Little things matter...

A great life is the sum total of all the worthwhile things you've been doing one by one. —RICHARD BACH


There is so much to do. So much to get done. My head is usually spinning in a million directions. But, a while ago, I promised myself I would try to focus on making sure that in small ways, each of my importants always knows how I feel about them.

So, every few days, I've been slipping a little note in his lunchbox. Today when he came home from school, he told me he had a GREAT day. When I asked why, he said, it was because I left him a surprise note that told him he was special and I loved him and I wished he could fathom how much. He said that note went right into his treasure box.

It does matter. It does. :)

Cloudy

with a Chance of Meatballs.

Hence the umbrella. :)
What a great kid's movie. A really good story that was a perfect blend of imagination, silliness, adventure, relationships and the 3D was awesome.

Jump

It costs $10 to get into the play area of the pumpkin patch

and an extra $2 to jump on the huge orange 'pumpkin pillow'

but if you just take one look at their faces

and see the joy that is written all over it

you would know, it was worth EVERY PENNY!

Masterpieces

I am constantly amazed at how I continue to learn how little I really see or how my expectation or life experiences have shaped what I see and how I judge accordingly.

Aside from foggy mornings or evenings, I can honestly say, I have never SEEN light like this. And the old me would have thought photos shot in light like this were a failure. After all, isn't a great photo one in which everyone is in focus, wearing happy faces with rich, vibrant colors? What about the lens flare and the haze in these shots? Isn't it a mistake?

Well, if it is, then it is a happy, beautiful accident. This is exquisite light. The kind of light that has surrounded me all along but I have not seen, really seen, for all of my life. The softness, the haze. The way it captures my 10 year old, who I was just whining about growing up too fast, and instantly transforms his features in such a sweet softness that I can readily see the remnants of my sweet baby. The creamy skin. The pensive look. The gentle eyes. Those lips.

It's magical to me that at my age, I can continue to see things in a fresh, surprising way. I love the fact that God continues to open my eyes to new things to see and new ways to see them. This world and each one of us in it - masterpieces. His masterpieces.

The joy of window gels and more limbs....

Caleb absolutely adores window gels. ADORES them. So does Carah. Or maybe she just adores them because everytime Caleb is picking out a few for himself, he makes sure to buy some for her too. (It is one of those rare times that he thinks of someone other than himself - so it says alot!)

Good cheap fun these window gels. He spends hours putting them on and taking them off and moving to the next window to begin the process again. It is only when he has ripped them to shreds and it is impossible to figure out any longer what those window gels were meant to be, that he loses interest.


When I was editing this photo, I noticed the LIMBS on this guy too. He looks like he is all arms and legs just like Nathan. Must be something in the water! Sigh!

I just adore the near reflection that you can see of Caleb in these shots and the light, well, it's just magical.

All limbs

AKA - someone is growing up fast

I am taking a photography class on light (which is frying my brain - which is not hard to do) but our first assignment was to completely "blow out" the background and show just light and shadow and texture in our subject. All shot in manual. Huhhhh?!

Well the only cooperative model I currently have around this house is Nathan. He sits and he tries to be so patient while I fuss with him and fuss with my camera and fuss with him some more. (I love that about Nathan.)

This first shot was close to what I was supposed to capture but not quite. But this photo is special to me because when I look at it, all I see (behind big old mamma tears) is LIMBS....lots and lots of pre-adolescent boy limbs....those kind of limbs that undoubtedly mean that a young man is working his way out one long leg at a time. And my heart instantly zooms back to the Overland Park NICU 10 years ago - that teeny baby who looked like Rocky (all beat up and bruised) and fought like Rocky. It makes me gasp and I marvel at the miracle that has grown so big and so strong.

Photos have a way of being a reality check for me.

And because he is the cool kid he is, he sat some more and we were able to get this one which got a thumbs up from my teacher. Thank you Nathan for being so patient. Limbs and all. :)

Don't be fooled

THIS...

IS NOT A SWEET INNOCENT LITTLE BOY ENJOYING A RIDE ON A SWING.
IT IS NOT...

What you are really looking at is the family dictator lecturing me on the proper way to swing two boys at the park at the same time while satisfactorily keeping both of their swings at the right speed and height, at all times.
After all, "Daddy can do it".
Hhmmmph.

AND
just when I've decided I've had ENOUGH of this dictator's reign and pull out Momma Kick A, he pulls out this face....
Hhmmmph.

Perhaps the one in our house with the least amount of control is really ME.....
One certainly wonders... :)