2011 Favorites - January

I had kind of a crummy day yesterday, but one of the things I did that proved to be very therapeutic was to look through pictures from this past year.  I didn’t make it much past January before I decided that it would fun to post some of my favorites from each month.  I had to use a lot of restraint to pick only six because after looking through my files, I realized (once again!) that I take a LOT of pictures each month!  But without further adieu, here are my picks for January…

1.  I love this picture of Joel holding hands with his Grandma.  It was one of the first pictures I took this year.  Joel has a special fondness for his Grandma and I have to agree, she is one amazing woman.  What impresses me the most about her is her positive attitude and welcoming heart.  She has never made me feel like an “in-law” which is pretty remarkable because there are lots of us.  I love what this picture represents … love!

2.  I took this picture as part of Project 52 (take and share one picture a week) that was being sponsored by a photography website that I like.  I’m drawn to it because of the composition and vivid colors.  Color always makes me happy!

3.  I chose this shot of Andrew’s guitar because I love the artsy feel of it, the black and white processing, the narrow depth of field (the amount of the guitar that is in focus) and the composition.  I think this would be a fun one to frame and hang on the wall.

4.  I didn’t actually take this next favorite – my dad did - but I love it because it represents a really fun day of sledding, hiking and playing in the snow.  Plus I really like the contrast of our brightly colored snow gear against the muted colors of the snow and trees.

5.  Poor sweet Katelyn was sick this past year on her birthday which was a real bummer for her.  Despite how she was feeling, this will always be one of my favorite pictures of her.  I am in love with those vulnerable, big, blue eyes and the slight pink on her cheeks from her fever.  Oh, she is just so precious!

6.  And finally a flower shot because flowers will always be one of my favorite things to capture with my camera.  I don’t normally buy myself flowers but Walmart was selling the beautiful orchids and I simply couldn’t resist.

So those are my top picks for the month of January.  Stay tuned for February’s favorites…

The Lights!

Without a doubt, my favorite Christmas decorations are the lights.  They are warm and inviting, twinkly and cheery.  In our house they come on first thing in the morning and stay on late into the night.  And this Christmas, I’ve discovered that I absolutely love reading my Bible and having my quiet time by the glow of Christmas lights.  I turn out all of the other lights in the house, light a candle, sit in my glider rocker near the Christmas tree with a blanket over my lap and enter into the presence of Christ.  It’s blissful!

[Christmas lights are also really fun to photograph!]

Our family is doing an advent Bible study each night before bed and this was one of our verses last night…

Before those people lived in darkness, but now they have seen a great light.  They lived in a dark land, but a light has shined on them… [Isaiah 9:2 NCV]

And our challenge for today was to allow the light of Christ to warm our hearts and to spread that warmth by shining our own lights as bright as we can to those around us.

I pray that the light of Christ warms your heart today as well!

My current favorite

I’m pretty sure the shot below, from our trip to Meijer Gardens on Sunday, is my new favorite!  The color just makes me happy!

You know what else makes me happy today?  Resting in this truth…

The fear of human opinion disables;
trusting in God protects you from that. [Proverbs 29:25 The Message]

[Today I’m linking up at Sweet Shot Tuesday]

Have a blessed day!

Future Photographer(s)?

 

Joel and I learned a little trick to help keep our kids interested when we go on outings that they might not typically think are interesting – like to one of my favorite places, the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, where we went yesterday …

We give them their own camera!

Between Andrew’s ipod and several older cameras that we have, there are enough for everyone to have one for the day.  It’s amazing how this simple thing changes their perspective about their surroundings.  Instead of complaining about how bored they are or asking if we can go home numerous times, they are more willing to take their time and enjoy the beauty all around them.

And it’s fun for me to share one of my passions with my children.

Joel and I were even talking about how we can seriously see Andrew enrolling in a photography class in high school.  He truly gets excited about capturing the world around him with the camera!  And for a fourteen year old boy to get excited about anything in a garden or sculpture park – that’s saying something!

I’m hoping to upload all of their pictures tonight and can’t wait to see what they captured.

Snow Beautiful!

Last week we got our first good snow of the winter – eight inches when it was said and done.  It’s all gone now but I can’t help but look at these pictures and be in awe of how beautiful our woods looked all covered in a fresh blanket of white.  From what I’ve heard, we’re predicted to get a decent amount of snow all winter, which I admit, kind of excites me!  I know it’s early and I’ll feel different in February, but for now all I can say is, “Wow, God!  Thank you for allowing me to enjoy your beautiful creation!”

[Today I’m linking up with Deb for This or That Thursday]

Sweet like sugar

Yesterday when this sweet little darlin’ came home from school, she sat down at our kitchen counter for a snack and said, “Mom, what do you do all day while we’re in school?”  Oh, how that brought a smile to my face!  If she only knew…

Celebrating #14!

Yesterday we celebrated our firstborn on his 14th birthday!  14!  Where has the time gone?  As a special gift and because of our first major snowfall, the kids were all home because school was canceled.  As a result, we spent a portion of our afternoon watching old home movies, reminiscing about days past when the kids were little.  I admit to shedding a few tears while watching with the kids and having a full-blown bawling session while watching by myself this morning when the kids went back to school. 

As I sat and watched Andrew’s preschool graduation on the screen, I couldn’t help but feel emotional at how lucky I am to be his mom, what a blessing it is to have a front row seat to watch him grow into a young man of God and how quickly his childhood is going.  He is not a little boy anymore.  Next year he goes to high school and in just five short years, he’s off to college.  *sigh*

What a blessing he has been to our family!  I am so proud of who has been, who he is now and who he will become and I absolutely cannot wait to see what God is going to do in his life as he grows in his relationship with Him.

The day began with a sweet homemade card from his sister and a Lego set from his brother.  I love seeing my kids loving on each other!

We also couldn’t let the day go by without the ceremonial measuring of his height compared to mine.  We’ve been using the level for a few weeks now because he was so close to passing me up.  As you can see, my firstborn is clearly taller than his momma – a fact that he is extremely proud of!

A picture with my boy to remember his special day!

And the day ended with his name in lights!

My prayer for Andrew is this … “Now if you will fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands … then all will be well.” (1 Samuel 12:14)