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Galveston Island State Park Camping Bayside

Ashley Longnecker / March 10, 2016

We were anxious to get to Galveston Island, not just because it’s on the coast but because my sister and her three boys were coming down to visit with us before she headed to Dallas for a job. 10 people in 300sq. ft., WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

We got to Galveston Island State Park and set up camp on the Bay Side. It was cold enough that the mosquitos weren’t out yet and we were so thankful. What a great park! We got the best spot (site 50, bayside) and we had a lot of open grass area to spread out.

Willis, TX // Jenkin's Sunshine Farm in Montgomery, TX

Ashley Longnecker / March 09, 2016

After our stay in NOLA we overnighted at a Harvest Host location in Layfette, LA.

We rolled in to Vermilionville and made it just in time to run into the store and grab some of their spice rub. We have already used it in our hamburgers and it’s really good! They sell lots of cool things and is a really neat stop if you have some time to kill. The kids were a little apprehinsive about having an alligator sleeping in the pond behind us but it was a really cool place. You can check it out here.

Cheers to Lucky Number 13!

Ashley Longnecker / March 08, 2016

Once upon a time, a young college girl, who was rather depressed and lonely, was forced to go to a concert at the University of Tennessee. It was March 7, 2002. It was chilly. I was wearing my favorite green T-shirt and a bandana (thanks for that horrible haircut, Sommer). I stood with my friend, Meredith, likely with my arms folded and trying to endure the All Campus Worship that I was forced to go to. I didn’t want to be there and I was counting down the hours until I could get back in my bed and sulk.

The final band of the night got on stage and then it happened. They were playing “Here I am to Worship” and when the lead guitar player started singing...I looked at Meredith and said, “That’s him!! That’s the guy I’m going to marry! I have to meet him!”

We looked around and found someone who knew him. He introduced us to the band after the show. I was just awe struck. I don’t remember much of what he said or I said but I remember it was awkward and he asked me to sign the guestbook online. As soon as I got back to my dorm room I got online and looked up their band, Fairpark Drive, and signed their guestbook hoping that he would reply somehow. When I saw his last name...I said to Meredith, “I can’t marry him! His last name is LONGNECKER!!” haha

He replied! He invited me to go to their church’s youth group that they played for on a Wednesday night. I begged my friend Sommer to go! I didn’t want to go alone and Sommer had no problems talking with anyone so I had to make her go with me.

We went and afterwards we ended up at Jeremy’s (another member of the band) condo and I think I washed his dishes. Ha, that’s just how I roll. I probably cooked something too, but I can’t remember. 

Here’s our first picture together...

Moment Lenses - How we ditched our SLR and started getting better photos from our iPhones

Jonathan Longnecker / March 07, 2016

Friends, our eyes are amazing creations. Sometimes a picture just doesn't do justice to what we're seeing in front of us that very moment. Our brains are pretty amazing, too - but in all honesty, mine doesn't remember everything I want it to.

So we document. We take photos. We write here on this blog. And we can re-live those moments even when our trusty brains can't quite recall certain details.

Photography has long been something that Ashley and I both enjoy. I've always been fascinated by the art of it - capturing the feel of something without layers of exposition. It's probably the designer in me not wanting to deal with text and calls to action. We bought a Canon Rebel years ago for FortySeven Media, but Ashley was the one who picked it up and found ways to make beautiful photos without any training at all. I was a little jealous.

We still have a DSLR + some nice lenses that we brought with us on our journey. It's come out of the bag maybe 4 times. Why? Because the best camera is the one you have with you. For us, that's our iPhones. And we use them a lot. We're literally documenting our journey with these little slabs of aluminum and glass in our pockets. But even with the amazing cameras built into the iPhone 6s, we found ourselves longing to take even better pictures without lugging around a huge camera bag.

We knew you could buy lenses for the iPhone, but those crappy little clip on fisheye lenses that cost $5 at Target weren't going to cut it. Thankfully, we found Moment.

Travel photographer Austin Mann tipped us off to Moment Lens, and after some research we were sold. Literally. I think we bought one of everything they were selling. If you're going to do it, go all the way right? Seriously, though - our goal was to go 100% iPhone and the gear we've gotten from Moment has pretty much gotten us there. (P.S. If you need a Canon Rebel XTS and some really nice lenses they're for sale)

We've been using our Moment gear for over couple of months, taking it to deserted islands, forgotten forests and beautiful hiking trails. Here's what we think so far:

Lenses

Let's get this out of the way - Moment lenses are of exceptional quality. They were about 3x heavier than I was expecting, and deliver a clear, sharp image. You can tell a lot of love went into crafting not only the lenses, but the cases, covers and packaging.

Once you have a mounting plate attached to your phone (or a case - more on that later), it's easy to switch out lenses. Just line up the dots and give it a twist. Little touches like magnetic lens caps with microfiber lining are icing on the cake. At $99 a lens, I feel like the pricing is right on point. Especially since I can switch them out, use on both our phones, and continue to use as we upgrade our hardware every couple of years.

Let's look at each lens in more detail.

Wide (18mm)

The wide lens is probably the most popular - and for good reason. The iPhone is already great for landscape photography, and the wide angle adds to the size and scope without stretching things to the point of insanity. It's also great for tight shots (hello, we live in a 300 square foot RV)!

Thankfully, this one stays nice and sharp even if you don't have super steady hands so it's ideal for quick, off the cuff shots. This lens really lets you get some unexpected shots out of your iPhone - and I mean that in the best possible way! It's a whole new perspective.

Top 5 Things To Do In NOLA With Your Kids

Ashley Longnecker / March 06, 2016

Although we were not fond of New Orleans as a whole...we were fond of the places we went there with the kids. So, here are my top things to do in NOLA with kids.

#1 - The Zoo