He loves me, he loves me not

I remember back when I was in elementary school, everyone passed out Valentine's Day cards, secretly, into little brown bags that we had decorated the week before. It was so much fun to see who gave you the cards with candy attached. Or how many of the same card you got in your bag.

Sometimes I wish Valentine's Day was still like that. Simple.

We don't celebrate Valentine's Day (note: we don't buy each other gifts), because we believe that everyday is a day of love. You don't need a card to say it. You don't need flowers to say it. You just need a heart. You can say it with words or say it with actions. No gift required. Everyday. Whenever the mood strikes you.



I order some earrings from Etsy a week ago and they arrived right on Valentine's Day. Perfect timing.

I hope you had a simple Valentine's Day, too. So full of love.

Joy of Love | Day 5

I am participating in a photography workshop through Willette for the month of February.

It is called The Joy of Love and each day I receive photo prompts and assignments to complete to help me work on my photography and also capture some unique photos of my loved ones.

Day 5: Love To Hate



Some days I really hate the clutter that the kids leave behind. Messy beds, messy floors. They flow so easily from one thing to the next. Probably because they don't bother to put anything away. Ever.

I don't know why we have shelves in their room, because they're always bare. I don't know why I put sheets on the bed, because they are always ripped off. But, it wouldn't be the same if they were as neat and tidy as me. I'd be worried. So, I love their messy personalities. For now.

Joy of Love | Day 4

I am participating in a photography workshop through Willette for the month of February.

It is called The Joy of Love and each day I receive photo prompts and assignments to complete to help me work on my photography and also capture some unique photos of my loved ones.

Day 4: What They Wear



I always feel like Morgen has a ton of clothes. Mostly because she does. I always have a small stack of clothes that don't really fit her anymore. There is a pile of currently worn clothes that fit perfectly. Then there is a stash of clothes that she will grow in to in a few weeks months. She grows so fast sometimes that I can't keep up, so when someone mistakenly gives her an outfit or shirt that is too big, I don't take it back. I just wait. Because I know she will be wearing it before I even know it.

Joy of Love | Day 3

I am participating in a photography workshop through Willette for the month of February.

It is called The Joy of Love and each day I receive photo prompts and assignments to complete to help me work on my photography and also capture some unique photos of my loved ones.

Day 3: Then & Now



This photo was taken when Morgen was 5 months old.



We took a weekend vacation to the mountains with my mom to see the caverns. I wore her the whole time.



She knows exactly who is in this picture.

"Momma and baby Morgen!"

And her thoughts about me taking a picture of her holding another picture were "are we done yet?"

I can barely get her to hold still to take a picture let alone try to hold her anymore. 5 months to 3 years makes one BIG difference.

Joy of Love | Day 2

{I'm backtracking on some posts, so while the date has been altered, please know you didn't miss something by accident}

I am participating in a photography workshop through Willette for the month of February.

It is called The Joy of Love and each day I receive photo prompts and assignments to complete to help me work on my photography and also capture some unique photos of my loved ones.

Day 2: How They Look



Morgen always seems to have a look of concern about her. She likes to wrinkle her brow, give me a hard stare and concentrate rather hard on whatever she does. I see her make that face all of the time and I wish I could have captured it today. But, she decided to relax, sit back and enjoy me taking pictures this time. She is such a laid back child that just goes with the flow. She doesn't seem to be very structured. Which is good considering most of the time we veer from whatever form of scheduling we try to rely on. Honestly, it was past her bedtime. Not many kids would be sitting this still at the end of the day.

Joy of Love | Day 1

{I'm backtracking on some posts, so while the date has been altered, please know you didn't miss something by accident}

I am participating in a photography workshop through Willette for the month of February.

It is called The Joy of Love and each day I receive photo prompts and assignments to complete to help me work on my photography and also capture some unique photos of my loved ones.

Day 1: What They Do



Yesterday Morgen was sick. She hardly ever gets sick, so she is still recovering. Every evening before bed we spend 30 minutes snuggling in my bed while she watches whatever program we can find on TV. While she always seems to carry a look of concern, she doesn't always look this sad.

Snuggling; this is what we do.

Tripping on a leap of faith

You know how some days you wake up trying to be so positive and then something happens to mess you up, right from the beginning?

Yesterday was one of those days. I woke up feeling great. I was well rested. Then I got to work and walked through our turnstiles and it came back around and caught my left heel. I wanted to scream and cry at the same time. But I couldn't. Because I was at work and other people were around.

From that point on everything went downhill. I got a bad headache. I felt sick because of it. I had a ton of work to get done. Even when I left work it didn't get any better. I just wanted to get home so I could take something for the migraine that was beating me into the ground. But, traffic got in the way. Unusual traffic. A bad accident that crushed the rear end of a car so bad that the trunk and back seat had become one with each other.

Then I realized that, despite my throbbing head, someone else had a worse day than I did.

I've tried extra hard to be positive lately. To not let doubt and negativity consume me. Not everything is as bad as it seems. Let go and move on. Stop worrying so much. Stop letting things you can't control, control YOU.

Kevin and I have let go of a lot of things lately. We are doing better because of it. Not that we were doing bad, but a lot of our conversation was about negativity and what was going on in our lives was trying to drag us down.

We started thinking more positive a few weeks ago and a lot has changed.

I think I'm liking the changes. And I will like the changes that have yet to come.

I want to share a secret. I know I don't share a lot of pictures on here, but I do take pictures. I love to take pictures. I take pictures of other people more than I take pictures of my own family, but I take pictures nonetheless. And I am leaning on that talent that I have. And I am churning ideas. And I am going to take a step that might make or break me. But, I think my photography-side-hobby is about to become something bigger. And I have a huge support system.

So, I'm just going to dive in the deep end. And pray I don't drown.

Hi.

I realize that I have neglected to post pictures on my blog since I started it at the beginning of November. I have a reason for doing that. I am overcoming that reason, but I still mainly post from my phone. My phone doesn't have a camera. Do you want to know why? I promise it's not because I am boring and plain. I have a fancy phone. {It does have internet, after all}

I have a full time job {other than being a momma} that is top secret. No. Not really. But, almost. I just have a job that deals with sensitive information, therefore I can't have a phone with a camera on it AND be able to bring it into work with me. Losing my job is not in the cards for me right now. So, I play by the rules. Good thing Blackberry was so gracious to make a phone sans camera.

Back to the whole thing about pictures, though. I love to take pictures. Sharing them is just a whole other battle. I don't even share them on Facebook sometimes. I normally get on the computer to pay bills, check this or that and then I'm done. I'm on a computer all day at work, and well, it's not appealing when I get home. Supper and bed are more appealing. Spending time with the kids is more appealing. It's just what happens.

I do want to introduce you to someone, though.


{Left to right: Kevin, Matthew, Morgen, Christie}

I have a blended family. We go very well together. I hope you can put a face to a name now. I'm not good with faces and names, but hopefully you are better.

I just wanted to say hello, though. Put myself out there. Be vulnerable. Live on the edge.

Every memory imaginable

I love photography so much. I was reminded of that just a little bit ago as I looked at my Ansel Adams calendar hanging above my desk. I love the photography he did, even if it was in black and white.

It makes me wonder what all of those scenes looked like in color. I would imagine they'd take your breathe away. Considering the colorless versions almost do.

My favorite photos of his are the ones involving snow. Stark, white snow. There is no mistaking it in any of his photos.

I want my photos to be remembered. Not for their quality or clarity, but for the odd little moments that I've captured. I like to take photos that catch people off guard. That show their true personality. Not just a smile flashing at the camera. I want to capture the mad, sad, joyful, thankfulness, and so many other emotions. Photos don't all have to be happy, but I do want them to tell a story. Even if it is sad. Because not all memories are happy. There has to be sad and all the other emotions mixed in. That's called life.

I have a Facebook page for my photography. I love every photo that I have posted. Every family that I've had the joy of capturing has made me happy.

And I have no idea how I'm ever going to put a price on what I love doing.