The Last of the Leaves

So, it's December, and even though in my mind that equals winter and snow, in the Midwest, that hasn't been the case.  It seems we have had one last warm weekend before Christmas for the past 5 years!  Typically on that last weekend, the Bradford Pear tree in our backyard has finally lost the last of her leaves, which means one final raking of the leaves.  And for our big girl, that means being a big helper - even if the rake is three times her size.

Being so little, she can't be the only one that works (even if she fought hard to keep that rake).  I love that she desires to help so much.  I also love to catch my husband being him and working hard.  It's such a glimpse into who he is.  And what good is raking leaves without jumping in them?  Or playing in them and throwing them?



My son seemed to have no troubles with the playing part of the job.  He has loved playing in the leaves ever since he was Emma's age.  It's neat to see them connect and to think back to when he was a little guy and enjoyed playing in the leaves just as much as she does.



I know I am not alone when I say that my heart is full when I see my kids connect and play and have fun together.  There is something about their laughter, looks, and cuddles that make my job feel fulfilling.  I pray for you that as your year is coming to a close, you take the time to connect, play, laugh, cuddle, and just plain have fun.

Until next time,
Melissa

Christmas Traditions: Seeing the Lights

Ready for another Christmas tradition?  Let's talk Christmas lights!

Our family has long enjoyed Christmas lights - whether it was the house down the street or a full blown park display.  Since adding little miss, she hasn't been old enough to really understand them yet.  This year though - jackpot!  She often times yells from the back seat that she sees Christmas lights!  So, when our town does the annual walk through night at our park's Christmas light display, it seems like something too awesome to miss.

We started at home, which has now become a nightly occurrence, looking at our own nativity scene and pointing out what all is in our display.  Then we took off towards the park.  They do a fireworks display each year, but we were still walking to get to the park, so we plopped down in an empty field and watched for a bit.

Once in with the mile long crowd, we started to explore, finding each "Elf on Shelf" hidden in the park that we could.  There are over 25 different light displays, and gobs of people, so you can imagine that not every scene gave us the chance at pictures.  (I won't lie; I was sad at some of the ones I missed.)  However, my kids had a ton of fun stopping at the ones we could and telling each other what all was in the scene.

This one I was particularly intrigued by since the entire thing is made out of - you guessed it - pallets!  How cool is that!?   And my kiddos got the chance to sit a time or two and gather to point out trains and animals in the nativity scene.

 No one should be surprised that Anna and Elsa were a huge hit with our family.  As were Charlie Brown & friends and some famous Disney crew.

We made sure to note baby Jesus each time we saw Him and before we knew it, we were at the end.

The last display had tons to point out and my two stood and admired for a moment.  By then, we were worn out from the mile walk and ready for home!  But don't worry, we had plenty more light displays to point out on our way home.  =)  Until next time!!!

Christmas Traditions: Trimming the Tree

Since we cut down our own Christmas tree, decorating it doesn't always follow right away.  And having a little one that still naps means things need to be broken into stages anyway, so it works out.  Once we returned, and everyone had a nap, it was time to put up and decorate our tree.  What I love most about Christmas tree decorating is that my children get to be a part of it.  From the lights to the garland to the personal ornaments to the train, it's all a part of the joy.

I loved watching my boys work together, side-by-side.  And not to be overlooked, Emma grabbed her stool and sneaked some garland out of one of the boxes and attempted to help as well.  When that didn't pan out, she got to help with putting some of her ornaments on the tree.  She liked that a little better (although spinning with the garland seemed to be almost as fun for her).

 We have personalized ornaments, a tradition my parents did for me as a child.  My husband hopes to one day get away from that and decorate with more uniform ornaments, but we'll see.  In the mean time, I love that every Christmas is a walk down memory lane as I recall the stages of childhood that my son, and soon my daughter, has gone through.  I even love to look back over my own ornaments or family ornaments and reflect on those.  Just a few years ago, we started cutting off a slice of the bottom of our tree and writing the year on it to turn it into an ornament for the next year.  It's something I love and wish we had thought to do previous years.

Then of course, a star on the top and a train around the bottom complete the whole thing!  Our train, now 13 years old, has seen its better days, but it's perfect for real play, runs great in small hands, and even has steam and noises.  You can't beat that!

Well, our tree is all ready for Christmas morning, even if little else is.  In the mean time, I am looking forward to finishing up more of our traditions and getting everything else ready for the big day.  I guess I'd better get going!!!  And make sure to come back to see more of our traditions.

Christmas Traditions: Tree Hunting

So, it's Christmas tree hunting time; every year, we go to a Christmas tree "farm" and cut down our tree.  One year, we were even dumb enough to buy a "balled & burlapped" tree (a tree with the roots attached in a burlap sack for planting).  That was a nightmare, but that's an in-person story.  We always have a good tale to tell when it comes to getting our tree.  Typically, we misgauge her (yes, our tree is a girl).  She has historically been too wide, too short, too tall, too heavy (see balled-and-burlapped tree) - you name it, we've had it.  So, this year, we were pretty excited with our find (yea!).  Our tale came from the getting of the tree.

You see, the Midwest is known to be a pretty changing climate.  Today's winter is not the same as next week's.  And with busy Christmas weekends all around, finding time to go cut down our tree, and avoid unpleasant weather, often is tricky.  In years past, it has been frigidly cold or snowing or, dare I say, a weird 60 degrees.  This year, we got rain & cold.  Not cold enough for snow, but cold enough for hats and gloves.  And did I mention rain?  While walking the acres of a farm for a tree?  Wanted to make sure I mentioned that one.

Since we were all bundled up, that's always a fun time for pictures, right?  And my boys, they are always up for a perfectly posed shot.

We do enjoy getting to wander the trees in search of the one we will take home, even with a little one in tow.  This is not a memory I made as a kid, mainly because my mother is allergic to evergreens.  Of course, amidst these memories, are dirty coats and gloves from the mud and falling rain drops as we explored.  Hopefully, you don't have to look too closely to see those.

And then, when you find one that could be fitting, someone must stand guard.  Here was our guard.  He looks threatening, right?  I wouldn't challenge him.

Then comes the fun part: sawing down your tree!  The last few years, we have had our son be a part of cutting the tree - he is pretty good at it (it is NOT an easy task).  When I have helped in previous years, I know that the beginning is easier than the end, so I can appreciate the need to stop and have some one else take over.

After the tree was all cut, we waited patiently on the side of the road for the bus, but it was full and passed us by.  Our daughter wasn't thrilled to wait and wait only to see the bus pass her by.  She made sure to point out that he was "gone" up the hill.  So, the boys stood in the middle of the road so we wouldn't get passed up again and had fun singing in the rain.  Then we loaded the bus and had our tree wrapped and tied down on the car.

So, the hard part is done.  Next step: decorating!  Make sure to come back to see her all dressed up!

December 5 on 5: Traditions

So, it's December.  For many, that means a list of things to keep us busy and traditions that run the whole month long.  And while every family has different traditions at this time of year, in our house, it seems our list of traditions is forever long and found around every corner.  I hope you'll come back to see the stories of them unfold!

We start with the tradition of hunting for and cutting down our yearly Christmas tree.  This seems to always hold a unique story each year.

Next is our tradition of covering our tree in personalized ornaments to recall years of childhood memories.  Adding an almost 3 year old to this tradition made it a bit of a challenge and more fun all at one time.

Our traditions continue with a train around our tree and an Elf on our shelf.

Most importantly though, our family makes sure that no matter how long our list of traditions is, none of our traditions is bigger than the One that gives us reason to truly celebrate more than just Christmas day: Christ.  Our nativity scene celebrates that His birth was sent as a miracle for our broken world and that His love for us is unending.

Time to hop on over to see Jenny's post at the amazing Sycamore Lane Photography, and make sure to circle all the way through to see more fantastic stories to round out your year.  Then come on back later this month to see more posts with details about my family's Christmas traditions.  Until next time!

Simple Stories

Stories always excite me.  I suspect that's because at heart, I am a story teller.  I love to read stories, I love to tell stories, and I am seeing now how much I love to show stories.  I think because I love them so much, I find great value even in little stories, because I believe it is those that make us whole.  The daily, detailed, easily forgotten, sometimes messy, up and down, in and out, stories of our lives.  The moments we will never really forget, but sometimes get lost in the clutter and busyness of life.  The moments we would never think to document, but look back on with tears when we recall them, and wish that we had something to show for them.

So, forgive me while I linger on this story.  This ordinary, single, simple story of a boy learning to sew.  Learning to tie knots one over another with ease.  Learning to push and pull and tighten.  Learning to stay focused and work carefully and slowly and precisely.  And a momma on the other said of the lens, with tears held back as her oldest takes one step closer to not needing her.

Everyday Life (Behind the Scenes)

Something I think is important to capture as a photographer is the daily stuff that doesn't really feel like it might be good enough to make the cut.  You know the stuff I mean, right?  The things you do daily or weekly and even though you enjoy them, it's not something you necessarily feel like you should have pictures of.  I mean, it's not that once a year Halloween costume shot or that Christmas tree hunting picture, it's just ordinary, daily life.  But to me, those are the gems - kind of like the things that make a house a home.  It's the ordinary, daily things that make a family.

So, when I recently posted the question of doing something a little different for a blog post, and my husband's Aunt Sandy said she wanted a Behind the Scenes shot, THIS day and time was perfect.  You see, this, was my "canvas".

It was a normal weekday and my daughter wanted to play with Play-Doh.  This is something we have done a hundred times, and always at our kitchen table, with our place mat that is stuck to the table.  I was checking e-mail and had just finished breakfast, so my laptop and drink were both on the table.  What I think is important to understand is that I feel like pictures are beautiful because they are real life and they tell a story.  To me, documenting this everyday moment that we enjoy regularly was so important - plus, it gave me a great opportunity to get a pull back of the behind the scenes before I shot.

Quite literally, the only things I changed were my lighting (I needed some!) and I got a few things out of the frame that didn't really pertain to the story (my laptop and drink).  I also found the plastic bag to be a large item that I didn't want, but I could have easily left it in and it could have been part of the story.

That's it!  I used the same camera and lens for all the shots you see in this post.  I just let her play and I rotated around her, changing my angles, and kept distracting things (like the basket on the counter) out of the frame- and since I tend to shoot "tight" (up close), that isn't too hard.  The rest of the story wrote itself and I used my knowledge of photography to help tell the story I was both seeing and wanted to tell.

 I included details that were a part of the things I want to remember of this time.  Her little fingers on the rolling pin; the way she pressed soooo hard on the cookie cutters; her excitement when she had a new creation; that HAIR.  ;-)

I like to show her faces, as that is a part of the story in both who she is and who she is becoming.  And even this process here, of her putting pieces in the little pot.  She had decided she was done as I was trying to get a shot of her collection and was ripping up each one and putting them inside the flower toy.  It was a great reminder to me that she is still very much in control of her story and I love to embrace that.  And bonus, she loves dressing up like a princess.  Thanks to Grandma, she now has a few play dresses that we get to see regularly and one was captured here - a great memory I will treasure.

To cap off the story, picking up Play-Doh is just about as fun as playing - using a chunk to go around and gather all the little pieces that fell off - that's something I want to hold on to as my daughter grows.  And as it turned out, that bag ended up being a part of the story after all, as it is what we keep our Play-Doh toys in.

Ok, I hope this was something a little different and was a little bit of an insight into my shooting.  I really do just document our story with photographs.  There's no special lights or studio, just our home, camera, and me.  And if you ever wondered what it might look like to have me document something like this in your life, stay tuned.  While I can't give you any specific time line, I CAN tell you that the photography you see with my family, is what I will be providing for other families as well, in the not too distant future.

November 5 on 5: All Things Pumpkins

The thing I love most about photographs is the story they tell.  I love to look back and be able to have those same emotions and memories arise from looking at a single image ten years later.  And as a parent of a little and big, I am much too aware that I will soon forget all the little steps my daughter is taking if I'm not documenting them and telling stories with them.

For my 5 on 5 this month, we just recently carved our pumpkins in time for Halloween.  It was a mess and a delight all at one table.  My people were busy planning and cleaning and carving and I loved the intense look we all had as we worked.

Little E. did an amazing job her first time cleaning out that pint sized pumpkin.  She was unsure at first, but as she watched the boys, she decided to work just as diligently as they did.

Pumpkin carving means pumpkin guts - yuck!  And pumpkin seeds - yum.  Good thing that bowl is big!

That face is one of focus and determination.  And still working through that hair.  I love it.

 I even got in the frame!  E. and I checking out her left over "E" after cutting it from the pumpkin.  Thanks to my hubby for taking the shot.  =)

So, it's blog hopping time!!!  Are you ready?  Jen's story is up next:  Jennifer Faith Brown Photography.  I just know you are going to love it!

Just Another Day at the Farm

Recently, a few moms and I headed out to a local farm for some pumpkin picking.  Since things like apple and pumpkin picking have changed in the last few years into choosing the pretty ones from the pile or basket, we opted instead to play in the many spots at the farm.



Up first was playing in the corn box (sand box with corn kernels), and a little bike riding too.  It's amazing how long children can sit and gather and pour something out of buckets!  She sure did enjoy herself.

Next up: the tire swings, tractor climbing, and a little play area.  As a child, I had a neighbor with a small farm, wild strawberries, and, you guessed it, a tire swing!  So, seeing tire swings, no matter how different they look, often takes me back to my childhood.  I LOVED how Emma would put her head back as the swing gently swayed.  And with the wind blowing wildly, it was pretty fantastic.

Our final stop was the hay maze.  At first, she wanted NOTHING to do with it.  But, once everyone left, my girl was ALL over it!  As you can tell, it was VERY small. which made for keeping track of her challenging, but worth it.  She adored playing hide and seek with me, popping in and out behind the stacks, and running, running, running!  And I loved all the light and shadows I got to shoot in.

We're in the midst of fall, and the weather this day sure made it more of a reality!  I'm forever thankful to be able to be present and document these days for our family.  I know they are short lived.

Family Camping

It seems like forever since our family has been camping.  The reality is though, it has only been a year.  As a full family unit, however, we have never camped overnight.  So, this weekend was a real treat for us.  Lots of fun times to reconnect with nature.

 Things like nature hikes through the woods and finding leaves as big as your head.

Seeing the details in the simple things God has created.

Exploring the path on your own and then deciding to take a ride.

 Making new friends, even if they are friends that are a little unsure of you.

Seeing your Boy Scout work hard, learn, and achieve all in one day.  Oh, and have your son make an entire day of meals for you.

Rounding out your time with an awesome campfire and skits.  Because camping without a campfire just isn't camping.

We can't wait until next time - bring on the S'mores!

Fall Break at the Park

Like many mid westerners, my favorite season is fall.  It typically brings on a much needed break from the summer heat and allows for longer and more frequent outdoor activities.  And then throw in the school's more recent "fall break" addition to their calendars, and you have a time worth taking note of.

Last week, during fall break, I got to spend some extra quality time with my kiddos.  We made sure to do a good little mix of things in our three days together.  On this day, we headed to a local park with Little Miss.  This particular park was a hit with our son when he was younger, but it just hadn't made it to our list yet with our daughter.

It was fun to just sit and watch them play on the playground for a bit without a camera.  Then when they were able to swing together on the same swing, that was a moment worth snagging a shot of.

We headed off for a walk in attempts to discover the horses that used to be close by.  Although there were no longer horses, I loved that as I walked behind, my daughter reached for my son's hand and had him light up.  They definitely love one another.

 Exploring on the path was essential.  We stopped to check out the berries on one tree.

And then to sit in the shade of another and play with the taller grass.

 My son always wants to help and encourage his sister to explore.  He lifted her to get a closer look at the leaves of the tree, and then checked out the dandelions himself while they relaxed.

One favorite last moment was when we returned to the playground for a few last minutes.  My son encouraged my daughter to play in this tunnel.  As a small child, this was by far his favorite spot at this playground and he would sit in it and look out the window laughing and playing with me for a while.  It was neat to have them both in it and to see him sharing his love for something with his sister.

I hope you enjoyed our time at the park.  There are more fall break activities to come, so make sure to join us again!

October 5 on 5: Fear

My daughter and I recently visited our city's Butterfly House.  With her love of all things butterflies and flowers, you would think we would go every week.  The reality though, is that she is scared of them.  You read that right - she is scared of butterflies.  Each visit we have made, I have spent more time holding and consoling her than enjoying time together.  However, I was determined to help her see that there is nothing to be afraid of, so off we headed, hand in hand.

It took some time and patience.  Thirty minutes to be exact.  Thirty minutes of walking and sitting and holding and pointing and finding colors and talking and flower smelling before suddenly, she was brave enough to approach one on the path!  It was so much more than a sweet moment, it was HER moment of overcoming fear!

And it wasn't just once!  It was again and again!  Getting close enough to notice details and colors and be in awe.  And once that fear was overcome, it was time to notice all of the other little things she had missed before, like the letters she could read or all the spaces she could spin in!!

The path to overcoming isn't ever easy, no matter how small or big our fears are.  But sometimes, I think we miss the beauty of the journey because our fears hold us back.

It really is freeing to overcome a fear, isn't it?  To realize that what you were afraid of all along wasn't nearly as bad as you thought it was.  And that, maybe, overcoming it gives you a chance to notice the details you missed and you can be filled with a whole new joy.

Alright - it's blog hopping time.  Are you ready??!  Click the link below and make sure you complete the circle to come back to me!

Jenny at Sycamore Lane Photography

And if you've never seen Jenny's work before with Sycamore Lane Photography, you really do need to do yourself a favor and spend some time on her blog!  Her images are so amazing!

The Rubbing of the Leaves

Something I love about being a photographer is that many typical Saturday afternoons can turn into moments that forever tell a story - especially when it's a first moment.  So when my daughter was playing outside and wanted to take a leaf into Daddy, that sounded like a sweet idea.  And when Daddy grabbed paper and crayons to show her how to do a leaf rubbing, I made sure to grab my camera.

The first steps were simply explaining the idea of crayon rubbing.  Our girl adores coloring, and is pretty intense about it sometimes, so watching her is a treat.  And watching Daddy hold her and guide her was wonderful.  There may have been more scribbling than rubbing, but that was ok.  It was more about the process than the product.

 In the end, there were ooo's, ahh's, and giggles over the creations that were made.  And the icing on the cake was when Daddy and our girl made hand prints to boot.  Monkey see, monkey do!

It sure was a moment I was glad to be a part of locking away, because moments like these will be gone before I know it!