A Second Chance...

I'm organizing if you will, the new office that I will be working at for who knows how long and I'm finding bits and pieces of my life that I completely forgot about. That is what happens when they are boxed up and sitting in the corner collecting dust. I found some photographs of a significant event in my life and it brought back a flood of memories.

Well 3 years ago this week is the anniversary of what I feel was my second chance at life. For those of you who do not know, I was involved in a very serious car accident that one of my closest friends, Jen Tipton and I walked away from with just a few scratches. The mechanics that stored our vehicle after the crash met us the following day and they could not believe we were even alive. After the car lost control, we swept into the next lane of freeway traffic and were situated perpendicular in the path of an oncoming semi truck that by the grace of God barely hit us (we think slightly hit the back end and pushed us) and flew forward down a very steep embankment flipping the car over 4 or 5 times, still undecided. I sat watching myself in an out-of-body experience fly forward (with seatbelt on) hit my head and break my window, my head hitting the ground and hit my chin on the same door that had been lodged with my phone charger to stop the frame from caving in on me. I woke up after blacking out to tell Jen "are we in Heaven" she replies "not if you think the leather interior of a Land Rover is heaven".

It was a moment that changed my perspective on living for the rest of my life. We were on our way up to Gonzaga to finish my senior year and I wanted nothing to do with going forward. I wanted everything to stop and just rewind, but that wasn't the case. With family by my side, new friends that I could have never been more blessed for and a new way of approaching my life. I walked with open arms to start the new path that I was going to lead.

The irony of finding these photographs this morning, to an email from a dear friend Baisch explaining today is the first day of classes at GU, to ending my last week of finalizing my startup duties of this company. I understand that God does have a plan, and I'm just going to keep on listening and walking forward.

Click on the photographs to see a larger view.

The car after the accident.


The survivors :) love the unmatching shoes!


The car.

Have a blessed day.
-Shannon-

moments...

I feel like my life can be defined through moments...important moments in my life that have made me grow, understand, live, and love. We've all had pivotal moments that can forever be remembered, but there are those moments in life that might be forgotten or what we thought to be not important, but these are the lasting ones that have such life lessons attached to them. I feel I've had a few extra moments in my life lately, all with a lesson and meaning attached to them. I am grateful for all of them and feel I have grown already.

One of the latest moment came last night...
Some of my closest girlfriends all got together to have a farewell Italian meal for our dear friend Natalie. It was the most fun, laughs, tears I've had in awhile. As I looked back this morning at the photo-shoot from last night, I realize what wonderful friends I have. They all bring something completely different to the table:
Tory: her undying humor
Courtney: her voices and story telling
Jen: her country club good looks and class
Natalie: the strong, and ever vibrant east coast and philly personality: "Water"
It was a moment....a moment that we all needed right now in our lives. I don't know what the Lord's plan is after some of us part next week but I am very excited to see where he leads us all!

One of my favorite quotes from a great moment in my life, being apart of SuperCamp, comes from the movie The Beach and seems to sum up everything:

"...I still believe in paradise, but now at least I know it's not some place you can look for, because it's not where you go, it's how you feel for a moment in your life when you're a part of something, and if you find that moment, it lasts forever."

Photo shoot..

So one of my best guy friends just moved here from TX. He is applying to be on the SPD. Amazing! He had an interview yesterday and dressed up in an awesome looking suit..so as we both are obsessed with photography we had a little photo shoot at the civic center.

I love getting back into photography...it's so free and completely calms me down. I had to warm up to the camera in the begining but by the end I was on the ground trying to get that 'perfect' shot. Ok so what friend is next...Jackie, Tory! Come on Court..you already are a magazine cover model!

Enjoy :)

Thanx Phillip for being such a great and easy model! Posing for photographs in over 110 degree weather in a suit with a smile...nice job!

Comet...

The greatest dog!!

More of the little guy...

More pictures of Thor Butler...

Welcome Thor Butler

Well here he is..Thor is 3 months old a cocker/cavalier king charles spaniel. He has more cavalier in him, so he'll be a smaller, skinnier dog then a true cocker.
He is sooo fun! We woke up at 4:45 today and had to clean the crate...we are in the process of crate training..I've got a lot to learn. I bought him teething toys and he loves them! Courtney was so kind to bring home this cute small plush Colorado stuffed animal...well Court it's now Thor's favorite teething toy :)

He's a prancer...follows my every move and loves to nibble on my toes. I love him! Let's hope we get more sleep tonight. He loves the travertine floors in the bathrooms because they are soo cold. So he curls up in a ball right next to the bottom of the toilet so he's staying cool.

Come by and see him.

-Shannon and Thor-

Thor Butler...

There comes a time where you have to let go of something good...my 14 year old cocker-king charles dog Comet will be put to rest on Tuesday and I think it will be one of the most heartwrenching moments of my life. Even thinking about this past weekend has made me sick to my stomach.

I had been looking for awhile for a new puppy to have at my new house! I love the cocker-king charles mix and the puppies are absolutely adorable. Well I went looking in the classifieds today to see what new cockers were for sale. Finding a cocker-king charles mix is VERY rare....but low and behold there was an ad for 3 males pups. I called. Found out they had a male that was a buff color with some white markings. I jumped on the opportunity to go see this little puppy....Dad and I trekked all the way out to the avenue side (that is far for us!!) and saw the puppy. Let me tell you, the cutest face I've ever seen. It has more cavalier king charles in him, so he's a smaller dog and skinnier then a cocker mix. But still darn cute! And the best thing about it, he was a little lighter color then Comet and he had a white marking right on his forehead, just like comet. The kicker for me was when he laid down and he spread out like a 'frog dog' as our family calls it..on their stomach with all legs stretched out (which means they have great hips and joints!!) That is EXACTLY what comet does. So it was fate; dad and i fell in love with him. He licked my face and I said sold!

Welcome home Thor Butler Gorman-Rice. Thor because Dad has wanted to name someone or something after this Norwegian God for some time now...mom said no on naming my brother Thor, so I said OK! :) And Butler because Courtney and Tory came up with it..and its just precious! So that is my new addition to the family. I will post pictures in the morning...as I have yet to accomplish anything since 2pm today and it's already 11:15. Thor fell asleep on my stomach tonight so it was easy to put him to sleep in his crate. Can't wait for all his aunts and uncles to see him! There are a lot!!!

Happy Birthday Miss Annie Fitz!!

.....................................................

Annie Lyons Fitszimmons...I do not even know where to begin. Talk about someone that has been your #1 fan, your shoulder to cry on and a friend thru all odds. I've known Annie since high school and we're just the odd couple with our group of friends not meshing AT ALL! That is ok...we've grown up...kind of! We've managed to stay friends thru a lot of drama with friends and living in completely far off states (WA and TX). She moved home for a year after college and that I feel was our pivotal year in our friendship.

You have to understand Annie...someone that talks as much as I do (hard to believe I know), someone that is so strong in her faith it just rubs off on you, loves joining you in any adventure; from wine nights, traveling around Italy together, spontaneous surprise trip to see the TX boys, to random christian concerts in the desert..we've done it all! Annie became someone that never judged me, could listen and give an honest opinion (normally the reaction you are looking for) to anything I said to her, and put me back on my paith to believing in our Lord, following my faith and my dreams. She dreams big, she wants all, and she never gives up on her true friends.

Looking back at this year, it's hard to pick just one moment that I will remember the most. But if I have to pinpoint one, I think my favorite moment of Annie's 23rd year on this earth was our nightly walks we would do after work. We would talk for hours..it was our stress reliever. The conversation topics would range from work problems, family problems, boy problems, our faith, reminiscing about awesome events we've shared to the possibility of her moving away. We always ended those walks feeling refreshed with new answers. Well Annie took a huge leap in the past couple months..she moved back to TX to work at SMU and finally be in the same place as her bf Andy! Anyone that knows us, KNOWS how hard it was for us to say goodbye and realize we would probably never live in the same state ever again. Eventhough we could plan as many trips possible, we now had distance between us..AGAIN! I now cherish the moments we are able to chat on the phone...plan trips to see each other and talk about the future!

I know that Annie has so many wonderful opportunities coming her way and she is just at the start of paving her way in life. I cannot wait to see what this year brings you Miss Annie Fitz!!! I'm so sad that I cannot spend this special day with you..but like I said in your voicemails (yes plural) :) You birthday wish from me is us to be together for our big 2-5's together!!! Let's make that happen! :) It will be another moment we'll be able to remember forever!

I wish the best for you dear darlin! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Love you tons!
-Peanut Norman-
xoxoxoxox

"believe and you shall receive"

Well I'm going on day three of not working at GPP and starting up Riso Studio/Weddings full time. I can say that by day three I have learned a substantial amount about how I can make my business succeed, what amount of time I need to allot to each project until completion, that the word 'no' can be part of my vocabulary, how to set apointments because you cannot complete every single project the same day you receive a phone call...and how unbelievable my friends are!!

Thank the Lord for my friends/support system...as I could not live my daily life without them. I talked to Momma Pott (Tory's mom...her nickname) this morning and was telling her about my few simple worries about completely succeeding...her answer: are you kidding me you are living everyone's dream to do what they love and do it well. This was her last message to me: "Head up and go forward with everyones dream!" I love this woman, she leads not only her children but her children's friends in the game of life!

Thank goodness I have my girls to get my mind off the subject of work...we had our weekly lunch meeting. As I was sitting there, completely loving their new stories and realizing every characteristic that each of them brings to the taple...I realized we were going to be minus one soon. Nat is moving back to Philly....it's a good move for her but we are going to miss her dearly and will be counting the days until her Bachelorette party and wedding on the east coast!

Tory is a newlywed and so anxious to show off her lovely new china and dinnerware that she is the entertainer out of all of us. So I was invited to share dinner with the Feiler's tonight..and boy can I say David can cook and Tory you are a great cleanup lady!! It truly was a blast..to relax, drink some vino and not worry about anything. I'm definitely a detail person, but Tory out did herself tonight. She asked the other night what my favorite desert was; of course angel food cake (my aunt made it for every cousin's birthday cake). And low and behold we had angel food cake tonight! THANK YOU FEILER'S!!! I had so much fun but really miss seeing Tory everyday. You have to understand, I worked not even 10 feet from her and we would talk on the phone and IM while at work 24/7. I did everything with my GPP girls. They were the first to know the 'new gossip' out of anyones life...new drama...new highs and lows in our relationships. I miss waking up and sipping our coffee (creamer and a little coffee) chatting about our weekends. I'm not sure where all of our paths will wonder in the next few years, but I'm 100% sure that they have made their footprints on my life and I will forever cherish the time I've had and will have with them.

The above quote "believe and you shall receive" was from my mom in an email today..she is becoming so proficient on this computer--internet thing! That phrase just fits my life perfectly :) Thanx mom for everything! I couldn't do this without you!
xoxo

Friends for life..

So I will admit I am not the greatest person in keeping in touch with all the people that have walked into my life. I try but it's been difficult...a very good friend of mine Luke, from Texas is definitely one of the most unique individuals that has stepped into my life thus far. He is full of life, humor, faith and has unbelievable goals that he is achieving for being so young. We have an interesting phone tag relationship and our voicemails have become absolutely comic. We have reverted back to pen pals for now since we never can reach each other on the phone. Tonight after mass I really needed some creative inspirational energy, what a better way then chat with one heck of a videographer LUKE!

I have to say that he had some brilliant words of wisdom for me since I will be working on my own. He has been working for himself in the bridal industry for the past five years while going to school full time. (Yes I know he's amazing) We talked about alone time and what it means to truly think for yourself and make decisions in life for you, not another person. It's perfect advice that he had for me, because he's been on his own and knows exactly what I'm getting myself into. He explained how the greatest part about working for myself is the fact that I can take risks. I at least have the opportunity to take a risk and try it and if it doesn't work out, it only affects ME! I don't have to seek approval from anyone except myself! His words were so right on and exactly what I had been thinking but just needed it put into words. It all follows through in regards to my friend David Jay's freedom speech that he gave when he was last down here.

I love surrounding myself with people that think creatively and push me as a person. When I first met Luke and Phillip through Annie it was a refreshing door that I needed open! I was lost with my work, I stopped shooting photography, and was getting myself into a monotous routine right out of college. I think everyone needs a kick in the pants and these two were my wake up call to start living my life how I wanted to....trust my faith and make some decisions that will lead me to taking some HUGE risks! People like them help relax a soul and understand the finer parts of life, like LIVING, enjoying people, and always thinking creatively. Something I had lost for a short while...well now it's back in full force and I love my decisions and path that I am on. Such a blessing for guidance.

So here goes...

THANX LUKE!!!

Riso Studio...

.........................................................
Riso Studio (in progress) home page...need to place in a photo :0)


........................................................
Riso Weddings (in progress) home page....


Hi all,

Well I am officially the principle owner of Riso Studio and will start monday working from my home office. I am SOOO excited! I know I'm making the right decision and cannot wait to get everything started. I have been working on my website and thought I would give you a sneak peek! It's still in design phase, but I'm just so excited :)

Considering that I have the greatest web guy (Dan Hopkins...close friend from high school) he is working on this site as a favor and it needs to be as simple as possible; no flash. So I'm trying to keep the design simple and flowy without using flash :) Hope you enjoy.

Shannon

Babies....

Tory's best friend since high school, Jessica is having her second child and we held a baby shower for her (just an excuse for Tory to throw a party). Her darling almost 1 year old daughter bella was in attendance...I just had to take some shots of her! She is adorable!
Enjoy

Travels...

.....................................................................................
Vatican City


.....................................................................................
S. African private school children


.....................................................................................
Whistler/Blackcomb


.....................................................................................
Assisi Christmas Morning


.....................................................................................
Cinqueterre Locals

I'm wired and it's late...going thru my limited amount of digital travel photography (as I'm used to film) and here is what I found. Ah how I miss Italy, Whistler, Africa!! Places that were so foreign to me but became my second homes. The lifestyle I became accustomed to, the slow paced everday life, my morning small town routine, the gentle smiles and gestures from the locals...what a blessing. Enjoy :)

Counting the days...

..........................................
My GPP girlies


.............................................
Courtanan

As I sit here in my ridiculously uncomfortable chair, wearing my new green glasses (very chic I might add), listening to my two best friends here at GPP (we are all called Courtanan) Tory & Court make fun of my unusual ways...I start to realize that I will be leaving this place in three days. I will be waking up and working from my house with myself come Monday morning. I realize I will find a new routine...which will include them in a different way.

I'm very excited because I've never felt so right about something in my life, but at the same time I'm sad that I wont have my friends around to joke with, take breaks with or complain with! Thank goodness for instant messengers!! But I have to recognize that I could not be making such a dramatic and life changing decision without them pushing me to go out and follow my dreams. Both Courtney and I went to small jesuit colleges, gaining an exceptional education and wanting to make something with ourselves. And I could not have made this decision if Tory hadn't reigned me in to help with her wedding. THANK YOU! Well this is my time...to prove to myself and everyone that believes in me, that with a little guidance from my father (thank goodness he is a financial planner and my advisor) and hope/blessings from friends and family I will be making my mark.

Thanx you two for your thoughts, inspiration and prayers with my decision...it's Tortney for you two now but at least we'll have our weekly lunches and soon to be routine cooking nights! Love you both!
xoxoxoxox