o those photo memories.

i'm putting together a photo slideshow for an upcoming engagement party

[an engagement party, 

because we're engaged!!!! 

eeeek!!!!]

the fun part about projects like this is that it forces you to look back and find all of those humiliating photo memories, the ones you hoped and prayed just disappeared into that abyss where all humiliating memories belong. 

ya, i found a few of those.

i love these photos though.

they are true representations of the beginnings of bryce and me. 

oooooo those beginnings. 

[[try not to be blown away by our cuteness k??]]

and back to the digging i go. :)

embrace the camera with the andersons.

they are adorbstothemax. 

the list

i'm what you would call a list maker.

yup. one of those.

my memory is terrible, so i've found the only way for me to remember all of my daily need-to-dos is to write/type/scribble it down.

bryce attributes it to multi-tasking.

apparently multi-tasking can effect your memory, and as much as i wish this wasn't true, it makes complete sense.

when you're working on 3 different things at one time, your brain can't take everything in.  it can get bits and pieces, probably absorb most of it, but not everything.  i guess a brain can get tired of all of that craziness. but i think my brain has gotten used to it. or maybe adapted is the better word.  

[adapted via list making]

sometimes i wish i was able to focus more.  i'd probably be more productive.  probably be able to get more things crossed off my list.  but that just doesn't seem like the plan.  God just didn't make me that way.

trust me, we've talked about it. 

 and the ironic part of all this is that my journal, 

{where I write my prayers because it's the only way i can focus}

is in list form.  

our God is a funny one isn't he. : )

just feeding the turtles

note to self....

if it's 106 degrees outside,

and you're miserably hot and sweaty,

the ducks probably are too.

and try not to take it too personally when they start swimming away at lightening speed to avoid the bread crumb projectiles you're tossing at their little bodies.

[not gonna lie, i was a little hurt they weren't more enthusiastic about the whole thing...]

 [action shot, check out that form!]

such a cutie-turtle-feedin-patootie :)

at least we tried. :)

thank you to my baby brother grant for having lots of left over bread from his eagle scout project,

and thank you to the turtles for saving my brusied ego and eating the soggy bread.

so very kind of you both.

embrace the camera with mrs. anderson 

[hollaaaa!]

gracefully made

last spring, a sweet young man passed away too soon.  although i didn't know him very well, people i know and love very much, knew and loved him very much.  in his memory, a home for boys is being built in Zambia.  this home will house 12-14 boys, saving them from their terrible circumstances and providing them with food, shelter, and the tangible love of their heavenly father.

its been so neat 

[and so convicting] 

to see the impact this young man has had on his community. 

to know that his memory will be positively impacting the lives of hundreds of young men for years and years to come just makes my heart leap!

for a while now, i've been thinking and praying hard about how i could be a part of this ministry.  i've decided to stick with my most favorite thing on the planet:

paper goods.

there are fews things i love more than snail mail, scrapbooking, and being crafty. 

so i've decided to try and put my passion to good use.

i've started developing a few cards, prints, and frames to put in my shop, with the proceeds benefitting luke's lighthouse.

my shop: gracefully made

if all the money gets raised in time, the house can be up and running in time to enroll boys for the next school year.

for more information on this project, please visit https://www.treeoflife.org/luke.