Faces and places

Big K

2012-02-05T15:52:00.000-06:00

Flags

2012-02-05T15:50:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving...

2011-12-11T21:22:00.000-06:00

Candid wedding pictures taken by mwah.

2011-11-25T19:38:00.003-06:00

Taking Christmas Photos for couples...

2011-11-24T15:34:00.000-06:00

Tailgating...

2011-09-01T12:04:00.004-05:00

Way too cool not to post

2011-07-06T23:16:00.001-05:00

2011-07-06T12:45:00.001-05:00

REc0rDiNg D@y!! Final Edit

2011-07-02T14:51:00.003-05:00

Lancaster

2011-06-29T17:52:00.001-05:00

old couple at the beach

2011-06-21T11:17:00.000-05:00

2011-06-16T01:22:00.001-05:00

I don't know who that guy is but I know that she is the prettiest girl I've ever met and she doesn't even know it.

Half Moon Bay

2011-06-13T12:33:00.001-05:00

2011-06-05T13:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday

2011-05-29T09:23:00.001-05:00

Ripstik - Caution!!! Blood.

2011-04-24T17:05:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Annie

2011-04-20T23:08:00.001-05:00

Softball

2011-04-19T23:50:00.000-05:00

This picture was, believe it or not, taken upside down.

The Reservoir

2011-04-19T10:34:00.000-05:00

Engaged.

2011-04-15T22:08:00.000-05:00

2011-04-14T18:54:00.000-05:00

Spring

2011-03-30T00:55:00.002-05:00

Spring is my favorite season. I LOVE spring. Unfortunately, in Mississippi I have taken to reacting in the spring to the pollen and seasonal allergens. Result: Sneezing and extremely itchy eyes. Now, I should clarify. Dry, itchy eyes actually affect me all year round. But they are particularly bad in mississippi in the spring.

Second thing you should know about me. I am irish…. and I like it that way.

While I don't like pollen and clogged up noses and itchy eyes, I do like it when my eyes turn extra green. When I sneeze a lot or scratch a lot (or cry a lot--but that rarely happens) the whites of my eyes turn very red and the green in my eyes shows up loud and clear. Its one of my favorite things to take pictures of even though it looks miserable. So here is my advertisement into spring… welcome back spring, I missed you.

The earth is in my eyes...

2011-02-16T23:54:00.001-06:00

MEGG - she brings out the creative side of me

2011-02-03T22:22:00.001-06:00

Unedited pictures of a stray cat in Duhab City, Egypt

2011-01-03T03:31:00.000-06:00

Mountains :)

2010-12-29T13:53:00.004-06:00

I wish my camera did a better job of capturing them. They are one of my favorite parts of Egypt scenery so far. I love seeing the cliffs and mountains on every side. Of all the pictures I've taken of them though, this one is my favorite so far - I recommend clicking on the photo itself. It should take you to a new page which has the photo in a larger size than I can get it to appear on the blog. The photo below it is just pretty. Both taken today.

A day in Egypt

2010-12-28T15:12:00.001-06:00

French Horn and a haircut… 2 bits.

2010-12-27T07:20:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from Egypt

2010-12-25T14:37:00.000-06:00

Birthday Dinner at applebees

2010-12-14T17:56:00.002-06:00

2010-11-22T11:04:00.004-06:00

Secrets

2010-11-20T10:48:00.004-06:00

Sometimes, when its late at night and your friend comes into the room to go find some food because she's starving, and you're on the phone but its been like 2 hours and the other person has been talking the whole time so you are getting kind of bored even though you are listening, strange things happen...

I present to you... the discovery of photo booth :D

Some of my choir preschoolers :)

2010-10-30T01:36:00.000-05:00

The Day Belhaven Met the Petry Kids

2010-10-25T10:39:00.000-05:00

More from Rock Ridge

2010-10-22T01:37:00.002-05:00

Corn House--Fall Break

2010-10-19T22:52:00.000-05:00

Sophia and Deanna

2010-10-18T19:07:00.003-05:00

These two girls are close to my heart. I met the younger, Deanna (middle), in choir at first pres. last year. You know how in a crowd of kids one or two of them will capture your attention in a curious want-to-know-more sort of way? Well that was deanna. Then at the end of that semester I went about 20 minutes north to a school called Christ Covenant where I was applying for a job. After my little interview, my boss went to show me around. One of the first things I saw was Deanna sitting in a chair doing study hall. I was shocked!!! What is she doing here?

Well, I got the job and both girls come once or twice a week now. They used to be there every afternoon but then with afterschool activities starting up they don't come as often. I got to know them slowly. I got to know them together and individually. Now they RUN to me to give me a hug everytime they see me in the hall and at first pres choir too.

People say that life is about building up relationships and sharing Christ through them whether just by actions or by words or however and I know that God gave me these two little girls to work with and build a relationship with right when they needed it. They have brought me to my knees and worked in my life just as I know I have been used in their lives. I love how God does that. He is so Good.

...Also, did I mention that they are Russian?

Edited picture taken on the playground of one of my choir girls.

2010-10-14T23:38:00.000-05:00

2010-10-07T19:02:00.000-05:00

2010-09-27T00:10:00.000-05:00

Belhaven's First Ever Pep Rally.

2010-09-25T14:03:00.001-05:00

your photographer

2010-09-18T17:13:00.001-05:00

My first Collage: Nieces and Nephews (9)

2010-08-20T16:08:00.000-05:00

pictures I didn't take

2010-08-17T19:37:00.004-05:00

Lissy and Lissy :)

Wall sits for Taekwondo (sp) - I told them how in bball we had to do wall sits for up to 5 or 6 minutes at a time. They said (thats easy! we can do that!) yeah right, I said. So together we did wall sits and we all lasted for about a minute. But we had fun doing it.

2010-08-06T14:59:00.001-05:00

2010-08-01T17:23:00.001-05:00

pictures I found on Jennie's computer that I DID NOT take

2010-06-30T21:15:00.008-05:00

Hilton Head Island - Harbor Town Trip

2010-06-06T03:17:00.000-05:00

2010-05-22T15:50:00.003-05:00

How many girls can you fit in an elevator? we can fit 18! (this picture cut a bunch out cuz I couldn't get it high enough)

2010-05-02T09:48:00.000-05:00

Things that have happened since spring break...

2010-04-17T11:11:00.001-05:00

I caught a turtle, made a home for it but then had to let it go...

I got really bad allergies during the extreme pollen week and sneezed literally hundreds of times that week and the next.

I took pictures of Spring...

and I watched LOTS of softball games...

Some Spring Break... 5 of 600 :)

2010-03-25T16:27:00.002-05:00

My spring break group: boys in the back from left to right: Thomas, Luke, Michael, and Darren.

Girls starting with me: Me, Emily, Katie, Mary, Anna, Alli, Melissa and Kim(we stayed at her house). Dog: Summer.

Forking - an illegal part of every spring break

2010-03-17T19:56:00.001-05:00

shoe swap

2010-03-07T15:23:00.001-06:00

2010-02-23T10:18:00.002-06:00

In the first picture is my friend Kimber demonstrating an inside joke that I feel I must now explain. Thats the hall phone but no one uses it because why would they. Well we have this joke that Jefferson is my boyfriend although really its just the name of my violin. So whenever I'm there and waiting for them I pick up the hall phone and pretend like I'm having a conversation with Jefferson. Every time, Kimber comes out of her room and tries to push the hang up button thing before I get a chance to "say goodbye" So this is a picture of her hanging up on Jefferson.

2010-02-08T20:43:00.001-06:00

More Edited from Memphis

2010-01-26T18:46:00.002-06:00

Except for this first one the rest were edited for black and white and some glow and the last one, though not in black and white, was edited too.

2010-01-21T13:14:00.000-06:00

Luke after editing

2010-01-17T16:01:00.001-06:00

2010-01-16T00:09:00.000-06:00

2010-01-12T02:01:00.003-06:00

So Andrei is a makeup artist apparantly. While Inga has an eye for girly makeup and blending and makes herself look stunning, Andrei knows how to blend colors and such and has the artistic eye to make more masculine designs. This bruise on Sammy is a blend of a couple different colors and is done so well. It even goes on the side of his face there an all and a little over to theh bridge of his nose. Very well done.

the symbol on alex's head, though I don't know what it is, is totally believable as are the big cuts near his eye on on his chin. He even has a tiny bruise on his nose.

A little Christmas Eve photo shoot

2009-12-28T11:16:00.007-06:00

Kidnapping

2009-12-18T20:05:00.000-06:00

2009-12-07T09:23:00.003-06:00

2009-12-03T10:34:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T21:44:00.002-06:00

2009-11-22T20:23:00.004-06:00

2009-11-19T23:51:00.005-06:00

Photography

2009-11-19T23:18:00.003-06:00

A lot of people these past few weeks have suddenly noticed my photography. They say why don't you become a photographer annie? and, Are you a photography major?

No, I am not a photography major and yes, I am a photographer. I am not a professional photographer and I have never taken a class in photography and although I have heard of F-stops and shutter speeds I only know that my brother told me to keep mine on 3.5 or 4 and couldn't tell you its function if I was held up at gun point. But I take pictures, and they are decent and so I would say that I am a photographer although not an educated one. My friend Thomas is a composer on the piano. In my opinion, and this is hard to say, he is better than my brother was at that age. That says a lot since Ben was pretty much my inspiration in composition. But Thomas can't read music very well and hasn't taken lessons, and prolly couldn't tell you the chord he's playing but just like my brother, He is a pianist.

I was listening to a song tonight and it suddenly reminded me why I am a photographer.

When I was young I would spend all my money at CVS buying disposable cameras. I would wait till I got just the right shot and hold off on shots that I thought might be topped by something later on so that I wouldn't run out of shots. I went through so many cameras. hundreds of dollars worth I am sure. I have hundreds of printed out photos from those cameras. It was an expensive hobby.

Then my parents got me a digital camera. It took 8 pictures. I figured out later on that that was because they didn't give me a memory card with it so 8 pictures was all that the internal memory could store at a time. I got frustrated with that and because there was no way for me to print them out or put them on the computer. Then I got a polaroid camera. I was soooo excited when I got it but the sheets came in packs of 11 and they were really expensive so I rarely took pictures with it. I couldn't afford to. time went on and sooner or later I bought a real digital camera. I took hundreds of pictures and uploaded them and saved them on ringo (which doesn't exist anymore) and on disks. And now, I have upgraded once again to a finer camera.

Well now that is the history but I still haven't explained why I started taking pictures in the first place.

Here it is:

I am a writer. I started out a writer before I ever took pictures. I started my first true diary when I was seven and set out to record my life because I realized that adults never remembered what it was like to be seven. they thought they did but they didn't. They remembered certain events but no one remembered what it felt like and how we thought about things. So I said to myself. If I write it down then when I am older I can read it again and remember. Yes. That's what I was thinking about back then. And so I did.

Well when I got older I found myself forgetting and I found it harder and harder to write. I couldn't write fast enough and the words weren't right and I could never quite get out what I was trying to say. It frustrated me immensely. I stopped writing as much down without really realizing that I had been and i started taking more pictures of the things that were happening, of the people I loved, of the things I was attached to, of the special places that capture and sum up so many hours of thought. All I had to do was look at the picture and it reminded me of what I was thinking when I took that picture and of what in the picture means to me.

As I got older I realized I was forgetting more. Not talking about what it feels like to be seven but forgetting things that happened to me. Forgetting what I did, forgetting where I was and why I did things, forgetting memories. I hated forgetting memories because I didn't know how to get them back. Its a part of me! my childhood, slipping away slowly and I will never be able to get it back. Taking pictures was a way for me to remember. They are visual memories. I can't forget it entirely. It was the same with writing. No matter if I forget it mentally or not, if it is written down then I will always have it to remember, to look at.

I have all those pictures from when I was younger and when I look at them again I remember. Oh yea! we used to do that. Oh yea, those people used to be in my life. Oh yea I remember taking this picture, I remember what I was thinking when I took this picture and happy/sad I was. I remember the story behind this picture. It all comes flooding back to me when I look at them again. It's like having my memories on the outside where I can get at them.

That is why I take pictures.

That is why I am a photographer.

I'm just trying to document my life the best way I know how so that when i get old I won't forget. So that when I have kids, and they ask, I'll be able to tell them and when I have grandkids I'll be able to tell them stories. Without the writings and pictures, honestly, I don't think I would be able to.

Freshmen

2009-11-09T00:45:00.004-06:00

some more halloween

2009-11-05T14:12:00.003-06:00

This was before Halloween four of us went out for breakfast at chik-fil-a and dropped by walmart to get some stuff on our way back. Well we stopped to look at the halloween costumes and began trying on masks and such. Well these were just so funny that we HAD to take a picture.

My Picnik version of super heroes and a picniked Inga.

2009-11-04T10:43:00.002-06:00

__________________________________________________________

Halloween

2009-11-01T14:27:00.002-06:00

Last Night there was a dance party down the street. My friends dressed up as superheroes and helped me with my Zorro costume and we danced all night. It was one of the very very few dry parties. I had a blast. All sorts of characters showed up from The Flinstones, to Taylor Swift, to a leprechaun, zombies, Wendy (as in Wendy's hamburgers), a bumblebee, Tiger Lilly and others.

playing around with picnik

2009-10-29T13:16:00.001-05:00

What do you think? Header for choice of skin?

2009-10-27T16:57:00.003-05:00

Sorry about the neglect on this blog recently. I haven't been taking any pictures.

A sprinkling

2009-10-18T22:52:00.000-05:00

Surprises

2009-10-14T08:42:00.002-05:00

In celebration of National Crush a Can day, my friends from downstairs collected 27 cans (september 27th) made a pyramid outside my door and then knocked on my door to surprise me.... "Annie! will you crush our cans?!"

So we had a can crushing party. It was awesome.

FALL pictures - just a taste

2009-10-11T15:35:00.007-05:00

Here you go megan...

A little piece of summer for the beginning of this winter weather...

2009-10-10T21:00:00.002-05:00

This post has been posted due to the request of my sister to have a new photo to look at. Well, here's two :)

One of the many faces of your author...

2009-10-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

Papasan -- or is it Pabadan?

2009-10-05T14:49:00.001-05:00

Babysitting

2009-10-04T00:53:00.002-05:00

Add this on to Inga's - I totally meant to include it.

2009-10-01T15:18:00.000-05:00

The Petry Girls

2009-10-01T14:13:00.005-05:00

だるまさんが転んにゃ - Stalking Cat -

2009-09-29T23:40:00.001-05:00

This is just hilarious. Like, I'm not a big fan of cats but this is a must see.

Sophie (1)

2009-09-29T13:38:00.007-05:00

Okay so I realize I have like 15 photos of Sophie but I actually just couldn't narrow them down. She's so adorable.

So this is Sophie, all pictures taken by me except for the really good one of her with a bandana... that was taken by Ben (the first picture).

Sophie is a giggly, spirited girl. I haven't spent too much time with her unfortunately but she seems to be very cuddly and feels emotions strongly (correct me if I'm wrong Ben)

She is so fun to be around, laughing, smiling, dancing, curious, playful and loving.

Inga (9) - "Munchkin"

2009-09-28T15:05:00.008-05:00

This is my oldest niece and the closest to me. Not to say that I am playing favorites, not at all, I love each and every one of my 8 neices and nephews equally but I've known Inga the longest and our relationship has grown in a way that is just starting to become possible with the others. To Inga I am a big sister, mentor, best friend, Aunt (kinda like a grandparent I can spoil her), and role model. Thats a scary job and I wish I could do it better.

Inga is quite fashionable and really has a feel for what is in style and what looks good. She likes to create her own style and is always giving me advice on how I could do my makeup or what matches. :)

I am so eager to see her as she grows older and our relationship can flourish.

Ella (3)

2009-09-25T19:20:00.005-05:00

All photos were taken by me except the one of her in pink and brown by the pool. Her dad took that one. Actually, all the really good pictures of her were taken by her dad but seeing as this is about the pictures I took I can't very well display all of ben' pictures. So these were taken by me before I had my nice camera.

Elissa Anne (3) - "Lissybug"

2009-09-22T18:53:00.006-05:00

Those last two pictures are from the first time I ever saw her. The others were taken this summer.

She was adopted at the end of September (2008) so this month marks her first year of adoption.

When I first met her she didn't interact much and just stared at her feet and giggled to herself. She still looks at her feet and giggles to herself but she also eats solid food, makes direct and sustained eye contact, understands humor and tries to make the people around her laugh, understands cause and effect, has specific preferences in food and entertainment, and, as of a few months ago, took her first unassisted step. She has learned that she can use her feet to pick things up and has figured out how her sisters eat with their feet. However, she is also very strong-willed and stubborn. She would rather we feed her and has conveniently "forgotten" how to put her foot to her mouth. She loves sugar of all kinds except juices and is extremely attracted to music. She often sings to herself and finds humor in crescendos, decrescendos, sfortzandos, etc. . She also is a pretty decent imitator when she wants to imitate you. Usually she waits till later though and experiments what she saw you do when you aren't looking.

"Look there's Elissa, sleeping in her bed, may she find Your peace and rest, good dreams upon her head."

Happy Adoption Day, I'm so glad that you are in my family.

Elena (7) - "Sunshine"

2009-09-21T09:14:00.007-05:00

Elena is a middle kid but doesn't really come across as one. She is independent, loves to lead, a bit of a tom-boy, artistic, creative, has the neatest handwriting I've seen for a kid her age and she's using her feet to do it, very caring and loving, amazing at making unique facial expressions, has a developing sense of humor, and LOVES sugar (like her aunt).

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."

The Boys

2009-09-19T12:29:00.005-05:00

Sam Sam the Super Man (4)

2009-09-18T10:47:00.006-05:00

Quotes From Sam:

6/7/09

A. Hey Sam.

S. No, I'm spiderman, bad spiderman. I;m the black spiderman.

A. Oh. Who is the red spiderman?

S. Andrei

A. Where is Andrei?

S. (looks around) He's spinning webs.

6/25/09

While teaching sam about knock knock jokes:

A. Knock, knock.

S. Who's there?

A. Olive

S. I don't know this Olive.

A. Olive you (I love you)

S. Well I don't.

6/7/09

Sam: Can you take me to the door?

Annie: I'm waiting for a word. 'can you take me to the door, what?'

Sam: ummm, bedtime! Can you take me to the door bedtime.

Sam: God is everywhere?!... That is so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, soooo Brinkley.

Sam had a cup of coke.

S. Do you like coke? or soda?

S. This is not coke OR soda.

A. Then what is it?

S. It's nothing. Maybe its grape juice.

5/31/08

A. Sam, how old are you?

S. good.

12/19/08

A. Sam, what are you doing?

S. I'm doing fine.

Andrei (8) - "My Little Buddy"

2009-09-17T10:35:00.007-05:00

Andrei is my oldest nephew and quite a character. He is kind-hearted and gentle, caring, considerate, giving, and sensitive. If Alex is a prince this little guy is the king. He has such gentlemanly traits always giving up his seat for his sisters(ladies) and putting others before himself. He is very creative, artistic, playful, imaginative and works hard at what he does.

My first memory of him was shortly after he was adopted. It was one of the first times I saw him and he didn't know English yet. He was over at my house and Inga, Alex, him and I were in my room dancing to music. He went over to the stereo and figured out how to open the tape player, take out the tape, found a new tape, inserted it in, closed it, and switched the music over from the cd to the tape player so he could listen. I was astonished. I doubted that he had ever worked a stereo before in his orphanage although he may have seen it done but he worked my stereo with such ease as if it came naturally to him. At Christmas that year he built a train track and got the train to run on the track. He's very good with technology, very smart and yet quite a goofball at the same time.

Each of the kids has a nickname that I call them and a special song that I think of when I think of them. They all know what their name and song is and I sing it to them occasionally. Andrei is my "little buddy" and this is his song:

You've got a friend in me

When the road looks rough ahead

And you're miles and miles

From your nice warm bed

You just remember what your old pal said

Boy you've got a friend in me

Yeah, you've got a friend in me

You've got a friend in me

You got troubles

And I got 'em too

There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you

we'll stick together and see it through 'cuz

You've got a friend in me

Some of the folks might be a

Little bit smarter than I am

Bigger and stronger too, maybe

But none of them

Will ever love you

The way I do

It's me and you, boy.

And as the years go by

Our friendship will never die

You're gonna see it's our destiny

You've got a friend in me

Alex (6) - "My Prince"

2009-09-16T11:02:00.005-05:00

Alex's heart is so big. Everything he does is big come to think of it. He loves big, he gestures big, he gives big hugs, he thinks big, he imagines big, and for such a small person this little guy comes across to me as big. He is a protector, comforter, helper, learner, dancer, actor, really great memorizer, and always will be my little prince.

Felt Hat Day and Make a Hat Day

2009-09-15T13:07:00.000-05:00

5 little monkeys, jumpin' on the bed.

2009-09-14T17:10:00.001-05:00

2009-09-13T15:00:00.001-05:00

Adventures with Joe.

2009-09-11T11:46:00.003-05:00

I'm teaching Joe how to play the violin.

Night Lights

2009-09-10T13:35:00.002-05:00

Music, Swing Dancing, art, and sweets.

National Teddy Bear Day

2009-09-09T09:23:00.001-05:00