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.