letters to our children | a letter to my son | february 2013

dear bubby, for your birthday a few months ago  i shared a letter with you about how you complete me in so many unexpected ways.  having you, our only son, has taught me so much about love.   you have shown me that love doesn't always come easy; it can be messy, hard and challenging.  but wow, what a gift your love is. it can be quiet and tender and so thoughtful as well.

you are all boy in all you do. you are fearless and competitive and you love to be rough and explore the world around you.   i often wonder if somehow you are missing out by being surrounded by girls all the time.  you are the middle child in our family with two sisters and you live on the same street as five of your girl cousins. sometimes,  i get sad as i see all of the girls playing, that you do not have a boy to share your childhood with.  yes, you have friends, but not a brother or a cousin close by in age or proximity.

i have come to realize that you are just fine and you are going to be an amazing man one day because of being the only boy.   you indeed are all boy, yet you have a tender side to you that is beautiful.  you care how other people are feeling and you express empathy for them.   you have learned patience as your sweet girl cousins admire you and always want to be near you.   you have learned to find your own "role" in your sisters' pretend games. God had an awesome plan with blessing our family with you as our only boy.  we all have learned so much through you.

thank you for being who you are. thank you for the laughter you bring into our home and the love you speak, not with words, but through lovely actions.  i am so blessed to have you as my one and only son.

i love you to the moon and back.

te amo, mama

i am blessed to be a part of this circle of amazing artists and friends to write letters to our children each month. up next in our group is amy grace.  she is always able to use her incredibly soulful words and images to capture the beautiful love she shares with her children.

10 on 10 | the february edition

"where there is love there is life. "-Mahatma Gandhi

this month i decided to do my 10 on 10 a little different.   my goal this year is to use this monthly post as a time to capture 10 images captured throughout one day to tell the story of our daily life.  BUT as an artist, sometimes other visions creep in and play out differently. today i am sharing 10 simple images of our two daughters together.  these were all taken in a span of about 5 minutes, but the story of these images would take me forever to tell.

with these images i share ten words i hope and pray my girls will always remember when they think of one another.

companion.

love.

respect.

humility.

joy.

empathy.

compassion.

forgiveness.

appreciation.

guardian.

i am extremely blessed to being doing this project with a wonderful group of ladies that i have already grown to love so much.  i am amazed daily by all of their talent.  please follow along our circle and see what the beautiful and extremely talented Summer Murdock has captured this month for her 10.

everyday beauty l march online workshop

Learn how to utilize light, composition, connections, and details to create memories that will last a lifetime. Ginger will provide heart-filled insight into observing the everyday routines within your home enabling you to capture authentic moments. Additionally, she will present ideas for you to create your own story telling session from start to finish. Finally, she will discuss shooting in public places and the importance of getting in the pictures yourself.

This two-week interactive workshop consists of four assignments, including feedback from Ginger, intended to challenge each student’s abilities. A question and answer section will be provided where Ginger will actively engage with all students. At the end of the course there will be a private section on Bloom where participants can continue interacting and sharing with one another. A PDF file will be provided at the conclusion of the course with all content covered during the workshop.

**All students (including silent participants) will be able to participate in an exclusive Q & A session that will take place with Ginger during part of the workshop.

A DSLR camera and basic knowledge of shooting in manual is recommended. You must be a member of The Bloom Forum to participate.

Early registration details:

(this is your chance to sign up early before registration is opened inside of the forum-seats are limited)

 Workshop Dates: March 18- April 1

If you are not a member of The Bloom Forum yet, you can join by clicking the icon below.

Please note that this is for the March 2013 Everyday Beauty Workshop. If you are looking to register for the January 2014 workshop please go here.

If you have any questions please send an email to : ginger.unzueta@gmail.com

The workshop fee is non-refundable.

our little artist l a mother's heart

"every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures"    -Henry Ward Beecher our three year old has fallen in love with painting.  every morning while her big brother and sister do their school work she paints.   i love to watch her as she colors her canvas.  she concentrates, she sings, and she even dances as she makes her art.   it is serious work to her and she always asks me if her work  looks pretty.  some mornings she does many pictures, while other days just one is enough.   i was happy to capture her in her element yesterday morning.  this is her at three--an artist painting what is inside of her soul.   i cherish these moments with all of my heart.

grace | film

"everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets up back into the slow circles of nature, is a help.  gardening is an instrument of grace" - mary sarton a little over a month ago, i found my old canon rebel 35mm camera.   it had been in a box through many of our military moves after being "replaced" by numerous digital cameras in the last 10 years.  i have admired and watched artists who have recently pursued film and done it with such beauty.  i was intrigued. i was lured by the colors, the depth, and the feel to film. in addition, i loved the idea of minimal processing.  i knew i had to give film a try, yet i was without doubt that there was so much i did not know.  i honestly didn't even know if this old camera of mine still worked. i read an article on let the kids dress themselves and i was encouraged. then,  i got the FIND book for Christmas which is an amazing read that i keep reading over and over.  i began asking a million questions on the bloom forum from some pretty amazing and open ladies. and i began shooting.  i've gone through a lot of film the past month. i've tried different brands. i've tried different processing sources including CVS, walgreens, and Indie Labs.   i've been excited, frustrated, nervous, excited, frustrated and nervous. i circle with emotions, but i haven't given up.

this film journey has been a wonderful reminder of grace and that we all need grace in our lives.   i have to remember i did not become the photographer i am today with my digital camera overnight, and this journey it will take time and patience and more time and patience.  there are things i love about my digital nikon d700 which i just don't think i could ever completely give up, but i am excited to learn more and play in this fun world of film.

the images below are some of my favorites so far. they are shot with fuji 400H and developed at CVS. and i ended up having to have the negatives re-scanned at our local walgreens because for some strange reason all of my pictures originally had lines going across them.   grace & patience...i must remember these words.

10 on 10 | the january edition

this month i documented a lazy day at home after a busy filled holiday season. i love these type of days.  sleeping in.  playing in the back yard.  just being lazy around the house.  really a perfectly ordinary day. quietly at work.

sleeping beauty.

another sleeping beauty and her baby doll.

getting dressed.

the light surrounds her.

the view from my room.

relaxed.

cereal for lunch.

iphone and shadows.

bath.

i've joined a group of amazing ladies to share this project with this year.  they are each so talented and i can't wait for you to see their fabulous work.  first up is summer murdock --head on over and see what her day looked like.

looking back on 2012 l a mother's heart

this week i set out to create a memoir for my children of 2012.   i could never have narrowed this down to one blog  post as i went through thousands and thousands of pictures, so i decided to make a movie.  i am so grateful to have these every day moments of my children to cherish for years to come.   as i look back on the year i see we spend a lot of time in our backyard at the lake and a lot of time together.  both of these are amazing blessings for our family. when we decided to home school our children, family time was one of the benefits at the top of the list.   if our children were off at school and preschool we wouldn't have had so many of these memories together as a family and for that i am thankful.  we had 1000's more pictures with cousins, grandparents, friends;  and of course, mom and dad, but in an effort to eliminate some, i chose to pick some of my favorites of just the kids.  many of these are far from technically perfect, but the memory that goes with each one was of far greater importance to me than if it was "perfect".    i could say so much about 2012 but i think the images speak best on their own.   i look forward to seeing God's plan for our family in 2013. much love to you and yours as we look ahead to the new year.

a look back on 2012 from Ginger Unzueta on Vimeo.

down time

it has been a most joyous few months as we celebrated birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving and finally ending this week as we celebrated the birth of our Savior with Christmas.   i will be quick to admit, no matter how hard i try, the holiday season becomes very busy and filled with a lot of fun (but time consuming) activities.    it has been nice to have the past few days to just relax and have no plans on our "agenda".   i have even taken a few afternoon naps which have been quite enjoyable.   these images were from one morning this week. i stopped to observe our three year old as she was just enjoying some down time herself.

a favorite gift

on Christmas day she was showered with many presents. some were big and some were small,  but this one;  it was one of her favorites. oh, to be 3 again.

steal my show l a mother's heart

  many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. proverbs 19:21

i was riding with my oldest daughter one evening recently to get ice cream when she asked me if we could put some music on through my iphone.   i said sure, and the next thing i knew we were singing and praising the Lord as we drove down the road.   it isn't a secret that our family loves to worship through music and that my children are very familiar with Christian artists and radio. this particular song choice was one i wanted to keep playing over and over again.  and the words continue to play on in my head.  the song is called : steal my show by toby mac.  you can read the lyrics here and also hear a sample from this song. these words speak to my life and i wanted to share them, because perhaps they would speak to yours as well.

If You wanna steal my show I'll sit back and watch You go If You got somethin' to say Go on and take it away Need You to steal my show Can't wait to watch You go, oh, oh So take it away

as i  work in our home as a mother, wife and teacher,  or act as a friend to those i love, or share my photography;  my wish, is for Him to "steal my show".   i want the Lord to use me in the way only He knows and has planned.  i wish to glorify Him in my actions in every area of my life.   and yes, i want God to take me over, to take all parts of me and use them.  as Toby Mac says in his interview about this song:   "no matter what you do or who you are, you have a life.  you can take it and make it yours or give it away and let God do something bigger with it than you ever imagined."

my prayer today is that i will never stop giving my life to God and that i will seek His plans and His glory and not my own.

these pictures are of my youngest daughter doing a little "show" of her own.  in these images,  i can clearly see God and His amazing work  in our home and i am blown away at all He has done for us.

words i will not forget l a mother's heart

last week  i was at my computer finishing the last of my editing for the busy fall photography season.  i have to admit during the month of november, with all of the shoots i had scheduled, it seemed like i was editing in every spare moment i had.    in addition to being a photographer, mother, and wife, i am also my children's teacher. we have now homeschooled our children for the past two years.   you can read about this decision more here, but it was by far one of the best God led decisions our family has ever made. as i sat at the table, my 8 year old daughter came up to me, and asked me to do something with her.  at this time, i cannot remember what that something was, but i told her i had a lot of work to finish and i would play later.   and then the words she said came out and i can still hear them loudly in my head.  to be honest, it's hard for me to even write about this but i need to.   this week i came across a blog called the hands free mama and i have been blessed to get to know the writer, Rachel through emails.   i have been so inspired by her honesty and open heart.  i feel as mothers we all need to be authentic. we need to share not only the joys on our journeys as mothers,  but share our lessons as well. today i am here to share the words my daughter said, which i can not let free from my head. you see, she told me "you never play with me. you are always on your computer"   wow.  those words stung in my ears like no other.

at that moment i felt sick to my stomach, sad, and angry with myself.  i am with my children all day, every day.  i bake with them, i craft with them, i do daily devotions with them, we school together...i really could go on an on.   i do not think  that i am a mother missing out on my children's childhood in any way.  and i do know that children can have a way of exaggerating the way they are feeling, but even so, the words hurt.  they really made me look at my priorities and commitments and reflect.  how often do i play on "their terms"?   how often, do i stop whatever it is i am doing and say sure let's go?  it's easy to play when i've planned the craft or activity to fit our daily schedule.  but it isn't always easy to stop something we are doing (which may very well  be important) to go play.  is it always easy to play in the backyard with the kids  (no, not be out there while they play, but really play with them)?  is it easy to stop what we are doing and play a board game when asked?  the list could go on.

we've been blessed that  i can stay home with our children.  my photography business started as a passion and a  way of giving back to others in my community.  i realized this year that i cannot keep up at the pace i was going and make everyone happy.  my home life was neglected during this crazy time of shooting other families and that is not acceptable to me as the mother of our home.   i have decided that in 2013 i will be doing much less work and not shooting  at all after September.   as much as i love to share this gift; being a mother, wife, and teacher are the priorities God has given me at this point in my life.  i don't want to neglect those duties, because i over-committed myself outside of our home.

i believe that as mothers we have to have our own loves and interests. we need to pursue something we love outside of motherhood.  i have always done this and feel it is very important.  i have no intention of giving up this passion, because i know that God gives each of us our talents and places these passions on our heart. i pray for His guidance in showing me what He has planned for me to do with this gift and how i can glorify Him through it.

as any mother that works from home can testify to, boundaries have to be set.    i let myself take on so much work, outside of our home, that boundaries got lost and the work overtook my home.  each day there has to be a "set time" when work is done.  in addition, time for house chores, cooking, etc. are planned each day, so that expectations are in place. this is easier said than done, but in 2013, my plan is to try my best to do better.  i say try, because i know i will always fall short of being perfect. i just don't want to miss any moment with my children because i let other priorities take precedence.

one afternoon this week  my daughter came and asked me to do origami with her.   and yes, a bathroom was calling my name to get cleaned.  my husband can testify to the fact that that bathroom was pretty awful.  but i set my bucket down and i went and did origami with my cherished 8 year old.  we had the best time laughing and talking and just being together.   i love my children so much and i just pray they will feel my never ending love for them deep in their hearts.

something more than making banana bread l a mother's heart

"photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. what you have caught on film is captured forever. . . it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything." -Aaron Sussman over the weekend my youngest two children joined me in making banana bread.   really, this could be just an ordinary event, but i try to look at everything in our home as a treasured moment.  every moment is a gift from God and we have the opportunity to make these moments extraordinary each and every day.  i started taking pictures long before having children, but my passion came alive in a unique way as i captured the every day life i experience as a mother.   it's so true that pictures will give us a way to remember all the little things we may not remember years from now.  i will see these pictures i captured while baking and remember the wonder my three year old experienced as she turned the mixer on and off over and over again.  and i will remember the frustration she felt while  peeling the banana all by herself.

recently,  i have come to a new realization.  the pictures are indeed amazing gifts that i will have to cherish forever.   i know i will relive these moments time and time again as i look through past memories. but truly the gift is experiencing  the actual moments with my children.   i cannot explain to you in words what i feel during these moments spent with my children, but it is an incredible feeling.   i've learned the more moments i let unfold, just as they normally would, not posed or pre -meditated; the more i feel them and live them with my children.  i laughed so hard yesterday as i watched our baby girl do her best to add flour to the bowl, while spilling most of it at her feet.   i showed her it was okay to mess up, and to try again.   i felt so much joy as i saw my two children giggling about the smell of the dough and deciding if they liked it or not.  you see the experience is the best gift of all.  i want our albums to be filled with authenticity. in addition,  i want to give thanks and glory to the One who has made these moments possible.  photography has definitely been a gift that has given me much more than the tangible blessing of pictures.  it has slowed me down in ways, because as i look at all the pictures i've taken, i am keenly aware of how fleeting my time with our children really is.   my eyes see things in a new way that takes in all of the beauty around me in all the every day moments.  beauty as magnificent as the sun or as simple as my children in the kitchen.  there is certainly beauty and wonder in everything.  God has used this journey to touch my life in ways i never dreamed.  to say i am grateful doesn't seem to say enough.

over the weekend my husband sent me a link to a video on an interview by Christy Nockels, a Christian artist, discussing her new album Into the Glorious.  in all things i see God's purpose and plan.  my husband had NO idea i was writing this post  and when i opened the you tube video and heard her words it was as if my husband knew exactly what has been stirring in my heart.  i am amazed by God's hand in our lives..truly amazed.   there was something she said during her interview that i could relate to in such a strong way.  another mother had shared this wisdom with her and i want to share it with you.  " you can invite the glorious into the mundane.  there is an invitation that is present to us in our everyday lives as mothers, students, as workers in the workplace. there's this invitation to us in to the glorious things of who He is. "  you see, ordinary moments in your home are anything but ordinary when you invite God into your life.  the most simple activities are the most beautiful gifts from God as you allow Him to work through you and for you.  its about so much more to me than pictures of making banana bread (or painting, or crafting, or reading)---it's about the glorious i am finding right here in the mundane.  and realizing the every day is so much more than mundane.

independence l a mother's heart

i know it's only an orange. yes, its just a simple picture of our baby girl, peeling her own orange.  but to me, the mother of this sweet 3 year old, it's a lot more.  it's her saying "i dood it mom".  it's finding the independence that she wants and me giving her the baby steps to try new things.  all the while, i want to take her in my arms and tell her not to ever grow up.  it's harder in ways with her, our third child.  it's harder because i've seen how fast the time goes by with our oldest daughter of 8 and our middle son of 6.  so i try to slow her down, but some days there is no stopping her.  today she sat and peeled her own orange-she didn't want mama's help.  so of course, i picked up my camera and documented it.  don't let these moments that seem so ordinary at the time slip past you.  you don't have to have a fancy camera or be a pro to record your family's milestones.  grab your phone or whatever you have. just capture it.  i can promise you that you'll be so happy you did.

the quieter side to three l a mother's heart

yesterday i posted about a breakout session with anne wick i bought through the clickin moms website.  if you missed all of the details you can go back to the post here.  today i felt challenged to take some pictures of my three year old. i am always able to capture her vibrant and loving personality, but capturing the quieter and more curious side to her is more of a challenge.   i spent a few moments just hanging out with her, talking to her and observing her.   one thing holds constant, this little love of mine, expresses her thoughts and feelings in her eyes so much.   love her. now, if you haven't bought anne's break out session, what are you waiting for?   only a few days left to go get yourself a copy.

just us l december 2012

last week i was out with my children in hopes of getting a Christmas card picture.   during the shoot my son asked me if he could try to use my camera.  i am so glad i gave him the opportunity. they are by no means perfect, but are definitely such treasures to me.

now head on over the blog of  Misty Setzler | Lubbock, TX Family Photographer and see what she has captured this month

connecting l a mother's heart

this week i bought a breakout session from clickin moms called:  connected l shooting from the heart with anne wick.  honestly, i bought this on a whim after seeing a friend post a link to it on her facebook page. at that moment i headed over to anne's photography facebook page and fell in love with her work.  i became curious about her breakout session. i feel confident in connecting with my subjects, but there was still something i was able to take from her session that resonated with me in a new and wonderful way.  i love that about this art.  fellow artists can truly push us and ignite our creativity in ways we didn't even know we needed.   after only skimming through the pdf, i decided i wanted to try one of the exercises with my oldest daughter.  and in a matter of 15 minutes i was able to capture these pictures.  i am so drawn to the variety of expressions i was able to get and the realness in every one of these images.  and once again, thank you anne.

a look inside l a mother's heart

it only take a few moments, to stop, observe, and capture the special connections i see daily in our home. these are the  memories i want to hold close to my heart forever and i am so glad i stopped this morning to do this.

i am thankful personal post l final week

thank you for joining me the past month for this wonderful project and reflection. the little, the big, the everyday, the extraordinary; they are all blessings i never want to take for granted. i am thankful day 22- i am so grateful that my children are getting to grow up with their cousins all so close. and that they truly are all the best of friends.

i am thankful day 23- i am thankful for hot chocolate on a chilly florida morning and snuggling with daddy's childhood blankey ♥

i am thankful day 25-i am so grateful for the baby of our family. for the joy and laughter she fills our house with. i will never forget when she was in the NICU as a preemie and her dr. said she was a "super star"...she's lived up to that name ever since. she's so full of life and love. we are all blessed.

i am thankful day 24-i am so thankful to live on the lake. it is such a blessing to have this as our back yard now. most days you will find our children happy as can be playing and building in the sand down by the water.

i am thankful day 26- i am grateful and in complete awe of God's amazing creations. when i look around at everything He created for us to enjoy, i am amazed ! from my beautiful children, to the earth and sun...there are so many creations that just leave me speechless.

i am thankful day 27- i am thankful for moments like these. when i see the laughter, spontaneity, and love between my three children. nothing makes my heart more warm and filled. so blessed to be their mama.

i am thankful day 28-thankful for movie nights with the family. {especially nice during the Christmas season--love the Christmas movies}

i am thankful day 29-today i am thankful for pictures. i am grateful for the stories they tell. when i look at our stairwell of memories, i am flooded with emotions and thanksgiving. i am thankful for all of my family..each person whom i love dearly. but especially my husband of 13 plus years. i couldn't be more blessed with a giving and loving man. but most of all, a leader of Christ in our home. i see these pictures and i am reminded how blessed we are.

i am thankful day 30- i am thankful that Jesus came and made the ultimate sacrifice. without Him, i would be nothing. without Him, none of these blessings would be. i am humbled and grateful and blessed to be His.

the jesse tree l a mother's heart

our children are now 8, 6 and 3 and  they all are excited for the arrival of Christmas and all of the festivities that come along with this special time of year.  i have to admit, like many mother's, i am concerned about the focus of my children's hearts during this holiday.   in our home, we do celebrate santa, the elf on the shelf, and other similar playful traditions, but our main focus is on the birth of Christ--the true and ONLY reason for this holiday.  my husband and i both want our children to realize that this time of year is about one gift and that is the gift of our Savior Jesus.  with this heavy on my heart, i have been looking for more ways to center our home's traditions on Him.  one of the ideas that i saw through my researching was doing a Jesse Tree.  i saw that one of my friends had "pinned" quite a few links on this and i was quite intrigued   i couldn't believe this was the first i had heard of this concept.   i ended up on this site, which was very helpful in my planning.  she had some great ornaments, prayer cards, and Scripture references.  i also loved this site, which had some great ways of using the Jesus Storybook Bible (which we already use)..for this project.   i decided that we would do our trees fairly simple this year as we introduced this idea to our children.  in future years, i hope to create something more permanent to use for our home.  in addition to the links i shared above i also came across this other idea of Advent Gift Boxes.  this year instead of putting candy in our advent calendar, i will have messages like these to share with my children.   and if you are looking for even more information on all of the Holy Day holidays, my friend just started her own site on this as well.  as i mentioned before, there were lots of great sites and links on pinterest--just find what suits your family the best.

matilda jane photo love 2012 l round two

i was super excited and surprised a few weeks ago to receive the news that i made it to round two of the matilda jane photo love contest.  i have been a lover of the matilda jane clothing line since attending my first trunk show last summer.  i love it because it is fun and unique for my 8 year old daughter;  but not too grown up, like many other lines of clothing offered for tween girls.  and my 3 year old daughter loves it as well.  ( but to be honest, she is just as happy wearing her panties for the day, clothing is always optional with her) for round two of the photo love contest, each contestant was sent an outfit and a word.   when i opened my package and saw my word i couldn't be more delighted.  it was as if they picked the word just for my daughter. she is such a true blessing in our lives and anyone that knows her, knows what a special soul she is.

sincere

according to merriam webster's dictionary:

1 a : free of dissimulation : honest <a sincere interest>  b : free from adulteration : pure <a sincere doctrine><sincere wine>

2    : marked by genuineness : true

i decided that i would forgo using any props and shoot my entry in the style i normally shoot. after all, my word was sincere.   i felt like this not only suited my daughter's personality, but my own style of photography.  here is a peek at the shoot we enjoyed together. it really was fun to get out and have this time just the two of us. 

thank you matilda jane for this special opportunity.