Snap shots on life--some of my favorite pictures and what I learn from them

You can't hide who you really are.

After all, notice the horns? Just kidding, Cory, but this is a funny picture. We were in the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden in Jerusalem when this picture was taken. Cory (a very good friend) was handing his wife Jenny (one of my most dear friends) an olive branch symbolizing peace. It wasn't until later when I looked at the picture on the computer did I notice Cory's horns. What an interesting coincidence that he would be standing right there in front of that bush just as the light from the sun came up and illuminated it. Oh, wait, there are no coincidences, right? :-) (Truthfully, Cory is a great person and a wonderful friend)

Happily Ever After Does Not Mean No Problems

On my wedding day I honesly, truly and completely believed that you got married and lived "happily ever after" and that meant no problems. Now I find that very funny--and very naive. I have learned life is always going to have challenges, so the trick is to find joy in your life in spite of them.

If we can just get outside [of ourselves], things will look much brighter.

These next two pictures are from my son's honeymoon. If you read my post on that you will know he and his wife were both sick the entire time. But one day they went outside and this is what they found. The scenery was beautiful--and because they were inside feeling sick mostof the time, they almost missed it. My daughter had a somewhat similar experience this past week. She was feeling very sad one day and didn't notice a group of boys from her ward trying to get her attention. One of them told her the next day they had seen her and waved but she didn't respond. She was so busy feeling sad, she never looked around, but had she seen them, they most certainly would have brightened her day. I think there are all sorts of good lessons in that one.







When light shines on the storms of our lives, even the storms can turn to gold.

This is a picture taken off our front porch during a rainstorm. It had been a dreary day, but then just a little before sunset the sun came out in the west and shone on the rain, turning everything to gold. I loved it!



It is okay to have fun, even if you look silly doing it.

I took this picture in Colorado at the condo where we were staying. I had to lie on the ground in a very odd and uncomfortable position to get it, embarrassing my children and causing fellow vacationers to stop and stare as they passed by. I am not a photographer by any means, and I know it could be less blurry, butI got a kick out of seeing people look at me funny while I was taking it and in the end I love the picture.


So there you are--several pictures that have either captured a lesson about life, made me laugh or are just fun to look at and remember. And all of them have added . . . .joy to my journey. Hopefully they can add some joy to your's as well.