fifty two on fridays | week twenty one

“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.”
- Audrey Hepburn

WEEK 21 - EYES

Continue the circle by visiting the amazingly talented Cris at Cris Stephens Photography.

maternity session preview | rocklin, ca photographer

I'm still playing around with the idea of starting a photography business, so in the mean time, I figured getting some fun practice time in would be a great way to experiment with my camera & continue to improve & explore technique. This little session was so much fun for me! I have wanted to try a lifestyle session for a long time, but have only dared taking those types of pictures of my own family in my 52 fridays & 10 on 10 projects, & of course in everday life. As of now (in my beginning stages of photography), lifestyle is my passion. Perhaps that's because I'm most familiar with it, but I also just find so much beauty in the natural, everyday type of moments.

Yesterday, I had a maternity photo shoot with my friend Robin. She is such a laid back person. She is kind, funny, genuine, & a blast to be around! And if it weren't already obvious, she is absolutely beautiful. Ideally, I would have loved to have had another 30 minutes with her, but the time was cut short by the kids torturing Scott with potty training accidents & wails of hunger while he waited for me at the park. It was time to wrap things up, & fast.

I am so excited to try more & more lifestyle photo shoots outside of my home. It was a great experience & a nice change being able to direct someone for a shot instead of chasing them around the home hoping they'll hold still long enough for me to catch something. Photography has become a great outlet for me, plus it's such a practical thing to learn, so I can capture moments of my own family. And the more I practice & learn, the more I love it.

fifty two on fridays | week twenty

“Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”
- Julia Child

WEEK 20 - IN THE KITCHEN

Time got away from me, & I wasn't able to take new pictures for this week's theme. I do, however, have some pictures from December that I still love, as well as a more recent iPhone photo of Ruby & me.

That being said, I have to add that I'm a huge sucker for cookies, & Will has inherited my love for them. He loves to help me make them on the rare occassion that I do. I've been known to eat 4 dozen cookies by myself in a couple days, so I've had to refrain from baking too often. So when we do make cookies, it's a wonderful treat. Seriously, I have hardly any self-control, if any, when it comes to eating homemade cookies, so I try not to put the temptation out there.

One of Will's jobs while making cookies is to unwrap the butter (after thoroughly washing his hands, of course). He also loves to help measure & add the ingredients, mix the dough, & then lick the beaters when everything else is done. And of course, let's not forget the part where he gets to eat fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies (if I don't beat him to it!).

Continue the circle by visiting Lisa at Lisa Tarplee Photography.

fifty two on fridays | week nineteen

“Sometimes when you pick up your child you can feel the map of your own bones beneath your hands,
or smell the scent of your skin in the nape of his neck.
This is the most extraordinary thing about motherhood -
finding a piece of yourself separate and apart that all the same you could not live without.”
- Jodi Picoult

WEEK 19 - MATERNAL

So often, I feel as though the role of Mother, especially stay-at-home mothers, is cast aside & seen as insignificant, unfulfilling, burdensome, & a life filled with eating bon bons & reading books. While sometimes this feels true, to be a mother is so much more than that! It is a blessing, the raising of the future generation. It is selfless love & sacrifice. It has its ups & downs. Days when I feel like I could curse & cry from frustration, where I feel like an utter failure & fear that my children will grow up to resent me. But then there are other days where the joy & happiness that flows through me because of my children & my role as their mother lifts me off the ground; I feel so alive & full of love, so light that my body threatens to float away. More than anything though, motherhood is the habit of the everydays. It is the simple moments of teaching, observing, encouraging, nurturing, letting your child experience both failure & success. It is patience, endurance, kindness. Time outs, cuddles, bedtime songs, digging in the dirt, dancing. It is a giant reward.

 

My years of infertility taught me to treasure my children when I might otherwise have resented the time & energy it takes to care for them. I know that to be a mother is a miracle. It is the most amazing, powerful thing a woman can do, whether through creating & growing life &/or caring for a life that has been entrusted to you. I am grateful for my role as mother & wouldn't give it up for anything.

Continue the circle by visiting Lisa at Lisa Tarplee Photography.

10 on 10 | may

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

- Robert Brault

morning shower.

ruby. checking under the hood of the car with Will.

crack in the radiator. car needs to be towed.

pretty girl "chasing" butterflies. she's so close to crawling & can go from a laying down to sitting position now. her newest trick is clapping.


lunch & snuggles.


nap time. sleepy girl.


i spy my william.


laundry time.


beautiful, warm day.


in the yard.


time out.


sweet thing.


bedtime according to my phone. (i really need to get a tripod & remote clicker thing.)

Check out Jennifer's day at Jennifer Kruk Photography.

Tehachapi Time

A little over a week ago, Scott & I drove down with the kids to visit Scott's parents for a few days. We were lucky enough to have Mark & Joy (Scott's brother & his wife) visiting at the same time. While in Scott's hometown, Will had a great time digging in the dirt, chasing birds, playing with the water hose, & "helping" Grandpa, Uncle Mark, & Scott in the yard. Ruby spent most of the time indoors playing with toys (her favorites were the cars that Will wouldn't let her play with when he was around), rolling around, eating, & sleeping. We had a great visit! It always feels so good to spend time with Scott's family, & we're always grateful when Will & Ruby can spend more time with their grandparents.

fifty two on fridays | week eighteen

“Our faces will become works of art that our grandchildren will treasure."
- Adriana Trigiani

WEEK 18 - OPPOSITES

It's amazing to look at a family tree, to start at the roots & see all those who came before you, to join with your husband & nurture & strengthen your family until branches spring out with your own posterity. I know the love I have for my children, a love that is more full of joy, frustration, & tenderness than I could ever have imagined. Becoming a parent gave me a glimpse of what my parents feel for me, though it's hard to imagine anyone having as much love for another being as I have for my children. If so, how could the world contain all that love without bursting? Then to see the joy of grandparents & grandchildren together. I imagine the love grows beyond anything I can comprehend at this point. To see the generations moving forward, united by our commonality, our blood, our love. It's miraculous, & nothing makes me happier. It is, after all, what life is all about.

Continue the circle by visiting Sarah at Sarah Jo Foodography.