcome Your coming.
I turn now to face You, I lift up my eyes. Be blessing my face, Lord; be blessing my eyes. May all my eye looks on be blessed and be bright, my neighbours, my loved ones be blessed in Your sight.
You have given us life and we welcome Your coming. Be with us, Lord, we have joy, we have joy. This year is a new year, the opening door. Be with us, Lord, we have joy, we have joy.
Well, thanksgiving came and went and no blog, so here is a collage of some of our thanksgiving images. We had a great day and dinner at the big parsons home, and we were so thrilled to enjoy time with all of jeremy's family (all of his sisters were in town), and it was such an AMAZING meal - susan slaved all day to create the worlds greatest feast, and yours truly made a couple of casseroles to contribute. Then the day after, the four of us did our usually family tradition of buying our Christmas tree. It's such a funny contrast living in the city as opposed to living out in a small town. In our Colorado days, I remember miles and miles of tree farms surrounding the town where we could go and cut down our own tree. Now, living in the city, our tree farm is a cement basketball court in the middle of the city with some youth group kids hoping to make a killing off of their trees from the weatlthy city-dwellers in the surrounding area. Therefore, our tree was the shortest one they were selling...well, besides the charlie brown trees that were about 3 feet tall. We had a great friday decorating it with the boys and relaxing the rest of the day as we cuddled up and watched the Charlie Brown Christmas movie.
On another note, with it being the shopping, I mean, Christmas season, we have lately been challenged. We find ourselves incredibly blessed in a country that has way too much money, and immediately the thoughts of all the grand things we will give and get start flooding our heads by the millions. It's so easy to get caught up in making our lists and checking them twice that we really get tunnel vision and tend to forget that there are others who are in need for things more immediate, much greater than a nintendo wii or an apple iphone. Jeremy's sister sarah is a good example to us. In a culture predominantly focused on self, she is incredibly "others focused" and this refreshes and convicts us. We have been talking with her, talking with our small group friends, and starting to make a list of some of the things that move us that we can be a part of - things that will shift our focus this holiday season from what is entirely temporary, to providing real change for others who have real need.
here's some of what we've stumbled upon: feed just one is based on the beautiful words of mother Theresa, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." They provide tangible ways that your four cents can feed one hungry person a meal. feeling moved to feed the hungry, but don't know where to find them? visit their myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/useyourcents
rosa loves is a t-shirt design company that has made themselves aware of tangible needs all over the world, and decided to do something creative to meet those needs. By buying one of their incredibly uniquely designed t-shirts, you are providing financial hope to the person/persons in need whom the shirt was designed for. all profits go to those whose stories are being told, whether it is children in Africa, or the family of a disabled man in bangladesh. We LOVE their designs, and many of our loved ones will probably be proud owners of some of these stories this season. to start wearing someone's story, visit http://rosaloves.com/
advent conspiracy is "an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by worshipping Jesus through compassion, not consumption." The idea is to get creative with Christmas and first, think of how you can give the gift of meaningful relationship this season instead of the gift of stuff. Then, the money that is saved on all of the crap you'd never use 4 months down the road anyways is given to clean water projects such as Living Water International or World Relief so that people who have no clean water to drink may finally have some. if you are interested in giving those you love something more meaningful, and someone you've never met a clean drink, check them out to join their movement at http://www.adventconspiracy.org/
even closer to home for us is the ministry of nueva esperanza. Our dear friend, Sarah, relocated herself down in Chihuahua, Mexico last year to open a home for orphaned girls who were too old to stay living in the orphanage system. By having a home for them to live in and grow in, she has provided them with a place to grow up into very capable young women who can discover God's love and purposes in their lives. She has gone from being a 27 year old single woman, to basically a single mother of 6 teenage girls, and we think her very heroic!! To support the expenses and schooling costs for those in the house, send your financial gifts to sarah c/o "FUPC" at 1321 9th Ave. Greeley, CO 80631 and check out her blog at http://www.nuevaesperanza-2006.blogspot.com/ a pic I took of sarah in october - I am hoping to visit her and the girls next March!
so, for those who were feeing like they had no power to change anyone's fate this season, here are some people in need. If you heart is moved by any of them, we ask you to join us as we try, in very small ways, to change the lives of others this Christmas.
The boys were filled with wonder, I began playing Sufjan Stevens' Christmas album, pulled on my uggs, and pulled out the camera. Why?? Because it SNOWED!!!!!!!! Now, it can officially be the holiday season. The boys LOVED it, and we frantically threw my shoes on them (tyler wearing my pumas, and micah wearing my all stars), put on their knitted hats, and ran outside to snap some pics, because in Kansas/Missouri, you never know when it will snow again, or how long it will last. No, toto, we're not in Colorado anymore, but it felt like it for a few hours!! I loved the wonder in micah's eyes - this look describes how I felt beautiful tyler, brought to you by Gap kids. just kidding ;) and of course, they had to introduce their trains to their first now!! hug it out, brothers and when we went out in our coats, micah found that the snow had changed things that we didn't expect.
And so, we are embracing the changing of seasons, and realizing (to all of our southern cali photographer friends) that yes, there might be some advantages to living where we do!! We will be spending the holiday with the big Parsons family, and hope you all have a great day of giving thanks!!!
Our oldest son, Micah, turned 4!!!! We remain in a literal state of shock that the past four years have blown past us - it's truly surreal as our parents always told us! Now we begin to understand a milifraction of what they meant in telling us, "you grew up TOO fast!" We feel it. Micah's first four years of life have gone so fast, and in those, the best four years of our lives so far, there have been so many blessings and adventures watching him grow into the little man that he is - intelligent, vibrant, full of life and color, and joy in it's purest form follows him everywhere he goes. We are truly blessed beyond anything words on a blog post could describe. We love you, Micah, you are a piece of heaven on earth to us! Love, your mommy and daddy
This halloween was a trip. The boys, despite my pathetic begging them to be the rat brothers from Ratatoullie and time after time of Tyler saying, "I don't wanna be RAT!", decided that they wanted to be 2 of their favorite storybook/movie characters - Thomas the tank engine and James. We celebrated in our traditional KC fashion, by going over to our dear friends house, Andrew&Melinda (and, of course, anabelle). Mel outdid herself yet again with an incredible fall dinner, and we enjoyed a night together with their family and LOTS and LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of candy!!!!
the love of micah's life - his best friend - wearing what he called her "wedding dress"
The coolest kids ever - micah's vans and anabelle's UGG's
We have been so blessed! Jeremy and I were able to take a much needed vacation from life in KC to go back to our "hometown" in Colorado for our dear friend's, Kyle and Jen, wedding. For a detailed account of the wedding and photos, visit my photography blog at: http://www.ashleyparsonsphotography.blogspot.com/ The boys stayed back in Colorado and had a great time with Annie - one of Jeremy's sisters and an absolute ROCK STAR babysitter. For a detailed and HILARIOUS account of their adventures with their eldest auntie, check out her blog - it's a few posts down starting around October 8th: http://www.hootenannieparsons.blogspot.com/
One of the most glorious gifts of this time, though - and incredibly anticipated - was our trip up to the mountains with some of our dearest friends. We have been chomping at the freaking bit to get back into geography that matches that of our hearts. Yes, our home is special to us, and Kansas City is just fine, but it has nothing on this:
First there was the beautiful drive up to Estes - through the Big Thompson Canyon -the glen haven route
Then a quick stop at the local small mom&pop coffee joint...
and then we were off - driving up winding roads into crisp, cold air and vibrant changing leaves. Look how excited he is to be in the mountains again!!
but the most beautiful view we enjoyed were God's most precious gifts - our friends.. captivating sarah and wildly sexy devon and zak... ;)
and yet another beautiful gift from His hand to us at the end of our day...
