Gratitude Journal - Day 10

January 28   A witnessed blessing.

Emily has always been a puzzle fanatic, but recently took the jump up to 500 piece puzzles.  I'm amazed at the patience she is developing, as these puzzles take her a couple of days to complete.  She has such determination and does not get overwhelmed.  It has been so wonderful to watch this journey and be able to witness the awe that comes when she gazes at her finished product.

Gratitude Journal - Day 9

January 27   A gift about your home. 

When we first moved into our house, we were convinced that there were no young kids around.  It took over a year to finally see we were not alone.  It's amazing how you can go so long without seeing neighbors passing by, but all it takes is a mere second to miss each other in passing.  It has only been in the past year that we have really become close to one neighbor.  A 6 year old girl lives two houses down, and my girls have the most wonderful time playing with her.  Especially in this season of moving, most afternoons are spent frolicking around with Eleanor.  We will definitely miss this gift, and hope the Lord provides some wonderful new neighbors at our next home.

Gratitude Journal - Day 8

January 26   A gift found in the dark.

James often gets lost in his own world, which I guess is a good thing when you have two older sisters who are consumed with dressing up and doll tea parties.  I found him the other day playing in my dark room all by himself.  It was laundry day and we was busy playing in my comforter, with a make-shift shovel, and his truck close by.  Don't you wonder what goes through their head sometimes?  It is so sweet to have a boy in the house and see what he naturally gravitates toward.  Hopefully our new house will bring a little boy as a neighbor, so they can play their make-believe games together.

Gratitude Journal - Day 7

January 25   A gift on a paper.

We are in the process of moving to Virginia to start a new adventure with our family. My husband has been working in his new job since October while the kids and I have waited behind for our house to sell. We FINALLY are under contract and can begin to pack up and say our goodbyes. As sad as it is to be leaving our wonderful friends, we are excited to be a whole family again. Pulling out the wrapping paper and writing on boxes was such a relief after months of playing the waiting game. We can finally move forwards, knowing that the move is soon!

Gratitude Journal - Day 6

January 24   A gift found in someone you love. 

Our little Olivia is a delight to be around. She has a great smile, a great laugh, and is full of energy. This energy is often a point of contention, though. Being the almost 5 year old that she is, she does not quite know how to control it. She is always bumping into people, or walls, just because she is such a fast-paced little girl. She often gets in trouble and is told to calm down constantly. I know this is a beautiful blessing that the Lord has given her, though. We work hard to cultivate this energy and passion for life, so hopefully one day, she can use it to her benefit.  

I also love this picture because of the smoothie sitting on the table. It is so fitting for this prompt. She has the best eating habits of all my kids, and I love to see what she chooses to put in her body. Her favorite snacks are carrots, almonds, and smoothies packed full of kale. I definitely cannot say the same for my other kids.  

Gratitude Journal - Day 5

January 23   A gift in the kitchen. 

Since Clare is the fourth baby to grace this household, we have had a wide variety of temperaments to experience. Clare is quite easy and a delight to be around during the day, but the evenings get challenging, especially when I am getting dinner ready. My husband, Daniel, has been in Virginia for 3 months now in his new job while we wait for the house to sell. Dinner has to be made, since I have other mouths to feed, so Clare ends up crawling on the floor in the kitchen chasing after me and crying. In an attempt to appease her, I have a whole line-up of interesting kitchen tools to give her, but sometimes you have to bring out the big guns. As a last resort, I always know that a little playing in the refrigerator will bring me some moments of sanity.

Gratitude Journal - Day 4

Day 4   A gift of song.

Our second daughter, Olivia, loves music. So much so, that for Christmas, she chose an iPod over her first American Girl, which is what her sister was getting. We were blown away. This is the girl who sings wherever she goes and yells for music to be turned up in the car. We should have seen it coming. She spotted some Frozen earphones at Old Navy one day, and I somehow managed to purchase them without her knowing. Then, we cleared my old iPod and put kid-friendly music on it, as well as some audiobooks. Since then, she often walks around the house rocking out to her jams. I love this sweet stage, along with the sweet music that comes with it.

Gratitude Journal - Day 3

Day 3   A gift found in a friend.

Before there are fights, pushes, and hurtful words, there are big grins, squeals, and open mouth kisses. The novelty has not worn off of having a baby sibling, despite Clare being 10 months. This results in the older kids using a lot of high pitched voices and always hamming it up to get a response. In her own little world, these are her people. These are her friends. These people are her life. As they pass by the window, playing outside, Clare lights up with delight. Oh, to live such a simple life.

Gratitude Journal - Day 2

Day 2   Something old, seen new.

Today was our weekly park day with our homeschooling friends.  My kids usually split off and hang out with their own friends, but today was the rare occasion when I saw them all together.  The girls were traversing this jungle gym feature at lightning speed.  Back and forth, back and forth they went like old pros.  The whole time, sweet little James just hung on for dear life, motionless, in one place.  You see, while the girls danced around exhibiting experience, just getting to the first hanging island was James mountain to climb.

Gratitude Journal - Day 1

A 21-day gratitude journal.  To catch those small moments in life where you find beauty...

Day 1   A gift held, passed by, or sat with.

A gift held - an apple slice
A gift passed by - the warm sun that slowly made its way across the room after some very cold days
A gift sat with - Our sweet, kid-tolerant, pup

Oh, my sweet baby James.  He really is sweet, but the furthest thing from a baby.  He seems to fly under the radar in this house.  For a boy, he isn't that rambunctious and he stole his mommy's heart long ago.  Quiet and loving?  "Okay, you can have whatever you want."  This does make for a shy personality at times, especially when the camera it out.  I felt this picture was so fitting with the light hiding him -- probably where he felt most comfortable.

A Day in the Life

I'm attempting to get back to my camera this year.  I rarely pick it up because of life these days.  In many ways, my iPhone has become a crutch.  It's always with me, so I jump to using it for everything.  My kids deserve something more from their childhood than Instagram books, and it would be nice to have some up-to-date pictures around our house.  The most recent picture on our walls is from when James was 6 months old.  He turned three in December.  There is just no excuse.  We have so many wonderful memories and I would love to remember those while I walk around our house.

With the decision to be more intentional taking pictures, I signed up for the Everyday Beauty photography workshop with Ginger Unzueta.  She has such an eye for seeing the beauty all around her, and I'm always entranced by her images.  She makes the most mundane instances absolutely beautiful.   Turns out, when you only pick your camera up for about 3 occasions a year, you become a little rusty.  I'm hoping this will be a good refresher to kick off a more intentional year.  I will be sharing some of my work here.  I completely forgot how to edit, so we will worry about that later.  Right now, I'm just trying to stop and develop and eye for the moment.  Let's hope we see progress!

--------------------------------------------