tattoo

 i remember the day we decided on mick's name

it was such a clear moment

a feeling of yes

after so much hemming and hawing

and today

i decided

how i will remember you

5 little seeds

forget me not seeds

it's the same clear feeling i had that day in december

book report 2 // mar '25

 

book report 1 // feb '25

 

25 for 2025

 

peppernuts

When I spent my first Christmas with my in-laws in 2011, I tried peppernuts for the first time. Have you had them? They're sweet but earthy Christmas cookies – kind of addicting and very festive! Nate and I both come from families with Danish ancestry. Here's his grandma's recipe:

thoughts on november 6, 2024

his win makes me feel small and powerless and outraged

like all the misogynists are laughing at us, kicking us in the stomach, and at the same time, not even noticing we exist

so

today

i'm 

taking the kids out for ice cream

slathering them in love like a thick layer of frosting

reading a hundred books, hugging them so hard their shoulders ache

running into the sea holding hands

making a list of my life's victories

with a paper and pen

flipping through rolls of film colored with my life's joys

radically, recklessly, brazenly trusting in jesus christ
repeating his mantra 
"inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me"
(in which case, mr. trump, my deepest condolences for your soul)

baking bread, delivering it to the neighbors

painting flowers and dogs and sunsets

standing sentinel between the internet and my neurons

running stadiums until i can't see straight

and in between, when i fall short of this silly list, 

i will keep hating mr. trump 

because hating him means i hate violence and misogyny and cruelty and racism and dishonesty and manipulation and opulence and anger and rape and greed and idiocy and narcissism and hate itself. 

and hating hate

hating him

is my victory today

acting in faith: a sacrament talk about bread

This is a talk I gave in the Manhattan Beach Ward sacrament meeting in August 2024. 

Today my talk is on acting in faith.

Like I say every time I come up here to give a talk, I have struggled with my faith throughout my adult life. I've struggled with pretty much every church-related topic you can think of. At times, I have wondered if God loves me or notices me. Before I go any farther, I should tell you, I don't have any major revelations to share with you today, but I will say that writing this talk has helped me feel a little closer to God, so I'm grateful for that.

lake powell // aug 2024

Lake Powell 2024. 

Mick's first! 

No sunburns!

So much candy!

An unforgettable week. 

Kodak Gold 200 film and Kodak Portra 160 film through my Canon EOS 3, 35mm 1.4L lens

Lots more photos after the jump:

David + Audrey Engagement Portraits // Laguna Beach, CA

 

catalina island // july 2024

For Eleanor's 10th birthday, Nate and I took her on a solo trip to Catalina Island. We had the time of our lives in the marvelous little town of Avalon. Movie night, ice cream cones, a semi-submarine tour, and even choosing her own oyster with a real pearl inside. Grand finale: parasailing — and yes, I brought my film camera 800 feet up. Photos right this way!