30 Day Photography Challenge

Ahhh my camera!  I've missed it!  I had to send it to Canon for repair, got  it back today! 

First person I took a picture of....    well, I guess that was a duh!

  

OK... So I found this 30 Day Photography Challenge that I decided to do for fun.  Below is the challenge and for me today is Day 1 - Self Portrait.  Bleh... boring!  But here is the challenge and below is my Self Portrait.

Day 1 - Self Portrait
Day 2 - What you wore today
Day 3 - Clouds
Day 4 - Something Green
Day 5 - From a high angle
Day 6 - From a low angle
Day 7 - Fruit
Day 8 - A bad habit
Day 9 - Someone you love
Day 10 - Childhood memory
Day 11 - Something blue
Day 12 - Sunset
Day 13 - Yourself with 13 things
Day 14 - Eyes
Day 15 - Silhouette
Day 16 - Long exposure
Day 17 - Technology
Day 18 - Your shoes
Day 19 - Something orange
Day 20 - Bokeh
Day 21 - Faceless Self Portrait
Day 22 - Hands
Day 23 - Sunflare
Day 24 - Animal
Day 25 - Something pink
Day 26 - Close-Up
Day 27 - From a distance
Day 28 - Flowers
Day 29 - Black and white
Day 30 - Self Portrait

There you have it.... the 30-day challenge.

And again, like I said, Day 1 - Self Portrait.

Living Fully Right Where I Am

I'm not a big reader... I wish I was.  But there have been a few books that I have read where you just can't put it down.  I am reading one of those right now.  I wish I had the time to "not put it down" but that's just not possible...so I'm reading it when I can.  This is allowing me to really ponder though on what I read, on each chapter and asking God to speak to me through it.  A lot of people have read this book and recommended it and told me how amazing it was.  Ann Voskamp (You can visit her blog here) is an amazing author/writer... so different, unique and very poetic.  She makes you think.  She wrote a book called One Thousand Gifts and I am SO LOVING THIS BOOK!  If you haven't read it...buy it!  You won't be sorry.  Its a dare to live fully right where you are... not matter where you are, in the good times, bad times, sad times... You need to live fully in that moment, thanking GOD for everything and every situation.  God is telling us something in every situation...are we going to try and hear what it is that He is saying?  I'm trying to be more present... trying to listen more...and most importantly showing gratitude.  Being thankful for every little moment... Ann started a "Gratitude Journal" in which she wrote the gifts in every day life that God handed to her.  I started my own gratitude journal.  It's exciting to wake up and say "Lets see what God has for me today," "What will I get to write down today."  I love it!

I'm really praying that I will learn to be "thankful" FIRST and not let my thoughts and actions go elsewhere.  It's hard... but its what I want to do.  Its what I want to be.  A person who finds the good in everything and is thankful for it.

Eucharisteo ... the greek work meaning: to be grateful, feel thankful.  To give thanks.

Ann writes in her book:

"The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning “grace.” Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be gift and gave thanks.

But there is more, and I read it. Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara, meaning “joy.” Joy. Ah…yes. I might be needing me some of that. That might be what the quest for more is all about–that which Augustine claimed, “Without exception…all try their hardest to reach the same goal, that is joy.”

I love how this word breaks down:

Charis: Grace
Eucharisteo: Thanksgiving
Chara: Joy

One of my favorite lines in the book so far:  "Eucharisteo - thanksgiving - always precedes the miracle."

So I'm on a journey to 1,000 gifts...  Only on #21... Got a long way to go :)  Can't wait to see what He shows me a long the way.

He is one of my ultimate gifts!

Weekends.

It was a tough end to the week.  When I came home on Thursday from work my little boy when from happy to very sick in a matter of 30min!!!  Poor guy couldn't keep anything down, came down with a fever and was just feeling awful.  My heart hurts so much when he is sick and there isn't anything I can do to take it away...  but you better believe I will do all I can to comfort him.  Cuddles, kisses, "I love you's" and "It's going to be ok" is all I can do.  I was up most of the night that night... thank goodness the vomiting stopped and on Friday we just fought the fever and rested as much as possible.

When Saturday came around my boy was 90% better and we got out a little that afternoon to get some fresh air...and I think that did the trick!

Daddy and Aiden checking out the splash pad

Mimmy & Aiden playing in the fountain

If you haven't noticed, the boy loves water!

We enjoyed the rest of the weekend just relaxing and spending time as a family.

Otis and his infamous "look"

And my husbands "Stop taking a picture of me woman" look

Checking out the weather... we had a storm rollin' in... 

These two... always looking out the front door

Oh and you know, just the daily melt down... I told him he couldn't go up the stairs... I'm so mean, aren't I?

He was like "Thats it Mom, I'm outta here!"

He always crosses his feet... LOVE it :)  Its the little things, right?

We went to my parents for our usual "Sunday Get Together"...  Isaiah was sleeping, so we took Aiden and Gabriel out for some pool time!  They had a BALL!  

haha, I think Gabriel was a little worried about cousin pushing his car... lol

 

Until next weekend....