A Gift and An Accident

Last Thursday I babysat my cousins for the day. I had to get up at a very disgusting hour and had just acquired allergies but all in all it \ was fun. Shane and I built a barn while Ashlyn took a nap. Then Ashlyn and I looked at books and played with my flash while Shane took a nap. Micah and Briana joined us around 2:45 and after that it felt like I didn't have any babysitting. They were quite entertained. Mariann got back around 5. I met her at the church because I was going to have a photography instruction session with Christy. (a lady that goes to her church) I kept Briana and Micah with me so that we would have "targets". It took all of a couple minutes to figure out what I was doing wrong in regards to my flash. I learned so much in that hour and a half. I had so much fun with it. I mean a whole hour and a half devoted to learning about indoor photography. How cool is that??
My lighting has gone from this:


to this:



That is cause for much celebration. =) I have a wedding to do on the 12th and I feel much more confident now that I understand indoor lighting a bit better. =) It felt like a big hug/gift from God. I had been quite worried about the wedding for that very reason. He gave someone the patience to teach me, and to me, the ability to learn.

On Friday we headed to Arkansas to my aunts place. Dad needed fans for his shop and they had found some for him out there. We had a lot of fun. Saturday us girls went shopping and then Saturday afternoon I took pics of my cousins baby. Which of course brought me a great amount of enjoyment. On Sunday evening my cousin, Anita, and I went for a joy ride one their four wheeler. It did not bring much joy as this was the outcome: (I do not enjoy how I look in either of these pictures. please take into consideration the fact that I was seriously considering passing out and I was seriously frightened.)



We have no idea what happened. We were going down a hill a bit fast down at the bottom was mud puddle. She slowed down just before we hit it, I squealed, she looked at me, we angled across the road, my head it the ground and then it was over. Anita and I react completely differently in these situations. She was calm and strong, I was scared and weak. We had thought we'd just ride the four-wheeler back but of course it wouldn't start, so she was gonna run and get help (people lived at the top of the hill), while I tried not to pass out. Well about halfway up that hill she met a guy coming down in a truck and he took us back to the house. My mom ended up about passing out as well.

Now all I have is a couple scratches, a headache, and a bit of a fear of four-wheelers. Anita has a pretty bad cut on her knee, scratches on her leg and face, and probably won't be driving four-wheelers for a long time. We could be in the hospital fighting for our lives, paralyzed, or dead. For some reason God protected us. I don't know why He did but I am incredibly grateful. It really makes you realize how precious life is and how quickly it can be gone. It makes you wonder if your life is being lived in a way that if you would die, you would have no regrets. Allows you to see the wonderful hand of God, protecting His children.