"simple thoughts" has moved...come see me here

just another little reminder....
"simple thoughts" has moved...come by & see me here 
http://paigeknudsen.com/

"simple thoughts" has moved

in case you missed it, i moved my blog last month

c'mon over & see me there...

www.paigeknudsen.com

MY BLOG HAS MOVED :)

good morning friends!

simple thoughts has moved!!

please come visit my new blog

www.paigeknudsen.com

i'm hoping you find the new wordpress very user friendly

especially in your subscription options.

blogger does not redirect

so please click any images & links in this post

& c'mon over & join me there!

9.11 & a young soldier serving our country

several weeks ago i was contacted by cindy.

her only son would be leaving for basic duty on 9.11

she wanted some family shots of them before he left.

one of the things that i am so passionate about in photography

is giving my clients, my friends, 

images that are priceless to them.

capturing moments that many times can be overlooked

or maybe not overlooked, but maybe not captured forever in film.

i often times tell my clients at the beginning of the shoot

that i want them to feel comfortable. not posed.

i want them to interact. to laugh. to hug on. to just be with their loved ones.

they can go to any portrait studio & get a posey posey shot.

i want to give them a piece of memorable art.

as i mentioned earlier, nick is an only child.

as soon as he hopped out of the car & introduced himself,

i could tell he was a great young man

& a great young man heading off to serve our country.

he & i talked a little bit 

nick has quite the family legacy of men that have served our country.

 both his grandfathers,

one in military police, the other in medical corp.

a great uncle in Military Police/Air Force and the first Chaplain for the special forces in WWII.

another uncle also served WWII as a Private First Class

and yet another, served in the Air Force during Vietnam. He was a Sergeant in the Air Force from 69 to 73 for the strategic air command.

nick brought some of his grandfather's special pieces

which you see him holding in one of the images too.

i don't know that i have one every single time i do a session,

but i love when a thought comes to my mind, an image that truly will capture

& pull together the grandeur of the moment, 

the thoughts & emotions...

i asked them if it would be too personal or could i take a picture of them praying over nick.

this may be one of the most honorable moments i have had the privilege

of witnessing....

dear nick & family

i thank you for the sacrifice you are making to serve our country.

what an honorable young man you are

& these images represent so much to so many people.

thank you...

 

 

 

 

books, world vision, marathons & yucky summer head colds

 morning friends.

let me just say it's a good thing most of this was already in my drafts

because this head cold or whatever yuck i have is making me feel real fuzzy.

wanted to share a couple of books i'm currently reading.

i was a huge Judd's fan in the late 80's and early 90's

and have always thought ashley was such a sophisticated beautiful actress.

for the last 10 years she's been quite the humanitarian traveling through asia

& africa as an advocate for women in the sex trafficking industry 

and others in poverty.

while she & i are on two completely different planets spiritually,

i am truly enjoying her memoir.

the last calender year has been an eyeopener for me regarding the HIV/AIDS crisis

the orphan crisis and the sickening amount of slavery that still exists.

with events such as Passion & my latest passion with Noonday Collection

i'm continually trying to educate myself in these matters.

 

 speaking of the Passion Conferences

i'm also reading Matt Redman's "mirror ball".

incidentally , matt's wife beth is also an advocate and passionately involved

in the A21 campaign

 & for more light reading i'm also enjoying the book club with edie.

all my advanced placement literature taking daughter's jaws dropped when i informed

them i would be reading The Odyssey.

& speaking of justice,

i'm loving how all of my chatter is actually somewhat connected,

my friend ruth

owner of Carol & Company

is preparing for a marathon. a full marathon. not a wimpy half like i've run.

but 26.2 miles.

she's selling these super cool lenny & eva cuff bracelets

free shipping, & the proceeds are going to World Vision.

i mean come on.

you can wear a great bracelet & help bring clean water to children around the world.

read here for more information

 

and now for just a little random life in the last few weeks.

i'm loving jeanne's latest bag and feel very cute at publix when i cruise in for my daily

groceries. yes i still have yet to master shopping with a list. in advance.

justin's chocolate hazelnut butter served with a banana.

life changer. 

rockstar ballerina being fitted for another pair of pointe shoes.

i love having a dancer in the house again.

 

mr hospitality,

always excited to see us

fear not. he doesn't live outside. 

i have all the hair on my hardwoods to prove his existence inside our home.

skinny cords at target. 23 bucks.

super cute & comfy.

 

after spending the day trying on skinnies

i was prompted to check a fashion statement with one of my college girls.

proof that we all need to have relationships

with people at least half our age. at all times.

 

letter day from our little man in uganda

is always a highlight.

sweet little guy. listen to what he said through his letter interpreter...

"he sends greetings to savannah, madison, emily and caroline

& he's glad he has so many sisters.

&

"he's very happy to be a part of your family"

&

"his family loves you so".

tears...

 alrighty my friends

i'm on day three of some kinda yuck that is completely kicking my tail.

i'm crawling back into bed & spending the morning with skeeter & minny

the new fall line & life lately

our new fall line launches today

at Noonday Collection!!

you need to swing on by & check out our beautiful new peices.

join us on journey to create a pathway out of poverty for artisans from all over the world.

i hope everyone had a wonderful labor day weekend.

for the vast majority of my adult life i've worked jobs that required i work weekends.

now i eagerly look forward to fridays and spending time with my favorite people.

in the last week i've had the honor of photographing a variety of sessions

a precious newborn

a spunky adorable middle schooler

a wonderful young man, days before he leaves for basic training

& a couple renewing their vows on their 40th anniversary

i was able to enter in these powerful moments

with each family & capture what i hope is priceless images for them.

i consider that both an honor and a privilege.

we're still rolling along on my wordpress page.

as soon as it's ready i'll let you know!

have a great week!

~~~

1 corinthians 13

 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 

  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.    

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.   

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

loving on him...

 

i was sitting under our navy blue umbrella

watching him out in the crystal clear water

playing with two of the girls.

i soaked up that moment & pondered it the rest of our vacation.

while i know in my heart of hearts i married way out of my league

i never cease to be amazed how well he loves each of us.

he has never raised his voice at me.

he comes in everyday & "leaves it all" behind him.

always giving who ever needs it the most, his undivided attention.

he tells me he loves me dozens of times a day.

he sends me love letters in the mail.

he spends his saturdays and sundays with us, not out on the golf course.

nothing wrong with the golf course, he just told me years ago

that while he loves golf, the time and money involved would pull

him away from us. 

{ just a personal conviction. not a slam if your hubby is a golfer ;) }

he literally lays down his life for us.

every day.

 

dan's an assistant principal at one of the largest, most diverse highschools

in the southeast.

with over 3,000 students

his day is consumed with many hours spent involved in discipline.

he is under enormous stress right now. 

he's swamped, working 12 hour days. last week he went in on saturday and sunday.

yet he still spent some time with each of us over the weekend.

always making each of us feel so loved. so cherished.

many of the kids he works with come from backgrounds

& a homelife i can barely imagine.

even though he's involved in the discipline aspect of their day

he always shows them respect and grace.

he may be the only face of Jesus some of them will see that day.

he told me last night one of the students

who he doesn't really even know by name,

came up to him yesterday & said, "mr. knudsen, you're the best principal.

everyone likes you. even when we're in trouble, you always treat everyone nicely".

sometimes i wonder if the girls really understand

if they really comprehend

what an amazing man they have the privilege of calling daddy.

i hope they know they are seeing the tangible love of Jesus

in dan. every single day.

i know i see it...

one of the ways i try to love on him

is each night i try to be done with all my chores, phone calls, etc

& at least an hour before we turn out the lights,

we just hang out in the same room.

he may be watching the news or sports, or maybe even working

but i try to just "be" with him, maybe reading, maybe playing on instagram

but not all flustered & busy.

we just sorta wind down together.

i try to have our home tidy when he walks through the door

& even if i'm wearing a ballcap, i make sure i've freshened up.

i try not to bombard him with any and all issues right when he comes through the door.

we've tried, since we were first married, to each week have some time to ourselves.

while the girls were younger, that might have meant ordering take out

& spending time on the sofa watching tv after we tucked them in.

now a days we can head out to dinner on sunday evenings and just catch up.

i want to encourage you, no matter what stage of parenting you're in

if you're married,

to make time for him.

to make him the top commitment in your marriage...

not your kiddos.

while i totally understand after picking up babies, and holding little ones on your hip all day

while being emotionally drained from communicating with teens all afternoon

can leave you

over touched and emotionally spent

remember

to make the decision to make him the priority.

that will provide your babies, no matter their age,

the stability of knowing momma & daddy love each other.

they will lay their heads down each night with the security 

of their parents love.

~~~

& dan

i love you more today than yesterday
thank you for loving us unconditionally

all of me. always...