Latelys.

Goodness, it's hard to believe the summer is over and we are quickly heading into the colder months.  Daylight Savings Time has rocked ME this year… not so much the boys, but this Mama crashes early every night now, which is annoying since it cuts into my alone time with my hot man.

Summer was a blast and I feel like we did a decent job this year of spending every waking moment outdoors going on bike rides, spending time at the pool, taking the boys to different parks, and of course doing a fair amount of traveling.  Then we blinked, summer was over, and Jaxon was in school.

Tyler's work has slowed down quite a bit recently and he just survived another layoff.  There has been plenty of opportunities for us to simply trust in The Lord and his GOOD and PERFECT timing in our lives.  Last week we were given an anonymous gift that had both of us in tears.  I hate that it took a physical check for me to give over the control and stress, but admittedly it did.  I'm not sure why I continue to waste so much time and energy on worry when He continues to prove himself faithful time and time again.  He really does care about the small details of our lives.

My younger brother plays football for William Jewell College, so most of our Saturdays this fall have been filled with this.  It has been fun seeing my parents so much the last few months as they come to town for his games!

There's not much to say about these two that I haven't already said at least a million times.  My love for them grows by the day, which seems impossible, but it's true.  The more I get to know them, the more I love them.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time alone with Cohen while Jaxon is in school.  It has been SO GOOD and SO FUN!  He really thrives on one-on-one time… so do I.  :)  Quality time is my favorite!

The way Jaxon spends so much time building Legos amazes me.  His teacher recently pulled me aside and told me after 17 years teaching, she thinks Jaxon is the most creative she has seen.  The details he thinks of, she said, are way beyond a typical 4 year old.  That was so good for my Mama heart to hear.  :)  I think we'll be having a Lego & Batman Christmas around here!

Psalm 74 has been rocking my world lately as David talks about how all of his enemies are getting all of these things, while he suffers.  In the middle of the chapter, he stops and says "…BUT THEN I ENTERED THE THRONE ROOM".  His perspective completely changes, the things that mattered before no longer do.  All that matters is intimacy with Christ.

I've thought about that so much lately as I still try to figure out the crappy sequence of events that seem to have happened to us this year.  Nothing horrible and I realize there's so much that could be worse, but if I'm honest, the unanswered questions still linger in my head.  BUT THEN I ENTERED THE THRONE ROOM.  What if bad things happen to good people because Jesus' ultimate goal is intimacy with us.  Yeah, sure, he wants us to be happy and enjoy life… but at the expense of closeness with Him?  Nope.  In HIM we find contentment… in HIM we find joy.



Just because it makes me giggle.  They are twins.

Church has certainly kept me on my toes lately!  Between multiple Women's fellowship events I've planned, PLUS hosting a big Women's conference at our church, I have been a busy lady.  I love ministry and I am still praying that someday an opportunity will open for me to work for a church.  I am so thankful for our church family and the way they genuinely love and walk beside us.  I'll say it once, I'll say it a thousand times… get plugged in to a church and small group.  Right now.  :)

I ordered my 2014 Erin Condren life planner!

This is news, people.

Pictures to come once it finally arrives… the anticipation MIGHT kill me.

I still can't believe my baby turned 3 a couple weeks ago.

I mean, the youngest person in my house is THREE??  We're officially "out" of the baby stage?!  Tyler actually had the guts to bring up selling the crib recently.  The conversation ended pretty quickly when I didn't respond and gave him a nasty look.

We had a super fun birthday party, "Wreck it Ralph Cohen", when we were in Iowa (pictures coming!), and then celebrated the day-of with a small group of friends.

Gahhh… I still can't wrap my head around this.

Oh Charlie.  She's such a great dog.

I wish she was about 10 years older… 10 years more calm.

But she's a great dog.  So protective and LOYAL to the boys!

Have you ever taken a "spinning" class?  DO IT!  It's a lot of fun… if you like feeling like you're going to die.  :)

I've still been faithfully going to the gym 2-4 times a week… usually closer to 2-3… and have maintained the same weight for 10 months now.  Which, by the way, is the lowest weight I've ever been, even through high school!  I've never been able to wear single-digit sized pair of jeans, and size medium shirts.  I'm not saying this to brag, but to simply encourage you to KEEP GOING!  It's so worth it. 

I love this new way of living, this new lifestyle I lead.  I am not going to the gym to lose weight, I am going to the gym to stay healthy.  To stay confident.  To stay happy.

Fall Mini Sessions are keeping me on my toes as well.  I love my job.

I've had this lightbulb moment in the last couple weeks when I've realized how thankful I am that my parents had 4 kids.  These people are no longer just annoying siblings, but really have become my closest friends.

Especially in the last year, they have poured into mine and Tylers lives in ways that we never would have imagined.  They've taken us under their wings, pursued deep friendships, been intentional in our times together, and have faithfully prayed for us.

Not only our siblings, but our parents as well.  19 people gathered in my Sisters home for Cohen's birthday party and just LOVED on him.

I fully realize not everyone has this kind of relationship with their family or with their siblings, and I don't take it for granted.  Thank you, Jesus, for your abundant blessings.

Iowa is really beautiful.  I still pray we get to call it "home" again someday.

I also recently participated in a Freezer Meals Workshop, through Wildtree!  Have any of you done one?  So far we have REALLY enjoyed every meal that we've made, and the math ended up being about $12 a meal, and most of the time we have leftovers.  It took me 2 hours of prep, but for 11 meals, that was really reasonable!  December is always SO busy that I hope to do another one, to prevent us from eating out.  And, now I'm hungry.

If God hadn’t been there for me,
    I never would have made it.
The minute I said, “I’m slipping, I’m falling,”
    your love, God, took hold and held me fast.
When I was upset and beside myself,
    you calmed me down and cheered me up.

Psalm 94:18-19

I hope you all have enjoyed the beginning of Fall!

I'll be back soon with PARTY pictures…

AND…!

A giveaway for some pretty sweet Christmas cards from my favorite company ever!

Tidbits.

I'm in a major blogging rut, so here's my go-to post... a mishmash of what's going on!

I am praying for my heart through this Christmas season, that the GOOD NEWS of why we celebrate would never turn into OLD news.  I want it to be on the forefront of my mind constantly, not focusing on parties, or finances, or all of the to-do's... but rather be driven by why we are celebrating.  Already I have found myself feeling suffocated by the gifts to buy and the traditions that I should have started with the boys (and haven't yet), and I can't let it be that way.  I want this to be the best Christmas season, for all the right reasons.  

Next time you're in Target and you see a frazzled Mom with a screeeaming 3.5 year old and 2 year old, would you say a prayer for her instead of staring and judging why she can't keep her kids under control?  I'm so sick of the side stares I get from people.  I'm sure it's easy to forget what it's like to have young kids, but as an exhausted Mom, I can tell you that your stares are not helping.  Neither are your "my kids will never do that" thoughts.  Just say a prayer for her next time, please? 

And on that note, I am extremely thankful for naps.  Another rough day around these parts, and I needed a breather... almost as much as he needed some sleep. 

Oh, and this cute boy.  He is well into toddlerhood with his favorite phrase being NO!  I think my Mom almost cried last weekend when I sent her precious Cohen to his room.  He's SO cute and ornery and I'm beaming with joy at his expanding vocabulary.

So, one of the most exciting things is my newest addition to my photography business... a 27" iMac!  Oh heavens, what a blessing this was.  A lady posted on our KC Photographers board advertising it, and when I questioned why the price was SO low she told me her Dad owned a cancer clinic that just shut down (because he had passed away), and all these computers needed sold.  She wasn't in it for the money or profit, and it was one of those "too good to pass up" deals.  Especially with AppleCare warranty until next Fall, I feel so grateful.  And dang, editing and looking at pictures is so much fun.  :) 

Christmas jammies = my favorite.  I love lazy mornings at home!

My Dad and I (and Sammy the dog) went on a 2 mile run on Saturday while they were here visiting.  It's the first time I've ran since our race, and it felt great to be back out there.  I've still been really consistent about going to the gym 2-4 times a week (usually going to boxing/TRX or cardio/weights), and to date have lost 39.8 pounds.  Now I need to shift my focus from losing, to maintaining.  It's hard to allow myself those extra couple hundred calories when all I've known for the last 7 months is those are BAD!

I feel like my struggle is finding a happy balance between losing and gaining.  I'm either one or the other, and haven't ever really been able to maintain, so I'm praying this time is different!  I really love how healthy I feel overall, so I hope I won't ever forget that.  

And now, I need a new wardrobe.  And this is not me bragging.  I'm actually bummed about this, because the clothes that are hanging in my closet are ones I still really like.  

The other thing that has taken up a bunch of my time recently, is that I am the new Women's Ministry leader at our church!  The Lord really orchestrated this leadership change in an amazing way, and I am thrilled to pieces to be serving somewhere that I am so passionate about... women and moms.  I have huge dreams for this ministry, and I am just continuing to pray that I can be used in whatever way the Lord sees fit.  I dream of this network of women who are connected and who never feel like they are going through motherhood or just life in general alone.  It's all about the relationships we form. 

One of the biggest dreams I have is to get a Moms group started next spring/summer when our building opens.  Do you remember the Moms group I was apart of in Waco that blessed my socks off?!  Yep, that's it.  That's my dream.  If you are apart of something like this, I'd love to hear all of the things that you guys do to keep my wheels spinning in motion.  And I'd most definitely appreciate the prayer, any time you think of me in this position! 

I love seeing this boys imagination grow.  Yesterday he said to me "Mommy, my Buzz Lightyear is flying to the train store.  Your Buzz is flying to Mommy's favorite red store."  Ha!

He also called me "cheeky" yesterday.  All of you Moms that have Thomas lovers will understand that one.  :) 

Tidbits.

I am so thankful that it's a short work week, aren't you?

I really need a break and some time away.

This past weekend I did something I've never done... set up our Christmas tree before Thanksgiving!

I know, it's pretty horrible.  BUT - with us traveling for Thanksgiving, I knew I wouldn't want to do it when we got back, so I thought we'd do it ahead of time and be able to sit back and enjoy it for a week longer this year.  :) 

The next night we decorated.  So much fun.

Oh how I love my sweet family. 

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I am really trying to learn HOW to walk with the Lord in the present.  I am such a planner, and it does not come easy for me to not plan ahead and spend my days looking forward.  Especially when plans (that I've made) start to fall through, how quickly I start to panic.  Jesus Calling hit me hard again this morning as I read: 

"Think of your life as an adventure, with Me (God) as your guide and companion.  Live in the NOW, concentrating on staying in step with Me.  When our path leads to a cliff, be willing to climb it with My help.  When we come to a resting place, take time to be refreshed in my presence.  Enjoy the rhythm of life lived close to me."
It hit me like a ton of bricks, really.  And the phrase about climbing the cliff almost brings me to tears.  I know He has it all worked out, so why do I continue to try and take it all on myself?

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Today and Tomorrow (11/19 and 11/20) you can get a FREE personalized greeting card, perfect for the upcoming holiday!  Go to their website and enter the code TREATBLOGR and you're good to go!

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I love this sequence of shots from a mini session I did on Saturday:

And after doing lots of weddings recently, let me just tell you how amazing it was to be done with a session in 20 minutes, start to finish.  

20 minute mini session > 10 hour wedding days.

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Last week I didn't make it to any of my boxing/TRX classes (I did cardio + pump instead) and myohmy, I was feeling it today when I was finally able to go again.  The trainers were giving me a hard time for missing by eating chocolate chip cookies right next to me... ha!  It's good to know I was missed.  :)

I love that even after hitting my goal I've still been making it to the gym 3-4 times a week.  Motivation is something I've never had a lot of (especially in the exercise world) and I'm so thankful for it!


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Let me preface this next bit with a statement:  I have never been a Twilight fan, and haven't even read the books.  I literally watched all 4 movies this week trying to get caught up before the 5th one came out.
Ok... now that that's off my chest, I had an amazing girls night Thursday night!  12 of my friends and I went out for dinner, stood in a line wrapped around a building, and saw the final Twilight movie.  And I loved it... seriously, loved it.  Like, want to run to the theatre right now and watch it again.  It took me a while to get into the movies (hated the 1st one, barely liked the 2nd one, and then started enjoying the series during the 3rd one), but I looooved the last movie!  
Has anyone else seen it?  Did you like it?

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Tonight is break week at small group... my mind is spinning with the possibilities on what we could do.  We could go to Starbucks and then let the boys pick out their new ornaments...
We could get some Christmas shopping done...
Or we could stay home, order some pizza, and be completely lazy.
My guess is we'll go with #3.  Because after a busy weekend, it sounds perfect.

Happy Monday to you.

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