solitary perch

Friends,

I am saying a short and tiny goodbye today. Gonna wade out to that sunny warm rock and perch myself upon it and take a summer breather from the blogging. I have some other "things" that need my attention: other photo stuff, family activities, and my own personal care.  All good stuff, just listening to the whisper in my ear that is telling me to take a little blog vacation.

I will be back August 1st.

Until then,
t

p.s. One of my favorite things this summer has been to photograph Bean in her pink hat. I bought this pink hat for her several years ago and she has finally "owned" it. Makes me smile. :)

summer love: campfire love

Learning to love my video feature on my camera.  In my other life I am a cinematographer.

I love that you can hear the adults discussing a crossword problem in the background. Whenever we go camping we find ourselves around the campfire with a good crossword.

Bean is obsessed with smores. It is her reason for living when the campfire is lit. I cannot even eat my dinner in peace because of her impatience.

I also feel the need to clarify that the sassy girl she is channeling is not her norm. She only surfaces whenever the camera is in her face. Well, maybe she comes out more often. Lord help me. If you listen carefully you can hear my muffled guffaw.

Anyway...

Summer for us = one good camping trip complete with smores and crosswords.  (Even if Queen Sass emerges around the campfire.)

a little affirmation

Excavate the depths of my photo files and you will find that most of them are of children.

I love children.

I love to capture their littleness.

I love to capture them unaware, just inhabiting their space.

I love to capture their profiles.

I love to capture their goofy sides.

I love to capture my reflection in their eyes.

I love to capture the proof of their infinite beauty and uniqueness.

So is it any wonder that I am forever trying to throw my photographic arms around them?

This past week my Picture Inspiration assignment was to do a little excavation, to look back at my assignments and show you all what I have discovered about myself through my images.

This assignment was more of an affirmation than a discovery. (Is this really a surprise?)

So today I am showing you what continues to be an affirming, resounding, "yes" in my creative heart: given the choice between a flower, a landscape, a family, a wedding, a baby, or a child, my photographic heart will always draw nearest to the face of a child.

I am a magnet, drawn by the force of their innocence, and charm, uniqueness, and wonder in an unquenchable thirst to capture their worth.

(This is my "niece". She is a ham. A close second to my Bean who is her competitor. She was insistent on me photographing her "O" mouth. So I made sure to get that for her.)

friday summer love: summer camp's smelly success

We picked him up on Sunday after a week away from us at summer camp.
He and his buddy didn't shower, brush teeth, change underwear.
He had a blast.
You cannot imagine what it was like for me to open his duffle bag in the laundry room
and be greeted with the smell.
I actually chuckled.
Apparently he wasn't trying to impress any of the girls.

sparkler magic

Every kid should hold a sparkler at least once in his life....

Yesterday on the 4th we were gone from morning 'till night hanging with good friends and eating our way through the day. The weather was beautiful, perfect for a water balloon fight and hanging out on the front lawn. We ended the day with some sparklers that I had purchased at an out-of-town firework stand.

Street works are completely illegal in our part of the state so it makes me sad that my kids have not been raised to experience the once-a-year agonizing wait for the fall of darkness on the 4th, when their father and uncle would drag out the boxes of fireworks to set off in the street. (I always felt that the sun set slower than usual on Independence Day. Anybody else feel that way?)

I am having to create a new kind of 4th memory, so yes, I broke the law, and splurged for some sparklers. I feel quite confident in posting these pictures even though my brother works for the state law enforcement. It's not that he wouldn't turn me in because I am his sister, it's because--ahem, cough cough--he knows what he was doing in his front yard at the same exact time we were lighting our sparklers. If you get my drift? Ok, that's all I am going to say about that.

So anyway, back to the sparklers...

Honestly, night photography is an art form at which I am not very skilled. But my Picture Inspiration assignment this week was to "dig in" and explore another art form, have some fun, get a little messy. I think I was a little broad with my interpretation of this assignment but I went with it. I have always wanted to try some night photography so I decided to make this my "dig in" moment. I discovered how fun it was to play with the settings to see what I could create. It was also fun to watch the kids "dig in" and explore what they could do with their sparklers. They wrote their names in the air, twirled and danced. Here's Bean writing her name on the street...

I learned a little bit in the process of having fun. I learned how to work with my shutter speed, and follow the light and work in darkness, which is tricky. It was a successful "dig in" moment for me.

And a super fun way to end Independence Day.

A happy belated 4th to you all. Hope it was a fun one.
t

friday summer love: visiting old friends

This past week we visited old friends.
She walked amongst them, giving each a name, greeting them with a pat-pat.
I do believe this is becoming her favorite summer destination.
Mine too.


p.s. I can' believe how much she has grown in the last year.
Next year she'll be as tall as her friends!

stuff I want my kids to know: your life is a gift

Kids,

Sometimes I watch your from afar and I am overwhelmed with love for you. I pray that you come to know just how much your life is a gift, stretched out before you with endless possibilities. Imagine yourself as an explorer, embarking on a journey. Only you can make the choices to abundantly live, or squander away, your life as you make your way through the mountains and valleys.

Whether it be in the public eye or in the quiet of your own private struggle, with God's help, you are capable of accomplishing any goal, or working through any obstacle. And you are strong enough to bear any cross. (For there will be crosses to bear.) With him, you possess more strength than you know.

So in good times, climb that rock and stand with the Light on your face and thankfully count your blessings, for there will be many. A thankful heart will always keep your heart in tune.

In difficult times, climb that rock and stand with the Light on your face, humbly take up your sword and shield and set your heart and mind to the truth that you are a warrior. A good warrior who is deeply loved by a sappy mama and a good God.

Mom
xoxo

(My Picture Inspiration theme this week was to capture "exploration". Couldn't help but capture this little explorer with his shield and sword, looking out over the valley below him.)

stuff I want my kids to know: don't settle for the monsters everyone else is making

Kids,

I know it may not be the easiest path but...

Don't settle for the monsters everyone else is making.
Explore the reaches of your own creativity.
Push yourself to create rather than copy. Innovate rather than mimic.

"Gelatin Monsters" are waaaaaay cooler than the standard martians because you thought them up and chalked them into existence.

I can speak from experience as to how frustrating it can be when you take the longer path of exploration, when you bump up against the limits of your present self. But if your set your mind to the work you will be rewarded with the discovery that you are far more more capable and gifted than you first believed.
 
Do not settle for the false satisfaction that imitating will feed you.  

Do not settle for the monsters everyone else is making.

xoxo
Mom

stuff I want my kids to know: you are already cool.

Kids,

I know I am just your mother, much older than you, and soon to be totally unable to relate to your life, but I just wanted you to have a very important little nugget of truth that will help you get through these next few years.

Here it is:

While you struggle with trying to "fit in", wondering just how far you need to go to be "cool" in the eyes of those who define "cool" (whomever that may be), please know that cool is what you make it because you already are, and forever will be, cool.

I know this is a very parental thing to ask but, who makes the "cool rules" anyway?

In my forty-two years of living I have not found that person outside of myself and I am pretty sure you will not either.

You = cool. Period.

Mom
xoxo

stuff I want my kids to know: don't be afraid to wear your Big Birds

 

 

Kids,

Son, if you really want to know how to attract the ladies then take a cue from your little pal above, and then listen to your mama.

What we're both tryin' to say is: do not be afraid to wear your Big Birds. *

I know this sounds funny, but your underoos really do have secret powers (sort of). Batman and Robin knew this, and most super heroes would also agree. You see, on their own, the Big Birds do not have the secret powers until you have the confidence to put them on. The magic happens when you decide to wear them regardless of what you believe the girl might think. It's all in how you carry yourself. And how you carry yourself is directly linked to how you value yourself. (Which I hope you know, of course, how valuable you are.)

Before you get too embarrassed, please know that I am not at all trying to sound suggestive. I am simply stating a fact, that there is nothing more attractive to a woman (well, at least this woman) than a man who carries a humble, quiet confidence in his approach to life (and his wardrobe). There is an indistinguishable, attractively good power that a man can possess when he is able to carry himself with a spirit of humility and a calm belief in himself. In other words, a man who does not need to prove himself by telling you he is wearing his expensive, flashy Big Birds.

And Bean, if you ever meet a man that needs to prove himself to you via outlandish displays of money, accomplishments, expensive clothes...who likes to fluff his feathers..who is unable to wear humility with honor...who scoffs at the man who wears Big Birds...then turn around and run for your life. He is not yet worthy of you.

Understood?

Okay, to sum it all up:

Son, if you have Big Birds and you love them, wear them with quiet confidence. You will possess an attractive confidence that will drip with magic.

Bean, if you meet a man that needs to show off his Big Birds, or laughs at the man who would dare to wear them--walk away. He needs more time to grow into a man.

Mom
xoxo

p.s. A real man also knows when to keep his pants on.

*Note I did not say, wear your Big Birds, I am just sayin' that you should not be afraid to wear your Big Birds. And when I say "attract the ladies" I am jesting. I know that embarrasses you, it's just that I cannot help but saying it when I look at these photos. :) 

summer love: a blue sky and a pink hat

Just a little bit of our day yesterday.
Yes, it was this beautiful.
It was a day to wear your pink hat just to celebrate all that blue.

Happy Summer Love Friday.
T