10 on 10 : the march edition

it's time for this month's 10 on 10.   if this is your first time here please follow this link to read more about this fun project.  i am really grateful for all the personal projects i have taken on this year. they really help me to remember to stop and capture my children and family just being them.   its always the pictures from these projects that i go back to and cherish so much. we've been enjoying some amazing weather here in florida the past month. the kids have spent every day outside playing and i love seeing them having so much fun!  its so refreshing to be out and enjoying the warmth and breezes.  its truly a lovely time of year.    this month ten images are all from one of our fun afternoons outside.  the kids got water balloons, water guns, and a sprinkler and had a blast.....this was followed by some play time down at the lake.    we couldn't be more thrilled to be living on the lake. the kids spend hours down there in the water and sand and are as content as can be.   i hope you enjoy a look into our warm waterfilled day...(this is how most days seem to be shaping up lately)

please continue along with our blog circle and see what Liz of Elizabeth Jane Photo has captured for her 10 on 10 this month....

lovely party of four

a couple of weekends ago i had the pleasure of capturing this family of four at a local lakeside park. this was the first time i had shot at this location and i fell in love as soon as i drove up. there was water, a beach, some oaks, a play park...a little bit of everything. and that night there was some gorgeous sun.  this family was such fun to be around. i just loved the playfulness of the brother and sister and how close they were...it was neat.  i have a few images of our afternoon together that i hope you enjoy...

finding the light workshop-week 1 & 2

wow.....i don't know if there is another appropriate word for my feelings on this workshop i am currently in.  i signed up for the finding the light workshop back in december after i'd heard about it the past year on the bloom forum from many photographers.     this workshop has really changed the way i look at light and want to shoot.   i have always been a lover of good dreamy light, but this workshop gives me a drive to be able to make light magical in any instance i am in.  it is amazing what the teachers and fellow students have already taught me.   they are all so inspiring.  i am thrilled to be a part of it. the past two weeks we have covered dramatic light and midday full sun/back light. i thought i'd share a few of the images i've captured while working on the past two week's assignments...many of these were not the ones i finally nailed the technique in, but nonetheless, got images i cherished of my precious babies.  stay tuned in the upcoming weeks as i learn more about finding the light...

project 52 l week 10 l memories

memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.  ~

From the television show The Wonder Years

this week our theme for project 52 is memories.  its really the every day moments that become the memories that last a lifetime.  it certainly doesn't take fancy vacations, elaborate toys or anything crazy.....just simple times with people you love.  i am so grateful for all the memories i have over my lifetime. they bring me laughter, tears, hope, peace....so many emotions.

as i reflect on the past week, i realize how many fun memories we make as a family on a daily basis. and what is so special when i look at the past week (and months)  is that my children's' "memories" now get to include their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who they see all the time.  such a treasure!  this week some of our memories included gardening with mita, sharing some quiet time with pito, helping celebrate two very special cousins' birthdays, water gun fights with each other, dr.Seuss's' birthday week celebrations and some fun in the lake....

now head on over to the blog of Clara from Heart Inspired Photography | Adelaide Photographer and see what memories she has captured....

project 52 l week 9 l alone

thanks for joining me for another week of project 52 with this fabulous group of ladies from the bloom forum.   we've had fun already this year exploring lots of fun themes like love, newness, and refreshing. this week our theme is alone.   i am in the process of taking an 8 week workshop called finding the light.  and it is truly amazing. in one week i've learned so much and i am so grateful to the teachers already!   they are each such talented photographers and teachers.  i wanted to use some of the techniques/pictures for this week's theme.

i love when i capture my children alone and content.   to find them in their own world and happy is a picture worth a thousand words. during my workshop this week we covered dramatic light shooting indoors.   after much trial and error I got a few I fell in love with.   and for all of these, i just loved them in black and white, vs. my usual color and sun filled images:)

next up is the super talented mary schannen of Melange Photography---go see what she has captured for alone

project 52 l week 8 l pretend

welcome back for week 8 of project 52 with my group of friends from the bloom forum.  this week our theme is : pretend.  i had lots of ideas for this theme.  doesn't it seem children spend much of their time in their "own pretend" world?  i know mine do.    daily, i watch super mario run around our yard.   i see store being played and meals being cooked in the kitchen.  and of course, with two little ladies in my house, i see itty bitty mamas, tending to their little babes.    its fun watching my children and seeing where their imaginations take them.   oh, how blessed i feel to be a part of their daily world...

i  hope you have a super fun weekend.  be sure to follow our blog circle and see what the very creative  mary schannen of Melange Photography has caputred for pretend.

pretty in pink...

i have to admit i was so excited when i got a message from elizabeth to photograph these adorable little ladies.  i was even more excited to capture HER in some of the pictures with her girls.   they are one of the sweetest families i know and it was such fun to hang out and visit during our shoot. elizabeth and i have shared a love of cute clothing and sewing over the years, but this was the first time i  got to meet her girls in person....adorable.   i hope you enjoy the moments i captured of them together.  elizabeth, safe travels back to Mississippi...

as if time stood still...

a couple weeks ago i had the opportunity to capture megan and her beautiful family.  megan and i were the best of friends our last few years of high school and i had not seen her in many years.  when i saw her that day it was as if time had stood still in many ways.  how wonderful it was to catch up and see her adorable children.  i am so grateful for the opportunity photography has given me to reconnect with so many people.  it is such a neat thing.   thank you megan for making the trip over here.  it meant so much to me.  you have a very special family and i hope you enjoy the pictures...

project 52 l week 7 l love

"the greatest gift that you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance" brian tracy

welcome to week 7 of project 52.  i am enjoying discovering this year's themes with this great group of ladies from the bloom forum.  this week our theme is love.  i feel very blessed to be surrounded by so much love in my life.  ultimately it isn't the things we have in life, but the people we share our lives with.  i am so blessed to have loving parents and in laws, a loving husband of almost 13 years and three amazing children that have taught me so much about unconditional love.  not to mention the love i have of my siblings and dear friends.    my life is very full and for that i am thankful. 

as i was thinking of love i thought about unconditional love. i don't know if i truly felt this extraordinary feeling until i became a mother,  but i certainly know it very well now.   it tugs at your heart and no words can really explain the magnitude of it.   this led me to think of our dog buster brown.  our loyal companion for almost 13 years as well.    i have written about our buster before.  and it just amazes me the love our pets bestow on us.   over the years buster has certainly seen his "spotlight" dim,  so to speak, as we have had more children, taken on more responsibilities, and just become busy raising our family.  but his love for us is unchanging and always faithful.  it's beautiful.   so for this week i dedicated my love session to him and my oldest daughter.   to me there is something so warming about seeing these two together. both, continue to teach me so much about unconditional love..

please continue on with our circle and see what the super talented mary schannen of Melange Photography captured for love...

almost 1 and almost due...

this weekend i was delighted to spend the afternoon with this family.   this sweet little girl is turning 1 this month and they are expecting a baby brother in April.   what fun they are going to have with these two.  both mama and daddy are doctors so i am most certain it already makes for a very busy family.   chris and i grew up together and were the best of friends all through high school.   it was so wonderful to see him and his growing family and get to catch up on the years that have passed.   i loved seeing them all interact and can't wait to see them again with baby number two.  i wish you guys all the best and hope you enjoy a peak into our afternoon...

project 52 l week 6 l letting go of perfect

"the imperfections of a man, his frailties, his faults, are just as important as his virtues.  you can't separate them.  they're wedded"  ~Henry Miller

welcome to week 6 of project 52, with my group of friends at the bloom forum.   i thank you for continuing to follow our fun project.   if you are new this week, please read a little about this idea. we've already done some great themes like homemade, newness, and refreshing.

this week our theme is : letting go of perfect.  i have struggled my whole life with perfectionism.  with wanting others to be happy.  pleasing people.   as i've gotten older i am starting to intentionally let go of some of this.  i want to know perfect isn't something i have or need to be.  it really isn't something God even designed me to be.   we were designed to need God and i need to realize all of my faults and shortcomings, make me the person He created.  

 i love the art of photography, because what may be someone else's mess up, is someone else's art.  its a beautiful thing that way.  i love that as artists we all see things in our own special way. and i cannot wait to see this week how my group each decided to capture this theme.   my pictures evolved as the week went on.  surely there were many things in my life i could do to "let go of perfect."    we were making valentine's day cards and of course before we ever started i had seen many oh, so cute designs on pinterest.   i had ideas flowing through my head.  but somehow things changed.  my children wanted to do something without direction. something that was just theirs.  their own ideas, their own creations.  mom not telling or showing them what they needed to do.  so i let go of my picture perfect ideas...and let them do their own.  it was messy and glitter was just about everywhere.  AND they loved it!!! they were proud of what they created.  i am so glad i did this...

now head on over to my dear friend Gretchen Ceranic's blog Little Life Photography and see how she has captured letting go of perfect...

all the family together...

nothing is better than having your family all together. it truly is one of life's greatest blessings.  this past weekend i had the pleasure of capturing 5 daughters, their parents, their husbands, and children. they are all gorgeous inside and out and i hope i will have this honor again. this family is very special to me, as i've known them most of my life.  we lived next door to each other many years and also grew up in the same church. it was so neat to be in their house and see them all interacting with children of their own. they remind me of my own family in so many ways. i hope you all enjoy this extra large preview of our short time together... 

almost two...

this morning i had the pleasure of capturing this precious little girl.   she is about to celebrate her second birthday and was so cute to watch.   i am sure her parents did not have in mind quite how our session turned out as she soaked two dresses in the lake by the time we were done.  but she had such fun and got to explore and be herself.  meanwhile, i tried my best to capture her for her parents to remember her at this special point in her life.   i hope you enjoy this preview of our morning at the lake... it sure was a fun time!

project 52 l week 4 l homemade

thanks for joining us for another week of project 52.   we are a group of photographers who are all members of the bloom forum.    we will be challenged each week to photograph a new theme.  last week's theme was refreshing.  this week our theme is homemade.   once again, this week we have been enjoying the amazing weather and have spent a lot of time outdoors.  the kids and i were going to make homemade boats and have boat races in the lake.  here's a neat link to making boats i found on Pinterest.  we ended up buying plastic boats and the kids made sand castles along the raceway and dug out a "victory spot"  for their boats to float in after the race. (we will try to make these cute paper boats eventually). hope you enjoy a glimpse into our afternoon..

continue with our blog circle and see what the everso talented Mary Schannen of Melange Photography has this week for homemade...

project 52 l week 3 l refreshing

we are back for another week of project 52 with my friends from the bloom forum.   thank you for continuing to follow our project this year.    we have so many fun themes ahead and it is so  inspiring to see how our circle of  photographers capture the theme each week.   this week our theme is refreshing. refreshing brought many thoughts to mind.  a tall glass of water after a long run, a glass of lemonade on a hot sunny day,  a nice refreshing shower.   so many moments can portray this word so well.  for my pictures this week i captured my two oldest children out on the dock enjoying popsicles, some laughter, and fun.  we did have a few cold days here in florida last week (cold for us in the 40's and 50's) but this week we were back to our nice 70's in the afternoon and the kids were barefoot and carefree once again (and it is super refreshing to feel the humid free air with such a gentle breeze to it).   it truly is such a wonderful time of the year here.   the kids are so enjoying being able to get their school work done early and have the rest of the day to explore and enjoy life.   it is a true blessing.  i also captured one picture of the clouds and sky reflecting off the lake.   i thought it was so gorgeous.  it really is so relaxing to live on the lake. i have been spending most late afternoons just sitting by the water as my three little ones make sand castles and play till their hearts are content...

please continue with our blog circle and see what Clara from Heart Inspired Photography | Adelaide Photographer caputured this week..

project 52 l week 2 l newness

welcome back to project 52.   it's week two and this week our theme is newness.  you can read more about our project here.  for this week i thought of many ideas for new, especially with it being a new year.   then this sunday in our lifegroup at church we were discussing if we had resolutions.   only two people in our class did.   i mentioned how last year i decided to have a word for the year.  last year my word was glorify.  until sunday i was not sure of my new word or what i would do for my post this week.

but then something kept coming to mind and i couldn't stop thinking about it and that is the newness we find in Christ. 

2 corinthians 5:17:  therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 

that pretty much sums up newness for me. each day, each moment, each breath i take is new in Christ and for that i am forever grateful and honestly quite humbled by...

and this leads me also to my word of 2012.  

REACH

According to Merriam Webster's dictionary:

transitive verb

1

a : to stretch out : extend b : thrust

2

a : to touch or grasp by extending a part of the body (as a hand) or an object <couldn't reach the apple> b : to pick up and draw toward one : take c (1) : to extend to <the shadow reached the wall> (2) : to get up to or as far as : come to <your letter reached me yesterday> <his voice reached the last rows> <they hoped to reach an agreement> d (1) : encompass (2) : to make an impression on (3) : to communicate with

3

: to hand over : pass

 

our pastor preached on this this sunday.  he spoke of "reaching up, reaching in and reaching out".  I want to remember always to reach up to God for everything...guidance, comfort, forgiveness.  I want to reach in..and serve; to live outside of myself and live for HIM and others.  I want to reach out and share His word with others.

 and here is my daughter, reaching to look out her window and see what's going

 

please continue on with our blog circle and see what Mary Schannen of Melange Photography has for newness.

10 on 10: the january edition

i  can't believe a month has flown by since i first introduced you to this project.  its time for my next 10 on 10.  you can read about this project here if you missed the first one.   this month i decided my 10 on 10 would come from Christmas day.  once again, i went over the 10 pictures. this month,  i also thought i'd write this post as a letter to my little ones... my dearest children,

what a fun time we had getting ready for Christmas. when the morning finally arrived, you were all full of excitement and anticipation.  what fun it is to see the magic and wonder through your eyes.   this was our first Christmas morning waking up in our own home. this was the best gift for mama and daddy.   until this year, we were always travelling home to florida, so living here is such a blessing in more ways than one.  when you woke up yall found the last note of the year that "cute red elf"  left.   bubby was so sad to realize the elf would not be returning for another year.   yall were ready then to run downstairs and see what santa had left.   but you were so patient while we woke up baby sissy.  once downstairs you were all ecstatic about your surprises.  big sissy is loving american girl this year and  you found your double stroller and bitty twins from Santa, and were super excited about your camera that we gave you.  bubby got a cars race track, a new bike, and some more cars goodies and games.  and baby sissy was over the moon with your new pram pink stroller and your very own baby.    we had fun opening gifts at home and then headed over to mimis with all the other cousins.  it was crazy, but such fun being all together.  we are truly blessed to all live here on the same street. i don't think i will ever take that for granted.  after breakfast and more presents we all went home for naps and you guys played with your new toys a bit.   the house was a complete disaster zone.   later in the afternoon we headed back to mimis for lunch.  after lunch we danced on the patio, played outside and just had some wonderful time with the family.  it didn't take long after getting home, that everyone was asleep and pooped out for the day...even Buster.  it was such a wonderful Christmas day.  daddy and i both pray that you always remember how very blessed our family is and the true meaning of why we celebrate Christmas...

i love you all to the moon & back,

mama

 

please continue on with our blog circle and see what Elizabeth Jane photo has for her 10 on 10.

dreamy

i am so excited to share this session.  what a wonderful time it was capturing this family together.  the sun was dreamy, their outfits were just perfectly precious and they were all a breeze to work with.  i had not seen tori (the mother) in years.   she and i went to high school together and have been in touch via facebook and email for a while. it was such a delight to spend the afternoon with her family.  tori, i can't wait for your next visit when we can get the kids all together to play and we can spend some more time catching up .  i hope you love your preview.. 

a special place in my heart...

i can still remember the afternoon i met crecia at the park.  she had just found out she was pregnant with number two and had an adorable son who was almost 18 months.  i would soon find out i was also pregnant (with number three) and we would have our girls weeks apart.   our friendship came at a wonderful time and we have so many fun memories together.  we were blessed to share so many loves...our families, the Lord, crafting, sewing...the list could go on.   it was a sad day when they moved from NC to FL....but a happy reunion this December when they got to visit us here in our hometown in FL.   it was such a wonderful time seeing the entire family.  during their week stay, we were able to get some pictures of their adorable family of four.  it isn't hard to see the love that encompasses this family.  i hope you enjoy this preview of our morning together....

project 52 l week 50 l remember & reflect

"be happy for this moment.  this moment is your life."-omar khayyam

this is the last week of project 52 with my current group of friends.   its amazing to think we've been doing  this for 50 weeks together.   and what an awesome time it has been. our group got off to a late start last year, so we are acutally 2 weeks short of a full year.  next week i iwill begin my 2nd year of project 52 with a new group and new themes...i am so excited!!

this final theme was : remember and reflect..what is something you want to do differently in 2012?

as i remember and reflect on 2011....it isn't so much on anything i want to change.   but really, how much i wish i could stay right here in this moment.   i can remember last year this time.   my husband had been deployed four months and we had atleast five months left apart.   we knew we would be moving duty stations, but not sure where the Lord would take us.   we had been praying about homeschooling our children but the answer was not clear.   i can almost feel the uncertainty my life was filled with as i reflect on last year.   and i can tell you, my faith in God grew more and more as i let Him lead us and prayed we would take the right paths in all aspects of our life. 

 now a year later...i am basking in the feeling of having our family complete.  yes, my husband is busy traveling a lot but he is home most of the time.   we have closed on our home in the town my husband and i grew up in and are raising our children with both sets of grandparents and cousins all around them.  we have our children at home daily;  learning together and sharing our days as a family.   life is fairly simple and good and i just thank God for all of this.   as i reflect on 2011 it was certainly a year filled with many decisions and much change.    it was a time of growth for me spiritually and personally.  and my hope for 2012 is to enjoy each and every moment spent with my husband, our children, and our families, because its simply what really matters...

our house now sits on this quiet  lake.  there isn't a day that i don't wake up and look out the windows or sit on the back porch and think how grateful i am to be home.  when i saw the kids playing at the lake  this afternoon, it reminded me of the way i feel right now as the new year begins.   they are so peaceful and so content...

 

 head on over to my friends lucy's blog,  Lucy Jane, Adelaide Photographer and see what she remembers about 2011...