the holidays in instagram

whew, did anyone else feel like we just whipped through the holidays and were hurled right into the new year? december is just one big blur to me, but thankfully, my iphone was there to capture little moments that i might have otherwise forgotten. 

it was our first christmas together, and though not everything went like we had planned or maybe wanted it to, it was nevertheless magical. there is so much joy in decorating your home for the holidays together, walking around Naples & Torrance to see the christmas lights, snuggling in for endless holiday movies (i feel like i didn't watch enough and am tempted to keep watching them through January ;]), and listening to every christmas song at least a dozen times throughout the month. most of all, i was reminded of how deeply deeply blessed we are. even when things feel rough, we still have food to eat, time to be together, a roof over our heads, and family and friends we love. 

top left, clockwise: jen hatmaker is my jam. seriously, grab her books; my DIY christmas wreath!; i LOVED receiving so many holiday cards from my clients this year! it brightens my heart to see touch and feel these images; that one time my husband came home from work with this gorgeous bouquet in his hands (husband points, am i right?)

top right, clockwise: we might not have a backyard, but we have a backstep and a little greenway so hey, why not eat lunch outside on a sunny december day?!; wrapping up the semester with projects, finals, and coffee; we strung these lights in our bedroom for kicks, and i swear they are not coming down now - we love 'em!; my last day of BLAST - what a truly awesome experience! 

top right, clockwise: mornings are my favorite; a solo sunday at church; our best friends rachel & ryan came to visit after christmas and it was THE BEST. we adore those two and are so grateful for them; oh just jen, messing up my life again in ridiculously good ways.

top right, clockwise: driving home to visit the family for christmas; the american river and old town folsom gave us a beautiful afternoon date, where we also scouted out some apartments and places to move this fall - we're excited! 

top right, clockwise: we received some of the cutest ornaments for christmas! we can't wait to add them to our tree next year; strolling around Naples (one of our favorite holiday dates); strolling through folsom; we loved our christmas tree this year - that it was standing by the front window made it even better! 

that one time the common head cold visited our house for over a week. we have never eaten so much chicken noodle soup (home made, delish), watched as many episodes of LOST (addicting), or spent that much time on the couch before. needless to say, NYE was almost non-existent and new year's day was nothing but resting and staying home. but, nothing made me happier than having that guy by my side, no matter how congested and sneezy we were! 

top right, clockwise: mornings; headed out to date night in the midst of a nightmare work week - Travis was scheduled for almost 100 hours in 9 days straight, and has been working non-stop. it's been really rough and has taken away so much of his free time (literally, we wake up, he goes to work, he comes home, and we go to bed), but we made the most of this sunday night with a movie (GO SEE WALTER MITTY), pieology, and drinks (i've never ordered a drink at a bar before, so this was way fun to do together!); more gorgeous flowers that i picked out and T bought for me on our date night; BLACKFISH: watch this eye-opening documentary and think twice about enjoying Seaworld or any animal entertainment show. why are so foolish to try and tame God's powerful and intelligent creatures? heartbreaking and mindblowing.

 here's to a productive first week of the new year! 

xo. 

let's follow each other on instagram: @debbie_gilley

sweet family // holiday sessions

HOLIDAY FAMILY SESSIONS

'tis the season for family portraits and christmas cards, and you couldn't pick a better time to get a head start! spending time with your sweet families is one of the greatest joys. to all of you who allowed me to capture these moments for your families last year - thank you! 

here are the details for this year's holiday family sessions. e-mail debbie.gilley1@gmail.com for more information or to book. 

$150.00

45 minute session

25-30 images 

you will receive your processed and edited images on a disc, and you may then print/share them as you choose

September 7th (evening): Riley Wilderness Park, Trabuco Canyon

wide open spaces, rolling hills covered in golden grass, and beautiful oak trees

September 14th (evening): Jeffrey Open Space Trail, Irvine

paved walkways, natural-looking yet beautifully curated landscapes

September 21st (evening): Oak Canyon Nature Center, Anaheim Hills

shady oak trees, nature paths, and beautiful surrounding hills

October 12th (evening): Seal Beach Pier

October 19th (evening): Urban Location (TBD)

spaces are limited for each session. if there is more interest in one specific location, an additional day might be made available at that location. 

a $50 non-refundable deposit is required upon booking in order to retain your spot. the deposit will be credited toward the full amount of the session, and the remainder will be due at the time of your session. 

e-mail debbie.gilley1@gmail.com for more details or to book a session!

easter reflections

'salvation is here, salvation is here and it lives in me. salvation is here, 'cause you are alive and you live in me!'

it wasn't until recently that i realized easter is one of my favorite holidays - the most significant, powerful, and moving of celebrations. christmas is definitely one of my favorite holiday seasons, but easter, in and of itself, is truly life-changing. 

i am so thankful for the oneness we have in Christ, for His willingness to give up His life so that we could have life in Him, that we could be one with Him and the Father. that is powerful. He lives in us, and we live our life through Him, and if we always lived in that reality - how transformative would life be? 

i am thankful for redemption, for freedom, for peace, and for hope. i am overwhelmed by the selfless love Christ reflected toward us. a man who had done no wrong, who lived in constant communion with God...who then willingly suffered separation from God, laid the weight of our sin on His shoulders, endured torment and suffering, and intentionally laid Himself upon the cross for all mankind. 

then there was mourning, grief, silence. 

the promised King was defeated, crushed by death's blows. hope was lost. those who followed Him, lived with Him, honored Him as their Savior fled, hid, wept, and despaired. 

yet, when Satan delivered his final blow and it seemed death had won, then Jesus retaliated. in power, in mystery, in might. 'o death, where is your sting? o grave, where is your victory?' what an earth-shattering day. we serve a God who is alive, who lives in us, who gives us life. 

i love that God is a lover of fellowship and community. and i love the abounding joy that hums throughout the church on Easter morning. everyone is dressed in their best. greetings of, "He is risen!" echo throughout the halls. this day changed everything. 

today, Travis and i celebrated with each other and with those we love. it was a joy to see old friends at church, to have lunch with family, and enjoy an afternoon of rest. even this morning, while Travis was rehearsing for morning worship, i stole a few quiet moments at Starbucks. my heart was reflective and contemplative, moved by Jesus. i soaked in the stillness. relished in the peace. 

today was full of love, affection, and joy, and i love those days. i love that we have been given the ability to love, because God Himself is love. He cannot be anything but love. i love the simple joys of getting dressed up and walking to church with my husband to be, hand in hand, with overflowing hearts. i love extra time to make french toast and eat in the stillness of the morning. today is simply good. so good that i had to just write a blurb. even if it doesn't make sense, it will remind me of today's deep significance and all its simple pleasures. 

happy easter, friends. 

easter

this easter was one of my favorites - or maybe they just get better every year...the truth that Jesus conquered death is so triumphant, so powerful. and every year, i'm more overjoyed and more thankful.

our easter this year started bright and early at the sunrise service. it was the first time i'd been at a sunrise service, and i loved it! singing outside in the courtyard, coffee in hand, and watching the sunrise, was so refreshing and an absolute perfect start to the day.

after the service it was time to get ready for tempo, and it was also my first time singing with the worship team - oh man i was SO excited. T was the best and went on a starbucks run and took pictures and was so absolutely supportive. i got to sing with a dear friend of mine, and the whole morning was such a blast (minus the shaky knees and the nerves!). it was such an honor to lead the congregation in song and praise God for the most important celebration in Christianity.

and we matched! totally unplanned, totally perfect.

after church, T thought he was scheduled to work, which i was a little bit bummed about. but really, we had already had the best morning ever - him serving in the sunrise service, me serving in Tempo, both of us spending time with our friends and our Jesus - that i was absolutely content with how happy our Easter had already been. we snatched a quick lunch with Jamanda (after realizing that everything is closed on Easter Sunday - which i fully support, unless i'm the hungry person who wants lunch ;]). and we took lots & lots of pictures - duh.

all spiffed up for Easter!

my favorite, ever.

surprise of all surprises though, T didn't have to work after all and called me 2 hours after his "shift" started saying he was off! what an extra blessing! a quiet day in, getting things done, doing homework, making dinner, and eating chocolate chip cookies was the perfect ending to such a wonderful day...what a happy happy Easter!

lights lights lights!

in just about an hour, i'm heading to the airport (with a quick starbs detour with a dear friend), so before i leave, i'm trying to wrap up a few things - picture editing included!

this holiday season has been so wonderful, and one of my favorite traditions is looking at all the lights. the sleepy hollow neighborhood in torrance has some fantastic displays, and as T and i were strolling around, we heard carolers, watched neighbors gather together for parties, and saw a million happy kids gawking at all the lights. it was magical.

this is the first christmas i've ever shared with a boyfriend, and that just makes this season even better! there's something about the season that's just so romantic you know? whether it's snuggling in for a holiday movie, steaming mugs of tea or hot chocolate in hand, or walking around outside arm in arm all bundled up, it has just been so lovely. i can't wait for travis to come up north on christmas day and then we'll celebrate even more...in the freezing freezing cold amongst friends and family. i'm so ecstatic.

here are a few more snapshots from torrance - merry christmas friends! i hope you're enjoying this holiday season as much as i am :]

 

how cute are we?!

this house...i die!

fun fact: it costs an extra $200 in electrical to pay for this - but it's beautiful!

christmas lights!

last night T & i got to hang out with one of our dear couple friends to look at the lights in torrance.

the creativity of these people is absolutely amazing! we saw some of the most outrageous things, and some of the most beautiful houses too - could you afford to spend $200 extra on your electric bill? goodness gracious. there's nothing better than strolling around in the brisk quiet, so cold you can see your breath, holding hands with your love, and silently admiring every house.

playing around with manual focus

we can't wait to go back and see the rest of the lights!

thanksgiving

T kindly observed last night that i haven't blogged in quite a while - i know. it's been forever. believe me, it's not because life has been boring, but because there's been SO much happening that i just can't keep up!

first of all, happy december! have i told you lately how much i love the holidays? unfortunately, this sunny socal weather isn't really putting me in the christmas mood yet, but i'm crazy about christmas songs and carols, holiday drinks & red cups, decorating, going shopping, making gifts, and spreading christmas cheer. it's truly the most wonderful time of the year! this year i upgraded from dorm decor and got to decorate my first apartment ever. SO fun! and since i'm totally a coupon fan now, i saved tons on all my new decor. it's a win-win situation.

i can't believe thanksgiving was only a week ago too! this year was a little different, but definitely worth it. instead of flying home like i usually do, i spent thanksgiving here in long beach with T's family. mom-bonding over preparation, cooking, and decorating was so fun, and the end result was spectacular! the food was delicious (but i never eat enough ;]), the company was wonderful, and i have so much to be thankful for. going home alone at the end of the night was by far my least favorite part of the day. there's nothing festive about a quiet, empty apartment, but that's part of growing up right? i'm so excited to be going home for christmas though, and so excited that T gets to come up and spend a week traipsing around norcal with me and the family! woohoo!

since we celebrated thanksgiving on wednesday, that meant we both had all of thursday off, so in typically t & d fashion, we went on an adventure and went SNOWBOARDING together. so super fun - & a little painful. we got up early and spent the morning taking cheesy scenic pictures and strolling around the most adorable little christmas town. we ate fudge and drank a cappuccino and window shopped and just relaxed before we hit the slopes. it was a perfect escape.

so many other fabulous things have been happening lately...but for now, it's time to enjoy a work free and school free friday! have a happy weekend friends!