Lucky Penny from Kalynn Petersen on Vimeo.

For the past few days, I've been down in St. George watching my nieces and nephews. I love these kids, but man, they can be challenging! Haha.

Today was a crazy one. First, the car battery died. Second, I somehow locked myself out of the house with my one year old niece and four year old nephew, right when it was supposed to be the baby's nap time, smack dab in the heat of the St. George day. It was so stressful! I had no idea what to do. I was so glad I had that four year old with me though. It's funny how just yesterday he got so worked up about me putting his bread in the "wrong" toaster slot, that he threw a tantrum and started bawling and throwing things, yet while we were locked out of the house and sweaty and exhausted, he kept smiling and saying, "I'm sure we'll find a way in!" Which we did. Isn't it funny how differently children and adults think? I'm over here like, "IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH SLOT YOUR BREAD GOES IN." And he's probably wondering why I'm stressing so much about being locked out for a bit.

After that, though, we needed to turn our day around. So we went to ride the carousel downtown, and I stashed some lucky pennies--heads up-- for the kids to find. It's National Lucky Penny Day, after all! We made wishes on our lucky pennies, threw them in a penny fountain, and then left some lucky pennies for others to find.

It's days like today that make you think about how lucky you really are though. I'm lucky to have friends who would stop by to help jump the car. I'm lucky to be able to hang out with my nieces and nephews for a week and a half. I'm lucky to be able to call my mom whenever I need an adult to talk to.

Guess I'll be able to fall asleep tonight counting my lucky pennies.

Self-Image

I'm 100% a sunshine kind of girl, but these last couple of days have been perfectly rainy. 
I just love what rain does to the colors of the world.

You wanna know what crazy thing I did last week? I quit my day-job. (Insert hands-to-cheeks-with-mouth-open-wide/the classic face of Kevin from Home Alone here.) Really, this is crazy!! If you know me at all, you know I've relied on a full time job for the past 5 years. And there's a lot that goes into the reasons why, but I'm taking it as a major opportunity. Over the past couple of years, I've been dabbling with videography, and I've just loved it. Ever since I shot my first wedding, I've had a small-but-steady flow of jobs come from it, but I've always, always wanted to do more with it. I always held a full time job and never really had the time/energy to put more into it, though, and lately that's been getting to me. Even while I was doing work that related, it wasn't the same as being able to take on projects that are my own. 

I thought leaving my last job would bring a lot of fear and anxiety, but you know what I've been thinking since I made this move? 
Why didn't I do this years ago??!

And I'll tell you why. I've never really been one to care what others think of me, but I never really thought much about what I thought of myself either. Does that make sense? It's what I titled this post. Self-image. You know, that internalized war you fight with yourself on a daily basis. The war of which the outcome determines how you act, how you treat others, and how you treat yourself. Isn't is ironic that the casualty is also the assailant? Yet we make the conscious effort to lose more often than we allow ourselves to win! I'm guilty of this. We all are. 

One thing I LOVE about the gospel is that we're constantly taught how we're perfectly imperfect. And one day I will truly come to realize the validity of that statement. And you should too.

You're beautiful if you let yourself be beautiful.
You're kind if you let yourself be kind.
You're creative if you let yourself be creative.
You're a great videographer if you let yourself be a great videographer.

You with me? Amiright??

Thursday, Third Day.

"Monday, one day,
Tuesday, two day,
Wednesday, what day?
Thursday, THIRD DAY!"
--Joey Tribbiani

In other words, I watch too much Friends. But then again, is there such thing as "too much" Friends? 

We're not gonna answer that...

Man, life's been crazy the last little bit. I feel like most of it is too personal to put on the ol' blog, but, in short, my dad has cancer. What started out as Melanoma skin cancer, has turned into a few tumors on one of his lungs, brain, and a few other places as well. 

This morning I escaped to the mountains to do some thinking about where my life is going, decisions I've made recently, and decisions I still need to make. 
Being in the mountains is always where I find peace.

Oh, how I wish I could carry the burdens of those who suffer. But I can't, and I'm so incredible sorry about that. 
Trust in the Savior. He's the only person who can. There really is no other way to get through this life.