“we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.”― Friedrich Nietzsche
"gratitude is the memory of the heart." ~Jean Baptiste Massieu i have been working on a daily personal project of gratitude during the month of november. you can see my week one post here. this week i am here to share my past 7 days of thanks. as i take time each day to reflect on the people and things i am thankful for, my heart becomes full of memories and love. it has been such a gift to me to be able to realize daily that even the most simple things in life are what make it hugely wonderful.
i am thankful day 8- today i am grateful for the wonderful "cool front" that has brought beautiful fall weather to florida the past two days. cool enough for a jacket, but not too cold for bare feet.
i am thankful day 9- today i am grateful for the lessons that the gift of motherhood brings into my life-- even when I struggle through hard moments such as these. it is a reminder that through all of these times God is refining me into the person he has planned for me to become♥
i am thankful day 10- i am so grateful that whenever we want to visit my parents and ANY of my siblings and their families, that they are only a walk (scooter or skateboard ride) away. so blessed to live so close to family after being gone for so many years♥
i am thankful day 11-today i am grateful for the many mini-messes i find like these on our back porch. it reminds me that we are blessed to have three healthy children who love to play together and play outside. a simple but huge blessing indeed.
i am thankful day 12- today i am thankful for baby dolls. they really take my girls into a world of their own and bring so much joy into our house ♥
i am thankful day 13- today i am thankful that i had a mother who took the time to do fun traditions with us as children (like making Christmas cookies) & i feel even more grateful now to share these same traditions with my own babies. time with your children--i don't think there is a more precious gift
i am thankful day 14-i am so thankful for all of the sources of technology we are blessed with today. certainly, there is a time and place for it all (and yes, it can be a distraction) but it has also brought us so much joy in many different ways. skype calls with daddy while he is countries apart, emails and phone calls from friends and family far away, videos of moments never to be forgotten, and resources to be used at the tip of our fingers....(only to name a few.)
there is nothing i love more than capturing children in their element. no fussy clothes, poses, or expectations. i love just being there to watch their story unfold. i love when i can go into a home and capture a child in their world without them knowing i am there. this is where the magic is for me. these images bring me so much joy-the light, the connection, and the fun. i was able to become one with it all. they tell me the story of being two.
these girls have graced my blog before--they are like family to us and i am so happy i could capture them together again. i 've been so busy this fall, i haven't been able to blog all of the amazing families i have spent time with. but i just knew i couldn't let this session pass without sharing it. i love that their mother, blair used this opportunity to let her girls have fun and just enjoy doing something they love....dressing up and playing in all of mama's fun things. i had such a fun time being a part of these special moments.
before our dress up party we did have some fun together outside as well
"the days are so long, but the years are so short" -excerpt from the happiness project i remember distinctly typing this quote almost a year ago as our group started this project together and here we are almost twelve months later. the years simply fly by much too quickly. no day is an ordinary day as the mother of my three children. every day is a new adventure -some days we find fun and laughter; some days bring tears and trials; while others are filled with questions, sickness, triumphs, and surprises. but most importantly, our days are filled with love. and this love will be constant no matter how many years go by. today, i share my last 10 on 10 for the year. the ordinary moments are extraordinary when shared with those you love the most. today i have 10 moments from JUST ONE beautiful day shared with my children. i hope you enjoy.
thank you for following this project this year. to continue on with our blog circle please head on over to the blog of Elizabeth Jane Photo and see what her day included this month.
“...you are my rainbow to keep. my eyes will always be watching you; never will i lose sight of you.” -vesna bailey welcome back for this month's edition of just us. i love that this project has made me more aware of getting in the pictures with my children. this month's pictures really show it can be fun to do. my kid's love playing with the remote..so one morning, while still in jammies, my oldest daughter and i had a little fun in bed. snuggling in my bed is our favorite spot to be. since she was little, she has been our most snuggly, touchy baby. she is the only one of our three children, that you will find in between us in bed at some point, every night. she's a truly lovely soul and we are so blessed to call her our daughter.
once awake for the day, the baby of the family decided she wanted in on the fun. i couldn't say no, now could I?!
please continue on and see what the talented Misty Setzler l Lubbock, TX photographer has captured of her family this month.
november is always a crazy time of the year as we prepare for the Holiday season. it seems that between fall activities with our children, sports, holiday photo sessions, and just life...the days really are filled to the max. this year i wanted to take the time each day to be grateful for the many blessings in my life. i decided to do this as a photo project. some of these are HUGE blessings and some of them are the little things that make my life complete. each week during november i will share my daily photos... I am thankful day 1- i am thankful for this time with my children-not only as their mother but as their teacher. God has blessed us in so many ways. today we created our thankful tree. (without prompting from me, i love that Ellie was thankful for having family around and Mason for God--and little Caroline yelled Jesus--for sure that was probably what she "thought" she should say, but so happy HE is on her mind ♥
I am thankful day 2- so thankful for my firstborn--for the gift of becoming a mother and for the bond we share. she truly has a beautiful soul that is more than I could have ever dreamed for. she has been my rock in so many times when I've been "running the house" alone with my husband deployed. so grateful for this love in my life!
I am thankful day 3- today i am thankful for the simple things that bring so much joy. bare feet in november and the wonderful world of dress up.
I am thankful day 4- today and every Sunday i am thankful for this time to go to church as a family to learn, grow and worship together. we are so blessed to live in a country where we can freely do this
I am thankful day 5 - i am grateful today for the gift of sisterhood. i feel so blessed to have 2 amazing sisters who i now live so close to AND i am also incredibly thankful to see my daughters have each other as sisters... "A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life." ~Isadora James
I am thankful day 6- today i am so thankful for our only son that is sandwiched in between his two sisters. for the love he brings all of us and his crazy zest for life. we are so blessed that they have him to look out for them and LOVE them..AND to show them another world --apart from dress-ups, baby dolls, and other girly fun. here they are off to have a rock throwing contest. LOVE!!
I am thankful day 7- so grateful for the natural light that pours into our house. we have huge windows in every room of our house which is such a blessing when capturing my three babes at home. never forget the small things that bring joy in life.
thank you for joining our circle for another month of the illuminated word project. you can learn more about this special project here. on monday we celebrated my birthday. in the morning i came down stairs to find two signs made by my husband and my oldest daughter. one of the signs had the following scripture on it which seemed so fitting and perfect to share this month. i completely feel blessed in every way to be a part of the family God has bestowed me with ...
Proverbs 31:28-29: 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:29 “Many women do noble things,but you surpass them all.”
and here i am with these amazing gifts from God...(on halloween eve before we headed out to our neighborhood get together) 
off we go for some halloween fun...
and one last one-just because every time i look at it, i get a big smile on my face...
i'd love for you to continue on to the blog of Jessica Risinger and see what has been on her heart this month...
hello sweet boy,
today you turn 6. i can still remember the moment we found out we would be welcoming a little boy into our world. to be quite honest--i didn't know what i would do with a boy. i was caught off guard and surprised in all kinds of ways. i would never have dreamed the way that you would complete my life, like only you can. you have taught me so much about life and living it. you have taught me that parenting isn't always easy...it can be messy, hard, and challenging, but it is such a gift i never want to take for granted. you have shown me what it means to live out a crazy love, so full of emotion and presence . you have displayed a kind of bravery and zest for life that i envy and desire for myself to take on. you remind me so much of your dad in this way. i hope you will remain fearless and strong in your choices. you, our middle child, have shown each of us an extraordinary love. the way you take care of your baby sister makes me warm every time i see you together. and the way you look up to your big sister is so endearing. i pray that this adoration for your sisters never ends and that you will always be the best of friends. the lake has really become your happy place. whether you are spending time fishing, digging for treasures, or just running around in complete bliss. it is where you find peace and solace. i love that at six you still want me to lay with you at bed time. some nights you ask that i don't snuggle you; but then if i give you a few moments, you slowly embrace me. these moments with you are so precious; i hope i will feel and remember them always. never forget how much you mean to each of us. your dad and i pray that you will walk with the Lord and follow His plan for you in all you do. you have a special heart and so many gifts to give this world. happy birthday my sweet son.
i love you to the moon and back
“enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” robert brault
"look into my eyes and hear what I'm not saying, for my eyes speak louder than my voice ever will."
"i believe that happy girls, are the prettiest girls"-audrey hepburn
go see more of this month's fun entries at I Heart Faces.
this shot was taken of my two year old niece while my three children joined 5 of their cousins for some fun pumpkin painting. i used my 50 mm 1.4 lens on my nikon d700. i hope you enjoy.
my husband is back from spending the last 2 months over in the middle east and he had a few days off of work with us. the kids only request was to go bowling and it was a super fun family afternoon. (i made sure he captured a picture of me with the kids, but somehow i missed capturing him and the kids this outing)
be sure to check out our sweet baby's red bowling shoes. we were afraid they wouldn't have shoes her size (and we were right). so we snuck these in our bag and told her that they were her special bowling shoes. she LOVED them just as much as she loved bowling!
please follow along with our blog circle and see what the lovely Misty Setzler | Lubbock, TX Family Photographer has captured this month.
"love isn't always perfect. it isn't a fairy tale or a storybook. and it doesn't always come easy. love is overcoming obstacles, facing challenges, fighting to be together, holding on & never letting go. it is a short word, easy to spell, difficult to define, & impossible to live without. love is work, but most of all, Love is realizing that every hour, every minute, & every second was worth it because you did it together." -unknown love is us--every day. it is the simple moments. it is the laughter and the cries. it is everything we have together. now and always.
please continue with our blog circle and see what the very talented Renee Bonuccelli
" Cousins are those childhood playmates who grow up to be forever friends." i don't think there could be a more fitting quote for these girls. i just adore it. they are only 4 months apart--living only 4 houses apart. growing up playmates and becoming forever friends.
i took this series as part of a project for the Finding the Light Workshop. the goal was to tell a story through your images using different perspectives, angles, etc. i can't say enough amazing things about this wonderful workshop. if you are looking to grow as a photographer, you have to check it out!
Thank you for joining me for one of my favorite projects of the month. This month I would like to share the following scripture: Proverbs 3: 5-6 NIV:
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
I found this scripture after reading through my current Bible Study: Nehemiah, A heart that can break. by Kelly Minter.
This week one of the questions she asked us was: "Is it hard for you to move forward without everyone's support or approval? Why or Why not?"
This really spoke to me as we just began our second year of homeschooling. I've written and spoken to many about God's call for us to home school our children. We prayed a lot about this and were affirmed in this decision. And we had the most amazing first year of learning together. I can say that I am most at peace having our children home and having this quality time together as a family. All summer I planned and developed a wonderful room for our children to create and learn in and I was super excited for this new year with them.
And then the school year began. It started off wonderfully as our daughter began 3rd grade, our son began his kindergarten year, and the baby of our house continued to follow along with us. But as the weeks passed, I was reminded of questions I had been asked from friends and acquaintances.
Questions such as:
How long do you plan to home school your children? Will you always home school your children? Why did you choose to home school? When do you have your "own time"?
Followed by statements such as :
That's great that you are doing this, but I don't have the patience to home school my children. My kids are much too social and wouldn't enjoy homeschooling. I don't know how you do it all. Most home schooled children I know are "different"
Admittedly, I really began to have doubts and questioned God's purpose for our family. I began to feel like I had to prove to everyone that our kids would turn out "normal" and be successful. But who defines what is normal? Following Jesus in today's world isn't normal by many standards. And how quickly did I forget that my children's success is not measured by today's worldly views, but only in the eyes of our Lord.
I realized that I was letting others voices be heard over God's voice. No, it is not always easy to move forward when you don't have everyone's approval or support. But I must remember that when God gives instruction, He will provide the resources, the strength, and the answers. This road we have followed may always be filled with questions. And I know that each of us may experience lonely days by following God's plan for our lives and not society's plan, but I also know that we will reap many blessings through being obedient to God.
I must remember this verse and not rely on my own understanding, nor that of those around me, but trust in the Lord with all my heart. I must take faith that "He will make my paths straight." I hope that these words will also bring you comfort when you are doing something that isn't easy or something that others don't approve or understand.
Please continue to follow our circle and see what my friend Gail Pomare has on her heart this month.
i love the long, sun-drenched days of summer and am always sad to see them come to an end. these memories will always be cherished and never be forgotten. as i look back on these pictures, i see the beauty that is found on even the most ordinary day. i see the details, the smiles, and connections of my children and my heart becomes so full. i see the warmth of the sun and glimmer of the water that surrounds us daily and i feel so grateful. i feel so blessed to call this place home and these amazing people family.
summer's beauty 2012 from Ginger Unzueta on Vimeo.
i am so grateful for Let the Kids Dress Themselves and their Summer Shot List Project . i had such a great time doing this project over the summer months.