Mission24 = Initiative

I've mentioned before being a in the Mission24 group on Flickr and yesterdays mission was to capture "initiative." For those who aren't familiar with Mission24, each week you are emailed a word and you have 24hrs to capture your take on the word and submit your best two shots. Since I've joined the words have been: change, tip and initiative. I find this group really fun because I always try to come up with an image that nobody else in the group did. So when I read yesterday's mission, I just happened to have some supplies on hand that I thought would be a funny take on the word. So here were my submissions:

Duncan taking the initiative to catch a squirrel while Kota would rather wait for the squirrel to come down the tree.










I called this one initiative assistance! Ha!

Not Macro!

This is a shot I got this afternoon while the dogs were out. Duncan had been after squirrels for quite sometime but tolerated Kota's obvious affection.

Let the Countdown Begin!!!

This time a week from now we will be on our way to Dallas, where we will depart to Jamaica!!! Woo-hoo! This next week we will be getting our fill of favorites that we won't be able to have in Jamaica, not that we won't mind the trade-off! So for today I have added my most recent Project365 pics which include of my super FAVES: Haribo Gold Bear Gummy Bears
(and yes, it does make a difference what kind of bears they are).

Project 365

I have a new addiction: Flickr. My latest project365 pic is of another salad I made for dinner and the other is just a funny pic of my baby, Duncan. It cracks me up!

I've Got Stones

Day 10 I woke up at 4:30am and was in the ER by 7:45 and was diagnosed with a kidney stone, the 2nd in my life...and hopefully the last!

a Tribute to jim's and Rockin out

Day 8



Day 7

My Favorite Part of 2008 American Idol

Yea! David cook wins!

Day 6 of 365

Garage Sale Fun!

We, along with some family, will be having a garage sale for my grandpa. There's a ton of really old, no, no, vintage stuff that's really cool. I will be posting pics of stuff here so if you see something you like, let me know and I'll put it to the side for you. The sale will be sometime after we get back from Jamaica, after June 13th, so get ready!!! Feel free to pass the link to anyone that you think may like to see it.

Here's one so far: Coin Grab

Flickr Fun

I recently saw an article on del.icio.us about a group on Flickr called Project365. It's a challenge to take a photo everyday for an entire year. I thought it would be fun and a different way to boost creativity. (You can also go to my Flickr page by clicking on the photo link at the top of this page, Mission24 photos are pretty fun!)Here are my first 5 days attempts:

Happy anniversary To US!

We're celebrating two great years together!



photo by ashleyannphotography

Squirrel Chase

A funny afternoon visit with a squirrel.

Views from the Garden

I love spring! Here are some pics of my growing garden.

Time for Tusla's MAYFEST!

Yea! I love Mayfest! If you've never been, go this weekend.

What:
Mayfest is an outdoor tribute to the arts and music that is a family-oriented event created to promote a broader knowledge of and appreciation for arts and humanities among serious, as well as casual art lovers and there's food. Here are some examples of the artwork:

When:
Thursday, May 15th 11:00am- 11:00pm
Friday, May 16th 11:00am- 11:00pm
Saturday, May 17th 11:00am- 11:00pm
Sunday, May 18th 11:00am- 6:00pm
Where:
The heart of beautiful downtown Tulsa on Main Street between 3rd and 6th Streets, the Green at 3rd between Main and Boston, and 4th between Main and Boston. Click Here for a site map.
Cost:
FREE! That's right, 120 artists, 3 stages of entertainment, an indoor Invitational Gallery, indoor Youth Art Gallery, and KidZone featuring family friendly entertainment and hands-on art projects all for free!
So get outside and check it out!

Colossians 1:15-17

I received the following story in an email from a dear friend today and it made me wonder how people can question God's existence. It always amazes me how God speaks to people in different ways and I believe He speaks to us still today. Though you may not hear an audible noise, you know it's Him. This past Sunday my grandma passed away. She was a peppy, fun and spunky woman and I was very close to her and will miss her dearly. I went with my sister to the viewing today and when I got home the following email was waiting for me. Just when I feel like I may fall apart, I'm reminded that God will keep me together. In a literal sense and spiritually. (My friend did not write this, just passed it along, thank you Jenn.)

A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by
Louie Giglio...And I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned..But I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.

He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is...how He spoke the universe into being...how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire...etc. etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) .....and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking....'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???'

Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.

And then I lost my breath.
And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!!
It was because he started talking about laminin.
I knew about laminin. Here is how wikipedia describes them :'Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.' You see....laminins are what hold us together....LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE.

But now I do.
And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)....
Here is what the structure of laminin looks like...AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it....if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see...

Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!! Amazing. The glue that holds us together....ALL of us....is in the shape of the cross. Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.

'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth , visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER. '
Colossians 1:15-17

Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool. Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together...one cell to another....by the cross.

You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!!

We praise YOU, Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you grandma.

Lemon Meringue Pie

I baked my first lemon pie yesterday. The recipe didn't have an estimated time on it and I think I would've used a different recipe if if had (I started the pie at 5:15 and didn't finish until after 10pm). However, it was worth the effort! I've never cared much for lemon flavored desserts (the pie was for my grandma) but this one is AWESOME! If you like to bake and you like lemon pies, try out this recipe from Martha's Everyday Food.

FREE DAY @ Philbrook

This Saturday, May 10th, Philbrook will be open to the public from 10am-5pm (as well as the 2nd Saturday of every month). Admission is FREE and kids are welcome! Even if you don't like museums, the outdoor garden is beautiful. Mom and I went last month and had a lovely day of culture :) Seriously, if you haven't been to Philbrook in a while, you should check it out...and did I mention it's FREE!