2022 // a year of living
greetings internet. it’s been a while……
almost exactly a year ago, I tossed old ball caps into a chimenea…(weird I know, but obedience looks weird sometimes) as the sun-bleached stitching melted into ash, the lord guided me into deeper understanding of some things that I had been gripping too tightly. as He began to scorch wrong perspectives and wrong identities….He asked me if I could give Him social media for a year. I couldn’t give a radical, immediate “yes”…… so thus began a year of sparse interaction on this platform (on all personal accounts) .
it’s been a beautiful one to say the least. I finished a two year-long project in the form of a two part book…(which can be purchased on my website yeehaw ;) ) … there was so much celebration and hard, life transitions with some weepy hugs and angsty ocean swims sandwiched between each one. I saw more of the world than ever before this year…the bold, colorful streets of Oaxaca once again, piercing blue waters in Kona and the incredible vibrant landscapes of New Zealand…I am beyond blessed. Even more wild…I saw the Lord heal in each of these places and in the times between. I saw Him show up in powerful ways for people I love and in myself…
it’s funny how I’ve spent so many years wrapped up in fear and shame but when I finally give Him an inch of obedience, He delivers miles of delight…
so as one who just can’t help but share stories…or at least pieces of some…I just wanted to pick up where I left off here. because the digital archives simply wouldn’t make sense without acknowledging the strangeness that is “growing up” in this season.
soooooo last year - 2022 - was welcomed in a swirl of laughter, a few tears and hearts and hands postured towards heaven. as honestly every year should…
[ motion from dec 21 / jan of 22 ]
“I wanna be a sticker on God’s nalgene” - Amber
… me too.
a little less cinematic than the last but up to the brim with joy and 4x6 prints. the beginning of spring semester was an absolute mess of trip planning and shenanigans with the most legendary outdoor crew (and boss ;) ) there ever was aaaaand long hours in the studio. and yet somehow we squeezed in an epic girls ski trip in between it all!! it was a hectic time but one I wish I had cherished better… I miss these faces more than I know how to express…
[ motion from jan / feb 22 ]
we had the best job ever…
march was a time of pure joy…and very little sleep. the daunting reality that graduation was right around the corner crept up to the forefront of our minds with each passing day. so… I let my toes sink into the sand a bit longer. I hugged my friends a bit tighter…walked around with my head up a bit more…tried my best to learn the art of lingering…
as homesick as I was, this time just couldn’t be rushed…it was too special.
[ motion from march 22 ]
oh the ocean……just couldn’t get enough. (one and only regret - still haven’t seen a whale in real life… maybe one day…)
also big ol thank you to my pal, Sara for still being my friend after an absurdly windy paddle board experience…Morro Bay was a treasure.
and our photo show finally happened and it was amazing!! still in awe that we pulled it off (I’ve never been more angry at command strips in my liiiiife) … so honored to have gotten to grow and learn alongside soooo much talent for four years!! miss y’all dearly!
[ motion from april 22 ]
oh may ……. a whole swirl of life-happenings.
senior year of college is the most confusing, exciting, sorta sad seasons of life that everyone seems to know how to gracefully exist in on the outside but in reality, we are all freaking out on the inside.
the final stretch of it was a wild whirlwind of transitions, big finish lines and bittersweet goodbyes…..graduation day snuck up so quick. we were frantically packing up our apartment in between make-up and hair-curling. myah and I walked arm-in-arm in our goofy blue robes across campus together one last time. at check in, kayla found me with a bear hug and a wide smile. the whole photo crew sat together. the same awkward crew that hid behind big-ol Mac monitors in the camera class freshman year ended up becoming a pretty stellar team. I was so proud to walk beside them…
and then with the black pearl pointed towards the desert, it was all actually over. just like that. it’s almost unfair that one day signifies the end of so much at once.
when we pulled into beloved bandera, I went straight to the river. ( kinda angsty, I know) … just as the function of the water is that it flows between two lands…I felt the same for a while. driving all over the state for wisdom teeth surgery (watch till the end, your welcome ;) ) moving the remains of my childhood from the house I grew up in and rando family gatherings… the unsettling confusion of reality was an honest weight I didn’t know how to shove off my shoulders for a while.
but God remained steadfast. and eventually, as each day passed…life settled into new rhythm. and He began to show me how to plant some roots…
(big s/o to Amber for being the most legendary road trip / camping / shoulder-to-cry-on / full of wisdom and compassion sister ever. love you buckets. thank you for loving Jesus deep and overflowing patience within our friendship. ‘twas an honor to traverse with you💙 )
[ motion from may 22 ]
june!!
“that was so much unity in one place I don’t even know what to do!!” - Amber
…indeed
[ motion from june 22 ]
july - a month marked by vibrant growth around every corner.
we got to stand by some dear friends on their wedding day…and cry and laugh and dance as they stepped into the next season of life as one.
jumped on a plane just in time to catch up with the @mygatewaybandera crew to oaxaca. a place I had missed dearly since the moment I left last october. a place that feels like home…….we saw the Lord do so much in such a short amount of time…similar to standing in front of a fire-hose with a tiny sponge…just trying to soak up as much as possible. but as we journeyed home, He just kept reminding me - it is still simple…an invitation and a willing “yes”. that’s it.
and of course, bandera lot was still alive and kickin (get it??). those summer evenings where unity was established in between home plate and endless baskets of chips n salsa were some of the sweetest times…
simple. joy.
[ motion from july 22 ]
“…thank you for trusting me with your curiosity” - journaled abiding from mid august.
when your friend asks you to help her move across the whole world to new zealand…..you say “ h e c k yes” and figure out the rest later.
august felt like a whole lifetime. my grandfather passed away days before I left for our grand adventure. I almost bailed. but after some prayer, I thought he wouldn’t want me to sacrifice this treasured time. so, I blaaaasted the secret life of walter mitty soundtrack and packed up my red backpack for some ocean traversing via sky-can…
there’s something about open water. to some, it’s the most exposed / terrifying place to be…and sometimes I feel that way too. but the endless expanse of blue just brings such child-like joy to my soul. I could swim forever…..
and kona has the bluest water I’ve ever seen. our island time was spent consuming the most vibrant fruits, fulfilling childhood-mermaid dreams and plenty of dancing. it was also a space of deep growth in our friendship. lots of “oh crap this is actually happening” or “oh crap I was wrong” conversations…… and learning how to submit the swirly emotions to the lord. it is sooooo good.
sara is simply an extravagant blessing. she is resilient. she is kind. she is patient and gentle and selfless and an absolute delight.
also thanks to nana nancy and a very kind kayak rental hut…I got to celebrate my grandpa’s life in a more traditional hawaiian way. I think it would’ve made him smile.
Sara thank you for welcoming me into your home away from home. it was truly an honor :))
[ motion from august 22 ]
New Zealand // a place where sheep and meat pies and joy abound…
“You knew me (Mm-mm)
Before I knew myself
You put Your breath inside of me, yeah (Mm-mm)
Creation sings
Of Your majesty, yeah
We’re joining in the symphony…
Let there be a sound
Let there be a song
An eruption of praise from every heart
Come fill this house
Let it spill out
And cover the Earth (Oh-oh-oh-oh)
Let there be a sound (Let there be a sound)
Let there be a song (Let there be a song)
An eruption of praise from every heart (From every heart)
So come fill this house (So come fill this house)
Let it spill out
And cover the Earth…”
our lil bandera world is so full of littles. they teach me so much about God’s heart - may we never become too cool to play house, dream big, forgive easily, abandon the risk of looking silly to world, share smiles and pirate ship adventures, and dance till we fall down in a pile of delight.
[ motion from september and october 22 ]
a first hunt, a commitment to healing, a glorious river baptism…
a mother with a vision and an invitation into the raw and honest, a quenched land being pruned and intricately cared for and a river that’s finally full…
a new life brought into the world surrounded by worship and boldness, a leader chipping off some rust and a vessel being stripped down and built back up again…
stripped down and built back up…again and again and again. the internal was seen within the external…..a rhythm of life that slowed down just a enough to lean in more and listen closer….to hear the kindness of the Father’s voice embrace brokenness and bring new life from the ashes of shame, fear and sickness. to fully k n o w His goodness and to see it among the kingdom here on earth is the greatest treasure.
[ motion from november / december 22 ]
big bend pt 1 // they say “it takes a village”…..well, this is the village.
honored to be aunt kenna to so many nuggets :) ✨🤍
[ motion from december 22 ]
big bend pt 2 // emory peak hike!! a hike that has ended up being one of my all time favs over the years…but this time was especially memorable.
we had no idea we’d end up in the thick of a snow storm a mile before the peak. but then right when we got to the bouldery top, the clouds parted in the most cinematic way…and the view was absolutely epic. God’s timing really is perfect✨ so grateful for this motley crew and legs that can go to great heights.
[ motion from december 22 ]
