central oregon

Last month my family and I road-tripped down to Bend, Oregon and stayed for a few days to explore. This particular spot we went to, Fort Rock, was definitely my favorite. The entire surrounding desert used to be a lake thousands of years ago, and this massive crater was a small island in the middle. I believe it was formed by volcanic activity, and over years and years of the wind pushing the waves against it, one side of the crater eroded. Native Americans once lived in the caves and walked on the island shore; ten thousand year old artifacts have been unearthed since and can be viewed in a ghost town/museum down the road. Something about the incredible history and raw beauty of this place left me speechless and made me fall in love with Jesus just a little bit more.

Another notable memory from this trip - on the way out of the mountains we stopped by a birch grove in nearly the middle of nowhere to take photos. The trees were unreal, but the ground was a bit more swampy than we had anticipated. We snapped some photos and swatted prolific mosquitoes to little avail - the next day I discovered that I had collected a total of one hundred and one bug bites on my legs alone. Remind me to wear mosquito repellent next time.

x Elle

lately / vol. seven

✚ Listening

"Soon Soon" by Tom Rosenthal

Interstellar Soundtrack by Hans Zimmer (forever listening to this) 

"Gold" by James Vincent McMorrow

"Venus" by Sleeping At Last

 ✚ Reading

Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis: I've been meaning to read this book for a while now and so far it has not been disappointing in the least bit. The writing is incredibly enjoyable and the plot is captivating. Any fantasy book set in outer space written by Lewis is a must read. I'm also reading through The Wes Anderson Collection by Matt Zoller Seitz; Wes is a huge inspiration to me and it is absolutely incredible looking at his storyboard sketches, reading exclusive interviews, and just getting a peak into his magical creative world. Speaking of filmmaking, I'm also beginning to read Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez. hmmm seems like someone might be making a short film sometime soon doesn't it ... ;)

 ✚Watching 

Earlier this week I got stitches on my foot and have been stranded on the sofa, so naturally I seized the opportunity to guiltlessly binge watch a couple shows on netflix. The first of these being "Stranger Things" by the Duffer brothers; there has been a great deal of positive talk about this new show as of late and I do not regret indulging. Inspired by 70s/80s mystery movies (think "E.T.", "The Goonies", "Stand by Me", and "Super 8"), it thoroughly captivated me and all eight episodes were consumed within a twenty hour period. After finishing that show, I decided to give "Gilmore Girls" a try. This show came out the year I was born so I guess I'm a bit late to the party, but it has pleasantly surprised me and apparently I like it a lot since I'm already on episode fifteen and only began it two days ago. Oops. Another popular film I had never seen until recently is "Jaws"; I'm not sure why I hadn't previously watched it but it is now among my favorite films. The cinematography is just ridiculously perfect. One more film I just watched for the first time is "Hot Rod". If you're looking for a Napoleon Dynamite/Wes Anderson hybrid and some new movie quotes for your repertoire, this film is exactly what you're looking for.

Right around this time of year I start longing for Autumn - raindrops on my window, flaming leaves, reading by candlelight, and Bon Iver on repeat. Ah nothing inspires me quite like fall does. 

On the subject of seasons, this summer has been just lovely. It has not been too hot nor too cold - actually a nearly perfect medium. Last weekend I went to a four day summer camp by the lake with my church's youth group. We had dance parties at midnight (as one does), went on a canoeing adventure, swam in the middle of the lake, played lots of games, and worshipped Jesus loudly. Standing in a small chapel surrounded by people who are singing praises at the top of their lungs and practically dancing with joy feels like a little glimpse of heaven. Honestly, worship songs can never be too long.

How have you all been? How have you been spending your days?

x Elle

Lately

Listening to - 

"First Day Of My Life" • by Bright Eyes

"Cosmic Love" • by Florence + The Machine

"Leaves In The River" • by Sea Wolf

"White Daisy Passing" • by Rock Votolato

Enjoying - the sweet knowledge that Autumn is settling in soon! I have a stock of candles, socks, notebooks, and books all ready to welcome my favorite season.

Reading - Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. There is so much wisdom packed into such a small book that I find myself re-reading each paragraph and frantically repeating quotes from it. I love the way that C.S. Lewis presents Christianity in a logical and beautiful way -- it is a phenomenal read!

Loving - Scottish dancing! I recently began rehearsals for a 1940s Scottish Broadway musical, "Brigadoon", and it is already such great fun. There is a lot of dancing and a lot of singing and I'm loving every bit of it! My mom and I are helping with costumes again and I can hardly wait for it all to come together.

Summer somehow slipped through my fingers, but I look forward to the next few months as we head into the holidays. My little brother and I are already planning our Halloween costumes (we're thinking of being Sophie and Markl from Howl's Moving Castle) and I am seeing how long I can resist Christmas music for. ;) Also, I am working on loads of new holiday designs for my etsy shop, so be sure to stick around!

How are all of you doing? I'd love to hear.

Have a wonderful day!

Eunice Lake, WA

We totally pass as a 70s band, right?

Yesterday we went on an outstanding hike to Eunice Lake with our friend, Anna. It is by far my favorite hike to date - the lake and surrounding cliffs and forests provided endless adventures (and photos). Watch out for an adventure video coming soon!

God sure knew what He was doing when he created alpine lakes.

Summer '14 Video

The summer of 2014 was definitely a keeper. We visited eastern Washington, climbed lots of waterfalls, took a trip to the ocean, and spent endless days at the lake. I can only imagine what this coming summer holds!

Coffee With Abbey

This past Thursday my pen pal and dear blogging friend, Abbey, visited Seattle! I think it is safe to say that it was my very favorite day of the year so far. We met up for coffee near Pike Place and chatted and snapped far too many photos. The sun was shining and the sky was blue (way to go, Washington!). It was the best! Abbey is the sweetest and so hilarious (also she gives really super good hugs). People are just so great -- I love them.

Lately // volume 5

Listening to - The Moonrise Kingdom soundtrack (sighhh), "Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes, "Everything I Saw" by The Weather Station, "Flume" by Bon Iver, and "Never Going Back Again" by Fleetwood Mac

Enjoying - Rehearsals for another play! I haven't been in a play since last year so it is great to be back. I am currently rehearsing for "Once Upon a Mattress" (the Broadway musical) with my little brother. Musicals are by far my favorite even though the songs are constantly stuck in my head.

Reading - (or rather just finished reading) "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. I had to read it for school and wasn't looking forward to it at all, but I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it. Classic novels of childhood and growing up tend to enthrall me - by the end of the book I feel like I grew up with the characters. 

I hope that you all are doing well! What have you been up to?

p.s. Thank you to everyone who took my survey! Every response was so helpful - I plan on sharing the results soon.

mist on the wind

People have said that the older you get, the shorter the years feel. 2014 was the first year that I really experienced that - the sensation of time unraveling quickly; slipping through your fingers. I find myself torn between childhood and adulthood, grasping onto and dreaming of both. It is an ever-present reminder that our lives are like mist on the wind.

But if you look a little closer, they are full of moments - moments that gleam and glow; moments that seem to stretch on forever. The little moments that turn out to be the big ones. Time is so intricately woven; so lovingly woven. 

This past year was absolutely full of those perfect little moments. Every year is bound to come with it's own unique set of highs and lows, twists and turns, and overall change, but it all so perfectly follows God's flawless plan. In 2014, I dove deeper into my relationship with my Heavenly Father, adventured around my home state; I welcomed little ones into this world and I held my great grandmother's hand just days before she went to live with the Lord in heaven. I learned to love every season of life, even my least favorite; God opened the door for my family to move houses after over a year of praying; I practiced and pursued the things (and people) that I love, and collected so many memories that I'll hold dear forever. I think I'll always see this year through rose-colored glasses. It was the best yet.

I have a lengthy mental list of resolutions and goals, but a specific one I want to work on in the new year is finding those moments and living them. I want to live intentionally this year. I have an awful habit of letting some days slip away because of tiny little things that seem to make it imperfect; I tend to let the imperfections blot out the moments that matter. But in 2015, my ultimate goal is to not let a single day go to waste. There are adventures to be had, people to meet and to love, creations to create, and more love to be found every day from God.

Aside from that, I do have a small compilation of goals for the coming year:

                       1. Find something to be grateful for in every day

                       2. Spend time in God's word every day

                       3. Pursue writing and short film making (for real, no more slacking)

                       4. Cultivate a healthy lifestyle

                       5. Be merciful and learn to not expect perfection from anything or anyone, including myself

This year I learned lessons in life. I learned that life is short and long and beautiful all at once. I'm still learning and I think I'll never stop - life is a learning process.

Thank you all for following along on this journey and for caring about the little moments. It is my prayer that the Lord will bless you abundantly in the new year and reveal His unconditional love to you. I could write a novel reflecting on life, but I'll end it here with saying that I am beyond excited to see what 2015 holds, and all the years beyond!

God is so, so good through it all.

rejoice, rejoice

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

This year my immune system was a big bully and gave me an awful cold for Christmas. I am feeling in much better health now and it was a most wonderful holiday nonetheless! 

I received the microphone of my dreams (I chipped in to get everything I need for a recording setup), and it has been a blast recording with it. I may just have to share a music video in the future...

This season I have been seeing Christmas through new eyes. The story of Jesus' birth has never felt so real to me. Although it is a season of giving, I find it profitable to set aside a moment to truly receive the most wonderful gift. I can't get these words out of my mind: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel. It has a deep and true meaning - Rejoice, God is with us.

Christmas tree farm

Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. It is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus - our Saviour who set everything back in place and brought new life to the earth. What a splendid time, and what a reason to celebrate!
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First Snow

The first snow is always a delightful event. I looked out my window in the morning, and quite literally jumped out of bed and ran to wake up my brothers. Snow calls for two minute showers and tripping down the stairs in a hurry to get outside. ;)

Last night my mom and I drove to my grandpa's barn to pick up our bins of Christmas decorations. We also got my mom's old four foot tall dollhouse; I am beyond excited to renovate it!

Christmastime is just around the corner and I couldn't be more ready.

A day to give thanks

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you all enjoy this day with your family, friends, and food.

To celebrate this wonderful day to reflect on many blessings, I've compiled a short list of things that I am infinitely grateful for.

1 // The sky. 

I love it's many different colors and designs - I often find myself thinking that it is so beautiful it seems as if Jesus could return any minute.

2 // My family. 

God truly blessed me with a wonderful family. I am thankful for my parents and their love for God that they've shared with me, and I am thankful for my two brothers who double as my best friends.

3 // People in general.

Humans are really really wonderful. I am thankful for the lives that have intersected with mine and for the people who have inspired me, taught me, and loved me.

4 // Jesus.

I am never not amazed and grateful for Jesus. He died that I might live, he forgave my sins, and he is living and loving right now.

What are you thankful for?

Have a splendid Thanksgiving!

Lately

Listening to - The Fantastic Mr. Fox soundtrack, "For Emma" and "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver, and "San Francisco" by Foxygen 

Enjoying - Writing again! I have been meaning to get back to writing for a number of years, but have been so uninspired. I have a difficult time conjuring up ideas, but I recently went to a writing workshop at a library and was so inspired. There were plenty of gems and secrets about writing to learn; I can't stop referring back to the notes I took. As some of you may know, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is coming up in November. I wanted to do it last year, but never did, so I'm hoping that this year I will be more successful. Hopefully I will decided on an idea by next week. Have any of you ever done NaNoWriMo? What was the hardest part? I'm worried about juggling school and writing, but I can always do with a good time-management test.

Reading - The Book Thief, just finishing The Maze Runner series, and about to start the Harry Potter series

Loving - Early mornings. I woke up to the sound of pouring rain and a soft glow on my wall of a porch light across the street. It was six o' clock, and perfectly dark and silent (aside from the rain). I usually wake up at seven, but I loved the early morning so much that here I am again, writing a blog post at six am. Mornings are very wonderful things.

What have all of my wonderful readers been up to while I've taken an unplanned blog break? I moved houses and have been doing piles of homework. I forgot how exciting moving is - and how difficult unpacking can be. Can I confide in you to keep a secret? I'm still not completely unpacked...shh!

Halloween is coming up very soon - if you dress up, what are you planning for your costume? I had originally planned to be Felicity Fox from Fantastic Mr. Fox, but I couldn't find a dress anywhere or the right color of fur for a mask. So I am currently deciding between Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service and Suzy's raven costume from Moonrise Kingdom.

I hope that you all have a wonderful week and enjoy this most splendid season!

Change

In the last twenty-four hours I've undergone some exciting changes- firstly, I donated ten inches of hair to Locks of Love. I've been wanting to get a shoulder-length cut for a while now, and I finally decided to go ahead and do it. I really love it! It is wonderful to be able to wear my hair down without having to spend lots of time styling and fussing over it.

And secondly, I got my braces off! I've been counting down the days, and haven't been able to contain my excitement. My teeth feel so big and smooth and free; I haven't stopped smiling since I got them off this morning.

If you think I changed a lot since yesterday, just take a look at my post from back in February of 2013 when I first got my braces on! Looking back, I'm really glad that I've changed since then. Haha...yeah.

Life Update

Life is just too sweet right now. Every day I am constantly saying 'thank you' to God.

The most exciting reason is that we finally found a house after looking for over a year (and no, it is not the one in the picture above)! We are moving in next month and I am beyond excited. There is a very long to-do list that needs to be completed before the move, but I don't mind being busy. If I don't post for a little while, that is probably the reason.

I am also starting high school (ninth grade) in a couple weeks. I am really looking forward to it, I have lots of plans for my freshman year!

Evidently, things have been pretty exciting lately. I'm having trouble sleeping because I am just so happy! That's probably why I woke up so early and am sitting in my bed writing this at 6 AM.

Also, today might be my birthday. 

A Blustery Warm Summer Night

Yesterday was ninety degrees Fahrenheit and very muggy. By nine o' clock at night, it was still in the eighties. "A blustery, warm summer night" as Dad described it (actually, he was just telling me what to write about in my journal).

And then it began to rain, and lightning was flashing repeatedly as thunder roared. The moon glowed fiery orange as it hid behind a passing cumulonimbus cloud. Dad took Isaiah and Levi on a car ride while I stayed home to write with my mom.

When they got home, Levi was excited because he'd gotten to see a lightning bolt in detail for the first time. Apparently, it went something like this: "Oh my word! I just saw a lightning bolt! I'm so blessed!". Goodness, he is so adorable!

His new favorite superhero is Thor.

Spontaneous Adventures

 The forecast was 60 degrees and rainy all week, but Monday morning proved it to be wrong. I spent the morning singing/guitar playing while my dad did yardwork outside. In the afternoon, we decided to drive to Rattlesnake Lake for a picnic with the family before the weather faded. 

However, by the time we arrived, foreboding clouds were already rolling in and stealing the sunlight. We ate our lunch in the parking lot, then went down to the lake for a couple of minutes until it started drizzling.  

 

 

I tried to climb out onto the tree in the water, but it kept getting deeper and deeper and I ended up with soaked overall shorts. Fortunately, I brought an extra dress. To escape the rain, we went for a drive into a nearby town.

 Soon the sun was peeking out again. We parked our car on the side of the road and ventured over and under bridges, on trails, and through fields. Thus began our spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment adventure in the countryside.

You may want to grab a cup of tea, we took lots of photos.

 

My mom and I have lately become fascinated with buttercup fields, and always 'ooh' and 'aah' when we spot one, so we were very excited to find one that was completely open with a view of Mt. Si, a cool tree, and a field of cows across from it.

I hope you're tea isn't gone yet; we took even more photos here.

This is my new favorite picture; it is perfect! I used to think that the best pictures were taken just after sunset when it was shady, but this photo shoot during the magic hour shattered those beliefs. Sunsets/sunrises are just grand.

side note: no, I don't have that terrible of guitar-playing form, I was just struggling to hold it without a strap. ;)

It was a splendid day, despite the unpromising start. Sometimes spontaneous adventures turn out to be some of the best adventures.

I am so thankful that God made such a beautiful world for us to adventure in, and such wonderful people to do so with! It is such a satisfying blessing.

I hope that you have a wonderful week!

xo Rachelle