fulfilled

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.” - Forest E. Witcraft

One goal of our new homeschooling adventure with our youngest son was to cultivate his love of science.  Allowing him to guide the curriculum is proving to be exciting.  While working on mathematics, spelling, reading, we are also exploring microbiology, chemistry, geography, photography, roman numerals, and Latin... all chosen by him.

The result is bigger smiles, a soaring self-esteem, and an unstoppable desire to learn.  Think about how happy, content and fulfilled you would be if you had been able to pursue passions meaningful to you.

What would you choose to learn?

He Posed for Me

Finally....  one of my boys agreed to pose for me. Perhaps it was a weak moment. Really it doesn't matter. What matters is he posed for me.  Woo hoo!

I've been wanting to take Bryce's photo forever. But he always has one excuse or another. The truth is, I am not much for taking people pics, so maybe I'm not that persistent. I'm way more comfortable setting up still lifes or photographing Ben. Probably because they don't talk back. 'smile'.

The other day I thought, darn it, I'm going to demand he let's me do it. I casually walked into the living room....all calm, cool and collected. 'Bryce, I need to take your picture in the white room. Can you please let me? I need to practice with this new lens.' I was prepared for resistance, so I had a whole speech ready. But he simply stood up and said 'sure....as long as I can keep my toque on....' I could not believe it.... I was almost speechless.....

I didn't waste a moment... Up we went.... and click, click, click... He didn't complain, he followed 'direction'...which is somewhat unusual... And we captured some fabulous shots. Then we popped into the studio and did a little post processing together. The whole experience was perfect.

This is our favorite shot...I think it really captures who Bryce is. He's a deep thinker... quite serious and I often catch him looking just like this.  

How about you? Are you met with resistance when you try to photograph your family? Any tips for me?

Share a family photo with us today. 

Telling Stories

 That's me up there, sitting on my Mother's lap. It's one of my most favorite photos of my Mom and I.  She would have been just a little younger than I am now.

There's a story behind every photograph captured, every snapshot stolen from a moment in time.  I look at this photo, now through a mother's eyes, and wonder what her story was when this was taken.

It's fascinating to think about where our own photos will end up, forty or fifty years from now. Will somebody, somewhere, look at an image we've captured and wonder about the person in the frame? What they were thinking, feeling, doing in that exact moment?  Perhaps it's a love of photography that leads me to also wonder about the person behind the lens. I wonder why it was they chose to capture a certain moment, a certain scene, a certain someone. I wonder what they were trying to tell me.

Holding this snapshot in my hands, a bit weathered with age, its paper curling from its backing, I make a wish that someday, somebody will do the same with a photograph of my own.  I hope they wonder about the stories I've been telling.

Today, please share with us your photos that tell a story. 

Image and post courtesy of the awesome Janice Squires, who many of us know and love from her blog Two Scoopz.

my word

It's here again.  That time of year when I ponder my word for the year. The one word that will define everything that I want to accomplish in the next 12 months.  

Last year, I selected the word PURPOSE.  I sit here and review my list of things that I wanted to accomplish. I feel so inadequate.  All the healthy meals that I planned on making, all the practice time at my harp that did not happen, the books that I wanted to read... 

Then I shake myself off and remember... The joy of helping our oldest sons complete home-schooling and start their new lives.  The excitement of building new communities with amazing women.  The quiet times in our "almost empty" nest with just one son still at home.  It was in these moments that I found my PURPOSE and more fulfillment than I ever expected.  

As I embark on a new adventure of home-schooling our youngest son and with the knowledge of what made me the happiest, I am selecting my new word for 2012... NURTURE [nur-cher] 1. to feed and protect   2. to support and encourage   3. to bring up; train; educate.  

I am inspired by my selection and look forward to helping those around me.  Have you selected your word or did it find you?  Share with me your thoughts for the upcoming year.

your best memory 2011

I can't help it. The last week of the year I have to thumb through my journals, dig into my archives and look at all the photos that I took the past 12 months. What I love most about doing this is that it helps me acknowledge that I'm nowhere near where I thought I would be a year ago, and that it's okay. This makes me profoundly grateful for every experience that enabled me to learn and grow, for the people in my life, and mostly, for the memories that I now get to cherish and look back on fondly. The photo above was taken during a family trip in Switzerland. And this is my best memory of the year 2011.

Today show us yours.