live and learn

take care...

i say this all the time, both in person, on the phone and in emails. and i mean it. one thing i'm really passionate about, is women taking care. i think we are so nurturing, as women, that a lot of times, we don't take care of ourselves. we're too busy taking care of everyone else. a few months ago, i received an email from a young mom. she wrote that she really enjoyed my blog (thanks!) and requested that i do a post for young moms. i read it and as i considered it, i realized that i was resisting it, mainly because i didn't want to sound like a know-it-all, but also because i didn't think i had much of value to share. fast forward to today. as you know, if you read my daily blatherings, i start my day with Bible reading and prayer. almost invariably, the Lord *gives* me something to say, while i am praying. sometimes, i think, "really?", but i try to just go with it. today, as i was praying, the thought of young moms came to me. and i had all these thoughts and realized that i did have a few things to say, and hopefully i can say them with a gentle tone, not a know-it-all tone.

the *i wish i had known then, what i know now, b* list on parenting

• not to lose myself in my kids. i think the minute i saw my new baby(ies), i just forgot myself. i was SO into them, that i forgot i was still me. i just loved them so much. in hindsight, i think that was a disservice to them. not the loving them so much, but the losing myself. everything i did for many years, was about them. i didn't even think of it as a sacrifice. it was just a non-issue that their needs, activities, whatever-were above anything i might need or want. not great for a marriage to have that attitude either. i think it's a very fine balance, to keep yourself alive, while investing in raising children.
• document these years. and not as an invisible, behind the camera parent. i think i may have 3 photos of me with my kids when they are young. and all 3 are posed. i really regret this. i wish i wouldn't have balked when someone tried to take a photo of me interacting with my kids. if i didn't feel like i looked my best, i would try to avoid it. but honestly, it was rare that anyone even tried. so, learn from my mistake. hand your camera to someone while you are playing with your kids, or reading to them or snuggling. don't be shy. and trust me, if you think you look bad now, wait 20 years! you'll realize how good you really looked!
• when your kids reach teenage years, pray, even more. if i had figured this out sooner, i would have avoided a lot of anxiety. even the best, least rebellious kids have to become independent, so they aren't going to always look to you for answers. and if you have a rebellious child, it's going to hurt. i'm not gonna lie. there is no way to NOT have an emotional reaction to this. but the sooner you realize that it's natural, and that they aren't going to hate you forever, the less it hurts.
• let them make messes. and when people stop by and see the messes, don't worry about what they're thinking, because if they're like me, they're probably thinking, "how awesome is that? they are actually letting them be kids".
• worry less about being their friends, just be their parent. that's what they need. i think i was too insecure at the time, to really believe this.
• resist the urge to do everything for them. i think in an effort to be a *good* parent, i thought i had to be *doing* things for them.
• try not to feel sorry for them. when a kid sees you feeling sorry for them, i think it makes them feel insecure. ex: you see another kid picking on your kid-of course, you're going to want to step in and defend them and then scoop them up in your arms and coddle them. not a good plan. let them figure out that they are strong enough to stand up for themselves. i think pity makes them weak.
• let them experience injustice while they're with you. don't try SO hard to make everything fair. tom and i recently had a discussion about this. life isn't fair, so why do parents try so hard to teach kids that it is? if we would let them experience unfairness under our roofs, maybe they would handle injustice later in life better? just a thought.
• hire a babysitter. and don't feel guilty. if you find a great sitter, it will be a good thing for your kids and for you, and if you're married, for the marriage too. i almost preach this to family and friends. not because i did it, but because i wish i had.
• let them suffer consequences. i didn't do real well with this one. but as time went on, i got better. i took a parenting class at church that really drove this point home. if you don't, they won't learn how to deal. they'll basically suck at life. ha, just kidding.
• not to beat myself up so much. i was so hard on myself as a parent. i thought i was messing my kids up constantly. i would read a parenting book and feel like a complete failure.

a couple of things i think i did right:

• i spent tons of time doing things with my kids. we read, we went to the park, we walked, rode bikes, i played baseball, football, soccer, volleyball, etc....with the whole neighborhood, i took them camping by myself(eek!), we picnicked a lot, we did art, and we always had a Christmas gingerbread house making party. i think i did a lot of things right, but i also think that the reason my kids are awesome adults(is that bragging?), has WAY more to do with God's grace, than with my parenting. tom and i love to hang out with our adult kids. they are some of our best friends.

i think forgiving myself for the mistakes i made as a parent, was one of the hardest things for me. empty nest was tough too...because of some of my mistakes. now, i find it so hard to not try to warn my friends, and even our kids with their parenting. but i know, that i need to watch how i talk. i don't want anyone to think that i think i did it all right. it's not that. it's that i want to warn other women not to lose themselves. i see women heading in that direction and it scares me, for them. but i know it's hard to hear. you don't want to hear it. so i try to speak carefully and i definitely don't want to sound judgemental. i just want to save them from heartache. mothering is such a bittersweet life calling. it's the best and the worst all in one. simply because, even though you're a mom for the rest of your life, your role in their daily lives isn't forever.

maybe because of my perspective and regrets, it enables me to capture what i missed with my own kids, as far as photos. (how's this for a transition?) i try to capture the essence of relationships. not just the posed, smiling faces.

i had a shoot saturday morning with the sweetest family. they obviously adore one another.

isn't he adorable? when i saw him with his blonde curls- i couldn't wait to start the shoot! he just turned 3, and he did so well!

this post is becoming an epic! a couple more things. i know of two really great scrapbooking things that are happening today. check them out-

• sistv free shipping on orders over $50 and a free bottle of glimmer mist with each order. plus there are fun activities on the site all day, including *an online slumber party* tonight. i used the new collection called girly girl for these two layouts-

the felt flowers are my fave!

• it kit studio kelly is having a really great moving sale! check it out.

last thing. our area had a couple of tragic events over the weekend. a terrible storm, with high winds came through and destroyed crops, trees and homes friday night. the lake we used to live at, was hit hard. they aren't even letting people drive through. people we know who live there, say it looks like a war zone. lots of people are still without power. so please pray for everyone effected by this horrible storm. also, please pray for the chapman family. they were on their harley and the back tire blew friday night. jill was killed and bill was injured. my heart just goes out to bill and the kids, their friends and family. i don't even know what else to say. i know that i am not taking today for granted. and i pray that God blesses your day. 

inspiration outing...

so i've hardly left my house this week. which has been great. i have my studio almost in order and the guest room looks better than it has in months. i just need to spend a little time finishing it up. i'm very close. and i can't even tell you how refreshed and light i feel with 3 huge boxes of stuff cleared out and an overflowing trash bag out. makes me want to do this throughout the house! but i just can't take the time right now. i need to get back to editing and making stuff. which i'm dying to do! i know i'm going to be making lots of stuff for CHA. i love this time of year with scrapbooking!  love seeing all the new products!

yesterday, i did finally leave the house for a little outing. glue and kelly came to town and we went to inger's summer open house. stepping into her adorable shop is an instant boost!

i really like this piece.

she has such a vibrant, whimsical style! i bought a little something for my leah girl while i was there : )

after shopping, we checked out the new steakhouse in town. our town has a rough time supporting good restaurants. we always get excited when something new comes to town, and we try to get there quick before they close. j's steakhouse is in the location of the awesome mexican restaurant *casa azul*....which didn't make it. so as we drove by on our way to andy's (the italian restaurant that has stood the test of time), i noticed j's and we decided to change gears. i do hope they make it. the food was good and the atmosphere is really nice.

the building is so beautiful! gorgeous exposed brick and great tin ceilings. i thought the prices were fair for the amount of food too.

so today, i will finish my studio and i have to get groceries. tonight, we'll be setting up the garage sale. jared has old college furniture at our storage unit, plus i want to pull a few things out of storage for the sale too. i have a beautiful old vanity. the only reason i am not keeping it, is because it's dark wood and that's just not me. i figure it will be easier to sell it and use the money to get a piece that's already painted the way i like.

so as i finish things up in my special little room, i am thinking of this quote from a favorite old decorating book, "lucky is the woman who courts the muse at home, for in the process she provides a daily atmosphere for herself that is both stimulating and serene, one in which her creative talents can grow and flourish. such a place, described by louisa may alcott as "a little kingdom i possess, where thoughts and feelings dwell," answers the deep hunger of all those with artistic pursuits." that is my attitude when i work on my room. i want it to reflect who i am. i want to have a desire to spend time there. to create. i want visual stimulation around me. i want to surround myself with things that please me. things that have meaning to me. many of us have been taught to not indulge in ourselves in this way. i find that the more i provide myself with a space that's all mine, the less i am thinking of me. the less selfish my thoughts are. i am fulfilled and content. with this simple space. i am at peace in my space. and throughout my home really. it is a refuge. it's taken me years to get this. and it's not the perfect furniture or decorations. it's that it represents us. it's comfortable- not perfect. it's filled with not too much and not too little. but what it contains is us. stuff that we love. if we don't, it's gone. i'd rather have it empty than filled with things we don't love. wow. where did this all come from! my heart just took over and wrote that. i hope that your home is a refuge. i hope that it provides you and your family with a safe haven. your family nest. what could be more important on earth?

have a wonderful friday and God bless you!    

a bunch of different stuff(cuz i'm tired of the word random)...

thanks for encouraging me yesterday : ) i feel so much better! a whole new perspective and even though i stayed up until 2 this morning, i feel refreshed! what was i doing until 2, you ask? i spent hours and hours in my studio, reorganizing and purging. i sat in the middle of the floor and sorted and bagged up lots of stuff that i either had duplicates of, or knew i would never need or use (i hope). as a crafter, it's hard to get rid of stuff, because i/you always think there will be a time when you might NEED something that you are getting rid of. but i bit the bullet and purged with abandon! i now have like 50 scrapbooking kits for brooke's garage sale this weekend. if anyone local is interested, please email me! i priced each kit at $5. i think it's fair. i did theme kits like baby girl, baby boy, winter, summer, spring, autumn, Christmas, vacation, beach, sunset colors, a whole lotta paper, odds n ends, yadayada. i needed to do this. i think my creativity will come alive with less clutter. i was getting overwhelmed. so today, i hope to wrap it up. if you could see the floor in my studio, you would laugh.

last night, tom grilled burgers and even though it was hot and humid, we ate outside. sometimes i think a person just needs to be outside. it always helps me to think more clearly. even though i could barely breath : ) for the past week or two, the high school band has played and marched by. one of our favorite summer things. the last time they marched by, tom noticed our friend suzy's son keith. so last night when i heard them coming, i grabbed my camera. keith is pretty shy, so i tried not to be too obnoxious. i just sat on our front step and zoomed in. i emailed suzy the picture last night and when she showed keith, he hadn't even seen me. yay!

i love small town living.

a few weeks ago, i took a few pics after church. we needed a shot of our new pastor mike and his wife terri and while i was snapping, this cute little dude came along and posed for me.

he loved the camera.

and here are mike and terri-

and terri really is this joyful! she loves to laugh! we're enjoying having them here. and by the number of people coming to church, i don't think we're alone! very exciting!

so today, i plan to continue what i started yesterday, although i think i better get out and at least buy dog food. i had to scramble eggs for the pooches today, because we are completely out of food. they didn't mind.

one more thing. completely irreverent. someone sent me a link to a "flight of the concord" video a while ago. hilarious. i sort of forgot about them. on tuesday, chelsea pulled up the youtube for "business time" . we all laughed our butts(yes, i typed butts) off as we listened and watched. i'm not going to do a direct link, because i know i have younger readers and it's not appropriate for kiddos. but for those of you of age, you must check it out. hilarious.

so i'm going to head back upstairs and try to finish sorting. i'm going to snap before and after photos. i'm so anxious to have it in shape! i hope you have a great day. God bless!

recharging...

today, i need a recharging day. we have done so much entertaining already this summer and as much as i LOVE it, i am exhausted. i went to bed before midnight last night, woke up at 3:00 and did my usual insomnia routine...come downstairs, check my email, read for a bit in my chair and either fall asleep there, or go back up to bed. i did go back to sleep and woke up with my alarm this morning. during my devotions, i fell asleep like 10 times. seriously. i know i've reached my limit. so today, i don't plan to leave my nest. i think we'll grill burgers for dinner tonight and keep life really simple today. i hope i don't sound like i'm complaining. i love the life i'm living...i just know when it's time to take a break. today is that day. i want to have some creative time. i am finally feeling it, and i have some great new stuff to play with, so i plan to make that work. that recharges me.

i tried to take more photos than i typically do when i have get-togethers. we didn't get a lot, but i'm happy with the ones i got. and i'm in some of them! that's hard for me.

 

i love these two girls. we are having so much fun cooking together. it's amazing how working together in each other's kitchens has bonded us. pam is in the group too, but her son just got married saturday, so she wasn't as involved in the tea party. she did make her famous scones though.

here's the menu:

chicken salad croissants

egg salad croissants

cucumber sandwiches

shrimp, egg, lime and dill sandwiches (donna made these sandwiches, which she remembered her mom making for parties years ago.....and they were so delish!)

scones, jam and cream

mini cupcakes with pink sprinkles and those sweet little silver balls

lemon bars with toasted meringue

chocolate tarts

vanilla bean cheesecakes

me and becca. love her.

and me and my vicki. love her too. i am smiling so big, i look like a horse about to have my teeth examined! ha! and what's up with the veins popping in my head? i'm so hard on myself!

it was a great day. spending time with friends. it hit me this morning as i was reflecting on yesterday-how fortunate i am to be at this stage of life, doing what i love, and having such wonderful people in my life. great friends, who i can be real with, a fun and loving family, a best friend/husband who means the world to me, and so much more, but i don't want to sound like i'm gloating : ) i haven't always been in this place. there have been rough times and i know that there will probably be rough times again...but for now, i'm going to savor every minute of this time. i'm just glad i'm recognizing that it's a golden time. i hate to see people who have good things in their lives, wasting time worrying about what might happen, or dwelling on something bad in the past. i say, enjoy the now. savor it. find the good in it. life on earth will never be perfect, so find the joy in what it is right now.

so today, i will be right here, editing, straighten the house(which i enjoy doing), creating some stuff, and maybe even reading. i finished "little altars everywhere" last night and i'm going to start "rose cottage" tonight, or maybe sooner. hey, if   alicia recommends it, it must be great, right? what are you reading this summer? i'm going through books like crazy. reading instead of sleeping, you know? so i would love some recommendations. have a great day and God bless!

it shouldn't be....

a big deal. i took my parent's 50th anniversary photos a few weeks ago. i really struggled with glass glare. i need to figure out how to take lenses out when i do shoots. the way i shoot just doesn't work to have them tilt their heads, or whatever it is that traditional studio photographers do. i just know they end up cranking people with glasses heads all kinds of wrong. so anyway, i paid the awesome lab i use to have the glass glare removed. i also paid to have a CD burned with the edit. i finally just popped the CD in so i could share the photo here and it doesn't have my parent's image...it has some other completely unrelated images. ugh! and rather than take the time to email them and explain the issue, i am venting here! i love the lab i use. they have wonderful customer service, so i know they will make it right, it's just that i hate dealing with issues! i know i do have to figure out a glass glare solution, because it's super expensive to have it photoshopped! much more than typical issues. if any of you have logical solutions to this, please share. i have researched it on all of my favorite photography sites and the main thing they all seem to come back to, is remove the lenses for shoots. especially if you don't want to do the head cranking thing : )

i really do love this photo of them.

and i really like this one of mom too. i have it in my studio. she inspires me.

and as i've written lots of times, my parent's relationship inspires me. such dedication to each other. this was a sweet thing that i had never given any thought too before. when my mom was in the car accident, it left her right arm completely paralyzed. for over 20 years, my dad has given her manicures. how did i miss this? and how sweet and tender is that? still not realizing this, i asked mom and dad to come early on sunday, so that i could give mom a manicure before the party. we sat on the deck and i did her nails. i finally asked mom, "has dad always done your nails since the accident?" and she said yes. (she also lost her ability to speak conversationally, so her answers are pretty concise.) i couldn't believe i had missed this fact for all these years. my dad has my undying respect for how he has handled things since my mom's accident. and my mom has this amazing attitude even though she would have reason to be down. they are wonderful people and i am blessed that they are my parents!

the party was a lot of fun. the kids (and tom and josh) swam all afternoon. i sat on the deck with mom, dad and their sisters, my aunts. why is it, that i finally get how cool my aunts are? i have been close to my aunt mary for a long time, but really haven't fully appreciated what i have in my own family. i loved just sitting and chatting and catching up. i haven't edited all the shots yet, but here are a few-

suzy made the cake and it was so delish! i'm eating the last piece right now for breakfast. yum!

the guys taught payton how to dive off the board. it was so fun to watch. but of course, i didn't take any photos! griffin was trying too, but he is the bellyflop king! they are hilarious in the pool. no fear!

love, love, love this shot!

so today is our garden tea party. and it's raining. thank God for our covered deck! plus, it will fine to be inside too. it just would have been fun to all be outside on the deck and patio.

the food is pretty much ready. i'll be able to do some final stuff around the house shortly and then my cooking club friends will be here in less than an hour to assemble sandwiches and desserts. i think it will be fun. i just feel badly that i couldn't invite a lot of people. with 4 of us inviting, we had to limit our numbers, or we would have had 100 people here : ) i'll be taking lots of photos. i really will! right now, i better get ready. i'm still in my jammies. have a great day and God bless!

the next thing...

things have been a little hectic lately. not bad, just lots happening. do you ever feel like you focus on one thing, and when it is over, you can move on to focus on the next thing? but there's really never a break? that's me. i know i bring it on myself most of the time, and maybe i wouldn't be me, or be happy, if i didn't live this way? it's something to think about : ) yesterday we had my parent's 50th anniversary party here. it was very casual and small...and i loved how it went. i think they did too. i took lots of pictures and will share more about it tomorrow. today, i am focused on an upcoming wedding and a garden tea party i'm having here tomorrow. it's an event that we have talked about in our cooking club since the very first time we met. it's something i've wanted to do for a long time. so today that is my focus. i have lots of ideas, i just hope that they come together the way they are in my mind...or better. we planned the food and quite a few of the details a month or more ago, now it's just gathering dishes and decor (which i love doing) my sister is coming over after lunch to help me get my house ready and help with some of the details.

last week, i did a super fun family photo shoot. it was cloudy and gloomy when we left home and by the time we met up it was raining. but they were great sports and the show went on. we just headed to the viaduct and carried on with our plan. it ended up working out wonderfully. tom even came with me on this one.

i love opportunities to do different things. totally fun for me!

i've had numerous interuptions while trying to post this, so i'll end it here and continue tomorrow. God bless your day!

officially summer...

and i think i'll celebrate by taking some time off and getting outside. i did some weeding last night and i'd like to finish the bed i started today. with my parent's 50th anniversary party here on sunday, i think a few things need to be done outside. we have lots of vegetation and it gets really unruly, especially when i'm in photoland. i'd also like to work on some things around the house and particularly my studio. it's out of control again. i'm thinking about having a supersized garage sale and getting rid of a bunch of scrapbooking stuff and the overflow from our storage unit. it could be a really great sale...i'm just not sure i have the extra energy. plus, i like to donate my scrapbooking stuff to becca's event in the fall. i just need to find out if she's having it this year. she's been a little busy lately : )

this weekend, we have a wedding, fireworks at the lake, church, and my parent's 50th party here. lots of time with friends and family. i like that. plus, i'm really looking forward to our cooking club's garden tea party here too. i even bought a new polka dot sundress to wear.

my friend pam loves her grandsons like no one i've ever seen before. it was fun to see her with them and get to snap a few pics-

their mama kinda likes them too.

and oliver undoubtedly, loves his grandma. so sweet!

this morning, i've already been to an estate sale and 2 garage sales. i only picked up a couple of things. this little jar is so charming...albeit a little dirty.

i'll get it cleaned up and figure out where it goes. i just had to have it. i also picked up a pink/cream plaid wool blanket.

last night, i finally made time to go up to my studio after a shoot. (the shoot was really cool-a family harley shoot) i did this layout in about 15 minutes. which is unheard of for me.

here's another thing i've come to the realization of lately. i like simple pages. over the course of time, i find that the simple pages are the ones i like years later. oh and as i've said before, i am not a clever title-maker. in fact, i really don't like cheesy titles at all. they don't stand the test of time well. i think that as with decorating your home, and how you dress, classic usually holds up the best. i love to look at an old photo, that is timeless because of classic simple clothes. same with layouts. classic and simple. or maybe it's more a case of, staying with what's true to you. and for me, that's simple and classic. if i was a more funky person, or flambouyant, maybe those type of clothes, decorating, or pages would appeal more to me years later. just my thoughts.

seems like i'm forgetting something i was going to post about, but i'm anxious to get to my day of activities. i hope you have a fantastic day and God bless!

a realization...

i only pull my camera out when the kids or little ones are here. and that is not really all i want to document. i thought i was documenting tom and i, but i'm really not. i'm documenting our family definitely, which i'm happy about-but, then there's our every day life, that we live pretty fully for the stage of life we're in; and i'm not capturing that. i have no idea how this could be and i didn't realize it sooner. i'm all about the simple stuff of everyday life and it makes me sad to think that i have overlooked it. i'm sure tom will be happy to know that i will be using the tripod and timer more now : ) so i haven't actually started to do it yet (because it really just hit me this morning) but it's going to happen. and i want to scrapbook it too. i love to do pages about our family and journal about how i feel about them, and funny stuff they say and do...but there's stuff i need to say about me and us too. not that i want to be in all the photos, i just need to photograph our life, which i really haven't been doing.

i'm going to the orthodontist this morning. i think it might freak them out for me to bring my camera...but i just might. and i don't think there is a single photo in existence of me sitting at my computer editing, which is really weird because i spend SO much time here. as i'm thinking out loud and typing, i am thinking about who does this well and i have to say that tara and ali both do this very well. i admire both of them and the stuff they do, so why did that not translate to me personally? so if i hand you my camera or pull out my camera when we're together, just humor me, k? no eye rolling!

lately, i have taken a few pool photos. not a lot. here are a few of my faves-

   

i love that he's smiling as he jumps.

father's day was great. having all the little ones here. and i didn't even force a group photo.

i have been so tight on time lately, that i forgot to post a link to this. i have so much respect for melissa. and i'm so glad she is done with treatment! here's the card i made-

love mf products! always have!

i need to get out the door to my ortho appointment and then 2 shoots today. life is good!

God bless your day!

choices...

that's what life is made of. i read this, this morning, "you are as close to God as you choose to be", and this, "draw close to God and God will draw close to you." james 4:8. and then this, "when you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life. even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God". c.s. lewis said, "there are two kinds of people; those who say to God, 'thy will be done' and those to whom God says, 'all right then, have it your way'." (all quotes from the book, purpose driven life) i love that every morning is new and holds the potential for a fresh start. a new way of living. making good choices, or at least learning from bad choices. that's where my head is today.

newborn babies. i love the way they smell. i love how peaceful they are. i love the way their little bodies are perfect. i just adore newborns. i am definitely a baby person. so i guess it's natural that i would love to photograph them. i really do enjoy photographing pretty much every age...but there is something about newborns...

he was so sweet and content. i fell in love again...which i tend to do often when i photograph little ones : )

his big sister is such a character. she is so bright, it's almost scary. she talks like a little adult and is mature beyond her mere almost 2 years.

i think i bored her.

this last one is a favorite from the night. such a great family. i did briley's one year photos and knew that they were special people. i love the connection i have with people i photograph. i really, really do.

so, today is a new day and i'm hoping to making good choices in regard to how i spend my time. finding that balance that i'm always writing about.

God bless your day!

lots of exciting stuff coming...

i can't even contain my excitement about some new products i'm going to be offering to clients soon! not only will i have soldered jewelry charms (which i posted about a while ago), i am also going to have really high quality art style printed books (right now i offer books, just not of this quality) and preview boxes (as soon as  i have the samples, i'll be posting photos) so anxious for this! i love to decorate my home with one of a kind, personal things and i think a lot of you do too! i have noticed that canvases, storyboards and really high-impact enlargements are selling very well lately. the custom frames that i posted photos of a few days ago (dining room photos) are popular too. i am just super jazzed about incorporating my love for custom items with my photography. i'll be doing custom creations (think photos mounted on thin board with a little easel) and prints mounted on canvases (like the one i did for fiskars last month) these canvases will have the look of a canvas for much less. i just love to offer lots of options.

other stuff i'm looking forward to-

• newborn shoot tonight!
• changing out framed photos
• setting up all the new finds from the flea market last week
• garden tea next week
• wedding magazine cover that comes out next month! (i am still pinching myself over this one!)
• scrapbooking stuff coming out soon
• the summer cha show in chicago next month
• eating al fresco almost daily!
• sitting by the pool
• watching everything grow and thrive in our little sanctuary/backyard : )

i'm just enjoying life so much right now. so much to be thankful for. i can't even contain it. i know that life doesn't always go smoothly, but when it does, i think you just have to embrace it! and not apologize for it! we all have our ups and downs. when i'm down, i need others to be up for me! to give me hope. sure there are lots of things in my life right now that aren't perfect. but that doesn't mean that i can't be filled with joy! i'm trying not to let other things, unhappy people, dumb circumstances, steal my joy. there are way too many good things to be moping around.  so there. ha!

i did wyatt's one year shoot last night. what a little joy he is! he is cute inside and out!

 

i just love this boy!

i've updated lots of the galleries in the left column and will continue to as i finish editing recent sessions.

have a great day, get out and get some sunshine. God bless!