Plan B (Nashville Part I)

Plan B is my reason for visiting Nashville TN.

There is a guy, his name is Pete Wilson. He is known as the "best pastor" in Nashville. Since he is the only pastor in Nashville that I know, I can't argue that rumor. He has a wife named Brandi. Brandi is known as the "best pastor wife" and since I have met her, I wouldn't doubt that she is the best pastors wife.

Both Pete and Brandi are two of the nicest people I have met.

Pete wrote a book 'Plan B' that is sold on Amazon. To help promote and give his readers a visual in what the book is about, he wanted a video promo of his book. Pete invited me out to play the visual role of that video.

When he emailed me, he asked me if I would be interested in helping make this video. He continued to explain that they couldn't pay me, but maybe I would pray about it and see if it was something I could give my time in and be a part of.

My first response to Pete via email was "No thank you, not interested."

That's all it said.

Can you imagine what his face or thoughts where reading that email? This guy doesn't know me at all. We have mutual friends in common in the pastor and pastor wives circle, but we have never personally met or been in communication prior to him stepping out and asking me to participate in this video.

I, of course, was totally kidding with him. I finally wrote the second email saying of course I would.

I didn't need to pray about it or think twice. I love giving my time to anything that involves my church or anything that is promoting Christianity and my God. I loved the idea about his book and thought it was a great thing to be apart of.

However, I did negotiate a little bit of a deal out of all of this for myself.

I guess you will just have to wait for that post.

Its fun stuff though so you will want to check back and see what I am talking about.

Well months went by since that conversation with Pete. This shoot wasn't supposed to take place until February of 2010. When all of the sudden during my busiest month of work and traveling with the modeling, Pete emails me to say that they really needed to shoot the video this month.

To make a long story short(er)....

After going back and forth a few text and emails, it appeared that it was not going to be possible for me to make my way out to Nashville due to conflicts in other commitments with work and travel.

However, God (being the master of all that he is) rearranged somethings in my schedule to make it possible. I am so thrilled that He did.

I made it to Nashville and was greeted by Pete at the airport. We stopped by Starbucks to kill a few minutes before heading over to the studio to begin filming. I don't drink coffee, but it was cold enough to enjoy a really hot cup of hot chocolate. Yum.

Soon after we headed to the studio to learn that the studios heater was not working, and it was like 20 degrees outside. Okay-okay, it was more in the 60's I guess, but for us Floridans that feels like below zero.

We begin filming while taking a few breaks in between to warm up by the oven in the kitchen.

No lie!

But we managed to get the video finished with (real) tears and (real) laughter along the way.

I can't wait to see the final product and read the book, Plan B.

In other news: Serious.Life Magazine & Me!

Misty's Article
Misty's Photo Gallery

Most of you have heard of Serious.Life Magazine. Its pretty popular among all the bloggers out there.

I am so excited to say that I was personally invited by Brent Riggs, the owner and author of the magazine. We have become blogging friends over the last few months and he made me feel special by inviting me to write an article about digital photography.

This issue is all about digital photography. This magazine features some big time bloggers, and some professional photographers and as well as amateur photographers such as myself. Brent wanted to give digital photography advice to all his readers, no matter the skill level in which you are at.

What a brilliant idea.

I have a special article inside the magazine plus a small photo gallery to view. Please take a peek and see all the fun photography tips everyone is sharing in the magazine. Once you read this issue on digital photography you will be more motivated to go out and photograph some magical memories of your loved ones over this special Christmas holiday.

Enjoy!!

Go to:

Magazine Here

christmas (came) early

He leaves this afternoon and heads to Cape Cod tomorrow with dad, so we thought we would let him do Christmas with us a little early.

Our family tradition that has come from Mark's childhood family tradition, is to read from the book of Luke on Christmas morning, about the birth of Jesus. The last few years we have let Hunter be the one to read the story from the bible and he will until his sister is old enough to rotate and read with him.

{Hunter reading to us the birth of Jesus}

This year Hunter requested a 'big boy' bible of his own. The one he has is for 'little boys' and so with the gift money from Nana Jan and Papa Mark Baniewicz, Mark was able to find this fabulous boys bible. If you have young boys, this is a must have boy bible. I absolutely love it.

For each book of the bible, it tells you who are the authors of writing that book and the purpose of that book in the bible. It really breaks things down for them to understand things, but its cool enough and laid out in an adult fashion that they are getting a very "grown up" book.

{His new boys bible}

{can be found on Amazon}

Then after unwrapping many 'Red Sox" things like a beanie cap, beach towel, backpack.....

He opened up his BIG Christmas gift of the year.

An autographed travel jersey that was actually worn during season of 2009 by Red Sox pitcher, Clay Buchholz.

{The actual jersey worn by Clay here....}

{...is now being worn by my 9-year-old son!!!}

Think he is happy?

My good friend and old roommate and her now husband, Clay Buchholz, went over and beyond to make this such a special Red Sox Christmas for this little guy. Lindsay lived with us when Hunter was about two-years-old. Just a little guy.

The message from Clay says:

Hunter,

This is a game-used jersey!

Thanks for being the biggest Sox fan!

Best Wishes!

Clay Buchholz #61

Remember this post and this post? See how fun it is during baseball season in our home?

{Morgan had to give it a twirl too!}

And to add a little more fun to it all. I put a lot of thought and heart into finding our families stockings. Did I want matching ones that looked all nice and pretty displayed for people to see? Or did I want to get stockings for each of our personalities that would be fun and make for great conversation pieces when people came into our home?

Exactly!!

I wanted something unique and something that you won't see in many homes!

A Red Sox and a Yankees Christmas stocking hanging side by side during the Christmas holidays!

By the way....

Clay and Lindsay are officially married as of November 14th, 2009. I was so bummed to miss the wedding, but it was a beautiful fairy-tale wedding for my girlfriend, Mrs. Lindsay Clubine Buchholz.

To see more photos, friend Lindsay on Facebook here. Also, Ill be posting all my Christmas photos on Facebook as well, so if you haven't already, come friend me here.

Dear Clay and Lindsay,

I can't put into words how thankful I am to the both of you for making this special Red Sox Christmas take place for (as Clay said it) the BIGGEST Red Sox fan!! He was so surprised and full of smiles while reading the message Clay wrote to him on the back. For you guys it was a special treat doing this for Hunter. For Hunter, it is something that he will be able to cherish and keep for the rest of his life..... even if you (Clay) get traded to some other team. To him (and a lot of us) you will always be a Red Sox player first.

Congratulations to you both again on your wedding. Thank you so much for a magical Christmas for a 9-year-old boy. Lindsay, you have gotten to watch him grow into this little man he is today. I can't wait to watch the same when you guys start growing a family of your own.

Merry Christmas to you guys.

And a Merry Christmas to all of YOU reading this here today.

God Bless!

so much holiday in this post

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It looks like Christmas in this post!

a little taste of Christmas in Florida

If we can't get Florida to feel like Christmas, we will just do our best to bring the Christmas feel to Florida.

You see, if you close all the blinds, turn on all the Christmas decorations in the home and listen to holiday music, while you fill the house with the smell of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies and the sound of laughter of children running around. You can forget about the 75 degree temperature and rain outside here on this island people call the 'State of Florida' and have a little taste of Christmas in Florida.

It isn't the midwest where you walk outside to 20 inches of snow. Temperatures so cold your car won't start and your mouth looks like its an oven with smoke rushing out of it every time its opened.

It really is hard to get that 'Christmas feeling' here in South Florida. Especially if you are from the midwest or any place where its cold this time of year, or you even have snow.

I guess for those that are born and raised here in Florida, it really is Christmas to them. Its what they know.

I know differently, and so for that it makes it hard to get in the Christmas groove around here.

But we do our best......

{Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal - No Bake Cookies}

{our decorations for our bread house}

{for me, it was my first bread house ever}

{the FINAL product}.... so pretty. Hunter did a fabulous job.

(photo taken with cell phone: below)

{waiting for the bread house to set before decorating it}