Yuba Lake 2010

My singles ward went to Yuba Lake July 15-17, it was such a blast! Great boating all day, great food (thanks Steve, Jan, and Krissy), and great friends to spend time with. I drove down Friday and Saturday morning and left in the afternoon on each day. Saturday my dad and I drove down together on his Harley, so fun! Then we stayed to help pack up the site, we ended up being the last people to leave the lake.
I don't have any pictures of me wakeboarding on my camera. Friday I tried to do a "Hang-10" on the wakeboard. For those of you who do not know what this trick is, let me explain... A "Hang-10" is where the person on the board stands at the very front tip of the board and rides behind the boat. To do this trick on a wakeboard most people start with their feet out of the bindings and then walk to the front of the board. However, my feet are small and most bindings on the boards I use are quite big, so I tried to slip my feet out of the bindings and then walk to the front. I had my right foot free and I was working on my left foot, I was nervous because I didn't want to fall with one foot still in the bindings risking serious knee injury. Well, my left foot couldn't get out and I fell. No worries, my left knee twisted funky in the water, but the moment I stood up all was well. Now I just have a bruise on the side of my knee and it pops more than normal.
That turned out to be a longer story than intended...
Here are the pictures!

I got my first ticket on the way down there. I'm still a little peeved about it.

 

It was so hot while we were cleaning up so we would do some stuff, jump in the water, do some more stuff, and jump in the water. Repeat.

New Spice

For those of you who have seen the Old Spice commercial (click here, or here, or here) you will love this. It's brilliant how these college students put together this awesome commercial!

Fast Lane

My aunt Kaye sent out a couple funny YouTube videos, so you may have already seen this. I think it is awesome that they did this, letting people live a little!

Just a Reminder...

Just a reminder that I am privatizing my blog later this week. So for anyone that hasn't already sent me their email and wants to follow my blog, please email me! You can always comment on my photography blog and I will add you, this is not a last chance type of thing.

Love you peeps.

Private Blog

Hey all, I will be putting this blog on private. Please send me your email so that I can put you on the safe and able-to-view list. You can send it to either shayleephotography@hotmail.com or leave a comment with your address. I will delete the comment as soon as I see it so your email has a much less likely chance to be seen (I check my email and blog everyday, obsessive?). This privacy setting will be happening near the end of next week to ensure most people who want to can send their address to me.
I have so much that I want to document, not only about me, but also about the people so close to me. And I don't want to put other people at risk on the internet. I love you all and hope to hear from you so soon!

New Blog

Hello everyone! I have created a new blog for my photography. The blog you see here is my personal blog (my musings, thoughts, ideas, poetry, basically anything happening in my life). But as for my photography, there is a new blog for that. There is a link to view that blog to the top right of this page, or you can click here.
I'm really trying to get my name out there so that I can do pictures for people, companies, families, etc. So please, if you like my work tell your friends, give them the web address (shayleephotography.blogspot.com), or even my phone number (for those of you who know me will know what that number is, I don't trust the internet that much).
Thanks!

Freedom

What is freedom? What does it mean to you? How are you free? What makes you free?
Freedom, to me, is knowing that I can do what I want, when I want, as long as I cooperate with the consequences whether good or bad. For instance, if I want to drive across the country I can, if I stay within the speed limit I won't get pulled over by a police officer. If I want to voice my opinion, I can, as long as I don't create a riot. If I want to own a gun, I can, for my protection and the protection of my family (and for target practice).
I am free because I live in a country with laws created by our forefathers for the benefit of the citizens of the country.
As for what makes me free, there are a few things that I have photographed but have not yet digitized. Once I do, which will be soon, I will post them with explanations of why those things make me free.
Being that it is Independence Weekend, I wanted to post an Independence Post. I am so proud of all those who have served for our country and for our God. Because they are the men and women who have made it possible for me to be where I am today, free.
When I was 15 I wrote a poem for my history class. It then was published in the October or November '06 issue of Teen Impact, a magazine published for high schools in Utah. I figure this poem is appropriate to share on Independence Weekend.

The Soldier

It was a lovely Wednesday morning,

And everything was great,

Although no one knew what was to come,

With our breakfast made, we ate.

Our T.V. shouted “News flash!

A soldier is captive in Iraq.”

We were stunned there with wonder,

Knowing our brother hadn’t come back.

I had not seen the face on the screen,

My sight was still quite dazed,

But when I looked down at my sister,

Her eyes were huge and blazed.

“Is that him?” I heard her whisper,

“Sarah?” She turned to me,

“Sarah, can you see it?

Is that Michael on T.V.?”

I felt the pain rush in,

It smacked my eyes stone cold,

I did not want to hear it,

Though the horrid truth was told.

“We now have name of this soldier,

That is captive in Iraq,

Michael Anderson has great courage,

We only pray they send him back.”

“Isn’t this against their law?

It is nothing but cruelty,

They cannot murder him,

 He deserves to be free.”

The newscaster was right,

Michael did deserve to be free,

But why could they not see it,

The ones chaining him in misery?

A soul is missing from the earth,

A body is left alone,

His spirit lies inside of us,

But Michael Anderson never came home.