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.

just us l august 2012

"you'll be

his first kiss,

his first love,

his first friend,

you are his mama

and he is your whole world.

he is your little boy."

-author unknown

head on over to the blog of the beautiful  Celeste Jones l Wilmington Deleware Photographer and see what she has captured this month...

a super yummy cake smash

i have been so blessed to photograph so many wonderful families. for this shoot we were able to capture some beautiful family shots and also some great first birthday memories to cherish.   they were all such fun and you can completely see what wonderful parents these two boys have. their mama and daddy love them to pieces.  i am grateful i could give them this gift to preserve this special time in all of their lives.

project 52 l week 31 l street

wow, the summer has just about flown by.  i didn't think i'd have time to post this week but realized i had this shot on my i-phone.   this week our theme is street.  i took this photo one afternoon we were walking down the street to my parent's house.  i was thinking how much i loved that we could just walk down to see them anytime we want. the kids love to go there and swim in the afternoons.   truly, i cherish this street so much.   on this little street lives my two sisters and their husbands, my brother and his wife, my parents, and my 5 nieces.   life is simple and life is good.  i am very blessed.

follow along our blog circle to see what clara with heart inspired photography has for us this week.

the illuminated word project l june

welcome back for this month's illuminated word project.   if this is your first time joining me, please read here to find out what this project is all about. this month the topic of servant-hood has been on my mind often.  i 've been thinking of ways that we can serve others more as a family.  my husband and i really want to demonstrate the importance of servant-hood in our Christian walks to our children.  we desire to teach them the importance of putting others before themselves while striving to be Christ like in all things.

as i think of servant-hood my mother-in-law, mita, immediately comes to mind.  she is such an amazing example of selfless living for others similar to Jesus.  her whole life is about putting others before herself with the desire to display her love for them.  i pray my children will see this example and want to live like her.   additionally, she inspires and challenges me.

my father-in-law, pito,  is living with Alzheimer's and as of recent it seems to be getting worse. in the year we have lived at home, i have witnessed the effects it has taken on our mita. she is one of the strongest people i know and ultimately gets her strength from our Lord and Savior. i watch her as she serves pito daily caring for his every need and i can only imagine the pain she feels in the moments he looks at her and asks who she is.  through the heartache she remains strong; she smiles and she rejoices in the moments she has with pito still in her life.  even in the midst of all this hardship, she chooses to continue to serve everyone around her.  she does this without ever making her own needs known.   her life is such a living example of how Christ tells us to live and a vivid reminder that this world is not about living for ourselves.   it's about others.

this month's scripture i've chosen is:

Philippians 2:1-4 (NIV)

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,   if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete   by being like-minded,   having the same love, being one   in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.   Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

one of the many ways mita loves to serve is through her cooking.  this week she came over and cooked with my oldest daughter ellie and me.   through these pictures you can see the mutual love and joy of grandmother and granddaughter making lifetime memories together.

as mita and i were finishing up the cooking i saw my oldest in the family room carrying out her own acts of service for our family and my heart was so touched.  she was sitting with pito and showing him our family photo albums. i heard her asking him if he knew who various people in the book were-- including herself.  my heart sank a little when i heard him answer no. but as i kept listening, i heard as she explained to him who everyone in the family was and how they were related to him. she did this with such love and patience and in that moment i saw my 8 year old being like Jesus...

i'll leave you with this song , Live Like That, by Sidewalk Prophets.  listen closely and i pray the words would challenge you as they have me.

please continue with our blog circle and see what Rachel Chaney has on her heart this month.

10 on 10: the january edition

i  can't believe a month has flown by since i first introduced you to this project.  its time for my next 10 on 10.  you can read about this project here if you missed the first one.   this month i decided my 10 on 10 would come from Christmas day.  once again, i went over the 10 pictures. this month,  i also thought i'd write this post as a letter to my little ones... my dearest children,

what a fun time we had getting ready for Christmas. when the morning finally arrived, you were all full of excitement and anticipation.  what fun it is to see the magic and wonder through your eyes.   this was our first Christmas morning waking up in our own home. this was the best gift for mama and daddy.   until this year, we were always travelling home to florida, so living here is such a blessing in more ways than one.  when you woke up yall found the last note of the year that "cute red elf"  left.   bubby was so sad to realize the elf would not be returning for another year.   yall were ready then to run downstairs and see what santa had left.   but you were so patient while we woke up baby sissy.  once downstairs you were all ecstatic about your surprises.  big sissy is loving american girl this year and  you found your double stroller and bitty twins from Santa, and were super excited about your camera that we gave you.  bubby got a cars race track, a new bike, and some more cars goodies and games.  and baby sissy was over the moon with your new pram pink stroller and your very own baby.    we had fun opening gifts at home and then headed over to mimis with all the other cousins.  it was crazy, but such fun being all together.  we are truly blessed to all live here on the same street. i don't think i will ever take that for granted.  after breakfast and more presents we all went home for naps and you guys played with your new toys a bit.   the house was a complete disaster zone.   later in the afternoon we headed back to mimis for lunch.  after lunch we danced on the patio, played outside and just had some wonderful time with the family.  it didn't take long after getting home, that everyone was asleep and pooped out for the day...even Buster.  it was such a wonderful Christmas day.  daddy and i both pray that you always remember how very blessed our family is and the true meaning of why we celebrate Christmas...

i love you all to the moon & back,

mama

 

please continue on with our blog circle and see what Elizabeth Jane photo has for her 10 on 10.

dreamy

i am so excited to share this session.  what a wonderful time it was capturing this family together.  the sun was dreamy, their outfits were just perfectly precious and they were all a breeze to work with.  i had not seen tori (the mother) in years.   she and i went to high school together and have been in touch via facebook and email for a while. it was such a delight to spend the afternoon with her family.  tori, i can't wait for your next visit when we can get the kids all together to play and we can spend some more time catching up .  i hope you love your preview.. 

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 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...

 

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...

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....

sugar and spice...

it was so exciting to finally meet the newest member of our family this september weekend.   baby a was born at the end of june and this was her first trip to florida to meet all of the family.    i can tell she has carved a huge spot out of her mama and daddy's hearts already.    she was so alert and full of  smiles.   i have to say that it  is the best feeling to get to cuddle a new baby... oh, how i miss those days. i hope you enjoy this peak at my precious niece...

six cousins and some gorgeous sun...

this morning we started the day early...alarm had to be set as we usually do not rise before 8:00  in our house.   we wanted to get some family portraits done before it got too hot.  and here in florida....it gets hot very early!!  we have been planning to get some pictures of all the cousins on my side of the family. we found a day that worked for all of us, although one very important  new cousin was still missing. my sister, who lives in georgia,  delivered her first baby a little over a month ago.  so the newest little one of the bunch was not a part of our photo shoot but we will capture her the minute she arrives in town to meet us all...no worries!   the rest of the kids ALL live on the same street now!  what a blessing it has been the past month enjoying this new NORM for us.  the kids all had fun together and we were able to get one shot with all of them...(we wanted to do a surprise for my dad's upcoming birthday--shhhhh, it's still a secret).   it is very hard to get six children ages 11 months, 17 months, 23 months, 4, 7 and 7 1/2 to all cooperate for any one picture.  but it was a fun challenge!!  so grateful this crew all has each other.....they really are such blessings to us all!

 

and i just couldn't leave you without a couple "after -takes"...sort of reminded us of the trash the dress sessions for brides....but trash the outfits for babes!

butterfly cupcakes & mimi

last weekend the kids and i decided we would make butterfly cupcakes.  we had seen these on my newest addiction Pinterest.   we made a few changes to the original picture we saw but we had such fun.    i think the best part was when we called mimi (my mother) and asked her if she wanted to join us for the decorating and she did.   what a joy it is to now have her only a few houses down the road.    it really is the little things in life that are so easy to take for granted but that mean so much.   when we made our move from north carolina it was indeed bitter sweet.   i have shed more than a tear over missed friends and memories.  it is very hard moving on from the life i knew for so long.   but the life we have waiting here is one that i missed more than i even realized.    being here for weekly family dinners, having cousins over to our house to play and make memories, passing by my parents house and just getting to have a quick visit in the driveway.  as an adult i have never had these things and it is now that i need them and cherish them the most.    today i say a prayer of thanksgiving because i am ever so grateful that God has given us this opportunity. because as a military family it is indeed rare.   and to all of my family...i love you all so much and am so happy we are home.

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.

project 52 l week 4 l love

Welcome to Week 4 of Project 52 .  You can read more about this project here.   This week's theme is Love: What does this word mean to you? What best defines it in your life? 

 I have been thinking about this theme all week.   I could have done so many pictures to represent LOVE in my life.   Most images that come to mind are of my children and my husband or of family and friends.   But as I thought about this all week, I had one image in mind that just kept coming back.  It was actually a picture I took a little over a month ago while in Florida visiting our families.    

This picture is of  my husband's parents...who are like second parents to me as well.   I am very close to my own parents, but have been doubly blessed because I married into an extraordinary loving family as well.   My in laws have been married over forty years and when I look at this picture I see the true definition of love and commitment shining through.   My father n law was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. It has been heart wrenching to watch the changes in him due to this disease.  My mother n law amazes me day in and day out with her strength, her patience, her devotion and her trust in God.    Besides being an amazing wife she is a mother to four boys.   She is truly one of the most giving people I have ever met.   So, today, she is my definition of LOVE..the undying love for her husband and children. A woman who gives of her heart in whatever manner she can.  

As 1 Corinthians says:  Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

I hope and pray  my husband and I will share a love like this for over forty years as well. 

Don't forget to head on over to Jen's page to see what LOVE meant to her.....

a frame a week wednesdays | week 1

I have decided this year to do a family 52 project. Every Wednesday I will post a picture of each of our children that was my favorite from the previous week.  This is a good way for me to stay organized, so that at the end of the year I can easily publish each child a book of the year.   These memories are always so special to go back and cherish. This week's pictures were super easy to pick. They were all taken on our last week of our visit to Florida.   What a fun time it was.

The first one is of E.  I love this one and actually entered it into a photo challenge on one of my favorite blog sites: The Creative Mama.   I was super ecstatic one day when I saw they had shared it on their blog as one of their favorite submissions.   The theme was growth and change.   You can see my entry here:   http://thecreativemama.com/photo-challenge-v1-a-few-favorites/  .  I titled my picture Florida Sun and this is what I shared:

Florida Sun

This picture represents many things to me....the growth we have had as a family the past year as my husband is currently on his 3rd deployment since 2006. This was our first Christmas without him and we (my three children and I ) have come home to our hometown in Florida to be surrounded by loved ones during this holiday...it also represents change and growth in the New Year ahead as we pray for orders to come back close to home. My father -n-law is ill and we pray to have some quality time here with him in these hard days. So as I see this picture and revel in the Florida sun...I have many wishes for our new year ahead and we count down the days to be a family of five again and hopefully close to our extended family as well...

 Next up, Mr. M.   We were trying to get a picture for my parent's Christmas card--one that would include all of their grandchildren. This was pretty challenging because 3 are 1 and under.    Well, this obviously wasn't the card, but when going through the pictures, I couldn't help but laugh.   I guess all his girl cousins are a little much for him to handle!!

 Last picture of the week...our sweet C.   I've posted this picture once. But it is just the perfect one of her to start the New Year with.  This picture is her....sweet, happy, full of life and wonder...