friends.

seriously? how is it possible that i could have such incredible people in my life? i am so blessed. i just spent the past few days with my friends Stephanie & Doug and as I was driving home last night after a late night of playing Catan, I found myself reflecting on the profound power of family and friendship. i met Stephanie & Doug five or so years ago through the USC Campus Crusades group that used to come up to our church for their winter retreat and we have kept in touch over the years. Stephanie's family comes up to Mammoth every year for a ski/snowboard trip and this year i got to hang out with them and meet her fantastic family. I was so blessed by the moments I got to spend with them and delighted to have gotten to know such an awesome clan. i was encouraged by the unity, love, hope, and joy that radiated from them. and i found myself feeling as though they were family to me although our time together had been so short. so i got to thinking about why i felt that way. and i realized it is because of two things. one: they are inviting, welcoming and warm people that make you feel loved and valued right when you meet them. two: they ARE family in a Biblical sense. we are united together through the bonds of Christ. and we are called into relationship with each other. this is a profound aspect of kingdom dynamics that has left me with this overwhelming sense of belonging.

needless to say, i had a blast in the last few days and am so grateful for Stephanie & Doug, and the Beylik family :). and i love when friends come and play with me in the Eastern Sierra.

p.s. i reluctantly did not take a single photo of us. oh the shame. i must have been to busy playing. but seriously, what was i thinkin'?

'mobiling.

few things compare to first tracks in fresh powder. whether it be made with a snowboard, ski, snowmobile or sled, one can't help but experience that divine feeling of elation. you simply float atop the powder of white and there is no where else in the world you would rather be. and you get that feeling of achievement that comes with having been the first and the one and only person to get that patch of pristine pow' all to yourself. it is simply one of life's greatest pleasures. mmm-hmm.

and lucky for me, i got to experience first tracks yesterday on my 'mobile. ah, it was awesome. the fam and i headed out to our favorite spot to play in the Christmas snow. we played for hours and i just had to bring the cam along knowing that the conditions were perfect for 'mobiling shots...blue skies, fresh-dry powder, and great backlighting. we found a wide open meadow, and i pulled out the cam and post-holed it out into the freshies. i wanted the shot so i told my dad to get as close as he could without, um, killing me. well, let's just say he got quite close and did not hit me. and i got the shot. love it when that happens. check 'em out...

white christmas.

i dreamt of a white christmas. and what do you know, i got one. yes please. there is something so sweet about a snowy christmas. it is the best. to wake up in the morning and see a blanket of white. it definitely elicits feelings of holiday joy and cheer. add in some cinnimon rolls and orange juice in there, and you got yourself a shipley christmas. we generally lounge around the house in our pj's and watch christmas movies and play with our toys. one year we played with our new ping pong table in the den for hours and hours. so many wonderful mem-ories.

lydia and i went out and romped around in the new snow. she is adorable. and was almost fully submerged in the sea of white. haha. and we have watched our share of cheezy, yet addictive lifetime movies. what a delightful day.

i hope that you are enjoying your christmas moments with your family and friends. and that you find yourselves mindful of the blessing of Christ's birth. we have much to be grateful for this holiday season and i encourage you to remember what matters most in life. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

sugar cookies.

my mama's sugar cookies are like no other. perfectly sweet and delicious. they are so worthy of consumption that she makes them two or three times a year: valentine's day (hearts of course. but really big ones. the size of a dinner plate), thanksgiving (leaves) and christmas (snowmen, christmas tress, candy cane, etc). mmm-hmm. i love them. and my mama's peanut butter bars, muddy buddy mix, and everything bars. some other holiday favorites: granma shipley's peanut brittle. auntie rhonda's fudge (no nuts). grandma bonnie's english toffee. and sister's "poopalitos" (coco puff and chocolate thingers). while various friends bring plates of goodies, to be honest, nothing really compares to the artistry of the shipley, banta, and flory women. nope. sorry folks.

the catch with the sugar cookies is that my sister and i have to frost them. and since my sister did that thing where she moved out and got married, it is all on me. so i coerced my Cuz to help me out this time around. ma was jealous and had to join in the fun. and then of course, ma assaulted me with frosting again whilst i was taking photos of the festivities. rude. and then the three of us got into a wild frosting war. i won. as always. hehe. and i managed to get some action shots of the war.

night of lights.

it was an annual affair during my childhood. hot apple cider. santa claus. ice castle. snowmobile and dog-sled rides. christmas carols. candy cans. laser shows. fireworks. it was all this combined that made what Mammoth Mountain calls the Night of Lights a fond collection of memories for the years bygone. after a nearly ten year hiatus, the celebration is back better than ever. although, it made a come back a few years ago, i never got to go because it was during finals. so last night was my first year back. and as i was when i was a child, i was giddy about it. (if you haven't notices, giddy is my new favorite word/feeling). and i got to bring my camera along which always makes things even more fun. i got to roll my Aunt VIP status. ah i love hanging out with her. plus, i got some cool shots. i am stoked. it was a tough event to photograph with the whole darkness and firework thang going on. but i worked with what i had, and captured the vibe and people up at Canyon Lodge. woo hoo.