Spring Break

This year I had the best Spring Break I've ever had. I was able to do so much.

My Baby...

When asked what brand of camera I want to upgrade to, the person asking looks at me with disappointment when they hear my answer. "My dream camera is a Nikon!" Most, actually all of my friends who are professional photographers have, use, and recommend Canons. One such photographer pushed for my reasoning behind wanting a Nikon. And this is what I said:

It's has little to do with quality, name brand, or price. For me, it is all physiological. It all started with my brother, Spencer, and his passion for photography. Spencer had a nice Nikon when I was a little kid. As my own passion for photography grew, so did my desire to test out his Nikon. He never let me touch that camera. And since he took it everywhere with him, I couldn't even sneak in his room and look at it while he was away at school. Years passed and not once had I held that camera. I never looked at a camera in the same way that I looked at a Nikon camera. My parents had noticed my ability to take good photos with the small, family snap-and-shoot camera we had at home. So they said they would pay half the price if I wanted to get my own camera. I didn't have the money for a Nikon, so I settled for a camera that looked similar to Spencer's Nikon....it was even black like his. A couple more years passed and I had fallen in love with my camera. I had brought that camera with me everywhere. That camera went through hell in my possession (sorry for my choice of word, but it is the closest word that comes to what it was like for my camera.) That camera has been dropped while hiking and rolled down the side of Montana and Wyoming's snow caped mountains. It's been on roller coasters, bike rides, snow boards, and more. Don't get the wrong idea, I loved that camera and took care if it like I would my own child...minus the rolling down a mountain part. It has been with me during the best times of my high school life: my first dance, championship lacrosse game, first trip to the Portland Saturday Market, sister's wedding, and even the midnight showing of Twilight. I never expected to get an upgrade anytime soon. But then I saw it on April 14 2009. The Nikon D5000. Ever since then I would dream of having this camera.

And that was my reason for wanting a Nikon.

Every weekend I would pass the Nikon station at Costco, and have to pull myself away from the cameras so I could go home.

Three weeks, straight, before Christmas I made sure to let my parents know just how much I NEEDED this camera. A line I would often use was "I will never progress in photography if I have the same camera the rest of my life. Do you want me to progress?" When I was feeling bold I would pull the What-Would-Jesus-Do line. I even gave a speech about the comparison that could be made between the boy in The Christmas Sweater novel and my need for this specific camera. ( Read The Christmas Sweater and you'll understand.)

It was two days before Christmas and I was sure I wasn't getting a Nikon D5000 anytime soon. Boy was I wrong!

On Christmas Eve my dad came in from the car and said "Lizzy, will you go get the rest of the groceries from the car?" I went out to the trunk and froze. I was in shock. If it wasn't for the light-headed feeling I wouldn't have remembered to breath. Lying in the back of the trunk was a box, in that box was my new baby.

I ran into the house screaming, and I sat on the kitchen floor hugging the box that held my long awaited treasure.

Thanks Mom and Dad!!!

My Jam Packed Schedule

As you all know by now, I'm going off to Montana for the summer. Before I leave I wanted to hang out with all of my friends. I jammed each of my friends into my schedule. So far I have gone to a 3D movie, made muffins, service project, movie night, bike ride, picked flowers, lunch, etc.This has been one of those weeks that I cant even remember what day it is.

The first thing I did was hang out with Katie, Mckinna, Ms. Arrigotti, Stephenie, and John. We all went to the movie UP, in 3D. Katie and I enjoyed the 3D glasses the most. We agreed to wear them to Liberty next year...that's not gonna happen cause I already lost mine.

I'd have to say, we look pretty spiffy.

That same night was my service project. I planned a service project for a group of my church friends. A ton of people showed up and the project was a success.

The next thing I did was cook with Sarah. I made spaghetti, french bread, and muffins. Sarah made Alfredo. I waited forever for the muffins to be done.

That is my Portland-Wanna-Be water bottle that I told you about earlier.

I waited a long time :D When the muffins were done Sarah and I had a movie night.

Yesterday I decided that I wanted to go on a bike ride. Sarah, Shayna, and I rode our bikes to both Jen and Kelly's houses. We picked flowers on the Intel Campos for Jen...I'm pretty sure this act was illegal, but so worth it.

In order for me to take these last two picture I had to ride backwards....yeah I know I'm a dare devil. I'm surprised karma didn't choose right then to make me hit a rock in the road.
This is how Sarah puts her bike away....you can imagine what her room looks like. Actually her room is really clean.

This afternoon my neighbor and friend, Chris, took me out to lunch. Her daughter, Makenzie, and I are very good friends. We went to Spaghetti Factory, and for dessert we went to Cold Stone.

I want to finish off my week by taking a trip down to the Portland Saturday Market....we'll see what happens.

Saturday Market

Ever since my the beginning of my Freshman year of high school I have been wanting to go to the Saturday Market. I never knew Downtown Portland had a Saturday Market till my English teacher told me. If you think about it its kind of sad. A person who just moved here from a different state knew about the Saturday Market and I, having lived here my whole life, never had a clue. Yeah, the sayings true, I learn something new everyday.

Anywho, I have been planning the perfect time to take a trip to the Saturday Market for a long time. When Mckinna got home from college, a short while ago, I told her just how much I wanted to go. Right away Mckinna ,being the adventurous person that she is, says "How about we hop on the MAX next Saturday?" Just then I got bubbly eyed and said "Really? We can just get on the MAX and go?, But the MAX is where all the Creepers are." Mckinna says "Oh quit being a baby, we're going next weekend."

All of last week I was looking at the calendar counting down the days till I got to go to the one place I had been dreaming of going to for so long. If you are a friend of mine on FaceBook, you probably would know just how excited I was to go by reading my 'Status Updates'. For example, here are a couple of my 'Status Updates' leading to Saturday..."Lizzy Fotheringham is TOO excited for Saturday....I might just pee my pants :-) To make it even more crazy, awesome I just had pancakes and eggs, booyeah!" "Lizzy Fotheringham tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow is only a day away!!!! Gah, i am tooooo excited for Saturday Market!!!!!" " Lizzy Fotheringham I am going to have the best day ever. To start it off I am going to make some pancakes. Saturday Market "Here I Come!".

As you can see I was very ready to go to the Portland. Okay so here's the fun part...pictures!