Fall in Tennessee {Sweet Shot Tuesday}

I took this picture in Gatlinburg last month while driving through Roaring Fork Loop.

Historic house + yellow and turquoise paint = big puffy heart love.

Fall + Tennessee = Gorgeous.



"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Eight Years of Tradition {Destin}

After 12 years of marriage my husband may not have me figured out entirely, but there is one thing he knows without a doubt...

Momma needs the beach.

If momma does not get to stick her toes in the sand at least once within a 12 month stretch, momma gets cranky.

And so every year we head to Destin.



This year's trip meant eight years of tradition for us.



Eight years of sitting on the beach at sunrise with my best friend. Coffee in hand.

Eight years of hanging at The Donut Hole.

Eight years of tradition.

Don't you just love a place that becomes so familiar and comfortable to you that it feels like going home?

A place where you can navigate your way around on back roads and the kids say things like, "Are we gonna hunt crabs tonight like we always do?"

It gives me so much joy to see them anticipating us doing something, simply because "we always do".



This was our first time to Destin back in 2004.

::sigh::

::tear::



Seriously this is brutal.

There are times when time feels like a friend.

And times when it feels like a thief.

Back then we were changing diapers and doing our best to keep pacifiers out of the sand.

Now, we are watching them skim board and taking them on spontaneous donut runs at midnight.

Time marches on...with our without my permission.
_______________________________________________

Of course what would a trip to Destin be without "family picture night"?

I have to be honest, this endeavor can be a real killjoy. I have yet to figure out how to enjoy this more.

If you are a photographer, and you have the secret to shooting your own family without threatening them within and inch of their lives, feel free to help a sister out.














Speaking of tradition, this is a shot I get every year without fail. I insist even though they grumble. So amazing to look at last year's picture and see how much they have grown.

Tradition

Does your family have a traditional vacation spot?

A traditional family portrait?






"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

My Daughter is Fearless and I'm Still in High School. {The County Fair}

My daughter was gifted with the artistic gene.

No denying it.

The girl has such an eye for photography.

Not to mention her love of all things creative.

So this week when the County Fair rolled into town, we decided to enter a few of her pieces.

She needed a black and white print and a color.



So I took her on a photo walk downtown.



This was her color entry.



And this was her black and white.

I know I'm a little biased and all, but I think they are fabulous.



And this little zebra print beauty is her "duct tape purse".

Yes, you heard me right...that entire purse is made out of duct tape.

Is it "duct" tape?

Or "duck" tape?

I have always said "duct" tape but the label says "duck".

I'm so confused.

Anyhoo, she entered this under "Recycled Crafts".

Unfortunately, neither of her photos placed in the competition.

This is where, if we were having this conversation in person, I would roll my eyes and talk smack about the judges and their obvious lack of an "eye" for good photography.

However, this lovely little bag, that she labored over for days, took home a gorgeous red "Second Place" ribbon.

And I took home a girl with an ear to ear grin.

*****************************

On a side note:

While we were registering Maggie's exhibits at the fair, she noticed some adults entering their photos as well. She said, "I didn't know grown-ups could enter pictures and stuff too!" I explained to her that yes, there were categories for adults to enter as well. She then managed to spend the entire car ride home insisting that I too enter my photos.

In that moment...while entertaining the thought of entering my photos...I was made well aware of the reason I had been so set on getting Maggie's photos ready for entry, yet had never once considered entering my own.

Fear.

Fear of rejection.

Fear of criticism.

My pictures are an extension of inner most parts of my soul. The way I see life through my lens.

Putting them here on my blog for all to see is not the same as putting them on display to be critiqued. That felt more like saying, "This is what I deem as beautiful...do you agree?"

Just thinking about it left me feeling like the 5th grader that hoped someone would ask her to sit at their table for lunch.

The girl that searched for acceptance and validation.

Yes folks, sometimes in my head it is Jr. High and High School all over again....me sitting on the sidelines paralyzed with fear.

In that moment, I decided that my daughter would not see that fear manifested.

I drove home, printed out a few photos, and drove back to the fairgrounds.

This time to enter my own exhibits.

I took home two white "Third Place" ribbons. One for this photo and one for this one as well.

But it was about so much more than the validation that came with the ribbons.

So long sidelines.

I'm linking this post up here:











"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Psalm 113:3 {Sweet Shot Tuesday}

"From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised." ~Psalm 113:3




"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

A Little Slice of Heaven {Watermelon}

I was cutting up a watermelon this morning and all that red fleshy goodness inspired me.

I love the contrast of the red and the green. And the occasional black seed.

I couldn't find a bowl that was large enough to fit the whole thing so I dug out my Thanksgiving turkey platter.

It felt a bit sacrilegious to be placing summer's sweetest treat inside the sacred Turkey Day platter but it was way too early am and my brain wasn't functioning well enough to worry about the etiquette of seasonal dishes.












"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Beguiled By Babies {Remembering My Love For Photography}

This weekend we attended a birthday party hosted by close friends of ours.

Lots of adults. Lots of teenagers. Lots of preteens. Lots of kids.

Lots of babies.

I quickly found myself naturally drawn to the them.

Like a doctor, who's trying to decide which field of medicine he wants to specialize in, and no matter how he tries to act interested in podiatry or phlebotomy...he always seems to find himself in the nursery with the babies.

I too am like a moth to a flame.

There is just something about the completely uninhibited nature of a baby/toddler that feels so raw and natural to me.

They don't look at the camera and pose or smile...or change what they were doing.

No false pretenses. No putting on the happy face. {not typically}

They just continue to do what they were doing before you pointed the big long black lens into their faces.

I love that about them.

Before I knew it I was stalking them {and their poor,poor parents} all around the party.



This little guy was loving him some Cheetos.



Kinda like I love Nutella.



I can relate.

{Not that I've stuck three fingers into a jar all at one time or anything.}



I give that same look sometimes when people try to keep us apart.



Remember Cade? His sweet family volunteered to be my photography guinea pigs a couple of years ago.



They have just recently become a family of five and this is their newest addition.



Sweet Sydnie.



Seriously, how cute is she?!

All of these cute as a button babies have had me thinking. {Not about having more babies...no no no.}

I think I had forgotten just how much I love capturing moments of life with my camera.

I get busy...and as fun and easy as it is to use, my iPhone makes me lazy I think.

And so I have been inspired all over again.

Here's my plan:

1. Keep my camera more accessible as I go throughout my day. Being intentional with having my bag just as I would my wallet, phone, etc.

2. Focus more on capturing the raw moments of life. Not just the perfectly composed moments.

3. Maybe plan a photo shoot or two. Overcoming those nagging fears and doubts that scream failure into my soul.

4. Keep perspective. Life and the people in it are beautiful. Not perfection.

4. Remember to never again forget...how very much I love watching life through my lens.

Linking up with Robyn at Mingle Monday:



And Darcy at Sweet Shot Tuesday:




"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Charlotte's Web {Sweet Shot Tuesday}

I saw this beautiful web on a run one morning. Only when I moved in really close did I actually see the spider.

I was not sure if that was an egg sac.
I chose to think it was.
I named her Charlotte.



Linking up here with Darcy:



"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Five For Fighting {Sweet Shot Tuesday}

To say this boy loves hockey would be like saying I love Nutella.

A complete understatement.




"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Empty Nest {Learning to Let Go ...Not So Gracefully}

We went camping for a few days last week.

Our first time this year.

I forget how much I love it until I'm there again.

One morning while Adam and I were enjoying our traditional camping routine, coffee and sunrise sans kiddos, we noticed the cutest little visitor.

A baby bird perched on our fire pit not even 3 feet from us.

He was so timid. So afraid that I believe he would have just let me pick him up had I chose. No natural instinct to protect himself. Totally dependent on his mother. Her instincts.

I believe he was some sort of finch. Not sure. I would look it up but it's summer break and I'm a homeschool mom....I need a break from Google.



I loved all of his little mad scientist tufts of hair.



Kinda reminded me of Doc from Back to the Future.



Then I looked over in the other direction and saw this little guy a little further out.

He was perched on a branch the storms had knocked down.

A bit older with signs of maturity. Confidence. Courage. Determination. Caution.

He was testing his wings. A bit further from the nest.

A teenager maybe?



As I watched these little birds I could not help but wonder about their mother.

Was she perched in a branch high above taking it all in?

Frightened to see me so close to her babies?

Petrified to see the possible danger and know they are just beyond the safety of her reach?

Her protection.

Her control.

Knowing all the while that she must help them to find their wings in order for them to survive on their own.



I must confess that for some time now I have been in a really strange season in my life. A place where the fear is gripping. The doubts overwhelming. The loss of control maddening.

For the past 15 years I have been a mom. That's it. Now I am facing this new chapter of my life in which one of my children will be transitioning into adulthood. I cannot express in words even how crazy this is to me. My mind can't even get wrapped around it.

My oldest is now 15 and life seems to be moving at God speed. I find myself wanting to just press pause somewhere. Freeze this tiny sliver of time I have left with him. He will be a Sophomore this fall. Finding the balance between letting go and holding him just close enough is turning out to be the hardest challenge of my life to date. A constant battle between fear and faith.

I see the man he is becoming. I see the little tufts of baby feathers giving way to his adult plumage. I feel him loosening his grip. Becoming restless. Peering over the edge to see what awaits him. Drifting further and further from the nest. From it's safety.

Testing his wings.

Honestly I am just not sure how this letting go thing works. Am I suppose to miraculously wake up one day and care just a little less? Worry less often? Just not care about his choices and how they may affect him? I'm hopeless I think.

A miracle. I have 3 years...and I'm praying for one.

How about you? Are you sitting high in the branches with me watching and praying? Or is your nest empty with only remnants of their feathers? Have you managed to come out on the other side of this letting go thing in one piece?

Any sage words of wisdom?

I need all I can get. :-)


I'm linking up here:



"Feels Like Home-Share Your Sunday Best"


"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

11 Years of Pink Shoes {Sweet Shot Tuesday}

I was making some room in Maggie's dresser for her summer clothes and came across the corner of one of her drawers where I always stuff the things I want to save for her.

One of those things was her first pair of shoes.

And both pairs of her ballet slippers.

I then noticed her pink Converse that she now wears.

I lined them all up sat there in the floor with them thinking about what they represented.

11 years of learning.

11 years of growing.

11 years of pink in my life.

*sigh*



Be sure to check out even more Sweet Shots this Tuesday over at Darcy's:


"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Worship {It's what I do}

"My heart is confident in You, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!" Psalm 108:1



I'm linking up here today with Darcy:




"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"

Knockouts {Sweet Shot Tuesday}

Knockout Roses.

My kind of flowers.

Dig a hole...

Watch them grow.

No pruning.

No deadheading.

No special food.

No hassle.

No maintenance.

My kind of flower.






"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"