I keep your photograph

I have lived in 8 different states. They have all been beautiful in their own way. 

In Colorado I felt the stars were the biggest and brightest I'd ever seen. 

In Utah I was awed daily by the wall of majestic mountains all around me.

North Carolina had rolling fields of tobacco and remnants of its old Southern charm. 

Idaho, Illinois, New Jersey, and Michigan all had their own specific features that I loved.

But none of them; in my opinion, compare to Pennsylvania.

There are very few things I feel strongly about. I don't hold on to friendships, jobs, homes, things, or old places. Everything I cherish can fit into one bin.

Moving so much in my life has made everything very transitory for me. 

Except Pennsylvania. 

In every state I ever lived in, I would dream of PA.

Of it's rolling hills, endless trees, and incredible history.

The Constitution was written here.

Gettysburg happened here.

Early pilgrims; notably the Quakers and Amish, settled here.

You can feel the history in every square mile of this state.

From the winding, narrow roads built for carriages rather than cars, to the stone cobbled roads of Philadelphia, to the strong heritage of Pennsylvania dutch found in the complicated town and river names. 

You can see how the settlers tried to recreate their homes and towns in the this new world. 

The history is beautiful.

And; my gosh, the land is so beautiful. 

I love nothing so much as being in the passenger seat of a car, just staring at the farms and fields and rivers and lakes.

This past week Danielle, her kids and I were up in a town called "Bird in Hand". There was so many Amish there. And just like everything about Pennsylvania, I love little Amish towns.

There is something so compelling about the way they live their life. 

And while I am no fan of manual labor, explaining their life to the kids made me realize that; if conversion weren't required, I think I could live a plain life as they do.

At the risk of unfairly romanticizing their lives, I think I could live on a small farm in a beautiful corner of PA and give up all the distractions which take me so far away from God. 

Anyway, I took all of these words and all of these pictures to basically say what you all have heard me say a million times before. I love my Pennsylvania so much.

Lori Ann

p.s.- On an unrelated side note, my niece Elly is becoming quite the photographer. Enjoy this moving self portrait she took during unsupervised iPad time:)