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!

A Hot Mess

My daughter's hair is a hot mess - and I LOVE it.  It is one of the things I think is so striking about her.  We have a plethora of clips, but after about 5 minutes, they are out, only to be found later in the day amidst toys or blankets.  Sometimes, she pulls it away from her face, but most of the time, she just works diligently through it.  I think it is in her character.  I love the way it falls across her cheek or aside her chin.  I love the way it covers her one eye, while letting her other eye sneak through.  I even love that it is wild on the ends and in the back.  I love how it is HER.

As a photographer, I realize how important this is to me.  It would pain me to have pictures only once a year where someone took her picture and she was forced her to have a clip in her hair.  I would not look back on those pictures with found memories, because honestly, that's not the way I would remember her.  And maybe these pictures don't speak to you like they do to her mother - and that's ok.  Maybe it bothers you that her hair covers her eyes or that you can't see all her features.  Maybe you think it is distracting and stops you from focusing on the images.  And to this I say: you are right.

No matter what your opinion is of these pictures, what matters is that you know it and embrace it.  Who ever takes your photos, whether it is you with a tripod or a stranger that charges $5K an hour, know what you love.  Be confident that your photographer will know you, truly listen to you, and be able to make your images be what you love.  Maybe that will be a lovely sunset in a field - or maybe that will be your child playing with blocks right in your own living room.  I pray, what ever it is, you look back on those photos with wonderful memories of who your family was and the things that spoke loud enough for you to listen.

At the Farm

Being a stay-at-home mom means that Emma and I have plenty of quality time just us two.  I hope it is the best blessing both of my children have of the time I stay home with them.  Today, we hit a local farm with some other mommas and had the chance to play and explore.

There were rocks, tractors, and a play castle to climb in.  There were even tricycle tractors to play on - how cool is that!?  And the rain didn't stop this little one from going strong.  It won't ever be said that my kids don't play hard! Look at the sweat on that girl!

We also had a tractor ride and a little apple eating, which made for a nice way to take a rest and finish up our visit.  Since the boys missed out, we may have to make a second trip to another orchard where we could all play, but no matter what, I sure enjoy getting to be a full time Momma to that sweet face.

Powder Valley and Laumeier Sculpture Park

So my son recently got to head out on a field trip of sorts to Powder Valley and Laumeier Sculpture Park.  I say field trip of sorts because since it was for an after school club, it was a family affair, which is perfect for the mom of a middle schooler and pre-schooler.  While my hope was to have the chance to take some pictures of our nature hike - it was after all, for Science Club - the speed at which middle school students hike didn't really allow for that.  None the less, our family got to spend some time outdoors during an amazing fall day and soak in the scenes, so I couldn't really complain.

First up was Powder Valley.  The hike was rather short, but the sun kept begging to come on to the path, so I had to catch it when I could.  And the butterfly - that was begging to be caught too.

Once we hit Laumeier, the fun began.  After lunch, we wandered God's beautiful landscapes with Cheeto-covered fingers and climbed on various different sculptures.

The kids explored and ran ahead, while the parents had the chance to chat as well.  What I loved the most was that my entire family was welcomed to be there and partake in the day.  It made it all the more fun!

In the end, all the climbing, exploring, learning, and listening were part of our time together enjoying nature and one another.  A great way to spend our morning!

September 5 on 5: What 40 Looks Like

Today, my husband turns 40.  When I was younger, I think I had visions of 40 being the down side of life.  After all, turning 40 means decorations that are black with gravestones and 100 different jokes about how you are over the hill.  We all know the drill.  The thing is, 40 doesn't seem like it feels that way at all.  Yes, we are more tired than we used to be, and yes, sometimes life can be harder on our bodies than it used to be, but all and all, I really think 40 is more like the up side of life.  The side of life that you get to enjoy things you didn't know you would.

Forty looks like helping your son with lights on his new bike - in the dark - before your 18 mile bike race - at midnight.

Forty looks like being willing to ride said bike down the street so your son can see the lights working himself, instead of just doing a test ride and straining to see the lights.

Forty looks like making little fixes in your home to help keep your children safe.

Forty is being exhausted after a day of work and an evening of yard work ...

and then finding the energy to run through the sprinkler with your two year old.  And having a blast doing it.

Forty looks pretty good on you, my love.  Pretty good I say.

And since this is my 5 on 5, it is time to blog hop.  Head on over and check out Jessica's 5 on 5 story this month at Samarie-Lei.

A Day at the Park

You know those times when you decide you are going to just forget your to-do list and be spontaneous?  Only to find out that your non-planned plans end up - well, failing, because you neglected to plan them.  Yeah.  So, this was my experience recently when I decided we would visit our local butterfly house.  With camera in hand, we excitedly walked to the door only to find out they were closed for the day.  Bummer.  But, you can't let a good day go to waste.

So with our to-do list ditched for the morning, and no opportunity for exploring the butterfly house, we decided to play at the park instead.  Although we did plenty of climbing and jumping and sliding, the swing was the safest place to get pictures.  And who doesn't love that smile your child gets on the swing?

Our evening turned into chalk writing on the driveway, which has been a fun treat lately.  I loved watching those cute little fingers get covered in chalk dust and make mark after mark.  I loved listening to her say "L, L, L" as she made lines and then "O, O, O" as she made circles.  I also love that sweet profile of hers, but I suppose I am a little biased.

One of my favorite things about being a parent is getting to see your child learn and be excited about what they can do.  And watching their expressions from focus to giggles.  It's a pretty great day when you get to see it all.

Bonus Time - Honor Flight

So, as promised, I have a set of bonus images from after our cruise.  It seemed as we arrived home, that even though it felt like our adventures were over, we still had one great memory to make.  You see, as we walked through the airport at 9 at night, people were beginning to stop and pile up.  Wondering what was happening, we began to hear applause and yelling.  And then my husband leans over to me and says, "This is an Honor Flight."  Now, for those of you who may not know what an Honor Flight is, it is an all expense paid flight to Washington, D.C. for veterans, often from WWII, to visit the war memorials.   Upon return, their families and current service members appreciate and celebrate them, as they are presented with certificates to thank them for their service.  The area was packed with people - which makes your heart just leap with pride.  It was so awesome to hear the names of each veteran read and officers walk to them and salute them.

It was an honor to stand in that space and breathe the same air as these war veterans.  To know the courage they had to stand for our country's freedoms and be so grateful for strangers I have never even met.  THIS seemed like the most amazing end to a pretty amazing set of adventures.

Final Stop - Canada!

It's hard to believe that we have come to the end of our journey.  Our final stop on our cruise was in Victoria, British Columbia in Canada.  However, the stop wasn't until the evening, so we spent the day playing on board.  The kids finally had a chance to play on the water slides, even though there were chattering teeth for the whole twenty minutes!  And Aaron got to practice his new animal towel making skills too.

Once we arrived, our only plan was to walk the town and explore, since this stop was only 5 hours long.  The bay was a fun little area full of street performers and vendors, as well as the wonderful statue below by Nathan Scott titled "The Homecoming" to commemorate the Canadian Navy's 100th anniversary.

Then we happened upon a quaint little ice cream shop, so we took a stop for some before heading back to the boat.  We missed sunset, but got to city come alive!  While I couldn't capture everything from above, I was able to catch more details from the ground for a different perspective.

 And the view of our boat at night was something to see!  This was the first time we had seen it lit from afar and how cool it was.  Even now, to see the images, feels surreal to think we traveled on something so enormous.

Before we knew it, the boat was pulling away from the shore line and the full moon was shining on the water.  It was certainly bitter sweet, as we had been away from home for almost ten days and were ready to return, but also really enjoyed getting away and exploring so many new things.

I hope you enjoyed seeing our trip and hearing about some of our adventures!  And maybe it has you ready to go on your own adventure!!!  I might still have one more bonus waiting for us too ...