The same spirit as the wise men...

"Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space."

~Dave Barry

This made me laugh so much. I do NOT enjoy last minute Christmas shopping and yet it seems that this year it is what I am forced to do.

Merry Christmas to you all!

jessica s.

"...this has always been enough."

"I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts,

and I've led a common life.

There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten.

But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived:

I've loved another with all my heart and soul;

and to me,

this has always been enough. "

-Noah

Doesn't that just make your heart happy?

Much Love,

-jessica s.

{11.29.09}

Tonight I came home from running errands and dropping my little brother off at basketball practice to find a house empty of people. Now for any of you that are from a big family, you know how rare this is. Apparently my family all went to my little sister's soccer game (we like sports in this family...can you tell?:) leaving me at home all.by.myself.tonight.

I was pretty excited. Not because I don't like being around my family, but because it is really nice to have alone time every now and then. So, what did I do? Well first, I posted a status about it, asking you all for ideas on how I should spend these few rare moments alone. After reading the little (very little) bit of feedback I got, I decided I was on my own when it came to my evening planning...so here's what I came up with:

• I turned on Christmas Music
• I lit all my new "Christmas scented candles" in my room
• I ate popcorn and hot chocolate for dinner. Very nutritional, I know.
• I wrapped Christmas presents.
• I did a load of laundry (ARE YOU READING THIS MOM?? I DID A LOAD OF LAUNDRY. Proof that I do work around here. So how cares that we all have rainbow colored socks now? At least they're clean:)
• I finished up the last bit of work on a client package.
• I got %67 of my packing done
• Packing for what, you ask? O my, did I forget to tell you that I AM GOING TO DENVER IN APPROXIMATELY 33 HOURS?!?!?
• Because I am. Yessir-ee Bob I am. And I think, I might just be excited about that. Let me check. O YES, I definitely am :) And I get to be there for 12 whole days. With my Krista BFF no less...and a host of other awesome friends :) And take pictures of awesome people. And meet awesome photog's. Yeah, this is one h.a.p.p.y girl right here :)
• And I have no idea why I am bullet pointing my trip plans when I am supposed to be telling you about what I did tonight....O well.
• I caught up on emails, well....kiiiinda caught up on emails. All the really urgent ones anyways :)
• I chatted with my bro, the one that I haven't seen in 102 days and the one that I GET TO SEE IN 17 DAYS. Yes, that one.

Aren't you proud of how productive I was? I am happy. And as a friend said when I told them everything I had accomplished tonight, "isn't it just the best feeling when you have had a really productive day and you can look back and feel good about it?" Yessir-ee Bob it is :)

And a lovely evening was had by all. . .

Much Love,
jessica shae

P.S. For anyone who was worrying, I didn't really turn all of our socks rainbow colored. Honest I didn't... :)

P.P.S. The picture at the top was taken last week at Thanksgiving dinner. Isn't my fam amazing looking?!? Except we are missing Ben, you know...the brother I haven't seen in 102 days, but I get to see in . . . yeah yeah, you know all about that already :)

Remember, and give thanks.

"Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name."

Psalm 97:12

This is what it is all about. This is the bottom line, the foundation of this holiday. Giving thanks because we remember what HE has done for us.

Much love,
jessica s.

I Like --> YOU:

I like you and I know why.
I like you because you are a good person to like.

I like you because when I tell you something special, you know it’s special
And you remember it a long, long time.
You say, Remember when you told me something special
And both of us remember

When I think something is important
you think it’s important too
We have good ideas

When I say something funny, you laugh
I think I’m funny and you think I’m funny too
Hah-hah!

I like you because you know where I’m ticklish
And you don’t tickle me there except just a little tiny bit sometimes
But if you do, then I know where to tickle you too

You know how to be silly
That’s why I like you
Boy are you ever silly
I never met anybody sillier than me till I met you

I like you because you know when it’s time to stop being silly
Maybe day after tomorrow
Maybe never
Too late, it’s a quarter past silly

Sometimes we don’t say a word

We snurkle under fences
We spy secret places

If I am a goofus on the roofus hollering my head off
You are one too

If I pretend I am drowning, you pretend you are saving me

If I am getting ready to pop a paper bag,
then you are getting ready to jump

HOORAY

That’s because you really like me
You really like me, don’t you
And I really like you back
And you like me back and I like you back
And that’s the way we keep on going every day

If you go away, then I go away too
or if I stay home, you send me a postcard
You don’t just say Well see you around sometime, bye
I like you a lot because of that
If I go away, I send you a postcard too

And I like you because if we go away together
And if we are in Grand Central Station
And if I get lost
Then you are the one that is yelling for me

And I like you because when I am feeling sad
You don’t always cheer me up right away
Sometimes it is better to be sad
You can’t stand the others being so googly and gaggly every single minute
You want to think about things
It takes time

I like you because if I am mad at you
Then you are mad at me too
It’s awful when the other person isn’t
They are so nice and hoo-hoo you could just about punch them in the nose

I like you because if I think I am going to throw up
then you are really sorry
You don’t just pretend you are busy looking at the birdies and all that
You say, maybe it was something you ate
You say, the same thing happened to me one time
And the same thing did

If you find two four-leaf clovers, you give me one
If I find four, I give you two
If we only find three, we keep on looking
Sometimes we have good luck, and sometimes we don’t

If I break my arm, and if you break your arm too
Then it’s fun to have a broken arm
I tell you about mine, you tell me about yours
We are both sorry
We write our names and draw pictures
We show everybody and they wish they had a broken arm too

I like you because I don’t know why but
Everything that happens is nicer with you
I can’t remember when I didn’t like you
It must have been lonesome then
I like you because because because
I forget why I like you but I do
So many reasons

On the 4th of July I like you because it’s the 4th of July
On the fifth of July, I like you too
If you and I had some drums and some horns and some horses
If we had some hats and some flags and some fire engines
We could be a HOLIDAY
We could be a CELEBRATION
We could be a WHOLE PARADE

See what I mean?

Even if it was the 999th of July
Even if it was August
Even if it was way down at the bottom of November
Even if it was no place particular in January
I would go on choosing you

And you would go on choosing me
Over and over again

That’s how it would happen every time
I don’t know why
I guess I don’t know why I really like you

Why do I like you

I guess I just like you

I guess I just like you because I like you.

-Sandol Stoddard Warburg

Much Love,

jessica s.

sarah + jessica = bff

When I was in California in September visiting one of my best friends Sarah, we had the opportunity to do a quick little shoot together. As a photographer, I am rarely the one in front of the camera, and it is something I regret alot. Not so much because I love having my picture taken (although my family might say that is exactly the reason ;P ) but it stems from the same reason that I love photography O-so-much. I love capturing memories. Taking a feeling, a relationship, a moment, a special occasion, and documenting that in a tangible way that will you can keep for forever. So, I hate that so often I am not in the picture. . .it almost feels like I am getting left out of the memory.


So when Lydia offered to take mine and Sarah's pictures I was so so excited, because who wouldn't want the opportunity to have fun in front of the camera with a best friend??? I was alllll for it :)


Thank you Lydia for taking these for us, they are pictures that I will cherish forever, that's for sure! :)

These next three make me laugh so hard every time i look at them :)

yep...she's def a bfffff ;)

I laugh all the time with her, like, aaaaall the time.

Love each and every one...

-jessica s.

All this nothing

"I just want to say that all

this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings. . ."

-jessica s.

{ 10.28.09 }

Tonight I got home after being in Louisiana for 4 days for my great grandmother's funeral.

I haven't finished unpacking from my trip.

I haven't done a full day's work in over a week.

My room is currently more messy than it has been in a long time. (Which in all reality isn't very messy because I am slightly obsessive compulsive about having even a slightly messy room, and therefore, keep it neat almost always) So now I'm not sure if I will be able to sleep with it looking like this.

I am confused by circumstances God has allowed into my life, but resting in the knowledge that He makes all things beautiful in HIS time.

I am so so SO tired, from all the late nights and long days that have been my routine for the past couple of days, and I am more excited than you could imagine to get to sleep in my own bed tonight.

And it is eleven thirty at night, and I am sitting here writing to you, my imaginary friends :) Don't you feel loved....

I am so happy for life, and family . . . and even a full days work tomorrow.

I am blessed <3

{ jessica s. }

Sick day

If I've made it this far . . . might as well.

(one of the benefits of being sick I guess ;)