We all met at an awesome local park since it was the first warm, sunny day in awhile.

Yup, that’s right, there’s a triceratops in the sand pit right near the play scape!

There were some super cute kiddos there.

See what I mean?

“Hmm…what’s in there?!”

A baby in a dinosaur egg!

What kid doesn’t love having permission to just play in the sand?!?

There may not be a beach for hundreds of miles, but beach toys were all in vogue at this park!

How cute is this brother and sister moment?

Can’t get enough of this cutie.

Such a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Thanks friends!

Last night we met friends at Famous Dave’s for some BBQ! It was amazing. Famous Dave’s is quite possibly one of my favorite restaurants EVER. Even better, they have an allergen menu, so I knew that I could order something without having to be nervous about being “glutened”.

Do you see this?! They have it organized so well that you know exactly which combination of foods are gluten free. A huge thank you to Famous Dave’s for being so considerate to those of us with food issues!

My other favorite for today is Flourless Chocolate Cake.

[found here]

Yes, that’s right, it’s National Chocolate Cake Day! I discovered this around 3:30pm and we have our community group at 5:30, so I hurried home and whipped up my first Flourless Chocolate Cake. I was a bit nervous, but it turned out great! The frosting didn’t work, but it was still super yummy.

I’m going to be honest: the cake was so good that I forgot to take a picture. I will be sure to make this again soon so I can post about it. I’m super behind on my GF recipies – I promise to get to it soon!!

…

I am thankful for you this week. Thank you for sending me thoughtful notes in the mail, random texts to say hi, and encouraging me to take lots of naps.

Thanks for sending me awesome videos like this.

You see, it’s actually been a pretty good week. The first good one in a long time. It’s been your friendship that has encouraged me to hang on.

Thanks for bringing me special gluten free snacks and giving me places to crash when I’m feeling horrible. Thanks for the shoulders to cry on and ears to hear my venting.

I feel like I’ve been venting a lot. Thanks for listening anyways.

Thanks for coming over for dinner and laughing. Thanks for encouraging me with scripture and keeping my focus on what is really important.

Thanks for tea dates, movie dates, and camera dates.

Just wanted to let you know how thankful I am. If you’re on of the friends I see around town, thanks for being near :)

Especially thankful this week for friends around the world who take time to keep in touch.

Your care for me has not gone unnoticed even if I have not expressly said thank you.

Thank you.

With love,

Your Friend

…

With school being chaos and my anxiety being so high, I haven’t had any sort of creative itch or inspiration. Aargh.

I am really looking forward to the end of the school year as an opportunity to get back to shooting on a regular basis. Until then, however, I’m working on expanding my equipment selection.

[found here]

I CAN’T WAIT(!!) to get this new little lens. My zoom lens has been amazing for hiking trips and other opportunities when the ability to zoom is indispensable. But the it’s difficult to get good lighting with without an external flash or other fancy equipment. My goal is to improve my portrait skills over the next few months so I can start doing portrait sessions!

[found here]

Another goal is to play around with night photography more. Living in Las Vegas provides me with some fun opportunities for night shooting, so I’m looking into getting a tripod and remote to get started! They’ll help reduce shake in the camera, which was the issue I had when I tried taking some night shots in Yosemite this summer.

Part of improving photography skills means looking at tons of other people’s photos. Today I found my favorite photographer ever! Shannon Holden Photography is based out of Atlanta and I can not take my eyes off her work.

I think what appeals to me most is her use of light. It’s a skill I really need to master and find most appealing in a photograph.

I’m so excited to start following her blog! If you want to check out her portfolio (why have you not checked this out yet?!) head over to her website.

Alright, I think I am sufficiently motivated. Clara – we’ve got places to be!

What would you blog about if you knew no one would ever read it?

I have always approached my posts as if they were only for me. Writing is a hugely soothing practice for me and helps me to make order out of the chaos in my head. That said, anything that gets posted online can be read by anyone, so the blog is definitely not a private platform.

Sometimes I struggle with not having a gaggle of followers for my blog. How is it that other people seem to get a (seemingly) overnight following?

Ultimately, I keep coming back to the fact that I started a blog for myself. I write to share my thoughts with friends and family that are far and near. I write for accountability and to see how God has worked in our lives over the years. I don’t need followers to achieve those goals.

I missed my 2 year “bloggiversary” this past December; I always laugh thinking about the events that inspired me to start Our Life In Four Bags. In my third semester of graduate school I was couch surfing (read the whole story here and find out what was in those four bags) and needed some type of outlet to work through the hardships we were facing.

My hopes for the blog are still foggy. I would like to continue to be honest and transparent about my struggles with anxiety as well as my frustrations in having Celiac disease. It would be fabulous to encourage others in similar situations through my writing, but if no one ever read I would still continue to write.

So, I guess if no one ever read this, I’d keep blogging anyways :)

What would you write about?

Currently loving…Once Upon A Time and Revenge. I do love a good mystery!
Currently reading…nothing much. School is robbing me of any type of mental capacity.
Currently waiting for…Keith to stop working 30 hour shifts on Sundays. I miss him.
Currently excited about…finally getting the apartment cleaned and the Christmas decorations put away.
Currently missing…being back East for the Super Bowl this year – Patriots versus Giants will be an epic battle!
Currently trying…to finally finish putting away the Christmas decorations; the tree is bare, but still standing!
Currently working at…being more honest about myself and my struggles.
Currently enjoying…Cake Boss. Yup, I think I’m obsessed; what can I say, it’s like watching home videos!!
Currently snacking on…Calm Tea with honey to encourage the head cold that has been threatening for a week now that it’s just not worth it.
Currently using…Boost protein shakes to add more protein to my diet. Learning to love Greek yogurt.
Currently wearing…cozy sweatpants and sweatshirts at every opportunity.

Currently planning…my next Clara the Camera related purchase.
Currently singing…”Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt Redman and “Desert Song” by Hillsong
Currently needing…a long nap and a big hug.
Currently learning…to trust God every inch along the way and not rehearse the future.
Currently listening to…what ever’s on the radio.
Currently wishing…it were easier to make big life changes.
Currently doing…way less blogging/journaling that I’d like.
Currently praying for…peace and contentment.
Currently dreaming of…a luxurious bed somewhere near an ocean or in the mountains where I can read and stare at the landscape all day!

I started with a 14in x 18in blank canvas and light grey spray paint since we’ve got white walls and I wanted some more color.

While the canvas was drying, I cut out several shapes using Valentine’s cookie cutters on red glitter paper and pink scrapbook paper with a slight sheen.

I laid out my shapes on the canvas and used spray adhesive to secure them in place.

Then it went to its new home on the shelves! I added some metal heart-shaped cookie cutters and it’s starting to look festive.

I’m not totally satisfied with the canvas – it needs a little something more. For now, though, it is a start towards decorating for the next month!

The catch is, mom lives 3000 miles and three time zones away. To overcome that hurdle, we agreed to both have a cup of tea at night and imagine we’re drinking it together.

Most of the week I’ve been enjoying Calm tea. It got me through college and grad school. It makes me so calm and happy.

Refresh tea also has some amazing relaxation properties. Mint tea has helped my anxiety to stay at bay. The best part about it is that it doesn’t need any milk or sugar!

And here is the crowning glory of my tea collection: Yorkshire Tea! When I lived in London I was introduced to this tea and immediately fell in love with it. It has an extremely rich flavor that cannot be found in any American-made tea. One of my English friends even ships me some when I run low, hence 240 bags! If you’re curious to taste the awesomeness, I’ll be sure to mail you some :)

“There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea.”

Bernard-Paul Heroux

…

I have not had anything that resembles a ponytail since we got married and Keith decided he liked short hair, so I chopped it all off. Now he says he prefers long hair – what gives?!

He says he likes change when it comes to my hair. I wonder what he’d do if I had a pink mohawk when he got home…

P.S. How cool is it that the end of my ponytail is magnified in my glasses?!

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:19

The last few weeks have been rough. I went off Zoloft at the end of November and now that it’s out of my system and school is back in session, I’m struggling.

Just like with my Celiac Disease, the time I have had without anxiety due to Zoloft has made anxiety without Zoloft magnified. Each day I deal with up to 38 teenagers bouncing off the walls – since large intimidating groups are one of my triggers, the school day can seem like an eternity.

I have been doing fairly well at managing anxiety and panic attacks. When I can, I get myself somewhere quiet where I can relax enough for my symptoms to recede. Otherwise I continue to remind myself that symptoms are temporary. Still, without Zoloft I feel out of control.

Please don’t think I’m dependent on Zoloft. It’s just that I have struggled my whole life with anxiety and panic symptoms and the 5 months I was on the medication were the most anxiety-free I have ever experienced! I would suspect most of my friends and family have no idea I struggle with anxiety. Through my 25 years on Earth I have learned to hide, ignore, and deny my anxiety problems. I have hidden my symptoms well, but never dealt with the underlying causes.

Zoloft seemed to be a solution, but due to other medical issues at the moment I had to go off of it.

So, I am hanging on to God’s promises as an anchor for my soul. How comforting to think that in the midst of anxiety, which seems to blow me with the wind, my soul is anchored firm.

What keeps you anchored?