one on one

one thing i have realized with multiple children is how precious one on one time with each child is.   i savor this time and i believe they do as well.  my oldest daughter and i have spent many days doing fun things which we refer to as girls' day.  my middle child is funny because whenever i mention doing something just the two of us..he always says, NO lets wait for E to get home (my oldest).....he always wants to include her.  but we do get to spend lots of afternoons together while the baby sleeps and E is at school.    this year my son has been in preschool twice a week and these mornings have become fun for our youngest and myself to do things together. unfortunately (and  i am sure that you busy moms can relate to me when i say)  a lot of this time is spent getting errands or the such done, with only one child in tow.  but i do try my best to make time for just us and today we had some of that.  i love when it is just her and i, and i can give her my full attention.  today we went to play by the river...she loved the wild flowers, the swing, walking back and fourth just a little bit on the dock, and seeing the butterflies as they flew by.    it was so fun to see the joy she found in exploring all of the beautiful creations around her...

 

how sweet it is...

 to see such love come from a family.  this session was filled with so much laughter, fun and love!!  i had the best time getting to know each of them.   about a month ago i posted that i would be offering a couple of sessions and would donate all of the proceeds to the local tornado victims.   i was excited to hear from a few families right away and this was one of them.   i could have honestly stayed all day and talked to them; it was as if we'd known each other forever. love when that happens.   i have to say these were two of the most active and fun filled children i have yet to photograph.  it was a so fun to watch them together and see how much they seemed to adore one another.   i love to capture life as it is happening.  not so much, pose families, but let you have fun and be in the moment. for me, these are the memories i treasure the most with my own family. and i really feel as you look at these pictures, you will see your children just as they are today...so full of love and life.  it was such a pleasure S. family.

 

together again...

 "better is the end of a thing than its beginning.." ecclesiastes 7:8a

today our family was reunited once again after having daddy deployed with the USMC since august of 2010.   what a joyous day this was for all of us.  this is our 4th deployment as a married couple and the 3rd one in the past 5 years. one thing in common every time, is after you are together again, it feels like no time at all has even passed.  i think the sweet reunion always makes up for the long months of separation somehow.  as i have said before i am so grateful we can serve our country in this way.  i am grateful for the example my husband has given to our children of self sacrifice and giving in a way that some can't even imagine.  and finally i am grateful for all of the blessings God bestows on us during these time we need HIM the most.   we are so grateful to all of our family and friends for the love and support you always give to us.  to say we feel blessed is such an understatement.   

thank you to amy grimme for giving us the most amazing gift of these memories of these sweet moments.   most of these pictures were taken by her (edited by me).  we wanted to make sure we captured these moments as it seems this deployment brought so many changes with our children.  our oldest is now reading fluently, she lost her first tooth, and has become a little lady.   our middle child (our only boy) mastered his bike free of training wheels, learned to write his name, and became a lover of the wii in these past 8.5 months.   and our little baby.  she was barely crawling when daddy left..and is now running all over the place and learning new words every day.   as for mama...well, every deployment teaches me more about life, the strength of our marriage, the pure joy of each day with my children, and my NEED for God always.  

enjoy this small glimpse into our loving reunion...for those of you that have been throught it, you know it is a feeling you want to "bottle and savor forever"....

   

mother's day l a reflection

my life changed the moment i became a mom.

no words can express this love, the feeling of fufillment, this joy...

today (and everyday) i thank God for this gift.

i am blessed to be a mom and to still have my own mother to share so many things with. 

gorgeous sun

 

Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

project 52 l week 16 l motherly love

"the moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  she never existed before.  the woman existed, but the mother, never.  a mother is something absolutely new. " ~Rajneesh

its week 16 of  project 52.   i am having such a wonderful time participating in this project each week with the other ladies on the bloom forum.  its been fun getting to know the other photographers from all over the world.  this week's theme is motherly love. 

there were a lot of pictures i could have used for this week, but this picture stood out to me.  it was one that was just taken on a whim in the middle of life happening. it was not a planned shoot but just hanging out with another friend and our children.   (she happens to be a photographer as well and you can check out her fabulous work here).  my favorite pictures are ones like these. life in action. not posed, not perfect, but full of love.  

amy is also a military spouse and we have shared many talks on motherhood and our challenges as we raise our children, especially during deployments.  i think it is a common topic among miltary mamas.   as mothers we all sacrifice so much from the day our first child is born.   sacrifices are made that we never think twice about.   the meaning of life changes and we learn and feel a love like we have never known.  but with that love also comes an incredible responsiblity.  that responsiblity is  heightened as we are carrying it alone so much of the time.     the responsibility to raise our children to grow with God and to love others and treat them with kindness and respect.   i think we all wonder at times if we are doing things right.  and we all make mistakes.   but i think the best thing we can do for our babies (of any age) is to be there for them, make time for them, and LOVE them.   and to me, that is what this picture says.  

happy mother's day! 

head on over to Nancy Schumacher's page  and see her motherly love

the beach l spring break day 5

it has been a wonderful week having school out for spring break.   it really did reconfirm my excitement to home school next year and have this time daily as a family.  this week we set out to have some relaxing but fun times together.  we spent some time at home in the blow up pool, we went strawberry picking, we went kite flying, we went bowling, and today we headed to the beach.  the beach is always such a great place to go to spend some time playing but it is especially fun this year as all of the kids LOVE it. i will be sad to see school back in session next week, but know that summer is right around the corner.

 

project 52 l week 15 l sleep

it's week 15 of project 52 with the bloom forum.  and this week's theme is - sleep: where do you sleep? your children sleeping... peaceful moments.  as you can read in my previous blog posts  from this week, it has been spring break week at our house.   we have been having fun each day and enjoying this family time together.   i have even had the joy of taking a couple of naps this week...what a missed treasure they are!!!   this week i also began shooting with my new camera.  i made the switch to full frame and to nikon.  and i LOVE my new camera for all the reasons i thought i would.  one of them is the amazing pictures it can take at a very high ISO in very low light.    

these first two pictures were taken at ISO's 5000 and 3200...i have to say i am so impressed with this camera's ability. the lighting was very dim for these.   these pictures were taken on day 1 of our spring break and you'll see my sweet pea was worn out.  she didn't make it up to bed or even get changed into her jammies before falling asleep. i knew i had to capture this moment.

 this next picture is from one afternoon this week. my four year old has given up naps but defiitely needs them once in a while and this week he has needed one more often than usual.

 now head on over to Amy Ames, Holly Springs, NC blog and see what peaceful moment she captured....

off to the bowling alley l spring break day 4

the kids have asked every day....is today the day we are going bowling? and today was finally the day.    and what fun we all had!!!  we headed home just in time to find out we were under tornado watches and warnings once again. our area was affected a couple weeks ago terribly; so this naturally put me a bit on edge.  you can read more about our local devastation  here and here...  my prayers go out to all of the families across the country who have been affected by all of the recent tornado activity.  it is heartbreaking. here are a few (well, quite a few) pictures from our fun morning at the bowling alley... 

 

a little bit of this & a little bit of that l spring break day 3

today was day 3 of spring break. it was another nice relaxing day.  today the kids enjoyed their slip and slide, we headed to the park and we did a little bit of kite flying.   it was just another great day together.  the kids have been counting down all week for tomorrow's adventure...so make sure you stop by and see what we are up to. today's first picture was of sweet C in her usual "spot" hoping she could get out on the slip and slide...just loved this one!

the next few pictures are at the park and then down by the river....it was a super windy day, perfect for kites!

  

the strawberry patch l spring break day 2

today we decided somewhat spur of the moment to head out to the strawberry patch.   we knew we would go sometime during spring break but we just weren't sure when that would be.  we called and they were open with fields ready to pick, so out we went.   the kids had a blast and as you will see, one of my sweet three couldn't wait to get home (or out of the patch for that matter) to try some of our pickings....

spring break is here

it is finally spring break at our house and we couldn't be more excited.   sleeping in, quality time together, afternoon naps, casual dinners, and late movie nights.....this is spring break in our house!   and this little taste of it already has me super ready for summer.   i love the slow pace and the laughter and smiles that come with the fun we are having.  today was day 1 and we set out to get a new blow up pool (the real pool's don't open here until memorial day weekend) and a slip and slide...check back tomorrow and see what spring break fun we are up to then!

three blessings

tonight we were heading home from Easter service at church...the sun was gorgeous, i had my camera, so we stopped and took a few pictures. words can't describe my love for these three.....

  

a sweet and sassy kind of day...

we spent sunday afternoon celebrating my daughter's 7th birthday a few days early at a fun little spot called sweet and sassy. this spa caters to little girls of all ages and gives them the princess day of their dreams.  e got to pick one friend to join her and she chose our neighbor j who she spends most afternoons playing with.  the two girls got their hair done, manicures and pedicures, and of course, LOTS of glitter.   when they finished they got to walk the runway, which was their favorite part, i think! after their spa day we went out to lunch together.  it was so fun seeing them giggle and enjoy all the fuss and attention they received.   this was e's first time going to a spa and i could tell she thought it was "magical"...we waited to do anything like this until she showed interest in it.  as i've said before--we are not fans of encouraging our children to grow up any faster than they already are. and i'd say from her excitmement it was worth the wait.

hope

as i posted in the previous entry, our area was hit by the numerous tornadoes that touched down across North Carolina this weekend.   there are many displaced families in our area and my heart hurts for all of them.   there are many ways we can all help through donations of clothing, household goods, school supplies and many other items.  many of these people lost everything.  and even if you have nothing to give, the best gift of all i believe is prayer. 

i would like to offer 2 photography sessions with 100% of the profits donated to help the families of our area that have been affected by these tornadoes.   due to an upcoming move and my full time job as mother to three children, i can only offer two sessions at this time.  

details and cost--  $100:  for $100 you will receive 10 -15 digital edited images. i will include a print release for you to have these images printed at the location of your choice.  the session will include 1-2 hours on location in the camp lejeune/ jacksonville area.  you will need to schedule your session for a date between now and  31 May 2011.   i will let you know the specific dates i am available upon contact.  

again, 100% of the profits i receive from these two sessions will go to our local families.   i know this isn't a lot in the scheme of their needs, but i am hoping it can help in some way.

if you are interested please contact me at:  ginger.unzueta@gmail.com 

project 52 l week 12 l fur

it's week 12 of the bloom forum's project 52.  i have been enjoying this project with 20 other photographers this year. each week we have a new theme. last week we had a fun april fool's day theme.  this week  our theme is : fur-pets, fake fur, etc. it was so refreshing to have a subject this week that did not present such a challenge as the past two weeks.

i knew all along that our 11 year old lab Buster Brown would be the subject for this week's post.   my husband and i got him just a few  months after we got married.  he is such a part of us.   as we have had children--my time (and sadly my patience)....has become shorter with him.   but what is always so amazing to me, is that  he is so loyal and so faithful to each of us.  it doesn't matter how many days he's missed fetching down by the river or going for long runs.   he loves us unconditionaly--even when we don't really deserve it.   although, my time with him has become less, he has gained three new companions who love him with all of their hearts.   each of our children adore Buster and many of our neighborhood pals feel quite similar.    as i watch him getting older and know that his time with us is probably starting to get limited, i try and soak in these days with him, the memories, and the fun he has blessed us with.   i know we will never have another dog quite like mr. brown.  the pictures for this week were from a beautiful morning walk with our furry friend on Sunday.   i hope you enjoy.     the kids know no other life than one filled with their sweet and ever patient companion... we are so grateful for the years, the days..the moments we have been blessed with this friend!

now, don't forget to head on over to Julie Livermore, WY Photographer's blog and see what fur she has in store for you.   happy friday! 

a fun craft app

my daughter  loves crafts.   she is always into anything and everthing in our house.  she is forever designing  and crafting things from her imagination.   for Christmas we were given an i pad from my parents and this one gift has opened up a world of fun for us...(but that would be a whole different post to cover).  after getting our ipad my mother told me about the disney craft finder app by family fun.  this is such a fun thing to use.  you pick your child's age, time you want to spend on the craft, and time of year/holiday.  it then gives you assorted crafts you can pick from.  we have had such fun this spring doing various crafts.  we have made pipe cleaner and button bugs, bead bookmarks, and today we made tissue butterflies.  usually the crafts are things we can do with stuff already in the house, but if not, they don't usually take much. a quick trip to the dollar tree or michaels and we are ready to work.   i highly recommend this disney craftfinder app, and if you don't use the apple applications you can go right to their webpage here and use their interactive page to find fun crafts.    after we finished our butterflies, she took them outside..and they took flight!  this one simple craft brought her so much joy on a saturday afternoon!

"you don't chose your family-they are god's gift to you"

what a great quote by desmond tutu which i feel to be completely true.   i know i 've written before about sibling love and how much i love watching our children together.. loving each other, playing, and taking care of one another (and yes, even fighting with each other)   i grew up with 1 older brother and 2 younger sisters.   my brother and i were closest in age and i probably share the most memories with him during my childhood. sure there were times of bickering (my mom tells us how we used to have to go sit in bathroom together until we could work out our problems), but most of my memories are so special. we would play on our big wheels, play wiffle ball, around the world with basketball....then as we got older he'd drive us to school....and then i married one of his childhood best friends.   of course i also have memories with my sisters but i will say our relationships developed more as  we grew older, as they are 5 and 10 years younger than me.   but really no one knows you like your family. we are just blessed truly to all be close and share what we do.  and now it is so sweet to see our children becoming close--a new generation of memories being made.  today, i just want to say how grateful i am for each of my siblings...and to now be able to experience watching my own children share this unique bond with each other is priceless! 

 "there's no other love like the love for a brother.  there's no other love like the love from a brother. " ~Astrid Alauda

project 52 l week 11 l fooled ya'

welcome to another week of  project 52 with the bloom forum. i am participating in this year long project with 20 other amazing ladies.   there are also a number of other "blog circles" you can check out over on the blog.  these circles are great sources of inspiration with various topics each week. i love perusing through them.   last week our group did the theme out of focus, which was definitely a challenge.  this week was yet, another hard one for me.  it took me until the final day to decide what i would even do.   i cannot wait to see how the other gals in the group interpret this theme.    this week our them is-- fooled ya':  create an image that may look like one thing but in reality is another. for this theme many things came to mind...one was to photograph this fake little frog my daughter keeps scaring me with, it definitely fools me every time.  i also contemplated over using silk flowers and seeing how they would work. but in the end, this is what i did. 

did i fool you?   there she stands with her wooden ice cream cone!  Head on over to see what Linsey Stuckey, Houston TX Photographer, has decided to fool you with.

the creative mama photo challenge v7 l winner

this afternoon i was elated to find out i had won the photo challenge for the week at one of my most favorite blogs.  if you haven't checked out the creative mama, you need to.  these amazing ladies do fun posts ranging on everything from photography, mama fashion, kids crafts, fertility, and so much more.   i  find them so inspiring and there's always a little of something we can all relate to as mamas.  i have submitted photos to each of these challenges; not for the prizes but for the challenge they bring me each time.  this week i decided rather last minute to partake (it's been a crazy week here).  you can read about the "welcoming something new" challenge here. basically, the goal was to shoot in a different way than you normally do. as i've said many times i love light, sun flare and warmth in my photos, but i adore moody black and whites as well. i just don't do them often enough and need to get better at them, so this was a great challenge for me.   thank you to the ladies at creative mama for picking my picture. it melts my heart to see my little guy over on their blog.  this is by far one of my favorites of him to date.   you can read more about him here .  God certainly had a plan for him in our family.....  he is so full of love and adoration for us all.  we are blessed beyond words.