Life in Focus

Kids With Cameras :: Learning to See

A few days ago, I took the opportunity to go on a photo walk with my beautiful teenage daughter. She has a natural eye, a sincere love for nature, and a growing passion for learning to see through a lens. Getting the chance to teach her and be her cheerleader is an amazing gift! This day was extra special, however, because it was the day that my very first DSLR went to a new home in her creative hands.

I've been waiting for the right time to give her this camera and I knew that this was the day that she was ready. We went to our favorite park and headed down the most inspiring trail full of trees, wild flowers, and life all around.

Watching her stare up at the tall trees with camera in hand, I could see her heart and soul flourish.

I did some teaching and guiding along the way, but mostly this day I just watched her and was so excited to be on the sidelines to see what she saw. It was thrilling!

There is something very powerful about looking through a lens and learning to see. It transforms our perspective and creates a new appreciation for the world around us.  It helps us focus on the beauty that could easily go unnoticed in our busy, hurry-to-the-next-thing lives. It teaches us to slow down, be aware, and find joy in simplicity...a butterfly's wings, the petal of a flower, or even the great big awe inspiring sky!

To hold a camera is not just a medium to create images, but it's a powerful tool for a happy life. What an awesome thing it is to give that tool to a kid. After watching my daughter on this day, I'm pretty sure she will never see the world the same way again.

 

 

Around Here...

Around here, it's been a whirlwind of activity for the past couple of months and I've been doing my best to keep up with it all! And so is she...although we've discovered that sometimes it's best to just park yourself at the top of the steps so you don't have to run up and down so many times! :)

Around here...

This boy came home from college after a very successful first year away and we are so proud of him!

This girl made a speech, got elected as a Drama Club Officer, earned 5 amazing undergraduate awards, and finished her junior year of high school with flying colors.

This boy turned 14, made a speech, got elected as Senior Patrol Leader, began work on his Boy Scout Eagle project, and completed 8th grade with great success.

These two began Cross Country training together and I'm so happy that they will have time together as a Freshman and Senior next year!

I went to California with my big brother and sister-in-law to help my niece create the wedding of her dreams. It was beautiful and so much fun!

I created our very own lemonade stand in my kitchen as a little "Welcome to Summer" surprise!

We made chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate chip butter cream and they were YUM!

I fell in love with a goat...but that's a story for a different day! :)

We celebrated Father's Day with a delicious feast and I was just so thankful to have that time with both my dad and my husband, two of the most amazing daddys I know.

I ran in the Color Run 5K with my colorful kids and colorful friends and it was so much messy fun!

And now that Summer is officially here, the kids are all home, and we're settling into a routine, I'm looking up and taking a deep breath...

Heading out to our favorite park as often as we can...

Matching and folding a whole lot of white socks (whew!)...

Spending time just being together...

Sitting around the campfire and gazing at the stars...

And eating ice cream with rainbow sprinkles whenever I get the chance.

Here's to a beautiful Summer full of blessings!

 

 

 

Catching up and a New class!

The past several days have been a whirlwind of activity in our household but we've had a lot of fun...

playing in the snow and building snow dog houses for a sweet little corgi (who happily explores and plays right along with us.)

spending lots of time in the kitchen baking...there's no shortage of sugary sweets here!

finding many reasons to celebrate the day including a Mardi Gras progressive dinner!  There were 4 stops and 4 amazingly yummy courses, along with good company and plenty of laughter.

 

The kids loved the coins, beads, and masks everywhere.

 I loved the King Cake...simply YUM!

********************************

My new class at Big Picture opened up for registration!  It's called The Mirror Project and it was so much fun to create! Here's a little more about it:

What does she see when she looks in the mirror? Real beauty.

It is about so much more than a person's physical features. The "stuff" that we're made of inside is what really matters. This concept is so important: it has the power to transform young girls of today into strong, confident and happy women of tomorrow. If you have a young lady in your life, you have a wonderful opportunity to help her see and understand her real beauty and feel great about who she is in the process.

Not only is this a fun way to spend creative play time, but the end result is a powerful and inspiring message about "real beauty" that will last a lifetime.

Want to know more?  Go here and listen in. 

Have a beautiful day!

she flies

passion in her soul
a smile on her face
 dreams in her heart
wings on her back
she flies


and we are honored to stand on the sidelines
and cheer as we watch her go....

joy

Joy is holding a brand new life in your arms and feeling your heart swell with love.

this weekend brought us a new baby cousin to cuddle, kiss, and enjoy.  we are so excited!

hello september

I know it's already the 9th, but I am officially ready to say "hello" to September!  These last couple of weeks have brought us a daily flurry of activity as we celebrated one season and prepared for another.
Now I am taking a big breath and catching up!

Here are the highlights:

surprised the kids with a trip to the wave pool for a one day vacation.  we left behind the schedules and lists , packed a yummy picnic lunch, and just had FUN!  We spent the whole day riding the waves, sliding down the slides, laughing, and enjoying time together. summer bliss.

hosted a stuffed animal family reunion complete with a photo shoot of each family....note to self: make a scrapbook about this one!

spent lots of quiet time reading - he cruised through the first three Harry Potter books this summer and is now on the 4th!

went blueberry picking with my helpers and crossed it off my list of "must do's" for the summer. i even made my first batch up blueberry jam to go on some homemade banana bread.  yum!

learned how to ride the bike with the hand breaks....it was a little intimidating at first, but now he's got it and loves the speed!

celebrated her 12th birthday with a "fash bash" party for her friends, a dinner out with family, chocolate cake, and lots of gifts! this is one happy girl!

bought lots and lots of school supplies along with new backpacks, lunch boxes, and clothes (since every pair of pants in the closets were all too short!) 

celebrated the first day of school with our traditional number pancakes!  Everyone gets their new grade number in edible form with butter,syrup, and sprinkles on the first day. this is the last year of all single digits!

Although I held on as hard as I could to summer vacation, it's now time to let go and welcome a new season full of possibilities.  There's a little chill in the air today and the house is very quiet...such a drastic contrast to the active, loud, and hot days I've been used to these past months. I'm getting reacquainted with the routine of the school year, hanging a new wreath on the door, and looking forward to all that fall has to offer us.  hello september!

Fun Finder

It is official! Summer is in full swing and kids are keeping themselves (and me) very busy!  It's a good busy though, full of fun and relaxation with some "work" on the side.  I learned very early on in my parenting that it pays BIG to be prepared and organized, especially when it comes to having three children home all summer.  One of my favorite tools of all time is......

our Fun Finder Binder!

I can't quite remember where I originally snagged this idea but I love it and have been using and updating it every summer  for as long as I can remember.

The binder is divided into different sections of reference.  For example, we have a section for games to play, projects to create, recipes to make, things to learn, things to celebrate, and even ideas on places to go.  Throughout the year,I fill each section with cool stuff that I find from magazines and other sources.

I love that it puts the power of inspiration and ideas in the hands of my kids when they need a little extra help in knowing what to do next.
And, since the "b word" is not allowed to be spoken in our house (you know..."bored"), this helps a ton!

So, every June I pull out this notebook full of fun, set it on the coffee table, and enjoy the instant resource for those times when we need a little extra inspiration.  That's good stuff!