best of 2010

One of my lovely friends (fellow photographer/blogger Brittany Mahood) encouraged me to post a "best of 2010". I thought it was a great idea and started scanning through the thousands of photos I have from this past year. So as most of you know this past year 2010, was a big one for me. In early January I had the amazing privilege of travelling to Costa Rica (with YWAM)... it was an absolutely insane (in a good way) experience.

bonfire, bonding time with the new family in CR

baptism at Manuel Antonio

I was in school and living in community with people I had never met. But they were all amazing, I have never felt so accepted in my life. I learned so much, and made great friends.

after a school program in Nicaragua

From there I was able to go on outreach throughout Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Haiti.

across from the Guanacaste YWAM base

Haiti was both a dream come true and a nightmare. It was hectic and blazingly hot. I went with a team of 9 other people to work with those who had been affected by the terrible earthquake (which happened in January 2010). It was life changing! The children were so precious but the atmosphere in the nation was just so different. There is a lot of poverty and fear. I feel like our mission of bringing hope was successful, and though it was challenging, it was so so worth it (these next few were my May in Haiti).

June marked my return to Canada :) how I missed so much about this beautiful country.

Tulabi Falls -- one of my favourite places on earth

I was, needless to say, happy to be back with my family here. For me that includes a lot of people outside my parents and siblings. Mostly from my amazingly supportive church. These beautiful ladies are part of a very special family that shares their love with me and so many others. This was taken right after the beach baptism in September. So carefree. I just love their free spirits.
This candid shot of my mom laughing at my brother with a kayak on his head at our family cabin in October just makes me smile. It had been years since we had all spent thanksgiving together at the lake and I was so thankful that we made it all work this year with all of our crazy schedules pulling us in so many different directions.

fall light after a second thanksgiving dinner with the Cormie family

A very oddly mild November led to this moment captured. A friend at work who always encourages my creativity was interested in some new family shots of her bunch. I really feel like family pictures are one of those very important things that we often put off in our very busy lives. And was more than happy to take these pictures for her. This one I snuck (no warning, un-posed) just wanted to capture the genuine love in this family.

My final "best" was taken a few days ago, while I was finishing off a roll of film on campus. I have taken many pictures of this spot and I always come back to it. I guess I find this graffiti on an old green house to be a little charming. The importance and power of love is underestimated daily I think. But I think its the most important.

Photography has always been such an important way of processing how I see the world. It has been a truly amazing year, full of new experiences and challenges. Hopefully I will be writing again in one year from now with more photos, and stories.

wishing you lots of love and blessings in 2011,

-Julie

fall is here! fall is here!

So its finally here! My thesis year of fine arts, I feel like I have been waiting for this since I was a little kid making watercolour paintings at the lake all summer. So this is my lovely little space... its not very well moved into yet, its quite clean and un-cluttered which is sure to change soon.

I am excited to begin this year of school and have the opportunity to paint and create! It is a huge blessing and a rare chance to make a body of work that really speaks to people. I am also taking spanish this year y yo soy muy emocionado para mis classes! (and I am very excited for my classes). I hope to improve my ability to write and speak the most, because for some reason I can understand a lot in spanish... I just can't hold a conversation.

That being said I was a little sad to see summer go, but I had the privilege of witnessing many friends get baptized on a very chilly labour day! It was a great way to end off a summer that went by way to fast.

This past week full of my new normal also was the launch of KOZ & College and Careers joint service at Dakota Community Church. We have worship all together as a youth group and college age group and then split off into our seperate services. It was a great time and I feel like this is going to be a great thing for the young ones and those who might be a little too old for youth group but love being active in discipling the teenagers who are a part of our church. Exciting stuff! Little Nae is a happy camper at her first KOZ ever!

I initially started this blog in order to update people while I was away from home but now I am keeping it around to keep everyone who is now close to my heart but far away, updated! I will do my best to update as often as possible.

Much Love,

-Julie