::: HOLIDAY REFLECTIONS :::

All holidays are a blessing and should be considered that to all who are privileged enough to take one. Not only did I feel privileged, but just so in awe that I could rest for a week. I was a big, lazy cat and I tried very hard to live that life. A cat's life. Rest, stare, curl up in a ball. yawn. stretch. sometimes sitting, sometimes laying completely flat, getting up and walking a few yards. Sitting again. Staring again. Opening my eyes slowly and then closing them again. Reading (oh wait? cats don't read. nevermind). Wandering over to my food source. Getting a drink of cool water and....... starting over. As a mother cat, I sat in awe of my family. Staring at God's great big ocean, I thought of my husband and his devotion to our family. His patience and his kindness. I don't always recognize it and sometimes meow a little loudly at him. He loved every minute of resting too. Reading. sleeping. bbq'ing. eating. playing his bass guitar. participating in a game of volleyball and walking on the beach. He only rode his bike once. We had a long year and I could feel us giving in and resting in God's grace. It was a pretty amazing feeling and there was no guilt. very unusual, as we are constantly on the go. I watched Ian visit with friends from his new school and laugh. I was reminded of when he was a little baby reaching for the sand in a frog-like position and the deep giggles he would have for the most random things. He and John worked on Joni Mitchell's "Twisted" together and I realized why I begged to have another child. He would fill our lives with a passion for music and singing. This took awhile for John to transpose and I often don't give him credit for how hard he works to do things like this with his children. Brynn is home from college and will be a senior this fall. I had begged to take some pictures of her, while we were together, and it was a lot of fun. There's something so surreal about staring at your daughter, who's fast becoming a woman and is on her way to Africa on a mission. I can't describe how I feel, but I know that she is putting herself in a place where that place can impact her heart to change forever and I am in awe and envious. I will miss her and worry about a few things. like mosquito's and tummy problems. that's normal I tell myself. She has a kind and patient boyfriend, Kevin, that will be with her and that's very comforting to know. There are 300 children waiting to see them. wow. They are so committed to what God wants of them and it's not an easy world to live in. Brynn has always had a love of Christ and her depth and understanding of the world around her is often missed. Like her dad. During a funny and heated volleyball game, Max, my oldest, was as funny as he's ever been. Ever since he was little he's loved sports and has a real passion for life and history. I saw him Christmas morning getting a lego set and disappearing to build it. Watching him is the hardest, because he is the oldest and for the life of me, I can't be this old. He truly loves his family and he loves to watch movies with us and play board games. He loves to make tea. He loves Melissa. I love that. He still has that big, infectious closed-mouth smile that warms my heart.

I reflected on approaching 50 in December, reaching a milestone.... slowly watching my old high school friends, on Facebook, turning 50 too, knowing my turn is coming soon. I thought of my passion for photography and settled for always loving it, no matter what, even if I never had a job again. That was a good feeling. I love the art and I feel it in my toes and that's enough for me. I thought about how I'm not amazing and never will be, (it's my opinion that word should be regarded for very few people) but I am amazed with the fact that I've had the opportunity to do this so late in my life and how fortunate I have been to even own a few good cameras, have a little business and have the support and admiration of my husband, parents and friends/clients along the way (oh? and my kids, when I'm not annoying them). I need to get closer to God and continue to strive for His purpose for me. I don't take for granted that I am still here and I learned that this year. It was a very good holiday indeed.


Ian, Anna and Lauren




Ian, Brianna and Ciara




Volleyball madness!


"Team Crazies!"


Ian...


Brynn and Brynn and Kevin doing a "pretend" and slightly? "making fun of an engagement shoot!" (I have laughed, to the point of tears, at the middle picture) don't ask.


Beautiful, shy, Melissa...


"We want to jump like Ian and his friends..." and in perfect "John fashion" - he ran through it...(forever the youngest child)


Our friend, Charise, took this for us and she said we needed to "pretend she was the funniest thing we had seen" - she's gorgeous and yes, we worked on this one.


Double Rainbow. no crying. but we were in awe...