It's been way too long since I wrote on here.  

I really miss it, I love going back and reading my old posts, but I lack the discipline to routinely sit down and put my thoughts into this template.  My subconscious perfectionism wins out.  It tells me "it's going to take too long to create something that is perfect, and, Mackenzie, you don't want to put anything out there that is less than perfect."  Then there's the other voice that says, "who wants to read anything you have to say?  Putting in the effort to write down your thoughts is done in vain."  Well, I know how much I enjoy reading my past posts, how they take me back to Italy, back to weddings and to families I photographed.  I tell myself I want to remember the struggles, the triumphs, the people and experiences from my past.  So, here we are.  

We have been in San Diego for almost five weeks.  It hasn't been the easiest transition, but it hasn't been the hardest.  Tomorrow, I get to reunite with a group of friends from Italy.  Last night, I sat down for dinner at a table of women who I have never met before in my life and they commented on how brave I was to step out so soon after arriving.  And I responded with "if I don't step out now, chances are I won't down the line."  I didn't see it as brave though.  It wasn't the first time I walked into a room of women, not knowing a soul.  The first time I did that, I met some of the finest women I've ever met who were all in the same boat as I and were prepared help each other through.  How can I not step out every time after that experience?  God provided beautiful relationships for me then, and He'll continue to do so now. 

We had an amazing time traveling across the country with my sister; I look back and can't even believe we did that.  It was incredible though.  We listened to books on tape and lots of 80's pop radio when we weren't playing aggressive games of Cows on My Side or reading Harry Potter is our best ugly British accents - think the woman from Princess Bride who tells everyone to "Bow down to Queen Buttercup, the queen of filth, the queen of rot!"  The girls were laughing pretty hard in the van, while the boys were riding in the Jeep listening to some audiobook on combat.  It was pretty great.  We saw a ton though, I do hope to get it down on here and share the pictures of our adventure...praying for the discipline to do it.  I'll keep this one short, my time's up and I have a second coat of paint to put on my coffee table. 

Here's a few pictures....   Before driving across, we stopped in Newport, RI, to visit friends. They played hard...clearly rest was needed. Gotta do the O-H-I-O wherever we see it. (Yes, I think being forced to do such things brings Emma great pain.)
Crazy Horse is going to be quite a sight when it's done. Jolene and I both told Emma she had to swear she would visit it when it was completed, she agreed. Prismatic Basin at Yellowstone. Emma loved it. She pretty much took off and left everyone in the dust so she could just see it at her own pace. My guys. Taking in sights and smells of Yellowstone. The prismatic geyser basin was awesome. So many colors. It was gorgeous. Yellowstone Lake Riverwalk at Zion.