Merry Christmas!

I'm thankful for the sweet couple at our church who took this picture on Christmas Eve. If it weren't for them, we may not have had any "family" pictures this holiday. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Middle School Musical

Last year our school did the Musical "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Landin had some interest but his reservation was a bit stronger. So, he compromised and opted to be part of the tried and true, stage crew. This year however, he was eager to partake in the musical festivities.

The kids signed up, auditioned and then they found out what play they were doing. This way the directors would have a better idea of the talent and personalities they'd be working with. This year they choose a musical comedy - HONK! Landin was a father swan, a farmer and a chicken!

It was an awesome debut.....

14 years ago...

this beautiful soul -

choose us to be his family

Turning 13 is thought of as a right of passage, a milestone a turning point.

And I must confess, I'm overwrought! How could this chubby-cheeked, giggly little baby be a TEENAGER?!

You know time is passing quickly when your child's birthday comes around and you start looking at how many years are left instead of the numbers that have already passed by. Over two thirds of the eighteen years are behind us. Wow.

In all honesty, not too much has changed over the years. Sure, he's become all of the obvious -older, faster, stronger, smarter and hungrier. He's also become a great public speaker, a skilled debater, a loyal athlete and a occasoinally moody teenager! But all in all he's still sweet and gifted; complete joy to be around. He is my first-born, my heart and soul.

This extremely acute lad is becoming quite the "young man"

Happy Birthday Bugaboo!!

Sabbatical Over . . .

It's been well over two months since my last confession,

I mean blog.

I've actually felt like that; guilt-ridden that I took some time off from writing about our "Delaney happenings." What's a girl to do when her blogging tank is empty and motivation and energy have hit rock bottom? Nothing. Which sometimes - is Everything

Hard at first, I slowly began to unwind and remember what life is like in real time.

During my time away, we enjoyed summer to its fullest. Lazy pool days, early sunrises, visiting family and friends, fascinating books, boating, golf, tennis, hikes, white water rafting, sand between our toes and riding waves. Summer was good to us.

We’re all sad to see it go...

Moraine State Park

Landin caught the first fish of the day; a stripped Bass


Kian improved his swimming skills tremendously this summer
(he can even out dive Landin. Shhh...don't tell him, though)





Beach boys

The Borgata Casino, Atlantic City, NJ

The end of the summer was not all "easy peasy lemon squeezy" It required some work on my and Mikes part. I started interviewing for a new job and we decided to try to sell our house. Once we returned from our beach vacation Mike was busy with house projects while I was presented with 2 job offers and had to make some quick decisions. On August 31 we put our house on the market and by Sept 2nd we had an offer!! We had signed sealed and delivered paperwork. It was a done deal, so we thought. A few days ago we found out our buyer didn’t have enough “liquid assets” to complete the purchase of our home. So, we’re back to square one. Ugh. In hind sight, it was probably a good thing. We searched high and low for a new home, but we were unsuccessful. So for now, I’ll sit back and enjoy all the recent renovations in our current house, a little longer.

Nostalgia

She was sitting with her family on a blanket towards the edge of the lawn. The first thing I noticed about her was the pretty floral kerchief pulling her dark brown hair back from her face. The next thing I noticed was that she was nursing her child who was probably at least 2-and-a-half. I smiled at her when our eyes met, and the corners of her mouth turned upward just slightly, as if she were not sure that my smile was actually intended for her. I wanted to tell her that I had nursed mine until he was 3, and how much that relationship meant to both me and my son, but shyness prevented me from offering more than my smile and bashful looks of admiration. I quietly applauded her casual openness in nursing amongst thousands of people without any sign of self-consciousness or awkwardness or preemptive defiance aimed at anyone around her who might be judging her. If you had never seen a woman nursing an older toddler, and you saw her as I did that evening, you would think it was the most natural thing in the world, and a comfort to witness as well.

Later, when she stood up to play with her two small children, I saw that she was wearing a long flowy snow-white skirt that looked like a graceful billowy cloud floating above the grass. Again I admired her, for that is probably the last thing I would have worn. I remember oh to well, the days of Kian's using me as a napkin! Then I noticed her adorable dark blue denim sneakers peeking out from underneath her skirt, that's when I knew I just had to get a photo.

I'm about as nostalgic as they come, and this one photo is my memento of those warm feelings I had for a total stranger whom I observed and admired during the course of a free family concert on a lovely summer evening. It is also my unspoken blessing over her and her family for the simple joy and comfort I received in just being near their quiet contentment. This small token of a photo is the key to memories that I've already placed carefully and lovingly in the altar space of my heart.

Dance

"While I dance I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole." -Hans Bos

Children have that down pat, don't they? They know how to let go, to be completely immersed in their joy, in their imagination, or even in their upset. They don't live life half way, they dive in totally.

In yoga this week, the instructor brought up this question: Where in our lives are we living half way? Perhaps it's in our relationships, or in our jobs, maybe we say no too much when we should be saying yes or vice versa. I think this question humbled all of us, for wherever we are living big in our lives, there are places that we live small. And I'm not necessarily talking about heroic feats of living here, just about diving into each moment, each dance, and the arms of your loved ones with as much aliveness as you see pictured above.

light my life

They own my heart

They intrigue my mind

They light my life.

Styling

I think that many of us who enjoy blogging and taking photos, consider ourselves to be photojournalists. We strive to capture moments as they happen, careful not to pose our subjects too much. I know that I tend to be drawn to a style that shows life in it's natural state. But sometimes I think we need to give ourselves permission to do a little “styling”. I took the above shot today, right in the thick of summer, while on a hike with my 2 sons, husband and puppy. I found this big leaf right in the middle of the trail as if it were left behind all these months, just waiting to be noticed. Before I knew it I was bending over placing it right between all of the shaded spots, trying to give it a softened black border. I love the end result and I’m glad I allowed myself to create a scene without any guilt.

A sweet find

As anyone with a long term love of photography knows, it's easy to find yourself taking the same kinds of pictures over and over again. Glance over your last 1000 pictures and you might see what I mean. Overrun in flowers? Same style portraits? Bricks and mortar? While there's no harm in going on a kick now and then to master your craft, you'll know it's time for a change when your images start to look the same and you can no longer recognize the gem in that one picture that represents a departure from your tried and true subjects. May I shyly submit the photo above as a case in point. A sweet baby cow; a rare find so close to the city.

Just some good 'ole summertime fun

Grandpa Den made all the kids (and some adults) marshmallow shooters/guns for our 4th of July party at my cousin Kristin's. They were a HUGE hit!

Logan, Landin, Kali and Kian being silly!

One of our favorite fruits of summer

Happy summer everyone! I know it's been summer for quite some time, but for me it never quite feels like summer until July. Maybe it's all the 4th of July festivities that create that summertime feeling. Either way I'm happy it's here; finally I can relax. So here we are. . . enjoying the sun and summer. The pool, the camps, spending time with family and friends, eating fresh picked berries, bike riding and dog walking, you name it. How are you spending your summer?

Twins and the Brewers

Well, it's been another eventful season of baseball. The boys played their little hearts out as we trekked to the fields night after night after night. . . Kian's team the Twins, it seemed, had a rough season. Though they battled hard, they did not win a single game until the final 2 weeks of the season. The ultimate underdogs finally found their bats in the playoffs. Now they're headed to the 'farm league' championship game tonight. We are so excited!

Landin's team went 9-5 for the season and was third overall in his division. They put up a good fight in the playoffs but their season ended on Sunday. We are so proud of their efforts and good sportsmanship.

School's out for summa!

Our annual Kennywood day (which happens after the "moving up" ceramony on the last morning of school) Kian riding the Aero 360 with dad

Moving up ceramony

Kian and his 2nd grade teacher

Another great school year was had by all! I can't believe my babies will be in 3rd and 7th grade in a few months. Time certainly does fly. Both boys did very well in school this year and made great strides in all subjects. Kian has really excelled in Language Arts (writing great stories and reading off the charts) and Landin has continued his love for Social Studies as well as finding a new love for debate (well, its not really new, just more organized now.) Now it's time for swimming, playing, relaxing and sleepovers! The boys have some great camps lined up too. Next week Landin will attend Rock Radio camp, through our local public radio station, WYEP. He will learn about broadcasting, how to interview people, how to mix music and have surprise musical "guests." Then after July 4th he'll be off to Camp Calvary for the week! Next week Kian will attend the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and learn about Ancient Egypt. Then in a few weeks he'll attend a local art school camp and then our church for their annual "Kid Fest."

Evening of the Arts

At the end of every school year, K-5th grade put on an "Evening of the Arts" performance. It's an integration of the art, music and dance they have been working on for the second half of the year. This year Kian's 2nd grade class was studying Africa. They performed African dancing, singing, drumming and then brought us to the "gallery" where their art work was on display. It was too cute.