stirrup pants, banana clips and jelly bracelets

it's amazing how looking at a picture can bring back so many silly memories!

i had so much fun going through some pictures of things from back in the 80's...

thought i would share the fun with you...well, at least all my old readers. ha!

oh my...remember the good ole banana clip?!? yes. i think i had one in every color. 

red was my favorite.

and not only did i own a million jelly bracelets, i loved the awesome way you could combine them together...remember?!?

 anyone? anyone ever have this rabbit bank?

how hilarious that my kids will literally never see the scrambled channels, and also have no clue why an oven dial would be on a television. or where in the world it would even fit for that matter!

oh ya baby! hair spray up the wazoo! i mean.. for me personally? it was salon selectives.
that pretty pink bottle and the smell of apples with every spray!

and there were a lot of sprays!

how about the juke box at the tables? i think it was papa gino's? i'm not sure.

and this paper!! i forgot it existed! had to line it all up just right. 

we used to make long birthday "banners" to tape up when it was everyone's birthday.

oh ya. classy. that's how we rolled.

library fun.
to be honest, i don't even go to the library now.
(sorry to all of my in-laws/teachers who just gasped in disgust)
i have this issue with remembering to return books.
no lie. i just returned a book a couple months ago that was due in...
2009. yep.

hard to even remember these days! i remember as clear as anything getting lost...
searching for a phone booth. searching for dimes under my seat and calling my parents for directions. crazy, right?
and the yellow phone? i'm pretty sure i had that exact one. long chord and all.

oh the projector.
this brings back bad memories of writing up praise songs for church services!

remember these spin-till-you-puke rides?
ya. genius.
clearly not invented by a mother.

oh, dude. i rocked out my stirrup pants. and i especially liked piling the slouchy socks every other color on top of each other.
neon colors. obv.

and last but not least. this death waiting to happen.
sure. let's take a sick, screaming child and shove a piece of glass filled with mercury in it.
wowza.
again. not invented by a mother!

love all the modern day inventions we have today!

i hope that this brought a little bit of fun.

and a lot of smiles.

please let me know if i forgot any big ones!!

gotta love those 80's!

happy friday, everyone!

thankful for the things i take for granted

today i am thankful for things that i admit i sometimes take for granted.

i am thankful for my freedom.

that one sentence means so much because that freedom...

that freedom that people give their lives for...

means that i can have these books on my bookshelf and never fear that i will be killed because of it

means that i can put Bible verses up in my house without having to hide that i live by the Bible

because people have decided to give their lives to fight for that freedom, i get to spend time with my husband and my kids today, while others have to stay strong and pray their husbands safely home.

i am thankful that these people have made this choice on their own.
for the love of freedom.
for the love of giving that right to our country.
i am so thankful.

i admit that days go by and i do not express my thanks the way i should.

so today, i am saying just how thankful i am.

thank you to all of you who are giving up your spouses for a while. (Deb)

thank you to all of you who are fighting to keep our country free. (Kevin)

i am mostly thankful for Jesus. who paid for my sins so that i can have true freedom.

freedom from the law of sin and death.

happy 4th of July.

i truly pray that God will continue to bless America, even though many have chosen to turn away from Him. He is our only hope.

today. i am being thankful for the things i take for granted.

remembering to breathe

picture an old shed, filled with weights and work out equipment.

the morning would start by lighting a kerosene heater and trying to run in place to get your body used to the below freezing temperature.

then the work out would begin.

this is how i spent some of my mornings when i was in high school.

my dad and mom were crazy about working out and keeping their bodies in shape (and i am very grateful that they instilled that in me!)

my dad would be my spotter and he would push me until i thought i couldn't go anymore...

then say -

ok. 2 more!

sometimes...when i was pushing so hard, he would have to say...rachelle! don't forget to breathe!

it's weird how you can forget to breathe like that!

you'd think it would just come natural. 

i mean. it's what we do to survive.

but sometimes i would be working so hard and focusing so much that i would really forget to even take breaths.  

i couldn't  help but think of this as an analogy, especially lately.

life is full.

just when you think it's going to slow down? it doesn't.

it does not ever ever stop.

it's like you have to make a conscious effort to even do the normal every day things that you thought you could never forget.

when my kids were littler, i can remember so many days when i would notice at about 4:00 that i was starving. only to realize i had forgotten to eat all day!

in all of this, the biggest thing i have to remember is...

my time with God.

i simply can not afford to forget to do that.

it is so incredibly obvious when i do!

it is my food. my spiritual food that keeps me strong and that gives me the energy this body needs!

i love this space that God has given me to spend with him in the mornings.

it is quiet.

it is peaceful. 

and i love it.

i sit here and soak in what i can and remind myself of things that i know are true, but that i so so easily forget.

i read today in jeremiah...

Their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is His name; he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest...

oh i needed this today.

my Father. my incredibly loving and merciful Father is pleading my cause!

do you even get the enormity of that??

the fact that when we choose to live lives that please God, we have him working things out behind the scenes, figuring things out that i don't have to?

it just blows my mind.

i love in isaiah 32 where it says 

in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.

that's it.

i need to remember very few things.

i need to be quiet, and i need to be confident in him.

that's when i have strength.

sometimes i get so busy running around and trying to do everything.

trying to be everything.

that i forget to breathe.

i forget the basic little things i need to remember...

i am nothing. He is everything.

period.

when i remember that, my life goes smoothly.

i hope that tonight. as you are reading this.

as a million thoughts are running through your head (if you're anything like me!)

you can stop yourself and remind yourself to breathe.

remind yourself that the only way you are going to be able to have the strength you want?

is to be quiet and rest in God.

rest in Him tonight.

xo

it's contest time!

my gorgeous and amazing senior girls all have a shot at being on the cover of my magazine FearLess!

i wish you could sit down with all of them and get to know them, because you would love them all! they are really beautiful inside and out.

i am running a contest to see who makes the cover, but they will all be in the magazine. 

this magazine will give all kinds of fun tips on what to wear, how to do your makeup, what to expect in a session with rcp. 

i will have a couple pages dedicated to senior guys as well...don't want them to feel left out!

meet my models...

Gina

Alicia and Jill

 Brittney and Emilee

 Emily and Shelby

 Hailey and Shannon

Heather and Lauren

Katherine and Rebekah

Lizzie and Olivia

Spencer and Brianna

be sure to go here  to vote on who you think should be on the cover!

you can check out more of their sessions on my facebook page. 

contact me through my website to book your session now!

i expect to book fast!

what to do with crazy boys when it rains

it's been raining like a mad fool lately.

i mean really...it's like constant!

summer is usually great for letting the boys get all their energy out...outside!

so we had to get a little creative.

the boys have been begging me to play monopoly with them.

ohhh charles darrow...why on earth did you decide to invent a game that has the potential to literally last for.ev.er?!

but. i did play. actually, am still playing.
just taking a little breather. ha!
hopefully there is a special reward in heaven reserved for moms who played monopoly with their kids.

i absolutely love our barn. for many reasons.

but we have been in the process of cleaning it out a little bit at a time.

i tend to get a little overwhelmed with it. 

fortunately i had a sweet friend come over yesterday and give me a little support. 

it is now clean enough for the boys to go and ride their scooters, making it a perfect rainy day activity!

a few more days of plugging away and it will be ready for a party.

let's hope for some sun tomorrow!

5 simple ways to show your kids you love them

love is not a feeling.
it is an action.
however...love does create feelings!

i want for my kids to have confidence in who they are.
i want them to feel loved.
one thing i always pray for them, is that they will never doubt God's love.
i also don't want them to doubt my love for them. the difference is...
i make mistakes a lot.
so i have to make sure that i am doing what i can to show my love for them.

here are 5 simple ways to show your kids you love them:

1. tell them.
duh. i know. but seriously...make sure you are saying it out loud. a lot.
every time you leave the house. say i love you.
every time they do something that makes you laugh, or that makes you smile...say i love you.
you can not say it enough.
whisper it. yell it. say it. sing it. just make sure they know!
expand on it...tell them what you love about them. their laugh, the way they think of others, the way they make your family complete...say it and watch them react!

2. ask them if you've hurt them.
i know i've said it before, but every once in a while i think it is so important to ask them if you have done anything to hurt them.
it shows them that you know you aren't perfect. it shows them that you are humble enough to say sorry. and it shows them how to keep communication open with you (and others!)
tonight when you put them to bed just ask them...did i do anything today to hurt you?
be ready for an honest answer and be ready to say sorry.
keeping current is important in every relationship! we want to discourage bitterness!

3. discipline them.
it seems like more and more, parents are pulling the whole gotta-be-friends-with-my-kids thing.
kids need structure, guidelines, and rules. it's what gives them stability...and shows them love.
i know. i know. it's easier to just give in. give them their way...at the moment. it does not pay off in the long run! (you can read what the benefits of getting off your couch are in my post here.)
making rules and sticking to them is showing them that you are willing to work hard and shows them that you love them.

4. look them in they eyes.
because we are living in a day and age where we have electronic devices with us constantly, it is so easy to be looking at something besides our kids. checking our text messages, checking our instagram, checking our emails...and on and on it goes.
if your kids are telling you a story. stop everything.
put your phone down (or your book...it doesn't have to be just electronics!) and give them your full attention!
if you are going to play a game together, leave your phone upstairs.
if you are going to do a craft together, turn the tv off...turn the music on!
show them that they are more important than any other thing. show them that you value them.
*this is a good idea to do with anyone! if you are out for coffee, or if you are visiting with a friend don't jump and answer your phone the second it rings. don't interrupt them and check your text message the second it alerts you. show your friends that they are more important too!*

5. lighten up.
i am obviously a fan of discipline. there are certain things that you have to be strict on.
but there are other areas that don't really matter.
don't let yourself live too stressed of a life!
in the middle of a serious conversation, grab their hands and start dancing!
after a stressful day, eat ice cream before dinner.
play a game together, don't freak out if they spill something, spray them with the kitchen sprayer. show them that nothing has to be too serious. we can make life fun.

i hope that this will just remind you to take advantage of today.
the dirty laundry is not going anywhere.
the dirty dishes don't seem to be going too far either!
get things into perspective:
your kids are more important than your job. than your housework. than your friends.
now go prove it!

easy ways to decorate an old house ~ before and after

i love antiques. of all kinds.
i also love looking at ideas on how to decorate an old house.
i want to be able to have modern, functional living space but still be able to display my favorite vintage items.
i also don't want to spend a lot of money.

so when we moved in, we inherited this dining room with a hideous light fixture and dark paint.

we kept the floors the same, and just painted!
it's amazing what a little paint can do!
then we had all these walls to decorate...which can be a little overwhelming!
so i just decided to decorate 3 walls and leave the rest plain.

because i love boston so much, i decided to make my focus wall be all about boston. i bought this cute canvas at marshalls that has all kinds of boston stuff on it, and also got the clock and "c" at marshalls.
i got the frames from a yard sale, (except for one was a house warming gift from my sister :)) and the old frame i got at a thrift store. i filled the frames with pictures we have from our visits to boston.
i have an old menu from a boston restaurant, but it is hidden in a box somewhere that i have not yet unpacked, so i just put a piece of a boston herald newspaper in the frame until i find it!

the awesome green dishes were a find that my mom made at an antique store, and i LOVE them!
the buffet is something that adam's grandfather made us a couple years after we got married!
i think this is the perfect spot for it, and i can't wait for him to be able to see it in person!

i love the wainscoting in the room, and i love that our dining room has a door! i don't know why, i just think it's cool.

it's just so beautiful to see all the details in this house! 

it does not get old!

we got the chandelier for 10 bucks at restore!
and we got the table from craigslist last weekend! we can finally eat together!

i got the cool square frames from a yard sale, and cut out some music that i had in an old etude magazine! i love how it came out.

i know...i'm weird that i have suitcases and an old typewriter in my dining room, but hey...i like to take random things and put them in my rooms.
it gives people something to look at and talk about when they come over!
so all it takes is keeping your eyes open at yard sales and thrift stores and you can decorate with a vintage twist!

should i feel guilty?

should i feel guilty when i watch families come to our church and share how they are raising money so they can go with their brand new baby and move to brazil to preach the gospel to an unreached people group?

should i feel guilty when i read the blog from my sweet friend who is saving up money to adopt a baby girl from ethiopia?

should i feel guilty when i go to the grocery store and spend extra money on silly things like fudgesicles and oreos? what about when i go to the mall and buy a pair of shoes i don't need?

i know that the need to spread God's love to other countries is great.
i know that the need for orphans to be taken care of is great.
i know that there are millions of starving children across the world.
i know that there are people who would give anything to have just one pair of shoes.
i know.

but what?
what now?

what does God expect me to do with this knowledge?

i have spent a lot of time wondering this. thinking this through.
see...i don't want to be the kind of person who justifies what i am doing (or not doing) or comparing myself with another person who i think i am doing better than.

i get so irritated when people matter of factly tell me that what God wants of me is to live where He has put me and just not be too focused on all my possessions.
he certainly doesn't expect me to go without.
really?

i mean. maybe that's true.
but then maybe it's the furthest thing from the truth.
maybe it sickens God when he sees you pour over your pottery barn catalog.
maybe it breaks his heart when he sees you spend 30.00 on a pair of shoes.
just maybe.
can you even see that as a possibility?

james 3:14 says "but if you have...selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth"

what does that mean?
lying against the truth? could i be doing that?

what is the truth?
one truth is that God says if i have food and clothing that is what i should be content with.
another truth is that God says i need to not lay up treasures on earth.
another truth is that God says that i shouldn't love in word or tongue, but in action and truth.

the lying against that truth could be
~i need at least 2 new bathing suits per summer. i mean...i am not frivolous like so-and-so who buys 5 every year!
~i need to have a lot of money in savings. ya know, it's being a good steward.
~i will pray for all those poor, unfortunate people.
~what could your lie be?

so should i feel guilty?
guilt will bring me down to a place that makes me feel worse and worse about myself.
so i don't think guilty is the right word.

however.
should i lie against the truth? should i convince myself that what i am doing is enough?
that God certainly couldn't expect me to do more?
should i spend time with all of those other girls who are "godly" and have enormous houses, attend every lia sophia party in town and have every piece of furniture directly from a catalog?
because that might make me feel better about what i am doing.

no. i don't think that is the solution.
but.
if i am feeling something.

maybe that something is conviction.
conviction is a feeling similar to guilt, but instead of driving me down to a place that makes me miserable, it drives me to action.

action that may require sacrifice.
action that may require pain.
action that may require living out what i say God wants me to live out.
it might be not getting my way.
it might be supporting a missionary when we don't see how it's possible in our budget.
it might be sending in the paperwork to become certified to foster children.
it might even mean giving up something i like so someone else can have it.

that is the kind of living that i want to be living.

i refuse to take what you say God means and make it what i say God means.
because what if you're wrong?
what if God is asking for more?

i want to be listening.
i want to be prepared for action.
i want to be living my life for one purpose only - to bring glory to God.
after all, that is what i was created for. (isaiah 43:7)

what about you?

photography 101 ~making your clients laugh~ aka acting like an idiot

there can't be much worse than finally deciding on a photographer, and then going through a session of awkward silences and hearing the words "say cheese!" (which should never be uttered by a photographer unless it is sheer sarcasm!)

i like to have fun.
always.

not just when i am on the job, but also when i am at home. and out. and just plain always.

because of the fact that i adore shooting with prime lenses (stay tuned for a what's-in-my-bag post coming to a blog post near you!)
this requires getting all up in a person's grill.
it can be a little awk.ward.
so instead of just keeping silent and trying to act like it's normal, you might as well make a joke about it!

sometimes i talk in a weird voice without even meaning to!
oops! instead of just trying to act cool and play it off, why not just say...
um...seriously? did i just make that noise out loud? ha!
it is sure to get a good laugh.

of course there is always the...
hey mom - look at your favorite daughter!
or - ok. pretend you like each other just for the next 15 minutes (sometimes i wonder! ha!)

half the time, i'm pretty sure they are laughing at me, and i really leave thinking..what on earth do these people think of me?!?

but there is something that i just love when i see a full out, real live laugh.
it just makes me happy.
come on. admit it...you are smiling just looking at all of these, aren't you?

ok. so sometimes i make people cry.

but usually just my relatives. ha!

so if you are doing this for a living, or if you are going to just take some shots of your kids.
make jokes.
act like an idiot.
laugh loudly.
laugh at yourself...don't try to come off like you have it all together.
i mean. you have to be prepared. and you have to act confident.
but if you trip over a tree stump, don't try and act like that is the first time it ever happened!
people like to see that you are real!

most of all - make sure you are having fun!
having fun create the perfect setting to capture the best kind of images that you
(and your clients) will love forever!

new house update: kitchen before and after...kind of

i love seeing before and afters...
so i love showing before and afters!

since i have a feeling that the kitchen is going to be stuck in before-mode for quite a while,
i thought i would show you more of a before... and a middle.

we moved in to a kitchen with pistachio walls, green countertop and green and white tiles.
say what?! i mean...i love green and all, and have decided to decorate with green.
but it was just a bit overkill.
so while we still have the green countertop for now, it will eventually be replaced.

since we still have no idea what to do about the floor yet, we are just enjoying the rustic feel.
it's all about perspective, people!

hope you enjoy the middle transition.
we have quite a ways to go, but i still love my big old kitchen.

welcome the newest member of the chase family: the sequel

remember the last time i had a story about it raining in the kitchen?
then remember when i posted the sequel?

so you're seeing now that when there is a sequel, it is not typically a good thing.

ok. so you remember meeting taco. the newest member of the chase family.

and you remember from that post that i said i am not a pet person? ya.

well last night we had stayed up late. watching the nba finals.
we went to bed after midnight.

at 3:00am i hear my door open.
it's aj.
he says...mom?
i groggily say...yes?

he says...taco is sitting on my bookcase.

say what?!?

i go in, and sure enough.
there she is. in all her glory. sitting on top of the bookcase.
i go in ry's room, grab a container and lure her into it.
(she now has a reputation for biting and i was in no mood for that.)
i spend the next ten minutes trying to figure out how in the ever-loving-world she got out!
couldn't figure it out.
i thought maybe she had popped open the top, so i locked it and went back to bed.

couldn't fall asleep. finally did at around 3:45.

an hour later (after dreaming of taco. no, i'm not joking)
i hear this little rustling noise that wakes me up.
i look down, and...tell me it's part of my dream...there is a little ball of fur and beady eyes looking up at me.

oh. no. you. didn't.

i get up and go in ry's room again to get the container again and when i come back?
ya. couldn't find her.

you've got to be kidding me right now.
i am literally crawling around on my floor with a flashlight whispering...taccccooooo.
which, i'm pretty sure she has no idea that is her name.

i see her at the foot of my bed.
i turn to grab the container. turn back.
gone.
oh.my.head.

i'm sputtering something having to do with...thisiswhyidon'twantpets...
and then i see her.
she's burrowing in some pile of something. at this point, i had no idea what was happening.
i get her into the container and go to put her back and try to figure out how to prevent this from happening again.

i realized that there was a hole on the top that had been covered with purple tape ever since we got her. apparently she had chewed her way out of it.

so then i did what any self-respecting american would do...went downstairs to get some duct tape.
yes. i know. my father-in-law would be proud.
i duct-taped the living day lights out of the cage.
told her she better watch her back. and i meant it.
then went back to bed.

now that i think of it...
that lady who gave us the little rodent did seem pretty anxious to get rid of her.
oh jeez.
how long do these things live again?

i'm not that kind of friend...

just to clarify the kind of friend i am...

if you stop by my house on your way by. i may not have make up on.
but i will invite you in for a cup of coffee regardless.

if you are going through a hard time with another person. i will not put down that other person to try and make you look better.
i will just pray for you. listen to you. and remind you of who God created you to be.

if you unfriend me on facebook, i will not go and talk to everyone about it.
but i will ask you why you did.

if you think i'm judging you...i'm probably not.

if you think i'm praying for you...i probably am.

i am not that kind of friend that looks for drama and holds grudges.
if i haven't texted you back it just means i am busy and have a bad memory...terrible combination!
if i don't answer the phone when you call...it's just because i hate talking on the phone. no offense.
if you want to bash your husband...i am not your go-to girl.
if you want a guilt-free friend to eat ice cream with? i am your go-to girl!

i just want to be that friend that makes you feel like i have all the time in the world for you, and i would drop anything to give you a hand.
i want to be that friend that builds you up, not tears you down.
i want to be that friend that encourages you to let go of things, not hold on and become bitter.
i want to be that friend that you can trust no matter what.

so if you're looking for that party girl who will have drinks with you and slam every other person who doesn't do exactly what you do? i'm not that kind of friend.

but if you're looking for a crazy, loud, sarcastic girl who will hang out with you and try to help you find peace and joy in your life?

i will always try to be that friend for you. ♥