Hello Monday.

Hello weather that is such a tease... with rain clouds looming above, there's not a drop of water coming out of them.  Please please please rain, and soon.

Hello really fun weekend at my parents house.  I needed to get away and recharge, and that's exactly what happened!  I had so much fun with both my Mom and Dad, and it felt good to just be together... laughing, exercising, and playing games (of course!)  Plus, I found the Mama of all garage sales and scored some amazing deals for Jaxon's next size up!

Hello being reunited with my hubby... 

nothing beats just being with him in the evenings after the boys are asleep.

Hello busy week ahead!  4 nights of Backyard Bible Clubs (our church's form of VBS), a photoshoot, and lunch/coffee with Molly.

Hello trying to get over Strep Throat for the last 2 weeks.  I finally went to Urgent Care yesterday and got a new antibiotic along with more medicine, so I'm hoping my throat will finally stop scratching soon.

Hello Olympics!!  We don't have a DVR, so it's hard to watch every event, but I have really enjoyed what I've seen so far.  I get all teary-eyed and beam with pride for our country.  I love it!

Hello preparation for yet another trip to Iowa next weekend... this time to photograph a wedding!  I can't wait.  Which reminds me, I still need to find something to wear.

Hello speech therapist coming to our house tomorrow to meet with Cohen.  She really has her work cut out for her, and I am so excited to hear some suggestions on how I can help him.

Hello feeling so overwhelmed with support from friends and family since announcing my business.  

I feel so grateful.

Hello blessing after blessing with finding good deals on Craigslist.  I just bought a SpeedLite for a fraction of what it costs brand new, and the guy had only taken it out of the bag to test it once.
Thank you, sweet Jesus.

Hello wishing I could scoop up all my girlfriends right now for a chat at Starbucks.  I miss my friends!  

And my Sister... but she's a given. 

Hello bike ride this morning with the boys.  It's been SO LONG since the weather has been cool enough to go, and we enjoyed it so much that I didn't even notice we were gone for over an hour.

Hello reeaaallly wanting a big fountain diet coke right now.

Hello reeeaaallllly wanting a girls weekend away with whoever wants to join me.

What are you saying hello to today?  Hope your weekend was a great one. 

A change: week 8

I had a long discussion this week with a trainer at the gym, who was looking for me, and once she found me started to congratulate me on my loss.  I didn't know her, but she saw me coming frequently and noticed I had lost weight.  We started talking for a while, and she commented how I will probably start to plateau soon and encouraged me to start trying new exercises to keep losing.

She was right, with my 0 pound loss/gain this week.

Weight Gain/Loss: -0... glad to not gain, sad to not lose.

Overall health: Besides still trying to recover from strep, overall I feel good.

Hardest thing this week: Not being able to exercise for 3 days.  Even though I didn't go "over" on my calories, I have a feeling this contributed to my 0 pound loss this week.  My body NEEDS exercise to lose weight, I can't just count calories alone.  Unfortunately this was out of my control. 

Overall thoughts:  Feeling discouraged about it all, you know?  I have to stop comparing myself to the girls who don't have to diet & exercise, because that will just never be me. 

This coming week: Continue running for 25 min straight, because I was only able to do it once last week out of the 3 times I tried.  My endurance is slacking lately, maybe due to me being sick, but also extremely possible that it's a mental thing.  Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.....
Also going to do the elliptical, a class or two, and keep active at home as well.

Source: tumblr.com via Megan on Pinterest

Don't give up...keep going...keep moving...I can do this.
Right? 

In good times and in bad.

We had a pretty mundane weekend, mostly consisting of me laying around and my husband taking care of our boys, because I got hit with strep throat.  I thought it was a simple sinus infection, until my tonsils swelled up the size of my thighs (big) and white pockets lined the back of my throat.  I'm horrible about finishing out my 10-day antibiotics when I'm sick, but times like this make me glad, since I always have extras on hand.  

I am so overdue on laundry that I was a little embarrassed to take my boys out in public today... I either had to choose dirty clothes or mismatched, so I chose mismatch and my plan was to tell anyone who commented about it that they picked out their own clothes. Just kidding.... sorta.

 

I'm just... so thankful for my husband.

And in all reality, I was actually hoping for a low-key weekend, which is exactly what we got.

Happy Monday, friends. 

Ignoring the call.

It all started in 2004, when I was taking a photography class in High School.  I developed an extreme interest and passion for photography, which only grew with time.  My first DSLR purchase was the original Canon Rebel, which my fiance (now husband) bought for me as a pre-wedding gift.  And that's when it all really began.

Years later I was asked to photograph a wedding.  Very reluctantly I agreed, but first warned them, "I'm not a professional by any means!"  This was, and has been, my go-to line for quite some time.  Whenever a friend, family member, or stranger asks me to take their picture, that is always my signature statement.  It's my cushion, my safety net.  I figured if they were unhappy with their pictures that it was their own fault and no one could really blame me, because remember?  I warned them I was not a professional photographer.

In the last year or so, I clearly began hearing the Lord speak to me.  Talking to me about the talents He has given me, and how I am using them... or in this case, NOT using them.  The talents He gave me that I felt comfortable with, I have no issue using and serving.  But the ones that stretch me?  That challenge me?  That make me feel really vulnerable?  Those are the ones I was hiding behind, hoping no one would notice.

I have some serious insecurity issues.  I WANT people to like me, and if they don't, it hurts.  And when I hurt, I really hurt.  I am already an emotional person, but this is intensified in those times when I don't feel people's approval.  I knew going down this photography road, that I was pretty much opening the door and asking people to hurt my feelings.  There's always criticism, there's heartbreak, there's hurt.  And I was doing the best I could to avoid that. 

Every once in a while my Mom and Sister would give me a push.  "C'mon Megan, you can do this!  You take great pictures."  I would smile and thank them, and once again, push it aside... knowing the talent I had been given, but constantly wondering if I'd ever be good enough.  I'd think about it for a few days, measure myself against the competition, and decide I could never do it.  I really didn't WANT to do it.  Yes, I love taking pictures... but the business side of it?  No thanks.

The Lord has continued and is still (even at this moment!) working with me.  As much as I have tried to ignore Him, ignore this business, ignore this opportunity... I can't anymore.  I am blatantly disobeying Him when I feel like I have clearly heard from the Lord to GO. Move forward. Continue. Press on.

First and foremost, I want this business to be a ministry.  I want quality pictures to be available to everyone, without costing them an arm & leg.  I'm not in it for the money (though it still needs to be worth my while to be away from my family), and I'm definitely not in it for the fame.  I want to be used, I want my clients to see Jesus in me.  And really, I want to enjoy it.  I don't want this to be a burden or something I dread doing.  I want to love every moment, and never stop having butterflies at the beginning of each session.

And with that, Megan Keith Photography is born.  A new website hopefully coming soon, but in the mean time, please feel free to "like" my page on Facebook to keep up with my recent sessions.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24

A change: week 7

What was that about being way behind?  Oh yeah... we went from week 4 to week 7 in the blink of an eye.

Weight Gain/Loss:  -1.5... (-12 total)

Exercise this week:  I have been faithfully running each week 3-4 times, plus a few classes here and there.  This past week I tried Turbo Kick... lots of fun! 

Overall health: Feeling good.  I like the way my clothes are fitting a lot more, and I am looking forward to going down a pant size, probably in another 10 pounds or so.

Hardest thing this week: 2 words: cheesecake factory.  I had about 500 calories remaining for the day, so I had a small (side) greek salad and saved the rest of my calories for splitting a piece of cheesecake.  I still went over that day, but thinking back to how I usually get some kind of calorie-filled pasta PLUS my own piece of cake, so I'm definitely seeing lifestyle changes.

Overall thoughts:  Dieting is hard.  For whatever reason, I feel guilty about not eating something unhealthy when other people around me are enjoying ice cream or something else that I can't.  I never want people to feel uncomfortable or like I'm "too good" for it, and I hate the awkwardness that it usually follows when I decline a food I can't have. 

This coming week: I'm up to 25 minutes of running...straight.  The first week, we ran for 30 seconds!  Now on week 8, we're running 25 minutes with no break.  It's a struggle, but I'm able to do it, and that is something I never thought could happen.  I'd also like to check out a new class and maybe do the elliptical again.  It's been a while.  

12 pounds down... 17 to go.

Oh Canada.

This post is a long time coming... I started thinking maybe Jesus didn't want me to blog anymore because every time I tried, something went wrong (including not having internet for the past week), and I wasn't able to. Anyway. Sorry about that.

Sunday morning, July 1st, we left KC bright and early... no, literally we were on the road by 6am... and headed to Tyler's parents house in Iowa.  Our boys were already there, as my inlaws had met me earlier that week to exchange them, and I couldn't wait to get my arms around them again.  I actually napped a lot of the way there and soaked in quietness of the back seat, fully aware it wouldn't be that way the remainder of the week.

We spent a couple days there, mostly just lounging and enjoying their 4th of July celebrations that took place each day/night... including a toilet bowl race that we participated in, some street dancing while listening to local bands, and of course a steak pita.  It wouldn't be the same without one.

Tuesday morning we loaded up the boys & car and headed north to Minnesota.  Our trip routed us around Minneapolis, but with just a little bit of begging and a big pouty lip, my sweet husband routed us downtown instead so that I could meet Leah.

You guys, she is the sweetest thing.  So down to earth, SO CUTE!!!, so easy to talk to, and so real.  A few months ago, my Sister said to me, "I feel like you and Leah would be best friends if you lived closer", and after hanging out with her for a short 20 minutes, I would definitely agree.  There were no awkward moments (you know, the ones you fear!), no hesitation.  It really just felt like I was meeting up with an old friend that I just happen to have so much in common with.  I mean, she even hugged my husband.  What a gal.

PS, I wouldn't normally wear work-out clothes to meet someone new... but I was traveling. :)

We met up with my family and after lunch, a water balloon toss, some hammock swinging, and group pictures, we again hit the road and headed to Brainerd to spend a night with my Aunt & Uncle.  We ate a delicious meal, fished, killed A LOT of mosquitoes, saw some fireworks, got kicked out of a bar, and the next morning (July 4) we left for Grand Forks, North Dakota.  (for the record: we were only kicked out because my brother is only 20, and they wouldn't let him stay and play pool. Calm down, people.)

Grand Forks is where we were reunited with a sweet love at our hotel... air conditioning.  I ran at the hotel gym (something I never thought I'd do!) and later, we met up with my brother Chad and his family for some 4th of July celebrations.  We walked around town, took some awkward family pictures, and found a river to throw rocks in... giving my Mom quite a few heart-attacks as she kept picturing one of the kids going over the edge.

July 5 was probably my biggest "fear" whenever I thought about vacation.  The unknown of what it was going to be like to cross the border pretty much terrified me, which is laughable at this point, because it was so simple.  I have no idea what I was afraid of, because there's nothing to find, but it was just the unknown of it all.  And you guys know how I do with unknown situations.  Not well.

We crossed over the border and Canada...?  Well, it felt a lot like North Dakota, minus the speed limit and mileage signs being in kilometers.  The farther north we drove, the more beautiful it got, and once we reached Gimli (Manitoba), we were pleasantly surprised.

My parents were amazing and took care of our lodging and food while we were there.  We loved where we stayed... in a yurt.  If you've never heard of one, it's okay, I had no idea what it was either.

The ceiling was open (of course protected by a screen to prevent bugs from getting in), which made for some cool star gazing at night, and early morning sun rises.  The furniture was all handmade, and everything about it was amazing.

We spent that evening around the campfire, which is by far one of my favorite things on this planet.  I'm sure you could hear the roar of laughter from miles away, as we spent time together as a family.  Also one of my favorite things.

Friday morning we decided to head into town to check things out.  I had previously created a scavenger hunt for the family reunion, so Dad and I wanted to walk around town to make sure my questions all made sense and were fairly easy (but yet challenging) to answer.

After lunch, we headed back to the campground and I took a glorious... glorious... 4 hour nap with my boys.  The reunion "officially" started that evening.

Friday night was one of my favorite nights of the trip.  We wandered down to the beach in town and watched the sun set, hanging with some of my siblings and just enjoying the peace.  My boys were fairly calm (compared to the rest of the trip), and the weather was perfect... almost on the chilly side.  I wish the rest of my family could have been there to enjoy it as well, but with no cell service to let them know where we were, it didn't happen.

Saturday held lots of "planned" activities... volleyball, softball, kids games, tournaments, swimming at the beach, the formal dinner/banquet, and another campfire at the beach.  We had fun talking with some distant cousins about the differences between Canada and America and just getting to know people we didn't before.  Really, a great day.

Sunday I went for a run around the campground, cleaned, packed, and loaded the car, and attended the lunch picnic and survivor games.

By this point, our boys were SO.DONE... I think anyone who was around us would say the same about them... and it was time to go.  After the sad goodbyes, we hit the road, and really, we were both very sad to have the trip come to an end.  Our 14 hour drive home was a BREEZE since the boys were so tired and slept 75% of it.  We spent the night in Sioux Falls, SD and were home by 2pm on Monday afternoon.

Besides the mosquitoes, there wasn't a thing I'd change about the trip.  
Laughing and spending time with family...
The joys of travel...
Seeing different parts of our beautiful country...
Feeling thankful to be able to travel to another country...
And the overwhelming happiness we felt when we arrived back home.

From start to finish, we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

          Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

Job 37:14