10 on 10: january

I hesitated this month when it came to documenting another 10 on 10. What could I possibly do different than last time? How could I prevent it from being redundant each month? Isn't it a little soon to be asking these questions since this is only month 2? Well, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see that life has its own things in store, & the day I documented ended up being wonderful. This month was another lesson in seeing the beauty of everyday life. I was able to capture the sweet personalities of my two children, as well as my husband & wonderful friends. I'm grateful for these preserved memories that this project gives me.

8:00 am - Ruby Jane is sleeping soundly.

9:00 am - retrieving some cereal that dropped on the barstool.

10:00 am - Will gets so excited when his daddy comes home. he can't wait to tell him all the fun things he's been up to.

11:00 am - Ruby finishes her shower & kicks her feet & talks to us while waiting in the bassinet.

12:00 pm - getting ready to drive down to the bay area when Scott notices we have a flat tire. Will did his part to help.

1:00 pm - on the road. sunglasses on & baishie in hand (Will's lion blanket that he takes everywhere).

it didn't take long before this guy was out. he seriously has the most beautiful eyelashes & has since day one. i just can't get over them.

2:00 pm - Ruby meets my other mother & sister for the first time. we've been life-long friends, & they're practically family.

3:00 pm - love this girly.

Ruby bonds with her godmother & my best friend, Caitlin.

4:00 pm - i loved capturing the look on my husband's face while he smiled at our sweet daughter. it's these tender, natural moments that i treasure.

5:00 pm - buckled up & ready to head back home.

to continue the blog circle, head on over to Julie Ander's 10 on 10.

my week according to my phone {1/52}

Sunday -

1. enjoying the christmas tree for a little longer before it needs to come down.

2. Ruby lounging on the rocker in the mother's lounge at church. she's looking pretty content. haha!

Monday -
3. delicious breakfast of eggs w/ peppers, mushrooms & salsa and Will eating peanut butter & honey toast.
4. getting ready to pack up the christmas decorations
5. Will took an unexpected nap around 5:00. it was impossible to wake him up, so we just had a late night.

Tuesday -
6. i love watching Scott when he's telling his paramedic stories. he's so passionate about it!
7. we drove down to danville to see my best friend & godmother of our children, Caitlin.
8. sweet babe nursing - such a blessing to be able to provide for her.

Wednesday -
9. Ruby had her 4 month checkup & shots
10. Scott cut down the christmas tree - he found 3 cars & a toy grasshopper & bee.
11. admiring all the beautiful christmas cards we received.

Thursday -
12. Will loves to help me do the laundry.
13. worked on a self-portrait for my photography project.
14. I wear this necklace practically every day. it's a reminder of those who are most important in my life.

Friday -
15. we went to Boudin's for my favorite, clam chowder, after finishing a few holes of frisbee golf.

Saturday -
16. Will helped Ruby with her tummy time.
17. Ruby was wiped out & more than ready for her nap.

feel free to follow me on Instagram: @lizzie_jane

52 on Fridays | 1 - Be You {tiful}

This is the start of a 52 week project I'm participating in with a group of photographers from near & far. Each Friday, we will post an image representing our weekly theme & then link to the next photographer to complete a blog circle. The purpose of this project is to challenge ourselves, to learn, experiment, & grow in the art of photography. I hope you come back often to check on our progress. It should be a fun year!

WEEK 1 - SELF-PORTRAIT

I was amazed at how difficult it was to take a self-portrait this week. First of all, I felt kind of ridiculous in front of the camera, especially being the only one in the frame. I felt even more ridiculous having to constantly play around with focus, set the timer, run & jump into my bathtub so I could stand in the correct place in front of my window, & then pretend like I wasn't a total dork for smiling at the wall since I had no one to interact with (at least someone who was eye-level with me). I'm telling you, it was awkward . . .

But at the same time, it was fun & empowering. I felt a lot more comfortable with me by the time I was finished. My inhibitions melted a bit, & I realized that this was something I could do. Maybe not perfectly, but that's not always the point. Do I wish I had more pictures to choose from that were in perfect focus &/or had great composition? Yes! But that doesn't really matter. What matters is that I had the courage to try something new. That I was able to put myself out there & risk making a fool of myself. There is a quote from one of my favorite movies, Strictly Ballroom, that says, "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived." I don't want to look back on my life regretting that I didn't take more chances, that I didn't share more of myself with others, that I feared failure too much to even give myself a chance at success.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

~ Marianne Williamson

Make sure to continue the blog circle with photographer, Jackie Petersen.

a new year

It's the start of a new year! I love this time of year for all the new beginnings. It's a time to reflect on life, to set goals, to reevaluate my attitude & how I spend my time. It's a time to look back & celebrate the acomplishments of the year before, but more importantly, it's a time to look forward & decide how to improve as a mother, wife, friend, daughter of God . . . . It's a time to embark on new adventures, grand ones & seemingly small ones from my every day. It's a time to develop talents & to take on new challenges . . . or old ones with renewed force.

While thinking about things I wanted to focus on this upcoming year, I decided to set very few lofty goals. Instead, I'm breaking them down one month at a time (one week at a time if necessary). Planning for an entire year is daunting, but planning for a week or a month is doable.

our JANUARY family goals:

- read the scriptures every night

- do FHE each week

- take a family photo (it's nice to have evidence that I'm in this family too :)

- make a weekly meal plan & make one big trip to the grocery store each week instead of mini trips scattered throughout

- do one bigger family activity (I'm leaning towards sledding. Will's never really played in the snow, & I bet he'd love it!)

- get a bedtime routine down for the kids

- POTTY TRAIN WILL!

my PERSONAL goals for january:

- do my 10 on 10 photography assignment

- complete my weekly photography theme assignments

- set up an Elevate photo shoot (a fine art challenge) - If it's not obvious, I'm really jumping into photography this year with both feet, hands, & my head - completely submerging myself (without losing focus on my family & home!!!), so I can improve in technique & creativity.

- focus on decluttering my house for 15 minutes a day, rotating zones each week (you can't organize clutter!)

- read my January books - Matched, The Happiness Project, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Night Circus, The Greatest Knight