i like to blame it on the blue eyes

Dear Internet,
Alright... I admit it.

I have a problem with taking pictures in sunlight.

Seriously - gorgeous picture of Victoria. Who's the freak next to her, though?!

And it always seems that this... abnormality surfaces at the most inopportune times. Take, for instance, the day I'd want to look better than ever...

Classy.

Trust me, Internet, there are more where these came from - I just don't have time to search through all the various folders on our C: drive.

Even my senior pictures were a bit squinty. When Tom Smith got out that huge golden reflector thing (I'm sure I just made some photographer cringe with my terminology), it was downhill. Tom is a fantastic photographer - he just didn't know what he was up against.

I wish I could say that this is a recent development and, therefore, temporary. Unfortunately, my record would prove otherwise...

High school: Late junior year/early senior year. You know you can see the squint.

First day of junior year.

8th grade.

If I had earlier pictures of myself on the computer, I'd have more material. Just take my word on this one.

fun in the sun, pt. 3

When we last left off, our protagonists were enjoying the sunshine at Kelly Park on a glorious Thursday afternoon, drifting down a lazy river in inner tubes...

Afterward, we cleaned up, took some pictures, and then headed to downtown Disney.

Downtown Disney. Bannister Babes: brains, brawn & beauty.

You doubted the brawn aspect??

Friday - our last full day in Florida - started off a little less warm than usual, and slightly cloudy...

The boys got their surf on... sort of.

As the day wore on, the temperatures rose quickly & it was yet another delightful day at the beach!

That night, the boys surprised Victoria & me with a romantic little dinner on the beach.

I adore this picture.

Appropriately for our last night, there was a gorgeous sunset.

And this concludes our trip to Florida!

imprint: connect. impact. change.

More vacation pics will be coming, but first I wanted to mention something I'm really pumped about:

This is the new young adults group at our church... but it's more than a "young adult group". Our goal is to simply build relationships with other people in our community and provide people with outlets for helping others... sort of a ripple effect. Our aim is not to preach at people, but rather, to live alongside them and get to know them. Doug & I have been attending some meetings as part of the "brainstorming core" for the group. Along with our fellow brainstormers, we've been reading a really thought-provoking book called UnChristian. But this isn't a book report, so I'll let you click on the link & discover for yourself.

Our first project is working with a new development in Detroit called "Peaches & Greens". I've been looking for information online about this, but haven't really come across anything that I think is related. Basically, it's going to be a market for residents of Detroit to purchase fresh produce & healthy food at affordable prices. Our church has been taking volunteers to assist in the construction, and Imprint is going to tag-team those efforts.

Check out the website. Much of the fodder there was composed by yours truly.

Our first real meeting is this Friday. If you live in metro-Detroit and are reading this, stop by the website for directions & come for a good time!

fun in the sun, pt. 2

So, you go from chilly Michigan/New York to Florida - what's the first thing you do?

Duh.

You soak up the sun.

What do you do the following days?

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Still more to come later...

Be sure to check out Victoria's blog & Jeremy's too!

fun in the sun, pt. 1

We're back! Florida was nothing short of amazing. It was a perfect time of relaxation, fun, friendship, more relaxation, beach lounging, sunshine, excitement... and did I mention relaxation?! There are so many great pictures that I want to put up - I'll try to keep it brief! Be sure to check out Victoria's blog for more pics & tales.

Getting ready to take off!

The boys watching a movie...

Good morning - we're finally in Florida!

First stop - visiting Gram & Gramps. Love this pic of Gram & V.

After we set up our tents & campsite, we watched the sun set over the inlet.

More to come later!