Flying High

Several months ago, on a whim, I purchased a certificate for an introductory flight class with Memphis Downtown Aviation, which I figured would make for some great fun photos for the blog. Well, I finally got around to taking the class today and it was great! My instructor and I went up in a VERY tiny little two-seater plane and flew out over the Mississippi River, into Arkansas and back.  It wasn't very easy to take photos while actually up in the air, but once we were safe on the ground, it was a little bit better. :)

Playing in the Snow

More snow in Memphis today, but this time it didn't start quite early enough for a snow day. But it was still fun to see the fresh, white snow coating the campus. :)

Passing the Torch

This weekend was our annual Country Cares seminar at work - and with all of our staff in from all over the country, it meant one major thing was in store - a trip to Raiford's.  I seemed to unintentionally become the leader of the group last night as some of the old crew (me and my dear friends Ashley & Stacy) brought all of our new staff to Raiford's for their very first visit.  I think a few of them were scared at first, but loved it all the same.  While it was great to introduce the next generation to one of my favorite places, it just wasn't the same without all of our old buddies!  Julie, Meredith, Gina, Erin, Katie, Curtis, Courtney, Charlie - we missed you!

Stroll in the Snow

Took some time this afternoon to wander around the neighborhood and downtown to catch the snowy sights. Made my way along the bluffs, where I found a Grizzlies snow man and some very adventurous sledders, then to the train tracks and finally to the coffee shop for a latte to warm me up.  I love being in this area in the summer, but the snow makes it pretty fun too!

Crossing My Fingers....

... And hoping the snow sticks around for a Snow Day tomorrow...

Hot Mama

Okay, my break from blogging didn't last too long, but with one of my best friend's first baby shower today, I couldn't resist the chance to pick up the camera for a bump shot! Emelie is looking great and we can't wait for Baby Brant's arrival in March!

Epilogue: For My Cheerleaders

After letting my photos do the better pat of the talking for the past year, it's hard to find the words to sum up how I feel about the past year's experience. Thinking back, I'm really not sure what type of expectation I had for the blog, but I can only imagine that it was nothing like what I received.

As you might remember, I initially signed up to run a marathon this year, which I didn't ever complete (oops!).  One of the big reasons why I wanted to run one was for the cheering. Every time I go out to a race, I'm so moved by the yells and sounds of the onlookers cheering for the runners.  Unless you're an athlete, there's just not enough experiences where people can actually cheer for you as you go through life.  And while this photo blog hasn't been a physical test, it has definitely still been a marathon.  And I feel like a Kenyan because the amount of cheers and love I have felt along the way.

It still amazes me when someone tells me that they read the blog regularly or - for some - that it's the first thing they do in the morning. I have never in my life felt so interesting; and on days when I wasn't feeling exciting, knowing that someone was reading pushed me to try new things and look at everyday items in a fun or creative way.  For all of the compliments and comments, thank you all.

And for those of you have allowed me to take photos of your families or referred me on to friends, thank you so much for the privilege of doing so.  While this blog has brought me closer to so many important people in my life, it's also brought so many new people into it as well - and started friendships that I hope will last a long time.

To my friends and family members, thank you for always graciously agreeing to be on the blog when I stuck a camera in your face and for all of your support. For my three favorite muses, Maxwell, Elizabeth and Murphy, I feel so blessed to have gotten to capture so many of your special moments over the past year and even more so just to be your aunt.

So now for the burning question... what next?  Will I keep blogging?  And the answer is yes... just not on a daily basis.  I still question if I was actually that interesting for the past 365 days  and I really don't know if I could keep that up.  But yes, I still plan on taking photos and posting; I'm just not going to force myself to a regular schedule.  While the blog's primary purpose was for me to grow as a photographer, it's become about staying connected with all of you... and that is so much more important.

With that, I'll say goodbye for the night... with no photo for the day...  Thank you all again!  This blog has brought an amazing amount of love into my life and I couldn't be more grateful. 

Happy New Year!