ElleSto

Angie's Wedding!

Does my hair not look like lasagna?  

The wedding was beautiful and perfect. Angie looked perfect and she and Scott were adorable the whole time. Congratulations Scott and Angie!!

So excited.

Angie's wedding is this weekend and I am so excited to see all my friends that I haven't seen in forever and to celebrate this big day with her. I will be super busy this week and thus not blogging probably (not that I am normal a daily blogger!).  Have a good week!!

(Wo)man's Search For Meaning

I just finished my third book of this recent reading spurt, Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl.  He writes about his experiences in a concentration camp and the way he found joy and meaning from the time he suffered.  

This book made me feel thankful.  As I was reading the horrific experiences he went through I came to realize, once again, how amazingly lucky I am.  I know that we all suffer, and that no suffering should be minimized....but the brutal, daily, unforgiving, torturous environment he describes in this book can't seem to compare to any suffering I have endured.  

And even during my suffering, I have always had a world filled with understanding, loving and caring people to help me along the way. (Thank you to to all of you in my life who have been that person! :)

Here are some excerpts from the book which especially moved me. (I also have several highlighted passages from the two Irvin Yalom books I just finished which I will share later.)

"...People forget that often it is just such an exceptionally difficult external situation which gives man the opportunity to grow spiritually beyond himself."

This inspires me to embrace the "suffering" of my own life...to see things as a mode for change and an opportunity to learn and grow.  If I can look at the tough situations in my life this way it seems there is so much less to fear because everything I am afraid of would be a chance to grow rather than retreat.  To add something to my life rather than to lose something.  

And Frankl goes beyond just the power of suffering. He points to how we suffer.

"[A] unique opportunity lies in the way in which he bears his burden...the way they bore their suffering was a genuine inner achievement. It is this spiritual freedom-which cannot be taken away-that makes life meaningful and purposeful."

I could go on and on. But, I won't.  I just had to share because it touched me and I highly recommend this book to anyone.  

On a different note, I ran 6 laps straight today, over a half a mile!! I could only run three last week so I guess my brain could push harder today. Maybe it was the context my running pains were put in by the descriptions Frankl gave.  It is amazing how resilient the body can be...all that you can put it through and it still functions as well as it does.  I need to respect my body more and give it what it needs since it so often gives me what I need.

Except when my back goes out. But that's for another day! :)

O.k...I maybe don't need this but I don't want to get in trouble for copyright or something so here is a reference for the quotes used on this post:

Frankl, V. Man's Search for Meaning. Washington Square Press. 1984.

Run Laura, Run!

There were periods in high school and college where I had dreams that I was running for a very long time and not getting tired. That feeling, even though it was only in a dream, was amazing.  Both times I would get pumped up and start trying to run, only to be disappointed by the reality of my lack of endurance and the dreams would subside.

I had another dream about running recently and my quest for endurance has re-emerged.  Today I ran a half mile, and its completion was a feeling that gave me goosebumps. Not because that's an amazing feat...but because it represented marked progress.  Jen turned to me and said she was proud of me and I almost started crying. It was a touching moment, even though I felt stupid. 

Every day is a chance to push myself and see what my body (and my mind) can do.  Music makes a huge difference - Pink is the flavor of the week right now.  Although I can't run a mile yet...I see it in my future, and it feels good.  I was lapped today by a man who had to be over 70. That didn't feel great. It was, as my friend Annie would say, a special time.

Also, I am still reading Irvin Yalom, the new book is Love's "Executioner."  I highly recommend anything by him if you are into therapy insight or discourse. 

It's late, I need to go to bed. 

Thanks for reading. :)

Is it just me?

When this dog came in a piece of my junk mail, I immediately thought to myself that dog looks just like Richard Gere!  

Now, I'm not saying that Richard Gere is a "dog" or that he is unattractive. Quite the opposite is true, actually. I find his deep set eyes, pensive facial expressions, and sharp jawline very sexy.

So, if that's true. This must be one HOT dog.

I want to be a loser.

I just finished watching the Biggest Loser's first episode and I seriously started bawling. That is so unlike me. Maybe i'm finally tapping in to some emotional reservoirs I have long neglected.  It gets me so pumped up...I want someone yelling at me while I'm working out!  They should offer a Jillian/Bob cd where they just scream "get back on the treadmill! jump! get up!" 

Yesterday Jen and I were at the gym and I ran three laps straight...honestly,...that's a big deal for me.  My goal is to be able to run an entire mile. She's real fit and can run a mile with no trouble. It's very inspiring. Plus...I'm below 200 pounds for the first time in almost two years. Good times.

And yet I still want a donut. Ugh...some things never change.

Ben + Patty = Josie

Remember this couple? The friends of Chad and mine whose wedding we shot last December?

Look what they made!

Her name is Josie and she is PRECIOUS. I had so much fun with this shoot...first time I ever took pictures of a week old baby! Probably the first time I have ever MET a week old baby!!

This is a painting Patty did for Josie's nursery room...isn't it beautiful???

Poor little baby has a bump on her head from the vaccuum during delivery.

Yummy lighting on this one.

Thank you Ben and Patty (and Josie) for being willing to try this shot out. I was going for like a circle around the baby but I wasn't high enough to get it all in the frame. Oh, well. I think it's cute anyway!

Congratulations Ben and Patty! And welcome to the world Josie!

Luxe Layouts

This layout is a total scraplift, and I have been searching for the link and I can't find it! Ugh.  Just wanted to clarify that it is indeed scraplifting.  I  do not claim credit. (for those of you who don't know, scraplifting is looking at someone else's layout and then copying it with your own paper and pictures, "lifting" it.)  I don't really know the legality of it...but I know it's not exactly the same, and creative license can be tricky and subjective.  So, anywho.  That's that.