January 31st, 2011

So. Last day of January. That means 1 more month of winter has gone. Closer to spring. :0)

Todays photo is the snowflakes that were on my windshield as I waited for kiddos after school. The flakes looked so cool!

January 30th, 2011

There are always times I wonder if I can imagine another single day of winter. This is one of them. But sometimes I think it really is pretty. Well, sorta. (Although now everytime I see ice hanging off of a building I think of Christina Yang on Greys, lol) I am sooooo ready for spring!

January 29th, 2011

Today is about SNOW. Geesh, are we getting tired of that yet? The last few days it has been warmer and everything has been melting. Suddenly today we have another 6+ inches of snow. Good Lord I am ready for summer!!

We were driving around today and my daughter spotted this baby and I thought it was the saddest thing ever! Doesn't she look cold? I bet even the animals are ready for warmth!

January 28th, 2011

Today I didn't even have to think twice about what this day is about...what made my day. Its simple...my daughter, S. Today is the 1 yr. anniversary of my sweet girls accident. (For those who don't know-she was electrocuted last year, received 3rd & 4th degree burns and had surgery to repair her mouth) I think back on this year and think of the changes we've faced, the growth my girl has made and the true gift it is that I can still look at her and smile. She should have died. She should have left me. But she didn't. She is still here. She is a miracle. And on this day I am full of thankful thoughts that this child is still here, still my shadow and still the sweet daughter I adore.

So, Happy Anniversary S...you are the best daughter ever and I am truly truly honored to be your Mommy!

January 27th, 2011

There is beauty all around. And although I am at the point where I am cursing the snow it is still beautiful. Makes everything look so clean and pretty!

January 26th, 2011

Today the sky was blue and bright for the first time in a while. The sun was out! I almost didn't recognize that big yellow ball in the sky! ;) It was warmer and thankfully I had the chance to snap a few pics!

January 25th, 2011

Today is about learning. How easily it comes for some, how some struggle. How some take the long way to learning things...how some people just never "get it".

My sweet boy, J, struggles in school. He has the sincerest heart but his natural ability to retain the things he learns is just hard for him. Today he started an after-school program to help him learn how to retain things and how to get the help he needs when he needs it. I am VERY proud of my boy & know that although his road thru the education system won't be easy he is a trooper! :0)

January 24th, 2011

My baby boy is so funny. He loves music. He loves to make up songs and sing to me. Nana got him this awesome guitar for Christmas and since then he's been "jamming" all day and night. What a sweet sound. (Well, sweet effort, lol...)

January 23rd, 2011

My life is crazy some days. It feels like you are up and running all day getting laundry done, dishes washed, etc. Today was a day of that kind of hectic madness. And I am always thankful for the small moments of quiet and peace...today had a simple moment that made me smile and made me thankful for the path my life has taken (and is taking). Love my life. Love the doors opening for me. Love the people I've had by my side thru it all....and love the camera I spent way too much money on! ;) The moment didn't come until the night was coming on but never too late! :0)

(And funny story--last week when I was taking the kids to school on the way home I said to my youngest "Hey bubs, look at the moon. I see the moon, the moon sees me..." and without missing a beat he said to me "Momma that is creepy. I don't want the moon to see me!" LOL!)

January 22nd, 2011

I am always in awe of the photos that just happen...this photograph was taken in the dark with only a small flashlight to light her face...and I think it turned out amazingly...

The reason this is what made my day today is because of the story behind it. S asked me if she could sit on my bed and tell me a story...she wanted to freak me out. LOL. And we all know 6 yr olds don't really tell the scariest stories. But she tried. And when she was done she looked at the wall for a quick second and I snapped this...a moment I will always love. Her, me, a few giggles and a beautiful photograph. Priceless.

January 21st, 2011

Oops! I fell asleep last night before I posted. It was a long day!!

So...living in Montana is so weird. Yesterday it was 40 degrees and everything was melting (see picture) and today its snowing again and cold. And last night it rained for a while so we can have some nice icy roads. Seriously. I am starting to pray that God will allow us an early spring because I feel a little grumpy with all this fricken snow!

January 20th, 2011

I am blessed. And I know everyone thinks they are but I really really mean it. My 1st child was not supposed to live thru the night & he is now an amazingly awesome boy. Our 2nd child was not supposed to hear and she is prefect and hears everything she wants to. (I say that because we all know kids have selective hearing!) And my 3rd child was our unplanned miracle. I think when I look at them as they were tonight--reading a story together--I am reminded just how lucky I am. How very thankful I need to be. And how glorious my life will be forever because I get to be their momma.

January 19th, 2011

I have been in a funk lately. Just so much going on health related...but there are moments in life that make you smile no matter how down you are. And one of them is the fact that my daughter knew I was bummed out and came up to me with my camera in her hand and said "You need to do a photo shoot Mama"...so we did. And here is my fav. Love photography, love life, love my girl.

January 18th, 2011

Today is brought to you by the word ICE. Not the good kind that makes your drink cold. Or the shaved kind that makes yummy sno-cones. Or the kind that is inside a rink to skate on. I am talking the kind that gets frozen when it RAINS IN JANUARY! Grrr. In all my years living in Montana I have never seen so much rain in the winter. It really stinks. Today I went out to get J & S from school and the stinken suburban was so covered in ice that I had to chip it off the windows. PAIN IN THE REAR! Oh the joys of life in Montana. (This is a pic of the icy windshield from the inside!)

January 17th, 2011

I am lucky enough that 5 minutes from my house is everything I could ever want to take photos of. Animals, landscapes, buildings...This little town of mine is beautiful around every corner!

January 16th, 2011

So, I kinda sorta love this kid. He's my big boy & is the funniest. I made him suffer thru a photo shoot today. And he hates that. But man I hope one day he will look back at the photos and remember how much his Mommy loved him. How much love was in every image I took of him. How much I thought he hung the moon.

January 15th, 2011

Having more than 1 child is hard. There are days they are best friends and days when they fight all day. Today is a fighting type of day. So, Mommy got creative and decided J & S would be stuck with each other until they are nicer. So they had to sit next to each other, tell each other 3 nice things, eat together, etc. And to top it all off they had to each pick their favorite thing to share with their sibling. J picked playing Wii so S had to play a game she hated. And S was brilliant and decided her favorite thing was getting a pedicure-so you guessed it--brother had to paint her toes! :0) They will be friends if it kills me!

January 14th, 2011

Ok, so today I am cheating. But my day was made when my 2011 calendar came in the mail today! This is a picture of my 3 on Easter of 2010. I LOVE the calendar and cannot wait for each month! Best $8 I've ever spent!

January 13th, 2011

Hay! Yes, I love me some hay! I love everything about it. Well, except for the fact that I am allergic. So...I love it from far away! :0)

January 12th, 2011

My daughter has a nickname..."Grace Face". And this is why. Since she was a baby she has made this face. And at 6 yrs old it is still the funniest thing. So flippin' cute! Its a combo of being annoyed & trying to make us laugh. Such a goofball!

January 11th, 2011

Today was another below zero freezing day. But this warmed my heart. Not much to say about it other than I wish humans would see this as an example...we can co-exist and share our world.

January 10th, 2011

My 3rd child was a huge surprise to us and I had no idea how I would ever manage another little one. Especially since our 2nd child had just turned 1 when we found out our 3rd was on the way.

Well, fast forward 4 yrs and I would never be the same without #3. He is the funniest, most kind boy. He makes me giggle when I need to. And he gives the best hugs.

When the older 2 are in school full time Mr. I and I get to have "Mommy & Me" time. His very favorite thing is to make silly faces. So we take lots of pictures of him doing that. And man am I glad! I cannot wait until he is grown and a dad himself...then I can drag all these out and remind him that he was a goober once upon a time! :0)

January 9th, 2011

I am so thankful that I have been blessed with the chance to be a mom. Not just once, twice-but three times. The people God gave me are some of the best people I know. Today my oldest was having a daddy/son day so I stayed home with the little two. The younger 2 are about a year and a half apart so people always ask if they are twins. They should be. They are joined at the hip and think each other hung the moon. They make each other laugh like no one else can. I am so thankful that all of my kids are amazing people and that they love each other. Them making each other laugh is music to my ears...

January 8th, 2011

Most of you that know me know that this summer our family lost our beloved dog, Sage. She was with us thru everything and I still have such a hole in my heart missing my girl. She was my shadow. I could never walk around this house without her under foot. She was a very ill girl and we did the best thing and allowed her to end her suffering.

So...the kids did not take losing Sage well. From the day she died they wanted another dog. I was not having it. But after a few months I started thinking it was going to be fine to get a new dog. So, in late September we adopted sweet Roxy Rivers. She is the best little beagle puppy ever. Today is about her. She has really turned in to my buddy and although I resisted her for a while I am fully head-over-heals in love with Roxy now. She spent today keeping my feet warm for me and I am thankful that I opened my heart to a new dog. She is a keeper! :0)

January 7th, 2011

What a crazy day in Montana...snow, cold and now RAIN? What the heck? So weird. Thankfully I was able to spend some time taking pictures before the weather set in.

We moved to Montana in 1993 and it took me a few years to truly see why it was so beautiful. We've lived all over the state and I think Chinook has to be the prettiest. There is so much in such a short distance. This is where I was born--in Montana. And this is where I will likely spend all my days. And as an adult I see just how lucky that makes me!

January 6th, 2011

Snow. Snow and more snow. I think this is the story of our lives here in Montana for months. And this year we have been the low temperature in the US 4 times. Brrr! But when I get super grumpy about the snow or the cold temps I just go take pictures of it and am reminded how beautiful it is. The snow is so clean and fresh. And I grew up never seeing snow. So, I guess I should count my blessings that I am now able to live in a state that has 4 true seasons. (Another resolution--be more thankful for living in Montana!)

Pictured here is a snow drift that just looked so cool. I am glad it photographed well and that I can share a little of my winter with those of you who are currently sitting with your toes in the sand! :0)

January 5th, 2011

Cows are ugly. I mean, they are super dooper ugly. Nothing pretty about them. But I have a 4 yr. old who sees them thru the eyes of a child and thinks they are amazing. His favorite time of year is now when they are all pregnant and getting ready to have babies. He LOVES him some baby cows. Today we took a short drive (a whole 1/2 mile from our house) so he could see some cows and it was the sweetest sound when he giggled over seeing this 1-horned cow. He thought that was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. Such a sweet boy, and music to this mommy's ears that he finds beauty in things that we think are ugly. Oh to be that innocent and to see the good in everything!

January 4th, 2011

Today is one of those days that I have a million things to do but didn't get a single thing done. That could possibly be because I am sick with the gross stomach bug my kiddos brought home from school. But I did manage to finish our Christmas thank you cards. So, our photo of the day is my favorite pens that sit next to my side of the bed. I didn't realize until I took the picture that I chew on the caps of some. Gross. New Years resolution-stop chewing on pens! ;)

January 3rd, 2011

It has been cold cold cold here lately & I keep candles everywhere in case the power goes out. Tonight we had a few power flickers so I got a few candles burning just in case. S was helping me change one out and I had to take a photo. It was so beautiful. Sometimes the little moments are the most awesome of the day.

(And I give credit to my super awesome sister J, who is an amazing photographer in her own right...she recently posted pics of her candles and I am totally stealing her idea with my own twist!)

January 2nd, 2011

Ok, if you know anything about me you know my heart belongs to the San Diego Chargers. There is nothing that makes me more proud then knowing I have passed on my love of my Bolts to 2 of my 3 children. (We are still working on J. He is determined to be a Titans fan!) Today is the last regular season game and this will be the first year the Chargers miss the play-offs since 2004. But--win or lose my Chargers make me happy. So, our photo of the day is Princess S. all geared up for the last game of the season. The little things in life...

(And by the way...they won 33-28!)

January 1st, 2011

So, I guess missing the sunset last night motivated me to get dressed today & go take some photos. Man, did I hit the motherload! I got some beautiful deer shots, sunset photos and pictures of the crazy piles of snow. But this one is my favorite. I picked this for todays photo because I feel like it best represents what I find beautiful. Simple, clean photos. I am thankful to live in such a beautiful state where everything I could ever want to photograph is within just a few miles!

December 31st, 2010

I wanted to get a picture of the last sunset of 2010...but Brian had my vehicle. So, J and I shoveled our way out the front door and took this from the deck. Although the picture doesn't show it the sunset was BEAUTIFUL! So colorful.