12 Years!

This was on our first assignment at Frontier Ranch. 

Circa 2003. Two years married. 

We didn't have a blog back then, so I have no digital memories until we have two kids :)

Fast forward to 2007. 

Crooked Creek Ranch.

2008 at Windy Gap.

2009 at Crooked Creek.

Last time we were here at Frontier Ranch, 2010.

Another one, cause I love this picture on my anniversary. 

2011 when we went to France for our sabbatical instead of YL camp. 

Thank you very much. 

2012 at Crooked Creek Ranch. 

I am so blessed. We love our family and how Young Life helps us to reflect and celebrate our marriage, its growth, transformation and the depth of love that has occurred since we went from a me, to an us, to a Sloan family. 

I can't wait to see what pictures happen with our kids this month! 

Buncombe County YL

This year we are so glad to have brought with us some of our high school friends from Asheville to Frontier Ranch to do Work Crew! 

These high school students went through work crew training in January, applied for work crew and were accepted to come to Frontier Ranch. We have 12 other students that are going to YL camps nationwide but we are so lucky to see these friends work, play, love and grow in their faith this month. 

It is a huge honor to get to go on Work Crew and we are pumped to have them here. 

Pictured is (L-R) Luke Haynes, Camille Smargesse, me, Ellie Fuller and Alex Hudak. 

Luke and Alex attend Christ School and Camille and Ellie are rising seniors at TC Roberson. 

Luke is washing dishes (The Pits), Alex is in landscaping (ODC), Camille is in housekeeping (Tawashie) and Ellie is a laundry girl. 

Please pray for them! 

Travel Day Update

We made it ALL THE WAY OUT HERE to Buena Vista, CO. We started at 4am and arrived at 4pm CST. 

Here are a few tasty pics from the day: 

Loved snack time

In flight entertainment rocked our faces off. 

Matt and Asher looked like rock stars in the Denver airport. Guitar and cowboy hat. Hilarious. 

The kids sitting on top of ALL OUR LUGGAGE. Five checked pieces. Plus two carryons for everyone. Geez. 

A three hour bus drive through the wilds of Colorado. 

Arrival at last! We just found out that a leader on our Young Life team at TC Roberson hung this sign in 1993. Isn't that so cool?! So many pictures are taken under this sign every year!

Fake it till you make it. Not looking as fresh as yesterday. But alive and with full hearts. AND NO PUKE. It's a miracle!

Sweet Marshall

"I need to know my life,

as its meant to be..."

-Mumford and Sons

Marshall is senior and is reminds me about all that life had to offer.. 

She is ready to grab life by the horns and be the person she was meant to be. 

You already are. 

If you ever want to remember what is you were like in high school; hang out with a high school student.

Any of them. 

The promise of the future, their fresh faces, the hope that is within them. 

It sustains you, enlivens you and you literally want to breathe them in-they have SO MUCH LIFE in them. 

Look over these pictures again! 

Marshall is a girl that anyone would want to spend the afternoon with.

I can't wait to see what is next for her. 

Right Now

Meet Hunter.

Senior in High School.

Playing Football.

Dating the Homecoming Queen.

Life is good.
As it should be in the best years of your life.

I was so excited for this photo shoot.
It was literally the most beautiful weekend of the year. No lie.

I am officially open for business.
:)
Shoot me a message if you would like to schedule a session!

Kick Drum Heart

Saturday morning, I dropped off Amy Noll at the airport in Atlanta for her to go study abroad a year in Spain.

I have been in a bit of a rotten mood for the last few weeks in anticipation of this day and I realized that I had been working so hard at holding it together, not letting the emotion of her departure get to me that I have not been a lot of fun to be around.

The last 18 months with Amy have not been the easiest to walk through since her brother died and I have not been paying any attention to that. At least not until Amy walked through the doors of the Atlanta airport.

Then, I drove about an hour down the road and started crying.
I realized what a friend she has been.
What a leader in other's lives she has been.
And how different our lives will be without her around.

None of this will be easy.
It really was like dropping my child off at college.
I have been praying like crazy for her and am so hopeful for many many things that will come her way in the next year.
But there is this space. This space that she took up (quite often) in our lives that is empty and now I have to figure out what is next.

While I was driving and feeling sorry for myself, I started listening to an NPR podcast called "All Songs Considered" and they asked the question: What Songs Make You Feel Good?
This was answered by their listeners and they had to explain why the particular song made them feel good, put a smile on their face or changed their mood.

It got me rolling again.
And thinking about my own songs. So here we go:

Ooh La La: by The Faces

This is super early Rod Stewart. Which means nothing, except it is crazy to hear his voice. I love this song because I think the lament fits at every stage of life "I wish I knew what I know now, when I was younger." "You have to learn and that's all there is to say..."

Vineyard: Jackopierce

Vineyard by JACKOPIERCE
Click on the button to go hear the song. This makes me think of college and I can't help but smile every single time I hear this song. It is actually impossible for me to 1) skip this song and 2) not sing it at the top of my lungs

Fat Bottomed Girl: Queen

Sue me. It gets me. I am hammering my steering wheel or pounding out the miles to the song on my ipod. I can't help it. I LOVE THIS SONG. Hard. I have since I can't remember when.

Dog Days Are Over: Florence and the Machine

This was part of the show I was listening to and it really has been one of my favorite songs for a year or so.
I love the idea that the Dog Days are Over. And there is no time to look back. It is so biblical in that approach to embrace today and not at the sadness that was. It is my wish for Amy Noll and my own wish for myself.
It strikes a nerve. And it has a killer drum beat.

Speaking of drum beat:

Kick Drum Heart: Avett Brothers


This explanation might sound dramatic, but whatever. Coming off of Matt's sabbatical, I know that we have been called to this ministry and to being in relationships with people-whatever form that might take. What happens in the middle of that sometimes is you end up getting kicked emotionally, but sometimes you find gold among the rocks. And I love the line where he says "it's not the chase I love, it's me following you." That is how I feel about this calling to people. I don't love chasing people for Jesus. I love following Jesus as he leads me and Matt and other Young Life leaders to hurting people to share with them how Jesus fits into their hurt and leads them to wholeness.

My life is like a kick drum. My heart gets so excited that it about pops out of my chest. But also, it hurts because sometimes it ends up getting kicked.

It is the give and take. And when you have to say good-bye to someone you love for either good or bad reasons, you take it . And the hurt has to be nursed for a little while. Not too long, but long enough to want to be healed.

So, I'm hurting. How could I not? Look at all of this life we've had with Amy:

And I'm excited.

There is a lot coming up for this little heart of mine.