kaleidoscope | november

kaleidoscope.wordmark-copy

Last year I became friends with a very special group of ladies and participated together in a 10 on 10 project. This year we wanted to continue to do a project together, but wanted to do something a little different. Our new project is called Kaleidoscope.

Kaleidoscope is derived from the Ancient Greek (kalos), “beautiful, beauty” (eidos), “that which is seen: form, shape” and (skopeo), “to look to, to examine.” Hence “observation of beautiful forms.”

We are a group of friends, moms, visual artists and photographers from around the world who are passionate about capturing images of the real, the messy and the magical-the wonder of the everyday. Like a kaleidoscope, our photographs are playful and experimental, ever-changing and infused with light and colour. Once a month, we assemble a single mosaic comprised of our collective pictorial tiles, one submitted by each of us, that reflect the shared meaning and beauty in our lives.

I am excited to be posting with this wonderful group of friends again. Due to the crazy demands that life can sometimes bring, we all decided to take a break.  It is wonderful to come together again and share bits of our life through our lens.  This month I decided to share a bit of our Halloween week.

Please follow our blog circle and see what Melissa Weicker has shared this month. She sees the world with such beauty, I am certain you will love her work.

more thoughts on saying yes

Almost 6 months ago I wrote a post about saying yes more to our children and how thankful I was for the joy I found in the "yes-es".   It really is a never-ending choice we have as parents...the choice to say yes; to inconvenience our selves sometimes, the choice to give up something else to make the yes happen, the choice to stop what we are doing and really give our children the attention they are asking for.  The questions can come in all different ways.  I would be lying to say over the last six months, since my first post,  that I always have said yes.  I haven't. I am human, we all are.  Not one of us are perfect mamas and we shouldn't ever feel like we need to be.  This isn't really about always saying yes, but about not always saying no. And sometimes, as I said before, yes is unreasonable.  But I have seen time and time again,  when I do say yes something special happens. Over the last two weeks I was able to experience the joy in saying yes.

My husband recently took our three children to a store in town called Spirit Halloween. I had never been in this store.  I really thought it was kind of silly to be honest. Halloween just isn't one of my favorite holidays.  The kids came home so excited over all of the costumes they had seen.  My 4 year old was most enthusiastic because she had seen a bumble bee and she had decided that was what she was going to be for Halloween. For a couple of days I ignored her chatter about this bumble bee idea.  I thought she could be a princesss.  We certainly have a lot of princess costumes in our dress up closet and with three children, this would certainly save money and be one less costume to plan for.   It made sense to me to not buy another costume, to not say yes to the bumble bee. BUT, she had her own idea.  She did not stop talking about the bumble bee she was going to be.   This was the first year she showed an interest in what she would be for Halloween, so it got me thinking and  I decided we would buy the costume and she would get to be a bumble bee. I cannot tell you how excited she was the day her costume arrived.   I was so grateful to have said yes.  I was so grateful to see her smile, her enthusiasm and joy dancing and twirling and buzzing in her costume.

This week brought another chance to say yes in such a simple way, but similarly it brought my daughter so much joy. Each year we love to paint pumpkins close to Halloween. In Florida, it seems like the carved pumpkins rot quickly and the painting is such a fun alternative.   My youngest was painting her little baby pumpkin this week and we decided to add glitter.  I gave her a very small amount, thinking it would add a fun sparkle to her creation. She asked me if she could have some more.  I gave her a bit more. She then asked if she could do it herself. We all know how messy glitter can be and we all know that a four year old isn't the most delicate at "doing it herself". My first instinct was to say no, let mama do it, but I decided to say yes.  In my head at that moment I thought glitter is not the most expensive thing and that she would have so much fun and feel a sense of independence.   And indeed, she had the most wonderful time using up every last bit of glitter and YES there was a huge mess.  But, it was in that mess I was reminded again of how important it is to not always automatically say no.  I share this because I know it is easier to say no a lot of the time.  I have been there and am still there many days.  But these experiences, they really make me think each time another opportunity to say yes is presented.   I am thankful for these lessons as a mother and I am thankful for yes.

the illuminated word project l october

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...

me and mine l january

  “enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – robert brault

i read this quote recently on my dear friend gretchen's blog.  and how true it is.  i can hardly believe my oldest child is now almost 8 years old.   it seems like yesterday we were just finding out we were going to have a precious baby.   the years simply pass by so quickly with our children.  many have said that the days are long; but the years are fast.  and that is true also.  as we go through each phase of  life raising our children, some days we are just in survival mode. but somewhere within each day there are those moments you just want to grasp and hold on to forever.  the moments that make your realize just how precious the gift of motherhood is.  and really its a combination of all these moments so small each day, that we will realize were so big.

i long to capture all of these moments.  but  i also long to capture moments of me in these moments .  i know i've said it before, but it really is so important to preserve memories of  US with our families.  many of you may think how much you dislike being in pictures. others may say you are all just too busy.  or that you don't care for the fuss of  it all.  but your famly will look back on these memories and treasure them one day.   last year i made a commitment to try and be in more pictures with my family.   as a photographer i have thousands of pictures of my own children, but i realized i was the one always taking the pictures.  so, i bought a remote and tried at least once a month to snap a shot.  my husband was overseas at the time and really loved to receive pictures with me in them as well..(since he got a handful a day emailed to him of the kids). 

 this year i am so excited to partner up on a fun project with my sweet friend Lexi Winters, who also happens to be a photographer. last fall the two of us helped each other by taking our family Christmas card pictures.  it worked out so well for both of us that we knew we needed to do this more often now that i have moved back to town. we realized our husbands aren't going to want to be in monthly photo shoots, but Lexi and i both thought it would be such fun to get together monthly and just snap away some fun times with our kiddos ( and we also knew we could sit and visit about photography, motherhood, and most anything else for hours at a time).  

so,  for this month i have a few that she took of me and the kids while we were doing our card pictures.   i am so grateful already for this project because i just love having these to remember me with these special babies, right now, just how we are...

 now , head on over to Greenprint Photography, and see the pictures i captured of lexi and her beautiful family...

a cute family of four

i had the pleasure of spending the morning with these cute boys and their super sweet parents.   it was such fun to watch these kiddos in action as i've seen many pictures of them via the internet the past few years on facebook.    their daddy was another family friend of ours growing up...and it is really cool to see him as a dad.   i believe he and his wife liz are both super funny, neat parents to hang out with!   hopefully now that we are back in town we will see more of this sweet family.  enjoy this peak into our walk around the gardens at Bok...

 

a lovely couple

those of you that follow my blog, know i am a lover of the "golden hour"....i honestly can be driving down the road and see the sun about to set and imagine sessions amidst its beauty.  light is so magical at different points of the day but i do love this special hour before the sun disappears for the day.  this leads me to this ever so lovely session i had with caitlin and chad.  as i edited these pictures i fell in love with each of them.   i had such fun with these two.  honestly, i don't think many husbands are ever gung ho to get on camera.   but chad was such a great sport and was willing for anything i had in mind.    his love for caitlin throughout the shoot was very evident to me and seeing these just make me smile.  i hope you guys enjoy them and will always remember this special phase in your life together.  yall are truly a blessed pair...  

wow...

i am excited to share this session with you.   i had such fun photographing these three amazing children for my friend heather.   i love being back home and getting to photograph children of friends i have known most of my life.  heather and i grew up together in church and i was really excited when she contacted me about doing these. i've always heard wonderful things about her family but had not had the chance to really get to know her children.  they were as sweet as they are beautiful!!  they made my job so easy and were just amazing to capture behind my lens!  heather, i hope you enjoy these pictures of your sweet babies; you should be one proud mama..

project 52 l week 44 l soft

it's so exciting to think we have almost spent an entire year together doing this project!  i will definitely be participating in another one of these next year, as it has been such fun and a great creative boost many weeks.  i am so grateful to the bloom forum and all i have learned since joining this amazing group of ladies. its not often that you find people so willing to share and offer advice.   now for this week's theme.  this week's theme was soft: something soft. i imagine the ladies in our group will come up with some wonderful images...(maybe even a baby or two).   this week my images are with a new blanket i got for my birthday.  my sister n law was so sweet to find it for me....she thought it would be good for photo shoots, but so far we have been using it for snuggling. it is wonderfully soft. 

Now head over to the blog of Amy Ames of Holly Springs NC, and see what soft image she has captured.  I know you will love it!! 

gorgeous sisters at sunset

this weekend i was once again reminded of the joys of being back in my hometown.  i was able to capture this family whom has been like family to me forever.  rob and i grew up together and our parents were the best of friends as long as i can remember. (actually they were the best of friends long before i was even born).   they have always been at birthday parties, Christening, holidays and other family events.  i had such fun capturing these memories for them.  i was able to have a little time with the girls while mama finished getting ready and i had a wonderful time chatting and shooting.  i hope you all enjoy these and treasure them for years to come...

a delightful day...

last week i was excited to get to visit with an old friend after almost 10 years.   suzanne and i met back in the day when our dogs were our babies and life was certainly not as full as it is now. it was so wonderful to catch up with her during this photo session with her girls..and afterwards at our house while the children spent the afternoon playing at the lake.   i hope you had a wonderful trip to florida...please call us next trip down. it was great fun!   i hope you enjoy the pictures i got of your beautiful daughters. they were truly a delight to capture...

project 52 l week 43 l veteran's day

another week of 2011 has flown past by.  i simply cannot believe the Christmas season is upon us.    it seems like just yesterday i was celebrating the time change and the "longer" summer days....this week's theme for project 52 is very special as we observe veteran's day.  veterans: is there a veteran in your family? what do these veterans mean to you? how do you say thank you?  as most of you know my husband has served in the USMC for almost eighteen years.  we have been married for twelve of these years.   he returned home in May from an almost ten month deployment which feels so fresh still in many ways.  we are savoring the time with him home.   our children adore their daddy and i must say i am so proud of him.   he serves our country so selflessly.  he has had to miss so many milestones in our childrens' lives, special occassions, holidays..the list goes on.  but when he is home he always puts us first....and it shows in all he does.   this week's pictures are of our five year old.    it has been such a blessing seeing their relationship grow and strengthen during the time my husband has been home.    he adores his daddy and looks up to him in many ways.  in his five short years of life he has experienced three deployments plus many other times of separation due to training and work ups.  i am grateful to all the families who endure so much for our country...and thankful that we can be a part of such a wonderful group of people.

now don't forget to head on over to the blog of Lynn, Bugsmom Photography, NJ, and see what image she has chosen this week. 

dear mason

i cannot believe you are turning five.  where have the years gone? i know i say this every year but they fly by way too fast.   you are our dear middle child; our only son.  you have such a special place in our heart and  i hope you will always feel our love for you.  i cannot imagine our family being complete without you.   you are so full of love and life.    so full of emotion and energy.  you make us all laugh and giggle and remember to not take life too seriously.  you put your all into everything you do.  this year we started pre-k with you and  i am your teacher.  it has enabled me to see a new side of you as well.  i am proud of your eagerness to learn and unwillingness to ever give up.   cars and lightening mcqueen are still your passion but you have entered into the world of legos this year (cars legos of course).   you have such fun playing with your daddy and i am so thankful for the bond i have seen grow between you.   you have had to tell your daddy goodbye numerous times during your short life (3 of which were seven or more months)....but your love for him has only grown more and more.  i love that you still want me to cuddle you to sleep and come find me in the middle of the night most nights.   i know one day i will miss these moments.   you adore your big sister and are always eager to play with her but also very competitive with her. you do not like to lose.  you are so tender with baby sissy and my heart always smiles when you come running to tell her good morning or good night.  you are so thoughtful and loving.   thank you for being the most amazing son.  for filling this spot in our life that only you could.  bubby, we love you to the moon and back!

project 52 l week 42 l halloween

this week's theme for project 52 with my friends at the bloom forum is halloween.   this week my son turned five and since we spent the day at disney world.  we were lucky to have my mom, mimi, join us.   it was a great way to spend the day and we had a wonderful time seeing disney decorated for halloween.  enjoy a sneak peak into our fun day...

continue on our blog circle and see what halloween images Lynn, Bugsmom Photography, NJ has in store for us....

a kiss and a hug...

i had such a fun time with the hoglund family this weekend.  missie and i met in college where we were sorority sisters and i had not seen her for years.  we had been in touch over the years via email and facebook and it was so wonderful to meet her husband jason and her two children.  what fun i had with all of them.    i loved how their almost two year old would ask me for a kiss and follow up with " and a hug too!"  they are such a sweet family indeed and you will see their love and personalities shine through their pictures.    thanks for a wonderful afternoon! 

 

project 52 l week 40 l feet

welcome to week 40 of our project 52...that means only 12 weeks to go!! this week's theme is feet: where have you gone? where do they take you? maybe your children's feet? or your pets? admittedly this week snuck away from me...so my image this week is very simple and sweet.  my now two year old, with her fresh pedicure from mama.   i  must say these are two of the cutest feet i know...

head on over to the blog of  Lynn, Bugsmom Photograpy, NJ to see what feet she has captured!

radiant...

radiant: an adjective defined as sending out light, shining or glowing brightly.   a word that would describe this family of three perfectly.   it was such a joy to photograph emily, jimmy and their sweet baby girl.    the love between the three of them overflowed.      i  am grateful  for another wonderful opportunity to meet such a special family.  i always feel blessed to get to know the families i work with.   i have a larger than normal preview and  you will see why...  thanks guys for a fun afternoon!

 

the end to fall

Fall is by far one of my favorite seasons of the year...sadly, it is quickly coming to an end as Winter is making its not so welcome appearance.   The kids are getting excited for the "next' season, asking daily if it will snow this year.  And it just might here in Coastal North Carolina. We  had our first freezing rain of the season this weekend and lots of cold.  Today at the park, we got these pictures as a great reflection of the fun time we had this fall together...

six degrees of separation...

I think this theory is absolutely true in the Marine Corps Community. It seems like somehow we are all connected to one another. Today I had the pleasure of photographing the M family. I met their mother, Kelly this summer through a friend, and it was crazy to put together the different people we both knew, and how we knew them in unique ways. I am so grateful I got to have this opportunity and so enjoyed all three of these beautiful children. Kelly is such a beauty inside and out, so it is no surprise that her children are as well. I look forward to capturing the whole family in the New Year. Enjoy a sneak peak of our fun afternoon....   

35 years of thanksgiving...

This year on Thanksgiving  I helped the kids make a poster of all the things we were thankful for as a family. After doing this with them, I have decided to take some time and really reflect on what I am grateful for in my life.  As I have said before, I feel blessed in immeasurable ways, and I think it is so important to take time and really appreciate all the little, yet BIG things in life.  So,  I decided I would make a list of 35 things I was thankful for this year....since I recently celebrated my 35th birthday.   I challenge you to take the time this Christmas season and really search your heart for what makes you smile?  In doing so, I promise you will come away filled with so much joy and thanksgiving. 

1. A family who brings me more laughter, love, and comfort than I ever dreamed of.
2. My husband, Cesar, and experiencing God’s plan for us the past 11 plus years and knowing without a doubt the years we spent together growing up were a big part of HIS plan.  I cannot put into words how much I love this man and am so proud to call him my husband. 
3. A mother who will drop everything and get on a plane at a moments notice to be here for her grand-babies births (nothing ever went as we "planned" for our babies arrivals)..this same super mom has always made it a priority to be here  for birthdays and holidays so that I wouldn’t be alone,  has driven many miles with a dog and children all in tow, so that we could spend summers in Florida with our family... and who has truly been a best friend for the 35 years of my life.
4. A father who has always been a shining example of giving and sacrificing all for his family –he has shown us that family is always first.
5. Parents who have been married 40 plus years and showed us that marriage is truly God’s plan:  to live out our life as Christ, a true example of unconditional love, forgiveness and so much more.
6. God’s grace and mercy, and the joy I know through my relationship with Him.
7. Middle of the night nursing—I know it sounds crazy, but I cherish those times with each of my babies, where the whole world is quiet and we have that sweet time together.  I have especially treasured this with our last—sometimes this is the only time during the day that I have with her un-interrupted.
8. Dr. pepper.
9. A six year old daughter, that spends every night that her Daddy is deployed, next to me in the king size bed…these conversations, snuggles, and moments are truly priceless. (see picture above)
10. Saturday mornings:  oh, how I love sleeping in late and so do our kids (most of the time).  Nothing beats Pancake Saturdays and all the kids in bed with us!
11. Living in a country where we can chose to live the way we want and become who we wish to be.
12. Email and video chats—when you have a spouse gone for 7 plus months at a time, these become a lifeline, its hard to imagine how the WWII  generation did it.
13. A babysitter that my children are excited to see arrive and one whom I know will take great care of them.
14. Friends that have been there through so many life moments, who know me inside and out and love me for it.   Whether far or close in proximity, they are always close in heart.
15. Sisters—there is nothing better than having a sister to share the world with (NO ONE knows you like your sister) and I am so grateful that my girls have each other …but in turn, I am so happy they also have a brother. My brother taught me so many things about life .  I hope they will all remain close forever.
16. A mother n law that I love like my own mom, who treats me as her own daughter, who I can share anything and everything with, and has taught me many good recipes.
17. My nieces and nephews--what an awesome thing to see your siblings and you’re your husband’s siblings  families all grow. And I am so thankful that my children are very close to all of their cousins, even living states away. They really adore them.
18. Being a mom—I always knew I wanted a house full of children, but never knew how deeply they would each touch my life.
19. Deployments-you grow a lot as a person and as a couple during these separations. I am grateful we can serve our country in this way.
20. The invention of the flat iron.
21. The excitement you see when your child “gets something” like learning to read, a new concept etc. 
22. The beach—brings back wonderful memories of my childhood spent with my siblings and parents.  And now we look forward to our annual Florida beach trip with all the siblings and grandchildren.  Haven’t missed a year yet!!!
23. The four seasons---growing up in Florida we did not really experience seasons, so this is something I’ve fallen in love with…the hot white sand in the summer, the beautiful leaves in the fall, seeing snow on the trees early in the morning before anyone wakes up, spring and all of its glory…
24. 3 c-sections, 1 miscarriage, and a premature little baby girl--without enduring these difficult times, I wouldn’t be the mother I am. 
25. The smell of a clean house.
26. A good night’s sleep.
27.  Finding pleasure in the small things in life.
28. Good manners.
29. Kisses and hugs—I can never get enough.  
30.  I Love You’s.
31. Lunch dates with girl friends.
32. Date nights—doesn’t need to be anything fancy, I just cherish the special moments we can sneak in alone.   
33. Dancing with my children and hearing their laughter throughout the house.
34. The blessing of being a stay at home mother and wife—I know that this is not for everyone, but I am grateful for every day I get to do this;  no doubt we do our share of sacrificing, but I really enjoy this time with my family—I  wish the days didn’t go by so quickly.
35. 35 years of health, love, happiness, and pure joy. I have experienced many heartaches and trials, but these events are what mold us into who we are.  I am grateful for it all!

brotherly love...

...this house is full of some sweet boys! The R family are wonderful friends of ours and I was so excited to take their pictures again this year, with their newest addition.   The older brothers' love shines through to baby J and I had such fun capturing their time together!  They all openly hug and kiss each other with such affection and you can see the love that encompasses each of them.  To top it all off, they were all dressed impeccably--Angela definitely proves that boys can look just as adorable as little girls.   I love this family and have so many fun memories over the past couple of years with our children.    Here's hoping the New Year will bring us more time to share together! Thanks for a fun afternoon...enjoy a few of my favorites from today!