My 365. Or 377. Or 542.

Last December I decided to tackle a 365 project as my new year’s resolution. My goal was one photo per day taken and posted to Instagram. To make it a little more interesting, or perhaps to set myself up for failure, I also stipulated a color/black and white alternating rotation.

I told no one of my resolution. This way when I quit in February, I wouldn’t have to justify my reasons or excuses.

But then I didn’t quit in February. Or March. Or April. Or when the tiny one didn’t sleep through the night for six months straight. Or when it got crazy hot. Or when the big kid went back to school. Or when we decided to pull her and begin home schooling. Or when any of the insane life stuff happened. Or when boring daily life happened.

I didn’t quit.

This is the first year long project I can remember finishing. I credit the not telling anyone and the fact that I actually began a few weeks prior to January 1st. So from December 17, 2012 until today, December 28, 2013, I’ve followed through. 542 photos posted over 377 days to be exact.

And while these little snippets of 2013 won’t mean much to anyone else, they mean so very much to me. This was my life. I found beauty worth documenting in every single day.

Honestly, I have no plans to stop taking photos. But I am taking this moment to claim the resolution a success and to extend a little grace to myself if I miss a day from here on out.

Breaking the Silence. Kind of.

Emma will be one so very soon.

My blog has sat silent for over two years now. There was simply a day when it seemed like enough had been said. That I’d said enough. Then that day turned into a month. And then there was a pregnancy to survive and a baby to meet and a whole year worth of standing as still as possible so as to not hurry the time away. I held my breath and dove deep and prayed for the mundane to become more. Prayed that the memories would cling to me like sand at the beach.

So there is no baby book. No written log of milestones. But there is this- the fact that I can say, without a doubt, that I have been present this year. I have lived every second of its sleep-deprived glory and for that I am beyond thankful.

And there is also this, a ton of snapshots of the beautiful ordinary that is life with Emma.

Summer Recap

I thought the grandparents might appreciate this one.

Thoughts?

{Thank you Richie for leading me to this video!}

I’m so intrigued by what the storyteller/researcher Brené Brown says in this presentation (and a little bit jealous that studying such ideas as shame and vulnerability can be a job) and I really feel like I need to watch this another ten times before I can sort through it all. So I thought I might post it here to make it easy for me to access and so that you could watch it too and let me know what you think if you feel so led.

http://www.wimp.com/expandingperception/

Steady as a Rock

Remember the back room of our house? The one with serious safety issues? The one missing a floor? This one? Yeah, that’s the one.

These days its transformation is almost complete. The joy room has come together beautifully thanks to my very talented and hardworking husband.

I’ll share pictures of the whole process soon, but for now, know that the dream of one day dancing across those floors is a reality.

He Is Here

If you don’t know who Amena Brown is, I think Easter is the perfect time to be introduced.

The words she speaks, the way she speaks them, bring a joy and an awareness to me that I can’t define.

I was thrilled to hear her live at a conference last year. If you ever have an opportunity to attend one of her performances, take it. You won’t be disappointed.

Chandler Update

If you haven’t seen this, then take a moment and watch it. If you already have, then watch it again. I know I will.

May we all strive to recognize and proclaim God’s goodness in the midst of suffering and uncertainty.

Maybe she’ll be a drummer…

Sometimes his nose is blue, sometimes white, occasionally green, but rarely ever red. Apparently, that’s too conventional for her.

Crazy Kid

Most of you think Abby is a cute, sweet, calm child. You even think her birthday songs are just quirky. As much as we tell you otherwise, you refuse to believe us when we say she is often crazy. Oh sure, she does a great job of staying calm in public but she’s faking you guys out. We know it. She knows it. It’s about time you know it.

Last night Matt and I decided to get some proof that she’s slightly off. So here is about 2 minutes of the 30+ minute routine that happened in our living room. Totally on her own. No provoking or leading. No interaction of any type in fact. Just pure untainted Abby.

If I have a few free hours, I’ll try to transcribe it for those of you who don’t speak Abbyguese. But I can tell you that yes, she is saying “Please don’t take it personally, but I am scared of you.” Phrase courtesy of a Halloween Backyardigans from 3 months ago. The rest of the song, “When I’m knocking on the door…” is all her own composition.

My Big Brother

just got a little bit older. Too bad… 35 seemed to suit him well.
I love you Bub.

The good news on the following video is Abby isn’t singing out of the side of her mouth.
The bad news is she still shows no signs of tune or rhythm.