i give you a key in exchange for a ring....

You may be wondering what this is all about. Its something that I have wanted to do for awhile now and was reminded of it at a recent wedding I photographed. I spoke with Eden about how important it was to not give her heart away to just anyone. I gave her a key to represent how it was locked away until she met the man that she would marry. I told her to that her Daddy was going to take her out on a date and talk about how he wanted to hold the key to her heart until he walked her down the aisle one day. In exchange, he would give her a ring. The ring to be exchanged for her wedding ring. This ring is to be a reminder of the talk they had and the talk they will have in the future about God and purity and love.

Happy Birthday

My big girl just turned 14 yesterday!
Honestly, when they say that time flies, it really has.  When she was born, I couldn't even imagine getting to her 14th birthday and now that she is here, my thought is...we only have 4 more years and then she's on her own.  WOW.  Puts things into perspective doesn't it?

Damaris-isms

Damaris just carries my heart away. So we finished dinner, she was down stairs and I came upstairs to do some stuff on the computer. After about 10 minutes I hear "Wheres Mommy? Daddy Wheres Mommy? Mommy?" Me- Damaris Im upstairs. Damaris- Im coming! [up the stairs she comes]. She made me a snack (of food from her toy kitchen) and now she is sitting to my left, quietly playing with her dolls and singing....love her 4-year-oldness.

Don't delete.

Don't delete.

Woot! a giveaway: Living Life the way I picture it!!

OK, so I am not the best at cutting and pasting....but that's not the point! I am in it to win a new Mark II 5D. I am on my laptop and I dont' have access to my photoshop and other super cool splicing programs, so this will have to do. Go

http://http//www.haveanepiphanie.com/home/2010/8/28/discount-code-canon-mark-ii-give-away.html?lastPage=true&postSubmitted=truefor more information!

Grace gets Baptized! March 20, 2010

YAY! What a treasure for our family to celebrate Baptism of our daughter Grace. She made a decision to accept Jesus into her heart in December. She completed a six-week baptism class and then in March joined 40 other members of our church to CELEBRATE BAPTISM!







So awesome.



Two girls have made decisions. Two more to go!

Check me out!

I have been busy busy busy....go over to my blog to see what I have been working on. I haven't even had time to look through the photos we took over Spring Break of my family, but I hope to do that very very soon.

www.dawnielecastellanoseyefull.blogspot.com

Thanks!

oh gosh...has it been this long?

It has been a long time since my last blog.
We have been to CA and back on Spring Break...and of course, I am editing editing editing...go on over to www.dawnielecastellanoseyefull.blogspot.com to check out what I have been doing recently.

I will be back here soon.
i promise.
with stories.
pictures.
life.

see you soon.

just a few more from the day.

So I am in a Beth Moore study on Esther. We meet every Wednesday. I am so amazed at how much Beth can pull out of one verse. It has been a truly wonderful learning experience for me. Here are some of the highlights from today's lesson Based on Esther 4:16:

"God reserves the right NOT to force HOW you will do your WHAT. No one is born brave, but you can become so (in Christ), you can change your narrative today." -Beth Moore "Esther"



"Courage; root word is "cor" = heart. Courage comes from a heart convinced it is loved (I Jn 1)."

"Death is not our destination. Our destiny is complete when Christs kingdom is established here on earh as it in heaven (Phil 1:6). Esther took the courage she was offered."



"What is the most common commandment in the Bible? "Take courage" and "Fear not!" think about how many times we are told directly or through stories, to take courage and fear not? Think about it!"

"Take courage! I have conquered the world" -Jesus, Jn 16:33.

He offers it...why don't we take it?



I mean, really, how much courage did Esther show knowing full well that if she went before the King, unasked, that could be the end of her days. But, what did she do? she said, well, if I die then I die...."let's roll"

Ha ha! How I wish I could say, "Let's roll" and here I have the Gospel fulfilled through Jesus Christ! I KNOW he is with me. I know HE has already conquered the world...so why do I fear? Why am I afraid?

Hey friends, Esther took the courage she was offered.

The Farm at South Mountain

This "farm" is basically a nursery of herbs, vegetable gardens, fruit trees...
They do sell what they grow, which is nice.. But you can also just go and enjoy a picnic or walk the grounds too. Take pictures.

It really is a beautiful place with nice open spaces and little nooks and crannies...I am still sorting through the 120+ photos I took there of things (and people).
I went there with a friend of mine to take photos of "things."

Derby Car Race 2010

Every year for the past two years, the girls have participated in the Derby Car Races hosted through the local AWANA club. This was the first year that I actually got to see the races in person.





About three weeks before the race, we buy the pre-cut cars and the girls decide on their design. This year, Grace wanted wings on her car, so we purchased some wing stickers. Eden chose a star design, with a blue sky car and hand painted stars.








Although neither girl won a trophy this year, it was great fun for them once again and every year we gather more information on how to make the next car better.

Awesome Conversation!

Just finished an awesome conversation with Grace. It started with her asking me if the Garden of Eden was located in Africa. I told her that the Bible said that it was thought to be located near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, but that I didn't know for sure. I told her that God shut off the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned. I told her that I thought He did that because there was still a tree left, the tree of Life, for which, if man had eaten from that Tree, that would have meant that we didn't need a Savior.

She actually stopped playing Wii to listen!

She then said, "there were two trees?"

I said yes, and I pulled my bible and read the verses.

We then started talking about how Satan deceived her and WHY she was deceived, because she didn't listen to God's Words carefully and clearly. I then told her that thankfully we have the Bible that contains ALL of God's Word and that the Bible is the only book we need to understand God's plan for out lives.

We started talking about some modern day examples of how we get caught up in sin. I gave her this example:

Say for instance, our budget says that Mom can't buy a new purse this month. But, I go to the purse rack and I start looking at the purses and the prices. And I find one! $30! Is it okay for me to buy the purse? "No." Why Grace? "Becuase it wasn't in your budget." But then I said, what happens is this, I look at the price adn I start thinking. Hey its only $30. That's not a lot of money. Surely $30 can be overlooked. I told her, I think that is what Satan did to Eve. He twisted the truth around and she fell right into the trap. Which was what Satan could do to me if I then decide to buy the purse when I know full well that its not in the budget for the month.

So then we started talking about the Tree of Life. I told her that God had decided before man was made that we would need a Savior. Had man eaten from the Tree of Life, man would have saved himself which was against God's plan. Then, get this, she says to me! "I am remembering a verse from Awana. Something about how we are not saved by any other man or name." So I say, "Let's see if we can find it." She says, its Act 4:12, which says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

WOW! How awesome is that? I realize my interpretation of what was happening may not be fully correct, but she got it. She got it!

January 2010

Here are some recent photos I took of Selah and Damaris. I am really not sure why it is so much more frustrating to photography my own children, but I think its because I expect them to know the "look" I have in mind and when they don't comply, I am frustrated more easily. But I did manage to get off a few shots. Here are just some of my favorites.

the Littlest Heroes Project

I have been given the opportunity to provide professional photography with an organization called The Littlest Heroes. With this organization, we have the pleasure of providing free photography services for families with children suffering from life threating diseases and illnesses. It is a wonderful organization, founded my a very nice gal. I hope to be able to provide beautiful pictures to many families at a time when, perhaps, photos isn't the first things on their minds!

If you want to read more, go here: http://www.littlestheroesproject.org/
If you know of anyone who might qualify, have them check out the service too. This organization is nation wide.



While I opened the Eyefull photography business as a “business” it was never my intention to use it only for the purpose of making money. I am still a social worker at heart and I have a strong pull toward giving back to my community, locally and, perhaps someday, globally. It is my desire to use this God given vision to help many others. People who cannot pay for professional photography. People who never might have a photograph made except for the fact that they knew me and received it as a gift. I am excited to see how God will use this social worky part of my personality to benefit Him.

an epiphany at the Love Shack

I was reading one of my cyberfriends blog. She is great. She loves God. She loves her family and her blog is called The Love Shack...isn't that cool? See it here: http://adoptbellagrace.blogspot.com/ Sorry, I cannot figure out how to make my link, link directly...so if you want to check it you, you will just have to cut and paste.

Anyway, I thought I would post something on her blog. As I was typing something pithy to her, one of my blog songs came on...this is what I said to her.

"Love this!
Too bad it takes these catatrophic things (well I guess breaking your foot isn't catastraphic, but you know what I mean) to get us to stop. Take stock. Get real with God. With ourselves. With out families.

"all of my life. In every season. You are still God. I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship!"
-sorry, listening to my blog post music (Desert Song) as I type this. I live in the desert and sometimes I need to be reminded that just because I live in a dry land, doesn't mean I have to be "dry."

I think I will repost this on my blog. I had an epiphany!"

Funny how God does that.
I love God's people.
I love that I can have a connection to a woman who I have never met because we have both been adopted into God's family. Maybe we will never meet here on earth.
She will read my blog.
Maybe post.
I will read her blog.
Maybe post.
But you know what? We will be in heaven. Amen!

Confirmation....

I am so thankful for how God confirms for me daily of his Love for me and his love for the things that I love.

John 15:7 says, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."

I am not saying that I always abide in Him. But I sincerely try to do that each and every day. And I am thankful that God gives grace too...

When I think to myself, "what am I doing?" and I start to doubt that I am going the direction that God intends for me to go, I receive confirmation that this is right. I think to myself, well, I should go back to practicing social work.
Its something I know.
Its something I am familiar with.
I can do a good job at that. and then I start looking for jobs.
I might receive a call.
I might receive an interview.
But I do not receive anything past that and discouragement sets in.
Then I look at my business. Hmmm, not a whole lot on my schedule right now. So, is THIS what you have for me Lord? Then I am reminded, "Dawniele...you have been at this for five months! It takes time. You are doing well" Then I receive an inquiry. A telephone call. A booking. I go out and I LOVE it. I talk to my photography friends, those who have been at this business a lot longer than I have and they provide support, help and suggestions and I am thankful for them and for those that entrust their family with me for such a short period of time.
And I love everything about photographing and capturing family moments. And no matter what, God has HIS hand in THAT.

So I will keep praying. Keep abiding. Keep trusting. God delivers. That's awesome.

Sheep....Bah!

One of the beautiful things about living out here in the sticks...

is that we have access to some things you city dwellers may not necessarily have access to. Like for instance, the dairy from last week. And this week?



a herd of sheep grazing in a field next door to the school.








Selah has been wanting to go out and take pictures with "sheep" for quite some time now, so today, we got up kind of early, got dressed and headed out.





Ok. Its sheep! I know. They don't do much do they? But the girls loved it. I warned Selah NOT to touch the little fence they used to hold the sheep in the field, but she got too close and ZAP! She got a little shock and a reminder...stay away from the fence! What a reminder for us as Christians. God gives us instructions...stay away from the fence. Yet, often times, we get just too close and ZAP! Hmmm,

Yet, watching the sheep also reminded me of another story in the Bible. Do you feel like braying today? Bah bah!

Enjoy! Have a great day.

4 Sisters at the Dairy.

A very good friend of mine and her family own a dairy just outside Maricopa in Stanfield. I have been wanting to take the girls over there for quite some time now, and the weather was perfect on Friday for a visit.

It was just us and the cows!

Whenever I tell the girls to get ready to take photos, they grab their pettiskirts and head out the door.

You can see more of the photos I took at the dairy at

http://www.dawnielecastellanoseyefull.blogspot.com/

It was a beautiful day and we had a lot of fun.

Damaris turns 1:

Well, my little nut turned one on January 3rd. I still can't believe it!

I marveled the entire month of December how in 2008 she wasn't even there. I don't remember doing this with the other three...but maybe its because she is the last one.

Birthday party was pretty simple.
Just our family.
And a huge cake.


Which she wanted nothing to do with.
But, I was able to snap off a few shots of her. We are so lucky to have her with us. I laugh becuase this sweet little nugget has the biggest temper of them all. Oh boy, we are in for it I think! But she is also a lover. She is quick so smile and laugh and loves to be right in the thick of things with her big sisters. If she doesn't want it, she turns her head away. If she wants it, she opens her mouth (which is full of teeth).
Oh boy, what are we going to do with this one?

Damaris turns 1: