nothing warms this mama’s heart like watching my two boys sharing a kind, playful moment together. when i stumbled upon liam expressing such an interest in taking time to come down to his younger brother’s level and play ball with him, i couldn’t resist grabbing the camera!
is there anything more irresistible than a chubby baby boy enjoying his 1st birthday cake? i think not. enjoy a sneak peek at little logan…
enjoy these images of a little darling named kate as she celebrated her 4th birthday!
i had such a fun idea for this week’s theme…that is until the stomach flu took down my oldest little boy and me today. thankfully, i had a photo i took last fall with my old nikon that will surely fit the bill – and also happens to be a favorite representations of our family. enjoy!
now go give Mary Schannen of Melange Photography some love!
yesterday our family (like many others) spent the day celebrating easter in the most wonderful of ways: a delicious brunch in the morning, followed by and afternoon filled with food, family, and – of course – an easter egg hunt. by michigan standards, the day couldn’t have been more picturesque. while it was just a teensy bit cool, the skies were blue and the sun was shining! (any michigander will tell you that come this time of year you can expect a taste from all of the four seasons in any given week – it could snow one day and be seventy degrees the next!) we are so thankful to be able to spend these days with our family, as we have spent so many holidays away aboard a marine base, listening in to the fun and festivities over the phone. so, without further ado, here is a taste of the fun we had celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior! enjoy!
nathan, our youngest, is a chubby, energetic, blue eyed 10.5 month old. if i had to describe him, the word curious would be one of the first adjectives to enter my mind. he has been crawling for a couple months now, but just recently he has picked up his speed and his inquisitive mind is keeping pace! much of my day is spent redirecting his diapered bum away from the bathroom, out of the pantry, trash, staircases, cupboards, plants… i am learning this is considerably more challenging with two older siblings who enjoy doing puzzles (“he’s ruining my puzzle!”) and building with itty-bitty legos (“nathan’s eating the legos again, mommy!”) despite this phase keeping me on my toes most of the day, i love his energy. he is equal parts spunk and noise as he is calm and cuddly – truly the best of both worlds. please enjoy these snapshots i captured simply low-crawling around behind him this afternoon!
be sure to visit efi panagoula and her faceless images this week!
blessings,
holly
hooray for another week of project 52 with my fellow Bloom Forum photographers! this week we were asked to create an album cover of our life. there were several avenues i considered taking this – many of which reflected bits and pieces of the last 30 years. however, with all of our keepsakes packed tightly in boxes which also happen to be in north carolina right now, i opted for a true depiction of what my life looks like today. (many may notice that i took on a style this week akin to my self-portrait in week 1…forgive me, but this just seemed the most fitting representation!)
detroit news: represents us having just returned to our hometown. it still feels strange coming to terms that this is, indeed, our home once again…and that we’re not just visiting!
notecards and stamps: a dear marine corps friend of mine have me a pack of these adorable recycled notecards as a farewell gift. i am finding myself very much missing my sweet friends in camp lejeune (and across the country for that matter!). just the other night i made the time to open them up and write the first of many notes to these precious ladies…
dark chocolate: um, do i even need to explain this one?? any and every occasion – good or bad – calls for this favorite sweet treat!
camera: before packing up my old d40 to send to a cousin of mine, i seized the opportunity for it to represent my passion for photography. with our relocation comes the challenges of getting my name out there within the community, and that is something i am currently pursuing whenever i can.
realtor’s card: we are fully immersed and consumed with house-hunting right now. seriously. it feels like a full-time job! after 10 years of enjoying base housing i had no idea how challenging this would be!!
starbucks via instant coffee: between the three little monkeys, school schedules, house-hunting, laundry, etc. i am a sleepy mama. however, meeting my daily coffee quota (and working in a good run) certainly helps keep me alert and focused. 
my bible: most importantly this is my source of strength each and every day. proverbs 3:5 says, ‘trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.’ while the cover of my life right now feels stressful, uncertain, and a bit overwhelming, i can’t think of anything more reassuring and comforting for my family and me right now. there are so many ‘unknowns’ that my husband and i are facing right now…but we find peace and strength in knowing that, while we don’t see the bigger picture, the Lord does. we do, indeed, trust him and the plans he has for us. it makes me excited to think what the album cover of my life will look like one year from now…
head on over and see the album cover of Lucy Jane, Adelaide Photographer!
no doubt the last three and a half weeks has been a whirlwind of time and emotions for our little family of five. between our move, registering for and resuming new school schedules for our two oldest children, scouring the metro detroit area for a home to purchase and trying to recapture a routine that in some way resembles “normalcy” for our family, hours in each day have escaped us leaving us feeling a bit unsettled. in the wake of all this, my husband and i capitalized on the gorgeous weather we were blessed with last week and loaded the kids one evening after dinner to enjoy a little quiet time at a nearby park. i found it interesting that, despite the bright red, bustling playground filled with other families that was adjacent to us, the five of us chose to spend our evening walking along the trails and perching ourselves along the pond looking for fish swimming by. it really was lovely. the kids had a wonderful time “fishing” with the reeds and marc and i simply enjoyed watching and talking with them. we never truly realized how much our family needs time like this until recently. i am so thankful for this beautiful family God has blessed me with, and i am so thankful that – while the road we’re currently on is filled with more uncertainty than our family has ever faced – we are on this journey together, with the Lord guiding our way.
blankies. for gracie and liam these soft, worn, pastel blue and pink pieces of satin and fleece have been a source of comfort from the time they were both babies. these cuddly loveys have helped make long trips in the car a bit cozier, sickness a little less miserable, dried tears brought on by their daddy’s long deployments, served as superhero capes, bridal veils and picnic blankets. i love these special, tangible pieces of their childhood and know they are two things i will hold onto long after their attachment to them fades.
now check out Lucy Jane, Adelaide Photographer and her take on this week’s
project 52!
the air is growing warm, the days are growing long and the grass is growing green…i just love the beginning of a michigan spring! over the weekend my brother and sister-in-law invited us and some family and friends over for a backyard BBQ and bonfire – the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon! the kids had a wonderful time running barefoot, playing soccer and swinging while the adults were able to relax, visit and play with the kids. by the end of the night we had a happy, filthy and exhausted group of kiddos!
