Maui

Nigel and I just got back from 9 days on Maui. What a wonderful trip!! It was relaxing and a much needed recharge. We didn't realize how weary we had become with the day-to-day busyness of life in California. It really was like we were on a second honeymoon. And in a very beautiful place! This is a pic from the very end of our trip to Hana.

From Maui 2007

We saw a lot of beautiful waterfalls that day. Many were unknown to the general public, as we had this awesome book called "Maui Revealed". You can easily buy it on Amazon if you're headed to Maui. There's also one for Kauai that we used for our honeymoon, as well as ones for Oaho and the Big Island. You can click the link to our album to see more pics.

From Maui 2007

The hurricane missed us completely, thank goodness. We had beautiful weather the whole time we were there. And we didn't do too much at all. We rode jet skis at Lahaina, which Nigel had never done. We also went to an awesome show called Warren and Annabelle's Magic show in Lahaina. And, believe it or not, we met a group of Minnesotans, which knew an entire family of people from my tiny hometown. It is such a small world! And Nigel shakes his head in disbelief every time this happens to me, which is often. I always seem to find someone I'm connected to somehow.

I'm back at creating more album pages, hoping very soon to launch this thing. It's time consuming work, yet I love it so much. God's given me this talent for a reason, just like all the others. And He's showing me how to use it. And I am grateful to Him, for this talent and for my life.

You know, we take for granted so much in this life on earth. Like the beautiful sunsets God paints for us every evening. Or that He gives us each day to use for His purposes, yet we waste so much of it. Or the love of our husbands, family, and friends. I keep thinking about the song Garth Brooks sings called "If Tomorrow Never Comes." I want to live each day like it's my last, doing exactly what God has given me to do for that day, cherishing the little moments with friends and family when I get to, and especially with Nigel. Because maybe I won't have tomorrow, or maybe he won't. And God doesn't want us to live in the past or the future - He wants us to live today, for today. Sometimes it takes 9 straight days of slowing down to come back to that reality. But it's true.

So please, for me, take a moment you wouldn't have otherwise taken with someone you love today and really cherish it. Take a picture or write it down, too, because there is joy for you in the remembering, as well.

August 2007 - almost over?!?!

Life is good, even when it is a whirlwind. Things have been busy for us - I picked up more hours at work and work more hours when I'm at home. So Nigel is feeling my laptop gets more attention than him some nights lately. Yet, the business stuff is really coming along. I created a page for my website jaxdigitaldesign.com. Down at the bottom right of the page is a link to my Picasa gallery, with more collages and album pages being added all the time.

It's a ton of fun, even though it's a lot of work. I am working on a full website, but that is a while out yet in being finished. And even then the gallery part will take me a while to set up. I also bought jackieclemonds.com, so that points to my site as well.

I am set for a meeting at the end of the month with a photographer to discuss creating albums for his wedding clients, and I have another photographer who I am designing collages and marketing materials for (she took our engagement shots, and the senior pics I've been putting collages together of).

Nigel and I are headed to Maui tomorrow for some long overdue downtime, for 9 days. There's a hurricane headed for Hawaii, too, though right now it looks like that will hit only the Big Island, and not Maui. But we may see some extra wind and showers for a few days as it moves out of the area. Our first trip to Hawaii, to Kauai for our honeymoon, brought our first experience of an earthquake (and we've felt a few since - after all, we live in San Francisco!) I think we may need to think of a different spot to escape to next time...

I've heard a lot of the country is experiencing very hot and humid weather lately. Well, we live in a desert climate and it's unseasonably cool here (like 70s and 80s vs. 100s). And the days have been gorgeous in the East Bay. I feel so blessed to live here!

We also bought our tickets for MN for Christmas. We are flying in the evening of the 21st and heading back to CA on the 26th. Hopefully I will get to see some of my Twin Cities friends while I'm home!!

I'll post again after our trip to Hawaii with some pics. Hopefully we'll get some sunny days.