The Daily to do list for now: http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/12/free-daily-planner-new-habits-free-daily-planner-printable/

The Workout: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/01/02/day-1-of-our-30-day-challenge-fit-test/

Happy Bethany!

Jan 23: The managers talked with us about the future of our jobs.

Jan 24: Dan fasted and we fought. He had decided to move to Maine and then prayed and found peace with staying here. We celebrated over dinner.

Jan 25: Lazy day @ home. Dan talked to the managers.

Jan 26: Morning @ the grocery store and picked up Flameing June at the frame shop

Jan 27: Celebrates Marks birthday at work but it wasnt actually his birthday. Zach and Jody on creative live.

Jan 28: Zach and Jody on Creative live again. Watched it again.

Jan 16: Tyler called me. I got drunk.

Jan 17: Day on the couch. Im attempting to make the right phone calls and decisions about Tracy.

Jan 18: Went to Maine with Sam and laughed a lot in the evening. I keep thinking about Tracy.

Jan 19: I came home from work. Today was the public announcement.

Jan 20: Funeral. I didn’t go of course.

Jan 21: SNOW! Around 3-4 inches fell.

We wont move until March but we are looking for a 2 bedroom apartment so you can start planning your visit!

I guess things are moving right along aren’t they? Dan and I were contemplating our next few months and wanted to make sure we set ourselves up for the best possible situation for our future goals. We thought about all the places we could go, and we thought about staying here in the triangle. As we were undecided, Dan was asked to take on more hours at his job here. When he thought about the prospect of doing that, somthing clicked. “No more office work,” was all he could think about. Why stay here in a job that doesnt stir his soul, live in a pretty apartment and watch Survivor on the computer at night? We could be somewhere else doing something we love.  Makes total sense. We realized that if we could get jobs at the beach, and live RENT FREE in the trailer by the sea, (think Matthew McConaughey) our lives would be greatly improved!

The conversation went something like this:

B: We should sign the lease if were going too. It ends on June 16.

D: Sigh. Are you sure? Maybe we could move to the beach.

B: Im sure we could live in the trailer. Can you work for Joe again?

D: I call him. Do you want to move there? You sure?

B: Sure. Call him. Call you mom and nana too. Im all for it! Lets go!

D: Alright then!

And so we decided to move to the beach a few days ago. We will be moved in and settled no later than June 16th! Come visit if you want. Theres room and itll be awesome!

Kitty Hawk and the OBX, here we come.

Ever since we finally got all settled in our apt here in the triangle, we have been feverishly making plans for the future. We just cant be settled yet. I guess we are simply planners and goal setters. Conversation after conversation led us to the conclusion that we would go for opening up our own business in January.

drum roll please

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY!!!

That gives us 7 months to get on the ball. We have to decide where we want to launch this bad boy, where we want to live, a name for the business, logo, personality, branding, and everything else that goes along with it. I want to do this right, straight out of the starting line.

To prepare, i have been interning under the phenomenal Tracy Turpen. Her work is banana’s, as you will surely discover if you hit up her website and/or blog. No really. She will blow your socks off. I have already been to 3 weddings in this position and I am LOVING it. There is just something about a bride. I dont know what it is yet, but i have been teary eyed at each one so far. It’s hard to describe how blessed i feel to be working with her. I have been a huge fan of hers for at least 2 years now. Dan and I talked about how ridiculously perfect it would be if i could only learn from her. We dreamed about it the whole kayak trip even though she never announced the possibility of having an intern. It felt like fate when she made the announcement 2 weeks before we landed in Key West. Applying for it was my only motive when we got home. . and, like a gift from God, i got it! It’s a lot of work but it’s going to be so worth it. It already is. We’re going to rock this!

Suggestions for names for the photography business are gladly accepted. Dan and I are really excited.. obviously.

Ideas as of right now include: d&b, d&b imagery, daniel rose photography, in cahoots photography (with an owl as the logo), daniel gray photography, bethany gray photography… and so on.

I love you very much.

YOU ROCK!

and by the way… you WILL BE what you painted on this building in Canada:

in the old north church

Originally uploaded by bpmuzik

Our apartment is almost completely packed up. Our kayaking gear is almost completely packed up. We are almost completely ready to go.

Today is our last sunday at Missio Dei. Our pastor is back from Ethiopia with his 2 new kids he adopted there. Today is their first sunday. I like that. Im so glad that we get to meet them before we leave. The facebook photos of them are crushingly adorable. God Bless them and their new family of… 8!

Ive been SUPER emotional these past few days. I know that I am getting very very overwhelmed. Theres so much to this. First and foremost of course is the anxiety of the trip, of which i am almost completely exhausted of laboring about that i wont do it here. Other than that, we are moving, becoming “homeless again” and most challenging of all… leaving friends. I just need to get going with this thing and stop thinking about it. I really had a hard time here in Maine but I will miss it. It’s a weird thing.

Hope you are all doing well and good. I will leave you with this video I took in the Old North Church in Boston a few weeks ago. It’s music, a choir singing, and its beautiful. Close your eyes and listen… perhaps even worship the Lord who created this world filed with more beauty than you can possibly enjoy in one lifetime.

anyway…

Dan and I have really started to dig in with our trip planning. It’s beginning to take shape and i am really excited about heading out. I feel so much more confident about actually being able to complete this thing, now that we have Maine almost  completely done. We have sponsors. We have experience. We have places to stay. I think this will be awesome. We got a blackberry tonight in hopes that we can stay more in touch, as well as do research on the trip without having to get to a library. That should really make things a lot easier. I cant wait to go actually. WOOHOO for adventure.

Speaking of adventure, I decided on a new life slogan for myself. I am in love with the idea of going for it. I love it when people, abandoning good reason and logic, go for thier dreams. I believe that is how most epic and amazing feats began afterall. Edison, Newton, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, etc etc etc… thanks to “going for it” we’ve got a lot more in our own live to appreciate. It’s my personal mission to let people in on a little secret… that they actually can do that “thing” that they have always wanted to do. I know its hard when youve got bills and kids and jobs and habits and expectations and etc etc etc BUT… i believe that STILL wouldn’t prevent most dreams from happening. I mean really, cut the cable tv. live with one car.. or a bike for that matter, dont buy new stuff that you like but dont need, dont go out to eat, save, and make it happen. It all depends on how bad you want it and how much you love your current comforts. I wont put up with the excuse of not being able to not shop… because if you know me, you know that spending almost no money up here in maine has been a ridiculous challenge of nearly epic proportions. It has been worth it though. I know it has. I love what we are doing and I love that we are making it happen.

So the life slogan is, after much review and many drafts, “Make it happen.”

thoughts? complaints? excuses?