morning glory

i don't know what it is about mornings, but i love them. maybe it is the anticipation of a day yet to be lived, a page about to be written. no matter how bad the day before was, the morning promises a fresh start, a new beginning. if i'm up with the sun, i find a stillness and peace enveloping me. the yellow light glows and warms my skin as it bounces against my freckles. it feels as if the earth is coming to life. nobody seems to be in as much of a hurry to get to work as they are to get home and the drive is leisurely. i am drawn to worship as i respond to the peace around me. every day this week, i have been the first one in the office. i find myself reliving studio mornings, leaving the lights down and capitalizing on this most productive time for me...or surfing the internet a bit. i cringe as my co-worker arrives and disrupts my little moment with florescent lights in my face. at least until tomorrow's morning.

i leave for LA in 12 hours....i know, random. but one of my best friends and her husband are moving there and they recently asked me if i would help them drive down. i'm made for these kind of trips; talking, open road, spontaneous, adventure, unknown, and singing at the top of our lungs. tomorrow's our big driving day of 13 hours, 9 hours on friday, then a day at the grand canyon before we arrive in paved paradise sunday, only to fly home monday. quick trip...but how many times in your life do you get to help a friend begin her new life in LA? it is one of those live without regret moments. i hope you have one soon too.

persevering why?

per·se·ver·ance: n.
1. steady persistaence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness
2. persistent determination
3. contancy, dedication, endurance, purposfullness, stamina

through almost every trial we persevere. we endured through five years of studio critiques and are dedicated to causes that promote life. we fight for health despite sickness and endure hardships knowing we will be made stronger. if we don't persevere in struggles, we feel as if we've given up. we didn't have what it takes...we couldn't rise above.

i am not made to give up. i am a fighter. i would rather fight and be left with nothing than withdraw and surrender. i want to know that i did everything i could, gave everything i had, left knowing i had nothing left to offer. but it is with what motivation? do i fight because it is right and true, or because i am afraid to surrender? do i persevere because it is something greater than myself or am unyielding because it is for something think i want?

faith: n.
1. confident beilef in truth, value, trustworthiness of person, idea or thing
2. sincerity or honesty of intentions
3. belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence

stub·bornn: adj.
1. unreasonable, often peversely unyielding; bullheaded
2. firmly resolved or determined
3. characterized by perseverence
4. resolute adherence to your own ideas or desires

a fine line of divides the two

fond memories from seaton hall

i've been doing some sorting lately and felt selfish keeping these pictures all to myself...enjoy them knowing today is friday and that we'll always look back at memories from friends in seaton and smile!


one night, none of us wanted to work in studio-so we rolled up matt's clay into little, tiny balls all over his desk and ate his lime tostitos...needless to say, that didn't put howell in the best mood!
ron and dan infamous halloween parties began 2nd year as ernie & bert


joe was ready for california 2nd year! tessa and i helping bess shade her trees, oh bess.


not much work was done in pecar's studio by matt, grant, post and jon. a going away part for tiffany!


last night in putnam hall and brad, you know what i think of this picture...:)

p.s. i better get some comments on this post!

just be

this weekend, i went to kansas city. i went to see friends, buy furniture, to get away...but most of all, to drive. you see, in all of kansas, i have not found a better place to drive than between mile marker 104 and 119 on i-35. it's God's hidden treasure on the interstate between eldorado and emporia.

have you ever tried to take a picture of a moment that is so much bigger than you? every time you look at it afterwards, it hints at what you saw, but it could never begin to contain what you felt. that's how i feel on this drive. i can't really explain it to you so you will understand. it is my little piece of heaven in the prairie. there is no place where the sky feels as big, i feel as small; where the sky seems so blue and the grass seems so green. God is so real to me during these 15 miles, He is dwelling in the hills of the prairies.



every time i drive this stretch, i must have one thing, music. i turn my speakers up so loud i think the cars around me could hear it. most of the time it's songs that speak of the God bigger than me and the power and glory He radiates. i keep one hand on my steering wheel and the other out in worship. i'm not usually a person who lifts her hands in church, but there is always something so overwhelming to me in these moments on the road that i can't keep it down. it raises in worship.

because i'll never
hold a picture of the whole horizon in my view;
because i'll never, rip the night in two,
it make me wonder
who am i? who am i?
and great are You
great are You Lord.

i am always amazed when i look over at the drivers around me. do they see what they're missing? do they realize they are so focused on getting to where they are going, they are missing where they are? so consumed are they in their thoughts or life's worries that they are passing a chance to just be. i hope you don't miss it.

rite of passage

life is full of mile markers, things we use to catalog our lives. my parents fondly remember my first smile and my first memory was of pain as i fell from my crib. i remember carefully picking out my outfit for kindergarten and hearing the word sex for the first time, wondering why my teacher wouldn't let us talk about it. i stopped sucking my thumb immediately after i was made fun of on the bus by a high schooler and i remember when i broke 100 lb in fifth grade. the moment i accept Christ as my savior is forever engraved into my mind. i remember my first kiss and the awkwardness and purity it held with it. there was a moment when by the world's standards i was a woman, though i felt like anything but one. i graduated from high school and remember how scared i felt the first moment i was alone in the dorm room. i couldn't imagine myself being more nervous for my first studio critique and the confident relief i felt at the last one. life is full of rites of passage; things we must go through to move onto the next. i was so embarrassed when some of them occured, and so proud in others. it's easy to drift in life; mile markers keep us grounded and remind us of where we have been, direct us to where we should go.

today, i experienced one of these moments. i received my first business card with my own name on it. for so long, i have held these cards with the names of others. i have referenced their information and honored the position they held that they might be able to distribute them. but today, that became me. i know you all felt it; that twinge of jealousy when someone said, "here, let me give you my card," and you had nothing to offer them but the corner of your programing notes. or maybe you remember the moment you were handed a box of little treasures of your own. though it may have only been brief, something in you wanted to run around the block and give them to everyone you see. something in us wants to see our name in print. today, that moment was me. but rather than run around like a crazy, i went out and bought myself a new portfolio to carry them in and officially commemorated my passage into business womanhood. so if you ever want one...


our office is located in the old town part of wichita. i park in brick stalls and enjoy this communal gallery space on my way into our office.


from now on, you will find me at column 36. i know a messy desk is the sign of a creative mind...just give me some time; and yes, you do see MEEB on my shelf, but that doesn't mean i use it.

this road. ginny owens

a million miles away from anything familiar
a thousand places i would rather be
so i choke back the tears and try to find the bright side
though i find it hard to see beyond my suffering
in my heart i know Your plan is so much bigger
but this small part is all that i can see
and i believe You haven't left me here to wander
still i can't help but ponder where You're leading me

*and i ask why this road
*why this way and this load
*tell me how far i must go
*'til i see
*'til i know why this road

a million miles away from anythig familliar
what was it like to be so far from home
and though You came in love the world misunderstood You
there must have been some days when You felt so alone
but You endured 'cause there was joy before You
joy that came because You sacrificed
since You gave yourself just to spend forever with me
surely i can trust You'll lead me through my darkest times
*
from here i can not see why You'd choose this path for me
but i don't have to understand to believe that You know why
*

girl time part 1

now that i've figured this picture thing out, i'm going to take some time to update from this summer! to celebrate my graduation from college and my sister's graduation from high school, we headed off to new york city for siteseeing, shows, and of course, shopping! click on any of the pictures to see them bigger


the tassel is worth the hassel...or something like that; two cute sornson sisters (megan and amy) at our open house party


best quote of the week from amy..."jill, why is new york city so different from wichita?" "well," i replied, "there are a few more people." first stop, ground zero...wow. pictures can't describe it


looking up lady liberty's tunic and down brooklyn's bridge. i gotta be a little bit of a tourist


taking in new york culture at a broadway play. times square at night was awesome despite the rain


the guggenheim where architecture is art...or amy is art


before we left, amy had to get us around by the subway all by herself. she was thankful i didn't make her navigate us around china town; home of purses, watches, shoes, and fire escapes


okay...we did go see the rascal flatts at good morning america. i have to admit, i was a little excited to see someone "famous." we ended our trip with an afternoon in central park at john lennon's strawberry fields. imagine.

girl time part 2

rather than have one night of festivities, we took an entire week to celebrate the ending of holly's "bachelorette"hood in washington d.c., virginia beach, and north carolina!


bethany's nephew, cooper, had the undivided attention of 4 woman in bathing suites in virginia beach...lucky guy! the sun was so warm, but the water so cold. we couldn't sit on the sand and tan because we got too hot, but we couldn't sit in the water because we got too cold. we made the best of both worlds.


after virginia beach, we headed to the outer bank (thanks to mom and dad pittman!) we spent part of our evening watching the sunset just south of chesapeake bay; holly, the blushing bride


a day at the holocaust museum...especially appreciated after my trip to the concentration camps in poland. the museum did an amazing job of explaining such a horrible event. later that evening, we fixed dinner for our hosts, mom and dad pittman! and of course, took some wine off of their hands.

holly's wedding weekend

how lucky are all of you that i can't sleep tonight and i figured out how to finally publish pictures on this blog site. june 25th, my best friend was married. here's a few glimpses of the beautiful event!


the week long bachelorette party before the wedding in virginia beach, outter banks north carolina, and washington dc: who needs strippers with entertainment like us?


rehersal dinner: a girl could not ask for two better best friends


today's the day: holly and phil seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day


poor groomsmen, at least we bridesmaids could take advantage of the wind on this hot, june evening!


dancing the night away: me and my gorgeous sister

if you want me to

the pathway is broken
and the signs are unclear
and i don't know the reason why you brought me here
but just because You love me the way that You do
i will go through the valley
if You want me to

now i'm not who i was
when i took my first step
and i'm clinging to the promise
You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to You
i will go through the fire
if You want me to

it may not be the way i would have chosen
when You lead me through a world that's not my own
but You never said it would be easy
You only said i'll never go alone

so when the whole world turns against me
and i'm all by myself
and i can't hear You answer my cries for help
i'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
and i will go through the valley
if You want me to

-ginny owens

albert the bull

i spent the weekend at my grandparent's house in audubon, ia. i love being there...i don't know if it's the smell of the wood walls, the memories we've made or being surrounded by family. but whatever it is, i love it.


i wish i could say this is me in front of albert, but it is not.

audubon is a small town of about 1000 people; you know the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else and what they did last night? the town's claim to fame is albert the bull: the world's largest concrete bull. that's right, i said bull. he stands 30 feet tall, 15 feet from horn to horn and weighs 45 ton. He is built out of I-Beams, steel rods and concrete and named after Albert Kruse, the President of First State Bank in Audubon, who started Operation T-Bone in 1950. they say 20,000 people a year stop by to visit him, the biggest tourism draw to audubon...

we can't go anywhere without talking to people or my dad running into friends from high school. i think if they voted for the most popular man in town, my grandpa would be win. he grew up around here, on a farm. he and my grandma were married in the same church they attend today. his children went to the same high school as he did and now his grandchildren do as well.
my dad is one of four children; one lives in california, one in florida, and the youngest there in audubon. i hate what distance does to families. some of my cousins don't even know me and i get their names mixed up. they say a child's relationship to their grandparents is one of the third most important relationship in their lives growing up. i know i have missed out on something by not being very close to them. but i only ever seem to realize it when i'm here.

i rode my bike around town and visited the house my grandparents used to live in. i don't remember much about the inside at all except for the stash of crayons and coloring books next to the fireplace. it's the backyard that i remember the most. the back porch held an old bell which was mounted on the corner post. it was one of those big ones, made of solid steel. my brother and i would ring it at dinner time, bed time, to announce the beginning or our latest puppet show, or whenever we felt like it should be rung to aggravate my mother.

my grandfather had an apple and cherry orchard in the land behind the house. i think we touched the top branches of every single one, or at least my brother did. if we came at the right time of year, we would get to help harvest the fruits. we would lay out big tarps and shake the fruit from the branches. eric and i would climb up and get the stubborn ones while my grandpa used a ladder. i learned to tie the stem of a cherry in a knot beccause of all the cherries we would eat...a talent i am still proud of today. sometime we would be there to help make cider from the apples. i didn't so much like the cider, but i loved watching him crush the apples and see the juice flow from the mashed mess.

if we weren't climbing in the trees, we were playing super heroes. eric, i and our little cousin, ryan, would tie our blankets around our necks and jump from the retaining wall at the back of the yard. i don't remember who we were saving, or what we were fighting, but i know we always won. we used to make up songs together and so many plays depicting our battles. how i long for days like that again. nothing to worry about but sunburns and when the ice cream man was coming.

i feel like everything around me for the past five years has told me i need to leave, to get away from everything that is familiar and start over somewhere new if i want to make anything of myself. as appealing as that sometimes sounds, it's hard not to look around at all of the families rooted in this small town and wonder if maybe they have things more figured out. they may not have traveled the world or made their lives as successful architects, but the most important thing in their life is family and there are few things to distract them from that. life is slow here; laid back and relaxed. you don't lock your door at night and it's 30 minutes to the nearest walmart. i never thought of myself as a small town girl, but i kind of like it. actually, i really like it.

i am always happy when i am at my grandparent's. growing up, we didn't take beach trips to florida and disney world, or road trip it to the grand canyon; none of us wanted to go anywhere but grandma's. even with all i have seen now, all the places i have gone, all of the people i have met, i think being there is one of the best.

i just added one of those counter things to my site last thursday and was pleasantly surprised to see that people actually do visit it. thank you whoever you are.

working world

the real world is more than just a college myth; it really does exist. this week i became apart of it. or at least stepped into it. i can't really call living at home in the room i grew up in and eating my mom's cooking every night the "real world." but at least it's a start. why jump in quickly when you can ease your way in slowly?

i have spent the better part of this week as a nomad. although i have a workspace (i hate the word cubical), a drafting table and storage, i had no computer. how sad is it that as an architect, i can not do anything productive without one! for the past week, i have been roving between computers as people were out of the office or on vacation...i think i worked on 5 different machines total. it's hard to feel like you belong somewhere without your own "territory." dogs mark their space by peeing on it, humans claim it by filling it with their stuff. today i marked my territory. i put a bunch of books on my shelves that i was supposed to read in school. now they make me look smart as they look as if i reference them all the time. i have a lamp on my desk which has received comments from almost everyone here on it's first day out. you know something is good when architects like it. just one picture out for now. it's from danny's trip out to visit me in D.C. a few years ago. i think it's the only picture i would ever display of me in a swimsuit because i am only about a quarter of an inch tall. i like looking at that picture, half of it sand, the other half waves and sky; danny and i standing in the middle holding the two together. everyone has moments they would like to go on for forever; this is one of mine.

why do offices have to be so cold? i really don't understand. it's summer out and i am freezing. i think it takes an hour before my goose bumps go away after work. i might cave in and buy a heater...a heater...in july...ridiculous!

today marks the downhill of the year, two thousand five. happy beginning of the end.