Sunday, January 31, 2010

Beautiful baby fingers & toes...

Is there anything more beautiful than baby toes and fingers?? Okay, maybe all the beautiful squishy rolls of babiness (but I'm only posting fingers and toes today).

I had the pleasure of photographing one of our ECFE friend's new baby. She is a little darling. Here are some fingers and toes.




Friday, January 29, 2010

About love...

"Love is the one treasure that multiplies by division. It is the one gift that grows bigger the more you take from it. It is the one business in which it pays to be an absolute spendthrift. You can give it away, throw it away, empty your pockets, shake the basket, turn the glass upside down, and tomorrow you will have more than ever. "
-Author Unknown

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

A surprise...

This morning while checking my e-mail I had a message from Bonnie Rose letting me know that I was on The Fresh Reflection blog. So of course I stopped over there to see what was going on and up pops my picture! I was a little shocked and stunned because I have no idea how the picture got there or who sent it (since I'm the only one with the actual picture.) But I decided not to freak out because I like the blog (I found it one night blog hopping) and I like the idea behind it. And I like the picture. It was taken by my friend Lisa for my website. And to whoever sent it in, thank you, that was very kind of you.

Friday, January 22, 2010

A new project...

I have been pondering a new project for 2010. Well, that's not entirely accurate. I haven't been pondering a specific idea but rather the idea to have a project for 2010. And I was at a loss. I don't like the pressure of 365 days of photos. Until today I haven't taken any pictures yet this year. Very uncharacteristic of me. I wasn't sure I wanted it to be photo, craft or both related. Or if it should include some goals. I have enough goals though. Eventually it just moved to the back room of my mind and I hadn't been giving it much thought at all lately.

However, today while we were baking chocolate chip cookies, and I was compelled to get out my camera and photograph my beautiful creation, it came to me!!

This year I'm going to amass a collection of images representing love. And now you may be wondering "hmm, what would that look like?". And that's just it. I don't know. Hence the idea. today it was the chocolate chip cookies. I love them. They turned out perfect. I loved the time Owen and I spent making them together. I love eating them. We put love into them while we were baking them.

Some people may disagree with me and say you can't love *things*. And I'm fine with that. Disagree all you want. I don't care. Love IS an expression. I get that. And I can see that. And hopefully I will photograph it. But love is also how you feel inside. When you eat that warm gooey chocolate chip cookie (that maybe someone who loves you made). When you slip your feet into your most comfortable pair of shoes (that you loved yourself enough to splurge on).

My point is, love really IS all around us. (Thank you Love Actually, I love you too!) And this year I want to make a point of capturing it and documenting it and showing it to others. Our world needs more images of love. It's rather intangible at times and I think if people can see it then maybe they can feel it more.

For today, here are the cookies. LOVE THEM!


Thursday, January 21, 2010

Random...

So it would seem that over the last six or more months I've been neglecting my blog. People stop by but no one is home. (As evidenced by my lack of posts!) However, I am not really neglecting my blog, I just don't seem to have a lot to say. Or I say it in short bursts on FB. My BIL commented one day that his updates page is mostly updates from me. Maybe he'll figure out how to block me from his updates page and won't be inundated with my thoughts every time he signs on to FB!

My life isn't really all that interesting. Which means not much to write about. And then there's my notorious short attention span. When I think of something I want to write about it's frequently in the wee hours of the night/morning and I may narrate in my head but don't want to get out of bed and turn on the computer because if I do I most certainly will not fall asleep. And I know this because I used to do it and I didn't get back to sleep. Now that O isn't napping much anymore I can't do that. If I do I am worthless during the day. And that isn't a good thing with an energetic 3 1/2 year old terrorizing the house. Which brings me to another distraction from blog writing. Owen won't let me be at the computer for very long without climbing into my lap and wanting to see something or type too. He loves to type messages to people. Of course I need to start the message so that people know what's going on when they get it. And he loves getting the messages back from people!!

More and more I find myself wanting to write about things that are a little on the sad or depressing side too. Long winded posts about Nikki and how much I miss her. Soap box posts about insurance (health, home and auto) and how I hate it. The solitary nature of being a SAHM of an only in the winter. The ebb and flow of my creativity. (It's currently more on the ebb side, in case you were wondering.)

BUT I don't like that I am not writing here. I like to share andI like to read what other people are writing about.

So for today, a little glimpse at somethings I'm missing and that I'm grateful for.

Right now I miss:
  • Nikki. Life isn't the same without her. And it won't be. And I have a hard time with that. And so do a lot of other people. The saying, "finding a new normal" is so true.
  • Having grandparents. We had lunch with our school friends today and one of the kids great-grandma was there. It was so fun to have her with us. And I realized how much I miss my own grandparents and the older women I had gotten to know at our previous church.
  • Warm weather. We had rain today. Yes, rain in MN in January when it was 30˚. I don't know how that happens but it did. And it was yucky! The snow is dirty. My car is filthy! And the sky is gray, gray, gray! The only good part has been the ice skating.
  • A good nights sleep!
Right now I'm grateful for:
  • My friends. I am blessed to have some really great mom friends to spend time with. Who also share my hobbies and interests. And great non-mom friends too. That remind me that I am more than a mom. I am still Heather.
  • A good husband. Sometimes it seems like a good man is rare. So I'm glad to have one.
  • Owen. I am really enjoying his 3 1/2 ness. He is so curious about so many things. And he's so fun and silly. And says some really goofy silly things. Yesterday he was sitting on the floor in the kitchen talking (to me or just himself I'm not sure) and he said, "when I throw up on the floor, I go to the doctor and have a check-up. Then I go home and sleep." I think this came out of him remembering when Ludwig threw up one day. And incidentally we don't take him to the doctor when he throws up. Because when he throws up it's because he's worked himself into a tizzy and just throws up.
  • My home and all the other creature comforts we have that so many people don't have. There are lots of *things* I think I'd like to have but in the grand scheme of life, we really have all we need.

Friday, January 01, 2010

Happy New Year!!!

We had a rather uneventful New Year's Eve. We had a nice dinner of Runza's imported from Nebraska (I KNOW that's not the correct use of the term import) courtesy of my BIL. We played one of Owen's new games (Cariboo) and then it was bedtime for O. We crashed shortly thereafter.

Today I sorted through, archived, and deleted photos from the computer and now have a blank iPhoto program to start the new year with. I love that. Owen and I baked brownies in The Perfect Brownie pan that we got for Christmas. I'm planning to tidy up my craft room since it is a disaster area from creating and wrapping during the holiday season.

Every January I am over come with the urge to purge, clean and reorganize all areas of our home. This year I think I am going to make a list and tackle it a little bit at a time week by week. It may take an entire day for me to tackle the mail basket and file cabinet. More than anything I abhor paper clutter. Newspapers, magazines, mail, recipe print-outs, receipts. I'm fairly good at organizing things and keeping track of stuff but the paper things just seem to get out of control. Insurance papers and investment statements and all that stuff that needs to be filed. I cram it into a basket planning to do something with it later and then the basket gets too full! So that is on my t0-do list for January. Our file cabinet needs a good purging too.

I've also been busy purging old toys and clothes. Owen's closet is full to the brim with all his clothes from the last 3 1/2 years. I either need to find a new system/place to put them OR they need to go.

I'm trying to subscribe to the motto that we don't have anything in the house that isn't purposeful or beautiful. Which can be hard to do!

And now I'm off the do more cleaning, purging, and sorting! Happy New Year!!