Bonnie Scotland

Here are a few of my favorite pictures so far. . .

Stirling Castle

Wallace Monument in Stirling, Scotland

a church in Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh Castle

This next one is NOT in Scotland, but Holland...we took a weekend trip to visit Haarlem and Amsterdam

Haarlem, Holland...St. Bavo's church in the background

Canal in Haarlem, Holland

St. Giles in Edinburgh, Scotland

Bagpiper street musician

Taxis lined up in Glasgow, Scotland

Stay tuned for more photos to come! Have a wonderful time here in Scotland...such a beautiful country.

Snowmaggedon 2011

Well, we didn't get quite the storm they anticipated...but it was still quite a storm. It sleeted ALL day Tuesday, turning to snow late into the evening. We ended up with probably 3 inches of snow...with a solid base of an inch or two of sleet.

This is my parent's deck...stayed with them in case we lost electricity...they have a fireplace. :)

This collage is a progression of what happened.

Everything was coated in a layer of ice...and the sleet just kept coming.

Here is a progressive view out the front door.

A frozen tree in the front yard...loved how the ice formed on the needles.

My Snow House

Thought I'd share my "snow house" with you. I was so excited to see what my new house looked like in the snow...I like. It's cozy. It's been a fun day...have only gone outside to take these pics. :) Entertained the idea of making a snowman to decorate the front yard, BUT it's really windy...so that idea was shot down by my better judgment.

A night view...with the lights on.

You can see our Christmas tree...in the front window all the way to the left. What you can't see is Kristy sleeping on the couch. :)

The Scott Family

The Scott Family is always kind enough to let me take their family pictures...they've added a few since the last time.

Kristy had the bright idea to do a pose to mimic the Brady Brunch...it turned out cute. :)

A "Majesty" Christmas

I'm enjoying being a homeowner...and I'm doubly excited about being able to decorate it for Christmas. Hung lights on the outside...well, you can see for yourself what we did on the outside.

Had an interesting time trying to figure out where the tree was going to go. Finally decided in front of the window just wasn't going to work...so it ended up by the kitchen...but it looks good there. A Christmas tree makes a room feel more cozy...and so does a fire in the fireplace...or a fire on a DVD playing on the TV. Ya do what ya gotta do! :)

A few of the ornaments hanging on the tree...

Zoe was following me around as I photographed the decorations, so I made her pose for a few. She did good. The sound of the shutter kept her interested. :) The middle picture below cracks me up...she looks like she's sneering at me. :)

Aww...pretty girl!

Hope you have a very Merry Christmas...enjoy the holidays and don't forget to take time to remember the real reason for the season...Jesus came!

The Soldier and His Bride

Mr. A & Mrs. J honored me by letting me photograph their special event. A private ceremony at a beautiful location on a gorgeous day (albeit a little windy). :) Their sweet love radiates through these pictures and I know you will feel it, too as you enjoy "The Soldier and His Bride."

May God bless your marriage. May God protect you both as you serve our great country...thank you for your service!

The Lightning Storm

If you live in the St. Louis area it's possible you saw this lightning for yourself. But if not here's a taste of what we experienced...without the wind, rain and thunder. :)

It started with short sprout-bursts of lightning.

I call this one "the devil's pitchfork."

And this one..."the clothesline."

I've not seen lightning do what it was doing tonight...moving horizontal and just spreading across the sky like this...it was AMAZING!

And, finally, my favorite of the night.

Psalm 97:4 "His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled."

I rather enjoy lightening storms...I enjoy watching them and I enjoy photographing them. When I see something like I saw tonight it's not hard for me at all to know that THERE IS A GOD. David was right...His lightnings enlightened the world...the WHOLE sky lights up and it causes a dark night to look like daytime.

Mostly lightning occurs when there is a storm coming, turbulent weather and unstable pressure. Yet it's during these times that God displays such beauty. Romans says that the invisible things of God can be seen in His visible creation. This helps me understand that during my worst storms, my most turbulent situations where pressure causes instability that God can "flash" in and briefly illuminate an otherwise dark and looming landscape.

Lightning reminds me that there is a God in heaven who controls the weather...it also reminds me there is a God in heaven who controls my situations.