project 52 {week 8} pretend

pretend: to represent fictitiously in play; make believe.

in the interest of honesty, i cannot pretend: this week marks the beginning of an incredibly hectic time for my family and i, as we are preparing to make a move 900 miles north to our home state of michigan in exactly 10 days.  with that said, i am one busy momma who is pressed for time!  so…without further ado, here is my sweet gracie doing one of her favorite things: having a tea party.  her grandmother gave her a porcelain tea set when she was just a baby, and we have just recently braved bringing it out – when her two younger brothers are napping, of course!  ;)

be sure when you’re done to  http://www.lucyjanephoto.com.au/  and give Lucy Jane | Adelaide Photographer some love!

sweet baby luke

the other week i had the opportunity to photograph a new little neighborhood darling, luke.  there is just something fun and exciting about an infant shoot…they are all so precious and different from their sweet little heads right down to their tiny toes.   many thanks to the graniero family for inviting me into your home to capture these precious moments!

project 52 {week 7} love

welcome back for week 7 of project 52!  this week’s theme is love.  the word conjures up so many things in my mind: my first love, best friend and now husband, Marc…my love for my children…my love for Christ…my love for dark chocolate, coffee, running, reading, my friends and sushi – just to name a few.  there really were a million directions i could have chosen to go with this this week!  given all of that, i opted to keep it simple.  the kids and i returned home from the park the other afternoon to do a fun valentine’s day craft and it served as the perfect opportunity to snap away.

“…have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply from the heart.”

- 1 Peter 1:22

now go see what lovely photos Lucy Jane, Adelaide Photographer has this week!

http://lucyjanephoto.com.au/2012/02/52-week-challenge-love-adelaide-photographer-2/

first date {bliss}

it was the day our sweet gracie marie had been counting down to for two straight weeks: the day of the daddy daughter dance.  we had gone out the week prior to find the perfect dress for the “ball” and gracie was bursting with excitement.  for my husband it was an evening that was marked with a hint of bitter-sweetness.  as our time in the marine corps is coming to an end in a few short weeks this would likely be the last time marc would be wearing his dress blues.  but as he reflected the morning of the dance, the significance of being able to mark this “last” by taking his beloved little girl out on such occasion brought about such sweetness.

ironically enough i received an email that morning from focus on the family emphasizing the importance of “a date with daddy” and how influencial a father  is in the life of his daughter — stating that a father can impact his daughter’s life even more than his wife. wow!  i am so incredibly thankful to know that marc and gracie were able to share in this special evening together.  while she may not realize the significance of such traditions just yet, he is working to cultivate a unique relationship with her that will shape not only her values and ideals, but her ideas and trust in him as her father.

project 52 {week 6} letting go of perfect

wow, all i can say is that i truly cannot believe me and my fellow Bloom Forum photographers are already at the end of ANOTHER week with project 52! this week’s theme is “letting go of perfect“. the pre-children girl in me loves order, organization and tidiness… however the momma of three children under the age of five in me has come to accept this simply cannot always be achieved often – if ever at all!  it was pretty easy to come up with a multitude of subjects for this week… heck, i just looked around the house and the work was practically done (or not) for me!

as a mom it can be so easy to feel like everything needs to be kept “just so” around the house all the time. but let’s be honest, if i spent the amount of time needed to make that a consistent reality i would miss out on so many moments throughout the day with my children.  i’d be lying if i didn’t admit that from time to time i get frustrated when i step on a cheerio (again) or am confronted by a mound of (endless) laundry that needs washing and folding, or trip over my son’s garbage truck while toting a huge basket of laundry and almost take a nosedive into a sea of legos, like i did just before writing this. however, learning to let go of these things to a certain degree brings about such joy; joy in knowing i was present and enjoyed this very day that God has given me with my family and friends.  one day – before we know it – my children will have left home and it will be just my dear husband and i.  something tells me when those days arrive we’ll think back on how we miss these very imperfections that make up much of our days now.

now, see what Cate Waters | Indianapolis Photographer let go of this week!

http://catewatersphotography.com/project-52-letting-go-of-perfect/

project 52 {week 5} on the shelf

i’ll admit, upon reading this week’s theme i simply wasn’t feeling my creative juices flowing.  couple that with my youngest coming down with a virus on wednesday and i was feeling set up for an underwhelming post. i tend to use my kids nap time for my photography and housework, however the last two days that time has been fully exchanged for snuggling my precious nathan while serving as his personal tissue and burp cloth.  during a brief moment of quiet this afternoon i stood in my kitchen with my cup of coffee pondering what on earth i was going to photograph…an old doll given to me when i was born? hmmm…no. my favorite collection of cookbooks? nah.  then i glanced over at a small plaque that has maintained its place in our home for years now.  it is something i see, read, and remind myself of daily: psalm 118:24.

it is on days like today that this promise brings such comfort, strength and purpose. days when i feel like i have many needs to meet and not enough time to meet them, days where tantrums begin before the sun has even come up – and continue ’til the sun goes down, days when children are sick and i’d do anything to make them feel better, days when my husband and i receive news that is a true answer to prayer, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, laundry days – and everywhere in between. every single God-given day we have has purpose. tell me that isn’t something to rejoice in?? it’s hard sometimes, this i know. i have on occasion found myself loudly singing this verse in a more forced, playful tone while all chaos breaks loose in my house…and while i almost always break into a giggle while doing it, i am also reminded that even those moments that weave together another day in the bullock house are worth rejoicing.

now, be sure to head on over to see my dear friend and talented photographer, ginger unzueta’s post for this week!

http://www.gingerunzuetaphotography.com/project-52-l-week-5-l-on-the-shelf/

sweet baby cakes

last week i was thrilled to be invited into the home of a fellow marine corps family to photograph their newest, precious 9 week old addition: morgan.  not only is she simply adorable but she has a warm and glowing personality to boot – just like her momma!

thank you, johnson family, for the opportunity to capture these memories of your beautiful baby girl!

homecoming {bliss}

 i truly believe that those of us in the military community know some of the hardest, heart-wrenching good-byes…but also some of the sweetest hellos. as any military spouse will tell you, there simply are no words to describe the feelings that flood us when we see our beloved husband (or wife) running towards us after months apart, often in incredibly dangerous circumstances. it is in those moments it almost feels surreal.

last week i was honored to be able to take pictures for a dear friend as she and her two children reunited with her husband after a 7 month deployment to the philippines. i must say though, that this wasn’t just any friend: tiffany and i have been friends since the 7th grade; laughing, crying and weathering our way through some of life’s most unusual and unexpected twists and turns.  who would have thought that 18 years later here i’d be taking pictures for her during such a special and intimate moment!

tiffany and her two little darlings, ella and brett waiting…

now on to the good stuff!

project 52 {week 4} homemade

hooray for another week of Project 52!  now four weeks in, i am finding myself growing more and more excited for each friday to come as my group from The Bloom Forum and i create each theme.  this week’s theme was the perfect excuse for the kids and i to do something we absolutely love to do: bake.  and, since i was focused more on my role behind the lens, gracie and liam were especially excited to have much more control over handling and measuring the ingredients!  scroll on down and enjoy some shots i captured while the kids and i baked a batch of sweet potato with honey and flax muffins!

this was nathan’s role in our baking extravaganza.

i am so thankful to have these days to spend with my kids. while having them hands-on in the kitchen can sometimes result in large messes and tried patience, i simply love the memories, conversation and learning it cultivates – not to mention the delicious treats!

now click on over to Lucy Jane, Adelaide Photographer at http://lucyjanephoto.com.au/2012/01/52-week-challenge-homemade/ and see what homemade creation she has this week!

project 52 {week 3} refreshing

water is simply the most refreshing thing i believe exists. it cools us on hot summer days, quenches our thirst after logging miles on a run, and awakens us from our sleepy haze every morning in the shower.  living on the coast of north carolina has given my family and i the gift of being able to walk beautiful inlet and ocean shorelines anytime we please.  wednesday morning we woke to gray skies and seemingly endless rain…the kids and i were so excited to see that come the afternoon the sun returned and begged us to come out to play and enjoy the fresh air. and, as any momma knows, there are few things more refreshing than being able to let your children run free outdoors after a morning spent inside!  ;)

now mosey on over to Lucy Jane, Adelaide Photographer and check out her “refreshing” photograph for this week!

http://lucyjanephoto.com.au/2012/01/52-week-challenge-refreshing/