I took me months to go through the photos that I gathered in my short time in the United Kingdom. At the end of it I decided that I should do something more with them than just put them up on a website, so we decided to make some Christmas gifts for family. To that end, we made a Blurb book.
Blurb is one of many self publishing book printers out there. I was able to make several inexpensive, but very nice photo books, in both soft and hard covers. You can print as many or few books as you want, so I got enough to give away to some of the family (and one for me too). My book is 40 pages and I was really impressed with the quality of the colour prints.
We finished the book back in November, but had to keep it quiet untill after Christmas. It is a nice keepsake and a great way to share the photos and memories with others. I already have plans to make more books in the future.
You can check out an online preview (and buy your own copy if you want) at:
Great portraits tell a story about the subject. [not suggesting these are great portraits..]
This photo could suggest “civil unrest” as two rough and ready rioters prepare to throw stones at an authority figure (me!), or maybe just “out for a walk”.
This may invoke the idea of “innocence”. But anyone who really knows a three year old knows better.
The story here could be, “sisterhood is great”, “good friends”, or “perfect kids”. Yeah, that’s nice.
Storms. Raw power. Beautiful. Potentially destructive. Scary.
Despite the awe inspiring power of a summer storm, they are as nothing to the power of the Creator of the whole universe.
I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The LORD does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses. Psalm 135:5-7
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Genesis 9:12-16
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory. Psalm 97:4-6
Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown…
Finally fulfilling a plan we had made almost a year and a half earlier at our fifth anniversary, we took a few days to spend together in the Canadian Rockies. Grandma was kind enough to look after the kids for us for the weekend (thanks grandma!).
Naomi was able to find a really good deal for a few nights right in Banff. Unfortunately, our order for clear skies fell through, so our Saturday was mostly cloudy and we didn’t get to see as much of the mountains as we had hoped. But the Rockies are just amazing, even when they are in the clouds.
Very nice.. This environmentally friendly, solar water heating, solar electricity generating facility certainly soothed my conscience, but it sure hurt my tax paying wallet. Don’t worry about the $1.8 million price tag.. Apparently, it’s energy savings will be fully recuperated by AD 2584. Still.. probably the nicest bathroom I have used in the park.
We did get up to the top of Sulphur Mountain above the Banff town site. Thankfully they have a gondola.
After paying $60 for the ride, we were disappointed that it was a snowing white out by the time we reached the top, but we only had to wait a while for the clouds and snow to clear and were actually treated to a few rainbows that we could see from above. Definitely worth enduring the wet snow.
While on the peak, an elderly couple were suddenly excited by something in the trees near the walkway. I thought maybe it might be Big Horn Sheep that are known to be up on the peak, but it turns out she was simply thrilled to see some snow. My question for her: “You’re not from Canada, are you?”
The view from the top was spectacular as we strolled the boardwalks to the peak. This is the easy way to see the mountains. In between a few snow squalls we shot a panorama from the top.
Congratulations to Anthony & Christa (MacFarlane) Willems who were wed on August 2. This was a very unique wedding to photograph as it had a Medieval theme! It really was a great wedding that gave the glory to God for all He has done in their lives individually, and in bring them together.
