Jokes are over…. bring back my spring.

It’s been waaaay too long since I’ve posted a Friday Favorites. Here’s a few things I’m loving on this week:

Favorite quote: This totally made me smile yesterday from Reign Magazine.

Favorite snack: I’ve been on a green smoothie kick lately, and this tasty treat with spinach, mango and banana is seriously good. Recipe, here!

Favorite Easter treat: if I were to stuff my face with donuts (I said if…)  these would be my first, er, victim from Varsity Donuts. Who doesn’t love peeps?!

Favorite Pinterest find: I cannot wait to DIY this to my hideously ugly folding table and chairs. Here’s the how-to.

Favorite fashion: I adore absolutely everything about this look from Madewell. Hurry up, spring!

Enjoy the weekend, and happy Easter!

These little beauties popped up in my backyard the last couple of days — aren’t they lovely? I’m so ready for spring, and it sounds like winter isn’t quite done with us yet. Enjoy the snow later this week (and be safe out there!)!

A few times a year I’ve been asked to speak on behalf of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep at Fort Riley’s Irwin Army Community Hospital to staff members who are participating in bereavement training. It’s always a fantastic group, and I’m always so proud to share the work we do as part of NILMDTS for families whose little angels are leaving us too soon.

Last week, I proudly shared the organization’s mission and values to a full classroom. During my time in their training that day, we talked so much about the wonderful families the organization has helped, and answered their questions about why photography can be so healing. Sometimes these are difficult conversations, and at one point there were lots of misty eyes and emotional words. It’s never easy to talk about, and I find myself even finding a boulder in my throat when talking to people about the organization.

And then, as I was finishing my presentation, the highest-ranking officer in the room presented me with this–a token of their appreciation for sharing NILMDTS’ mission with their staff. I’m not often speechless, but I was so touched by their thoughtfulness and generosity that these staffers have enjoyed the information I’ve shared and can use it to help their patients and spread the mission of what we do. I was beyond words and thankful for the ability to share the work of this fantastic organization that I’ve been a part of for the last few years.

If you’d like to find out more about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, you can learn more here or email me anytime via the contact form.

Thanks, Fort Riley/IACH staff for this recognition!

I’m guest blogging over at A Good Run and talking about Dando Amor (and my birthday week!). Join us there this week and I hope you’re inspired to pay it forward.

Wishing you and yours the very best of the season! We set up this sweet little shot in our own backyard this year (although we didn’t have snow at the time, so it was fun to pretend.)

I’ll be back next week with lots of goodies to share… Cheers!

This summer, one of the things we did in Costa Rica involved hanging hundreds (and I mean hundreds) of feet over the thick canopy of trees of the jungle and ziplining over 10 kilometers.

And I. was. terrified. Having my limbs dangling by a series of cables and clips wasn’t on the bucket list of my life…(or at least, I didn’t think so?!) But once I got through the first few ziplines, it became crazy fun. Soon our whole group of 25+ people, including myself, were hanging upside down, twirling midair, completely awed by the beauty of what around us. How brave we had become in such a short time!

But it was taking that first step off the cliff that brought me to my edge. No comfort zone allowed here, and definitely no going back. I had to trust, breathe, and try to enjoy the feeling. And what lied on the other side of the adventure was absolutely exhilarating.

So, today, I challenge you to do something—one thing—that scares you. Because, I assure you, what’s on the other side of that road before you is worth the risk.