thoughts on project 365

It's almost been three months since I started the Joy Project; my own version of a project 365.  As someone who has always captured the beauty of every day, I don't feel like I am picking up my camera more; yet there have still been some valuable observations. I am really trying to embrace imperfections and messy. I am not necessarily meaning this about life, but about the way I capture our life. Life can definitely be disheveled; often out of order and filled with highs and lows on any given day. I really want to look back on my pictures and be able to relive these moments. I want to be able to feel the days as I do now and to see them years from now with the same fresh eyes I see them with today. This is increasingly more important than a perfectly composed or exposed image.

We are surrounded by family with cousins always in and out of our home and yard. Our home is often loud and chaotic with children interacting and playing.  At other times it is quiet and calm filled with snuggles and intimate conversations.  Most days are slow and savored as we spend them learning about life, playing, and just being together. It is so important to me to teach our children the value of relationships within and outside of our home. To make time for each other and others and not let the busy paced world that surrounds us seep in and take over.

I want to be able to accurately capture the childhood I see my children living. This unique and ever so special season of life is one I thank God for daily. I want to look back on my images and feel the connection to them that I do now.  I feel like each frame I capture is its own note of thanksgiving that I can never find accurate words to express. I don't want to forget anything about these days and this project reminds me of that constantly. I want to hold these memories and remember each of the details without fail.

I look forward to the growth I will stumble upon as I continue this project in the months ahead.

You can see more from the Joy Project here.

beautiful light and a lot of love

I have not been doing many family sessions over the past year, because I made the decision to put my own family first.  I love capturing families together, but I realized it took far too much time away from my children and they are still so young. I don't ever want to look back and regret the way I chose to use my time. I made an exception for this session of course, because it is my sister and her family. Since I have moved back home I have loved getting to watch her family grow.  I am so blessed that these little ones are a part of my daily life now.

meeting the needs of today | a mother's heart

"when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I"  -psalm 62:1 my heart becomes so heavy as i think about all of the needs of this world and the people hurting and in pain. my husband recently returned from passion 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia and upon his return we discussed all of the people in human slavery.  it is gut wrenching to hear these awful tragedies.   our church continues to do missions to Guatemala, Brazil and other parts of the world and last summer my husband was able to take part in a mission to Guatemala. the images he shared with me of beautiful little girls searching through a trash dump are still vivid in my head. these delicate souls searching for shoes, food, and comforts we have taken for granted since birth.

i follow photographers whom i admire for their own courage and grace as they have gone abroad to capture those who so desperately need their stories told.  one of those photographers is Deb Schwedhelm and i have been so moved by her work in Tanzania.  she is an amazing photographer and the way she has been able to make a difference inspires me in so many ways.  last week i came across the work of Sarah Robertson who moved me in the images she was able to capture while overseas in Kenya. and another photographer and friend, Breeze of Love Resembles, is currently raising funds for her own trip to Africa and i couldn't be more excited to see her journey in pictures.   i know in my heart that God has given me my gifts to use them for His Glory and purpose and i really believe one day that mission work is a piece of this plan.

some days i get frustrated and even critical of myself because i feel like there is so much to be done and i am doing so little.  but then God gently reminds me that the place i am at is where i am needed today. we still have three young children whom are home with us full time as we home school.  my husband's job keeps him very busy.   i am the constant for my children and am their rock in many ways right now.   there will be a time when their needs will not be as great, but for now i need to remember that i am doing God's work right in my own home.  my husband and i pray that our children will grow up to love others of the world more than themselves and that we can demonstrate servant-hood to them through our own actions daily.  each day servant-hood within my family plays a different role, never one more important than the other.   by loving each other in all we do, we are sharing the love of our Lord.

my husband left on a trip with work a few days ago and my oldest daughter is always very upset when he leaves.  this morning she came up to me and asked me if she could make a recipe "all by herself" from her cupcake book.   this meant that we would need to head to the store and get all the ingredients.  my first reaction was "maybe", thinking she would get busy and forget.  our youngest daughter has been sick and fussy and the last thing i really wanted to do was to take them all to the grocery store again (we'd just been there last night).  but after a few moments, i went and found my daughter and i said yes.  today, serving meant making this happen for her.  she is always such a help to me and though it didn't feel convenient at the time, i knew how much this would mean to her.   servant hood means being present for my children and seeing what is important to them and why.  it was fun to watch her create her tie-dye cupcakes all by herself. she felt independent and special.  but most of all, for a little while her mind was off the pain she felt on a Sunday afternoon not having her daddy home to spend time with.

and let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.  -Galatians 6:9

a brand new school year | homeschooling 2012

today we began year 2 of our homeschooling journey.  we now have a 3rd grader, kindergartner, and an almost 3 year old.  i was so excited to get started this year and learned a lot during my first year. i was able to see what worked for us and what didn't in terms of curriculum, school space, our schedule and much more. over the summer i worked very hard on a special project. we have a room in our house that we used for storage since the time we bought the house.  it has a great built in desk, bookshelves, and a full bathroom with access outside to the lake.   after a year of cleaning off my dining table at the end of each day i thought it would be nice to create a school and creative spot for our kiddos. i know we will still school in many places around our house, and even outside of the house, but it is so nice to have a space to go to together to create and learn.   my vision was to create a place that could encourage and inspire our children. i wanted to have a place that would remind them to DREAM, never give up, and create a lot.  i wanted a place to remind them of the love of their heavenly Father.  i wanted to fill the room with reminders of our love for each other and our appreciation and love of life.

the room is almost complete (i have a few more items that i ordered that have not arrived, but for the most part i am finished)...and i thought since it was the first day of our 2012 school year, i would share my project.  i hope you enjoy a sneak peek into our school day. i am so grateful God has given me this time with my children.  i am so blessed to be able to teach them daily and watch them grow in Him.  i will never take these moments for granted.

" i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"   Philippians 4:13

10 on 10 l the august edition

i am happy to be joining you again for another edition of 10 on 10.  each month i join a group of photographers to share 10 photos (or more) from 10 hours (or more) on the 10th day of the month. last thursday my husband received the news that he would be deployed for 45 days to the middle east on the following Monday.    (ye, we had about three days notice).    originally the plan for that weekend had been for my mom and i to go shopping and have a girl's weekend away.  my mom had made reservations at the gaylord palms in orlando and we were set to leave on saturday.  ( in 8 years since we had our first child, i have not had a weekend away without the kids).  after receiving the news,  my mom was most gracious and gave us the hotel room to take the kids away for some fun.   and even though it was a short night away and only 40 minutes from home..it was a great  weekend of memories for our children. it really is a fun hotel to sneak off to for the night.  we had a blast at the water park in the hotel, viewing the alligators, going out to dinner, and having room service desert and movie night in our room. it was just what we needed! i hope you enjoy...

please follow along our blog circle and see what the talented Jennifer Kruk Photography has for this month's 10 on 10...

a special place in my heart...

i can still remember the afternoon i met crecia at the park.  she had just found out she was pregnant with number two and had an adorable son who was almost 18 months.  i would soon find out i was also pregnant (with number three) and we would have our girls weeks apart.   our friendship came at a wonderful time and we have so many fun memories together.  we were blessed to share so many loves...our families, the Lord, crafting, sewing...the list could go on.   it was a sad day when they moved from NC to FL....but a happy reunion this December when they got to visit us here in our hometown in FL.   it was such a wonderful time seeing the entire family.  during their week stay, we were able to get some pictures of their adorable family of four.  it isn't hard to see the love that encompasses this family.  i hope you enjoy this preview of our morning together....

project 52 l week 50 l remember & reflect

"be happy for this moment.  this moment is your life."-omar khayyam

this is the last week of project 52 with my current group of friends.   its amazing to think we've been doing  this for 50 weeks together.   and what an awesome time it has been. our group got off to a late start last year, so we are acutally 2 weeks short of a full year.  next week i iwill begin my 2nd year of project 52 with a new group and new themes...i am so excited!!

this final theme was : remember and reflect..what is something you want to do differently in 2012?

as i remember and reflect on 2011....it isn't so much on anything i want to change.   but really, how much i wish i could stay right here in this moment.   i can remember last year this time.   my husband had been deployed four months and we had atleast five months left apart.   we knew we would be moving duty stations, but not sure where the Lord would take us.   we had been praying about homeschooling our children but the answer was not clear.   i can almost feel the uncertainty my life was filled with as i reflect on last year.   and i can tell you, my faith in God grew more and more as i let Him lead us and prayed we would take the right paths in all aspects of our life. 

 now a year later...i am basking in the feeling of having our family complete.  yes, my husband is busy traveling a lot but he is home most of the time.   we have closed on our home in the town my husband and i grew up in and are raising our children with both sets of grandparents and cousins all around them.  we have our children at home daily;  learning together and sharing our days as a family.   life is fairly simple and good and i just thank God for all of this.   as i reflect on 2011 it was certainly a year filled with many decisions and much change.    it was a time of growth for me spiritually and personally.  and my hope for 2012 is to enjoy each and every moment spent with my husband, our children, and our families, because its simply what really matters...

our house now sits on this quiet  lake.  there isn't a day that i don't wake up and look out the windows or sit on the back porch and think how grateful i am to be home.  when i saw the kids playing at the lake  this afternoon, it reminded me of the way i feel right now as the new year begins.   they are so peaceful and so content...

 

 head on over to my friends lucy's blog,  Lucy Jane, Adelaide Photographer and see what she remembers about 2011...

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. 

an angel gets her wings...

last weekend my sister and brother n law were in town for the Christening of their first daughter.   it was such a lovely weekend filled with family gatherings and lots of catching up.    we are excited beyond belief to hear the news that my sister and her  family will be joining us all here in florida at the beginning of the new year.   while, i know it is hard for them to leave their family and precious friends in georgia we welcome them with open arms.  it has been over 18 years since my sister and i have lived in the same town and words would not do justice to explain how happy i am to have her close by. it has been amazing to see God bring us all back to our hometown this past year and now living on the same street.  a true blessing.   i had the honor of capturing this special day for my niece and all those that  love her.   i pray that God will bless her with a wonderful and healthy life filled with much happiness and love...

 and i'll leave you with one of the whole family....thank you to our family friend Mrs. H for being so kind to snap this for us....

project 52 l week 24 l movement

welcome back to project 52.  i cannot believe it is week 24. i wasn't sure if i would make it this week, but i've vowed to not miss a week in this 52 week project.  this week's theme is movement: use your shutter speed to either blur movement or freeze it. this week i didn't really follow the theme, technically...i didn't use my shutter speed to either freeze or blur movement, but instead i had a different approach. today we will be moving from what has been our home the past five years here in north carolina and heading to our hometown in florida.  and yes, we are estatic to live close to our families and old friends, but it is so bitter sweet. this week was so emotionally hard. i have made friends here that are as close as family and saying goodbye was very difficult.  in addition, its sad to leave the familiar places and routes we've been on the past five years....it is just sad saying goodbye. 

but without further ado, i say goodbye to this sweet place..camp lejeune.   i will miss you...i will miss all of the people and this community.  its a place where friends will do anything for each other.... a place where wives bond and stick together while husbands go away for months at a time...a place where kids can still run from house to house to play together....its just a sweet sweet place to live.  

now continue on with our blog circle and see what the super talented Julie Livermore, Rawlins, WY photographer has for movement!

party of 5 l welcoming baby nathan

i have been waiting to do this shoot for months...it is hard to believe this sweet baby boy is already 1 month old.  (you can see this beautiful mama pregnant here).  i will never forget the night my friend holly came over for dinner and shared her news about her pregnancy.  her husband had already left for a seven month deployment, so when they found this out  it was a welcomed and much joyous surprise for all of them.  our families weathered the deployment together and became the best of friends in the months our husbands were apart.    they are such a special family and are just dear to my heart.   it is such a blessing to now see them all together and in love with their newest family member.   i am excited to share this preview of sweet nathan with you.  thank you for entrusting me with my first "newborn session".... enjoy!

project 52 l week 22 l fatherly love

it's week 22 of project 52. i have been participating in this project with the bloom forum all year. what fun we have all had exploring our creative sides and getting to know each other better. this week's theme is fatherly love.  at first glance it may appear that i uploaded the wrong image.  you may think....what in the world does this have to do with fatherly love? 

when i first started thinking of this week's theme i thought of the love my husband has for our children.  the fun they share together...the space he really fills in their hearts; that i certainly could never fill. the space that is void when he is gone for months at a time with the USMC.  i think of how blessed i am to have married a man who loves his children and puts all of us first in his life.   

but this theme of fatherly love also brings to mind my own father, which leads me to my picture...NECCOs.  this is one thing that no matter where i am or who i am with.....i see it and i instantly think of my dad.   i would not know about this little candy if it weren't for him.   i do not like this candy at all (although he always had me try just one to see if maybe i'd change my mind). but i smile anytime i see it, which is rare these days.   i think of my dad...and when i think of him i have so many wonderful memories.  my father has always shown us that he loves his family more than anything else.   he taught us from a young age the value of family and the importance of loyalty.   i will forever be grateful to him for this and hope i will teach our children the same.   for the first time in 12 years we are moving back to our hometown.   i couldn't think of a better way to celebrate father's day this year.  it is really wonderful knowing we will have this time together again.  dad...thank you for being the man you are to me today and always.  i love you!

Now, head on over to Jennifer Hill, South Georgia Photographer's blog and see her picture of fatherly love.

fresh from God

 it never ceases to amaze me when i see God's handprints in aspects of my life.   last fall i contacted amy to take pictures of my sweet baby turning one (check out her gorgeous work).   from the moment i met her we hit it off. we had so much to share including our love of photography, God, and our families.   later in the fall we were in the same small group with bible study, but it wasn't until the spring that we were able to get together on a more regular basis.   our little girls, both full of love and energy hit it off from day 1.   they have both become special parts of our lives.    i am inspired daily by amy's walk with God and feel so blessed to have met them this year. i know our friendship will be one that will last forever.   i'll never forget when i met amy's daughter, summer grace and how amy explained to me the meaning of her name....fresh from God.  (it was so neat because we had named our third child, caroline grace...beautiful woman from God).  i think no other name could be more fitting for this adorable girl, and you will see why in these sweet pictures of mama and her.  amy, we will miss you guys but are forever grateful for the time we shared here.  you are an amazing mother and friend.

a beautiful beach night...

you may recognize this gorgeous family from a post i did with them last fall.   i was so excited when jill contacted me to take family pictures again.  they are super fun to capture and the love just really radiates from each of them.   we were blessed with wonderful weather and were able to relax and have some fun!!   it was their son, zach's 7th birthday, which was really a funny coincidence, because the last time i photographed them, it was their daughter's special day!   thank you so much jill, dave, grace and zach for this opportunity.  i really enjoyed our time together.  i hope you enjoy your preview of our fun night at the beach...

how sweet it is...

 to see such love come from a family.  this session was filled with so much laughter, fun and love!!  i had the best time getting to know each of them.   about a month ago i posted that i would be offering a couple of sessions and would donate all of the proceeds to the local tornado victims.   i was excited to hear from a few families right away and this was one of them.   i could have honestly stayed all day and talked to them; it was as if we'd known each other forever. love when that happens.   i have to say these were two of the most active and fun filled children i have yet to photograph.  it was a so fun to watch them together and see how much they seemed to adore one another.   i love to capture life as it is happening.  not so much, pose families, but let you have fun and be in the moment. for me, these are the memories i treasure the most with my own family. and i really feel as you look at these pictures, you will see your children just as they are today...so full of love and life.  it was such a pleasure S. family.

 

together again...

 "better is the end of a thing than its beginning.." ecclesiastes 7:8a

today our family was reunited once again after having daddy deployed with the USMC since august of 2010.   what a joyous day this was for all of us.  this is our 4th deployment as a married couple and the 3rd one in the past 5 years. one thing in common every time, is after you are together again, it feels like no time at all has even passed.  i think the sweet reunion always makes up for the long months of separation somehow.  as i have said before i am so grateful we can serve our country in this way.  i am grateful for the example my husband has given to our children of self sacrifice and giving in a way that some can't even imagine.  and finally i am grateful for all of the blessings God bestows on us during these time we need HIM the most.   we are so grateful to all of our family and friends for the love and support you always give to us.  to say we feel blessed is such an understatement.   

thank you to amy grimme for giving us the most amazing gift of these memories of these sweet moments.   most of these pictures were taken by her (edited by me).  we wanted to make sure we captured these moments as it seems this deployment brought so many changes with our children.  our oldest is now reading fluently, she lost her first tooth, and has become a little lady.   our middle child (our only boy) mastered his bike free of training wheels, learned to write his name, and became a lover of the wii in these past 8.5 months.   and our little baby.  she was barely crawling when daddy left..and is now running all over the place and learning new words every day.   as for mama...well, every deployment teaches me more about life, the strength of our marriage, the pure joy of each day with my children, and my NEED for God always.  

enjoy this small glimpse into our loving reunion...for those of you that have been throught it, you know it is a feeling you want to "bottle and savor forever"....

   

project 52 l week 16 l motherly love

"the moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  she never existed before.  the woman existed, but the mother, never.  a mother is something absolutely new. " ~Rajneesh

its week 16 of  project 52.   i am having such a wonderful time participating in this project each week with the other ladies on the bloom forum.  its been fun getting to know the other photographers from all over the world.  this week's theme is motherly love. 

there were a lot of pictures i could have used for this week, but this picture stood out to me.  it was one that was just taken on a whim in the middle of life happening. it was not a planned shoot but just hanging out with another friend and our children.   (she happens to be a photographer as well and you can check out her fabulous work here).  my favorite pictures are ones like these. life in action. not posed, not perfect, but full of love.  

amy is also a military spouse and we have shared many talks on motherhood and our challenges as we raise our children, especially during deployments.  i think it is a common topic among miltary mamas.   as mothers we all sacrifice so much from the day our first child is born.   sacrifices are made that we never think twice about.   the meaning of life changes and we learn and feel a love like we have never known.  but with that love also comes an incredible responsiblity.  that responsiblity is  heightened as we are carrying it alone so much of the time.     the responsibility to raise our children to grow with God and to love others and treat them with kindness and respect.   i think we all wonder at times if we are doing things right.  and we all make mistakes.   but i think the best thing we can do for our babies (of any age) is to be there for them, make time for them, and LOVE them.   and to me, that is what this picture says.  

happy mother's day! 

head on over to Nancy Schumacher's page  and see her motherly love

a little bit of this & a little bit of that l spring break day 3

today was day 3 of spring break. it was another nice relaxing day.  today the kids enjoyed their slip and slide, we headed to the park and we did a little bit of kite flying.   it was just another great day together.  the kids have been counting down all week for tomorrow's adventure...so make sure you stop by and see what we are up to. today's first picture was of sweet C in her usual "spot" hoping she could get out on the slip and slide...just loved this one!

the next few pictures are at the park and then down by the river....it was a super windy day, perfect for kites!

  

hope

as i posted in the previous entry, our area was hit by the numerous tornadoes that touched down across North Carolina this weekend.   there are many displaced families in our area and my heart hurts for all of them.   there are many ways we can all help through donations of clothing, household goods, school supplies and many other items.  many of these people lost everything.  and even if you have nothing to give, the best gift of all i believe is prayer. 

i would like to offer 2 photography sessions with 100% of the profits donated to help the families of our area that have been affected by these tornadoes.   due to an upcoming move and my full time job as mother to three children, i can only offer two sessions at this time.  

details and cost--  $100:  for $100 you will receive 10 -15 digital edited images. i will include a print release for you to have these images printed at the location of your choice.  the session will include 1-2 hours on location in the camp lejeune/ jacksonville area.  you will need to schedule your session for a date between now and  31 May 2011.   i will let you know the specific dates i am available upon contact.  

again, 100% of the profits i receive from these two sessions will go to our local families.   i know this isn't a lot in the scheme of their needs, but i am hoping it can help in some way.

if you are interested please contact me at:  ginger.unzueta@gmail.com