07.21.10 - the rest of the trip

Ashlynn Mary Koenig - 1 month

So we left Memphis and headed straight to Atlanta to visit Jess' sister, her husband and their brand new baby girl! This was Aunt Jess' second time seeing her brand new niece but my first. She's ADORABLE!

Then we headed over to Hilton Head to visit my parents. My sister Jeannie was also visiting with her daughter, we grabbed lunchand hit the road to Ft Lauderdale FL. We listened to a time share presentation so that we could get our "free cruise" and boarded the boat to the Bahamas with my parents.

our cruise ship was called the "Bahamas Celebration"

We went on a snorkel tour in the Bahamas and Jess took this EPIC pic with the G11 and the wp-dc34 underwater casing. I was trying my best not to drown. I wish I still had the snorkel I bought in Hawaii, it actually WORKED. It started storming just as we left the dock in our boat, and by the time we got out to the reef it cleared up but the water was still choppy. My mask was leaking so I was just having a hard time doing anything. I handed the camera to Jess and she got some great pics.

The cruise was fine, being in Grand Bahama for such a short period of time was strange. I would have liked to see a bit more of the island before we had to get on the boat.

After we docked back in Ft Lauderdale, we drove back to Hilton Head. Then I headed to my oldest sister Jennifer's house in Candler, NC. There I got to spend some time with my sister and my 2 neices and nephew.

Sammie, Scott and Eryka

my oldest sister Jennifer.

So all in all 2 weeks, 4000+/- miles through 13 states, 2 countries, using 2 cars, and a ship. And great times with family and friends.

JIM baker

07.07.10 - the RAINWATERS!

Please meet Seth and Jamie Rainwater :)

(this one is my favorite of the shoot)

Jess and I are on vacation traveling all over the place hanging out with friends and family.

Our first stop was Indianapolis, Indiana to visit our friends Seth and Jamie Rainwater.

They are photographers as well, you can check out their blog here. I actually shot the Rainwater's wedding four years ago.

We had an awesome short but very meaningful visit with them, it was really refreshing to see how well they are doing and the awesome things they are involved with and the dreams they have for the future.

JIM baker

06.03.10 - back from MD

Check out the video of Jess eating her first maryland crab :) Sharon was an awesome instructor. Sorry for the crappy quality, when I uploaded it to blogger, blogger compressed the heck out of it.

Here's a highlight recap of our time in Maryland. (Kinda a long post) Click on the links if you want and LEAVE COMMENTS! I LOVE COMMENTS! If you've having problems leaving comments, let me know via facebook or e-mail.

Saturday night, Jess and I went to Phillips Restaurant at the Baltimore Inner Harbor. We went with some friends we were doing a senior portrait shoot for. I tweeted something like "showing Jess real seafood" and got some flack for it on facebook from a couple Marylanders. My parents don't like seafood so I didn't grow up eating it, so I didn't know any better. My friends didn't like the fact that I called it "real seafood" when its a chain. Honestly it was the BEST crab cake I've ever eaten. And it seemed a lot more authentic and fresh then anything I can get here in Jamestown NY :)

Hopefully we redeemed ourselves by having Jess eat a crab from Bo Brooks. We were hanging out with the Hidey's and Sharon insisted that Jess had to try a crab to fulfill her Maryland experience.

We got back from Maryland yesterday. I'm not going to lie, it was hard to leave. It's strange, I never used to look forward to going back to Maryland, but this time I was REALLY excited to get back, and when it came time to leave I didn't want to.

It was a full week. I feel like I really need at LEAST a week and a half when I go and visit, but I was very grateful for having a complete week. I wish I had some pictures to show you but I don't. I need to start 365ing again. Maybe I'll start this summer. Oh here's a pic I can show you :) Its me and the fam!

from front to back, me, jess, my mom, jeannie (my sister), my dad, lindsey (my neice) and Stephen (my nephew)

My float wraps came, and I'm really happy with the way they turned out! They were put on the wall in our church lobby today! Thanks to Holly Aipolani for taking the pic with my iphone.


I had the float wraps sent to MD so I could share with some people what God has been doing in our lives over the past 9 months. I really truly feel SENT here from Maryland, with an awesome team of people back "home" that are very supportive and encouraging.

It was also great to catch up with a lot of people that I haven't seen in sometime. Its crazy how fast time flies.

I enjoyed driving around Maryland. I got horrible gas mileage (city driving) but I felt like I was actually driving. Weird, some of the things you miss. Checking your blindspot, switching lanes, accelerating quickly.

I was going to keep listing things I liked about MD and things that I learned to appreciate in NY but I decided I won't do that. This has gotten long enough. :)

JIM baker

01.27.2010 - off to kenya

a graphic my dad made for us :)

Jess and I are off to Kenya today. Please be praying for us. We return in 10 days.

Wanna read about what we'll be doing there? Click here.

If there's internet where we are I'll do my best to keep you all updated, but no promises. Check the twitter feed below for the most recent updates.

JIM baker

10.29.09 - adventures on the road and VOA

changing spark plugs

So about 4 hours into our trip to baltimore Jess turns down the radio and asks "whats that noise?" and I hear a loud clicking from the engine... we pull up to the toll booth pay the toll and the car stalls out. I start it back up and get off of the exit and pull into a parking lot in time for it to stall out again. Real long story short, got towed, guy wanted $187 for a tune up, called Brian Adelgren, he told me that was a rip off, the Walrod family came to our rescue (they were headed to baltimore from jamestown NY too and were about an hour behind us) we picked up the parts on our own and Tim Lease walked me through how to do it over the phone. Car still didn't work correctly so I left it sitting at a gas station in Breezewood PA right off of the turnpike.

my spark plug changing friends
(Jess, Bob, Linda, and Sandi)

I am seriously surrounded by the most GENEROUS and AMAZING friends ever. The Walrods rerouted to come pick us up and Bob paid for the parts that I needed. Tim Lease took the time to walk me through how to change my spark plugs over the phone. My parents are driving us to Heidi Fraisers house and then she is going to drive Jess and I back to Breezewood on Sunday and Nate Adelgren is going to drive 4 hours from Jamestown to Breezewood and drive us back to Jamestown with our car.

worship last night at Voice of the Apostles

We are here in Baltimore for the Voice of The Apostles Conference. We have seen hundreds of people receive physical healings, hearing testimonies of creative miracles and metal in peoples bodies dissolving. Major things, minor things all being healed in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We have sat under some of the most amazing teaching from modern day apostles like Bill Johnson, Che Ahn and John Arnott. It's been a blessing to be at this conference. Heidi Baker is speaking tomorrow.

God's GOOD.
JIM baker

10.26.09 - Hidey Wedding

This weekend was Chris Hidey's wedding. I snuck a quick pic of Hidey brothers and me in the bathroom right before the service.

Jess and I had the honor to attend one of the most fun and beautiful weddings we have ever been to. It was held at the botanical gardens in NYC.

I read scripture during the service in English and then Sharon's cousin read it in Chinese. We read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Right after the wedding service we were taken downstairs for cocktails and finger foods which included a sushi bar. Then back up stairs for dinner, which was AMAZING. I had the filet mignon. You can tell by the number of forks how many courses there were.

Chris and Sharon were a stunning bride and groom. Congrats!!

And here's an iphone pic of Jess and I from the hotel right before we went to the wedding. Third time wearing a suit in 3 months, and I've got to wear one next month too...

JIM baker

10.22.09 - Grandpa Stiles 90th Birthday

Grandpa Stiles (Jess' dad's father) on his 90th Birthday
(iso 1600 shot with the g11 for you photo geeks)

We're hanging out tonite in Youngstown Ohio. We just spent the evening with Grandpa Stiles who is ninety today. When I asked him how it feels to be ninety he replied, "I don't know how's it suppose to feel?" He said that when we turn ninety he'd be there to sing to us :)

Jess sitting with Grandpa as he opens his cards.

Just a quick update, back to Jamestown tomorrow and NYC on saturday. Baltimore on Wednesday for the Voice of the Apostles conference. Yup... on the road again.

JIM baker