Time to Say Goodbye

What a happy exciting day. Today we dropped off Levi to the MTC for his mission. I know I have said it over and over, but I am so proud of him! What an amazing missionary he will be. I know I am not the only one who will miss him terribly, but it will go by so quickly and I am so excited to hear from him and write letters to him. He is always in our prayers and I am so thankful to have found a best friend in my brother.

On Stranger Tides

This weekend we saw the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series; and this is my review.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I think my favorite part was that Kiera Knightly wasnt in it. :)
I really enjoyed the banter between Jack Sparrow and Barbosa. Their relationship hit new levels with this movie. Black Beard is creepy and ruthless just like you'd expect him to be. Although, I wish they would have developed his character a little bit more. I wanted to really HATE him, but it wasnt quite good enough for me. Also, there was a few things that were never explained, like A) how he rose the dead and made them zombies and B) what the heck is going on with the magic sword? Waited and waited for an explanation that never came. I think Penelope Cruz did an ok job but I didnt really see her as a pirate. I was kinda bummed Ragetti and Pintel (the bald guy and the skinny one eyed pirate) werent in this movie.
I really liked the girl who played the mermaid. She was beautiful and even though she didnt talk much, I thought she was great. (I also wish there was a more developed love story with her and the missionary)
I loved... LOVED the funny subtle dialogue. I found myself laughing out loud and chuckling about it hours later.
I heard that they will be making a few more POTC movies and I will count down the days until the next one comes out. There is something about pirates that totally enthralls me. Even though the real life of a pirate is filled with scurvvy, smelly old men, storms and scorching sun-- the movies make it look like so much fun! Who wouldnt want to learn how to sword fight and swing down from the rigging and fire a canon.

Aye.. its a pirates life fer me.
If you havent seen it yet, be sure to stay after the credits for a laugh.

Are You EXCITED?! I AM!!!

PIRATES OF THE CARRIBBEAN! MAY 20, 2011

I. Can. Not. Wait.

Are YOU ready?

The Boy Who Wouldnt Grow Up

Today, I would like to share a piece of my soul with you.

Growing up, I was always taught to not be afraid to take risks, to be creative and to try new things. I was taught that magic was real and that dreams come true and there really are happily ever afters. Every day was an adventure and each hour was filled with creations from my imagination.
My mother helped make every day special. She would tell me about fairies, lead me to the entrance of Narnia and would play wonderful, upbeat music. There wasnt a doubt in my mind whether things things were true, they just were.

Even now, I love the thought of enchantment and something bigger than life itself.
I'm sure you can guess, but one of my all time favorite stories was about the "Boy Who Wouldnt Grow Up."

The tale of Peter Pan is more than just a story out of a childrens book. It revisits a time in everyone's childhood when danger and adventure lured us into the possibilities of the imagination. It reminds us of when anything could be believed and make-believe was real.

I have watched just about every version of Peter Pan ever made, and it never gets old. One of my all time FAVORITE quotes was by the actor, Dustin Hoffman. He best decribes the story this way… “In Peter Pan there is a place called Never Land and if you ask people what the metaphor is, you will get different answers. One person might say that it is a journey to imagination, to creativity. Others might say it means you never die. Never Land is the place that exists, for all of us, in the wish part of our brains.”

My life can pretty much be summed up in that simple, little quote. I have strived to live my life with the mind set of "Neverland'. Of not trying to grow up so quickly, that it is okay to grow old and to be an adult, but also know the importance of maintaining those childlike qualities, and simply believe.

I delight in finding the beauties in life that are all around me; to capturing a little bit of that magic and share it with my loved ones and with the world.
As I have grown older (not "up" I refuse to "grow up") I have learned to channel the imagination I have into creating. I create events, I create costumes, I create songs, stories, scripts, scrapbooks, dances and photographs.

I have had a dream to do a photography company unlike any other. My goal is to bring people to Never Land. To let them experience the magic and the imagination that comes with it, no matter the age! Never Land isnt just a place. It is a state of being. I will provide a moment of Never Land for my friends and loved ones and I will capture it in a way that will never be forgotten and can be enjoyed everyday.

Never Land... Let me take to there.

Children (and myself) all around the world can be found with their windows wide open in hopes that Peter Pan will find them and carry them to that second star on the right….and well, you know the way.

Oh to live... To live…is the greatest adventure of them all.