Moments by Mandy photography Update

I have done it. I have officially photographed a wedding :). Well 2 temple shots, and 3 receptions, a mini bride and groom session, and a bridal shoot. In the last 3 months I have been so busy with pictures that i haven't any time to post. I am back, and can't wait to show you the results.

Liz and her beautiful eyes.

Love and skittles. All is right with the world.

Just a party going on here

Emily dressed like the princess she was

Emily married Justin, The boot was too cute.

Packing vs UNpacking

Packing is one of those enivitable things that happen in everyone's life. I however have done it more times than most. I have moved about 16 times that I remember. All in the same city too.

I moved out of the city of McKinney! (gasp) No worries, I am moving one city over. Closer to work, and to church. Plus I am liking the new apartments. They are very friendly, and pretty. They have great parking (this matters at 1am).

Packing however still sucks. I hate living out of boxes. Having only a 10th of your normal stuff to use. My whole front room is boxes/bags for tomorrow so my friends helping me move will just have to shove it in the trucks. The move was good. About 8 people helped me move. I know the hardest part was after all my furniture was out of the old apartment, and I had to clean and remove all the little things from the old apartment. I was so tired by that point that I almost collapsed.

All in all I finished, exhausted, but home. I counted the number of stairs I took. My old apartment has 2 stairwells of 19 stairs, and my new apartment just has 19 stairs.

2 * 19 = 38 (number of stairs) * 26 (times I went up the stairs) * 2 (because I had to come down also) = 1976 steps of the old apartment alone = 1 MILE OF STAIRS.

Not to forget the other stairwell that I went up and down, but I forgot to count those times. So about a mile and half of stairs. Now thats hard enough, but add carrying boxes, bags, and heavy/awkward things down the stairs, and then running back up. I really don't know what I was thinking.

Now I'm i the new apartment, and I have to unpack. I' not going to lie I'm not quite done yet, and I'm ok with it. I figure after living in boxes for 2 weeks, another day isn't going to hurt anything. I'm mostly unpacked, but it's things like my craft baxes that I haven't put away. Partly because I don't know where I am going to put them yet. I will know soon, because the boxes are bugging the crap out of me.

I must say that I like to unpack, and I love putting things away in a new place, but I learned that I am throwing away so much paper, and boxes. Thats the bad part about unpacking. The pile of boxes that you have to get rid of.

One day soon I will be done, and then pictures will be soon to follow. I love my new apartment, It's bigger, and closer to everything I do.

Proud to be a daughter

So tonight my Mother got her Young Women Recognition Award. If you don't know what it is, it is an award celebrating a young woman (normally ages 12-18) for completing all of her goals in her personal progress. You complete 6 experiences in the 8 values:

1. Faith
2. Divine Nature
3. Individual Worth
4. Knowledge
5. Choice and Accountability
6. Good Works
7. Integrity
8. Virtue

Some experiences include paying tithing, be a peace maker, participate in family history, learning a new skill, study the Young Women's Theme,  giving service to others, fasting, and prepare to be worthy to enter the temple. The colors represent each value they correlate to. These values is what Young Women learn and strive to live. 

Young Women Medallion

Now I received my Recognition when I was in high school. But my mom wasn't able to attend all the meetings required when she was in high school. Her ward was in Greenville, and she lived in McKinney (yes even all the way back then she was still in McKinney) about 53 miles away, which is really hard to drive on a school night. So tonight she was recognized as doing all the requirements to get the medallion. 

When she walked across the rostrum I was so proud. I'm not her mother, but I can truly say that I know what pride goes through a mother as she watches her child achieve something. No I didn't push her to get the award, she wanted to do it on her own; but I know the struggles she went through to receive the award. I have also been there, gone through the struggles and had the elation of achieving the goal. 

I am proud to say that both the Women in my family have received our Young Women Medallion. It's a tradition in our family now. One that I cherish.