Enjoy …

Thank you for visiting!  xoxo

You Might Also Like:

Our breeder did a wonderfully thorough job presenting us with information to prep us for having him, but all I kept hearing while she talked was “I want my puppy home … I want my puppy home …”  Shame on me and my one track mind.  Really though, things are going pretty well.  I suppose I get sensitive to change, especially when a lot is riding on how I handle the change, and when I’m not getting much sleep.    Sleeping at night is pretty darned good though, now that he sleeps on the patio in his crate.  And with the boys’ willing help of taking him outside the frequency of his “accidents” is reducing.  It’ll be nice when I can not have to feel a slight anxiety all day long, wondering if he’s going to mess on my floor …

Anywho … he’s a very sweet puppy, who sits and cuddles and comes when he calls and doesn’t mind car-rides, so, we’ll focus on that.    Here are some images I took during his first and second days home …

It took him all of 2 minutes to get used to napping in his crate …

… though he really loves it here, too…

And he’s not the only one who loves the crate.  This↓  I don’t understand…

He’s a little TOO interested in our chickens … even after Ross (the rooster) pecked at his nose through the fence… Matt’s working on this one.    I will NOT be picking chicken feathers out of  this pup’s teeth.

Two things are for certain… my boys (so far) are showing a heightened sense of responsibility because they know that he is theirs and they are his.  And, they all can’t get enough of each other.

I think we’ll keep him. 

You Might Also Like:

I was so proud of my boys for passing their pup over to me shortly after we brought him home, for a little photo shoot.  He was sleepy and the light was lovely and I’ve had this idea in my head since my gardens began blooming.  So, here’s my first photoshoot with Charlie … our pup in a prop …

Meet, Charlie Oscar Meyers…

… and he was out …

… so I brought his paws up for a little ‘posing’ …

… but that didn’t last long before he was up again for some exercise …

… but that didn’t last long before he was down again for another nap …

“Wait … where’d my boys go??”…

“I see you lady, but I want my boys.”

“That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout.”

Needless to say, our 4th blondie is fitting in quite well with his boys and they can’t get enough of him, and evident by how he looks (and whimpers) for them after they go to bed, the feeling is mutual. 

More on this pup,  tomorrow!

Thanks for visiting, and sharing in our excitement! xoxo

You Might Also Like:

This littlest guy in particular, has his sweet-boy ways down.  Whether it is climbing into my lap while I’m on my computer, sitting on the counter while I cook, burying his face into my neck while I carry him, saying ‘Smokin’ Hot’ in his cute little lisp because he knows it cracks me up, or saying “Mama, you look pitty {pretty}” randomly through the day… he brightens my day over and over again.   Seriously melting my heart.

He is QUITE the charming, cool guy, too….

… I hope he’s brightened your day a little bit, too!

xoxo

Thanks, as always, for visiting!

You Might Also Like:

How is it already June 10th??  This past month has completely flown by, which is great because it means we get to bring our puppy home today!  But it is also tough because of the reason time has seemed to have gone so quickly.   I’ve been busy.  Between finishing up school, sessions, trips here and there … you probably feel like you see the back of my head all too often.  And you see the faces of my clients more than my own face (only kind of kidding!) … or, you’re seeing my camera in front of my face!  So, boys … here I am … ↓↓↓  

I want you to know that this summer, I’m going to be breaking down our days, attempting to fill them with lots of US time.  Lots of outside time … still lots (I hope!) of learning time.  Of course lots of laughing, adventuring, family time.

But I also need to to know, that even though I take on extra responsibilities, beyond those I have for you guys and some times it frustrates you that I have other stuff I have to do, you’re still my number ones.  We will go for walks, push on swings, go to the Oregon Gardens and OMSI, to Wyatt and Gracie’s house (and have them over, too) … but sometimes, mom has to do what mom has to do.  Okay?  And that is a great time for you to just practice being brothers, entertaining yourselves, and enjoying this place we get to live.  And practicing thinking twice before running to me for every tiny need you guys have.    Easy enough.    As a trade-off, I will do my best to be totally present when I am with you guys, and not working.  Sound good?

Some days you guys tell me that you haven’t seen me much all day … even though I’m always just about 5 feet away from you so I think you’re exaggerating a bit … so, you have these photos and you have these words of mine as a promise that this summer we won’t just co-exist as mom and sons, but we’ll take time to enjoy our days as carefree friends.

Love …

yo Mama

I am so thankful to be a part of this “Letters to our Sons” blog circle, with so many amazing photographers and moms.  In honor of our love for our little boys, we are writing these letters and are happy to share them with you as well.  Please head over to the my dear friend, Leah Cook’s blog, to read her letter.  Leah also has 3 little boys so I have a special appreciation for her as a mom and for her images.  I can’t wait to read her letter myself!  And then, please keep on around the circle.

You Might Also Like:

I didn’t carry my camera around each time we shot for lighting and convenience reasons.  It is tricky to shoot in the woods during most times of the day, and as I mentioned the other day, light can make or break a photo for me.  It was surprisingly easy to carry my camera with me, though, thanks to the Black Rapid Strap, but shooting (my camera) is tricky with my shooting (bow) glove on.    Its actually really freeing to leave the camera behind sometimes, and only use it when I know the light is ‘right’.

Anyway!  We shot a course late in the evening which was perfect … for photography … but not so much for tired little legs.  Fortunately we were able to take each course slow, taking our time and resting when needed.

(I saved the above one simply for Matt’s face.  )

This was my first shoot using the new bow Matt just made me and I had so much fun with it… it’s technically a ‘kid’s’ bow.  LOL … I’m too weak for my big girl bow he made me last year.

Back at camp for the night we BBQed and listened to the Blue Grass Band playing right across from our camp spot.  What a way to end the day!

We only spent two days there, which was just about as long as Kaden’s legs could handle…  Matt spent most of the last day like this:

I’d have been awfully sad to leave this trip if we weren’t able to set up targets in our back yard and continue to shoot once we got home. 

But really, I was sad to leave and tried to stretch it out as long as possible  because there is something so special and refreshing about camping in the woods.   Having nothing else to do but be together.  I’m not sure there’s anything better than that. 

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you have an equally adventurous and relaxing weekend!  xoxo

You Might Also Like:

We started with a bit of competition, and then moved on to the courses.  Our little family just going from target to target on our own, visiting, exploring, encouraging, and being together.

To be continued … tomorrow!

Thanks for visiting!  xoxo

You Might Also Like:

I always leave this course feeling so happy for the students (because they grow so much thanks to Megan), and also incredibly inspired myself. 

Kaden hadn’t been feeling well for a week or so, which led me to seek out some simple, somber-in-emotion images of him.  We shot these in his bedroom, which has 2 windows,  both with blackout shades (LOVE these).  The first four have the curtains shut, except for a 3 inch crack in the one he is looking toward…

Then for a little backlighting … I shut the curtains on the window we’d just been using and led him to the dormer window… because no light would be reflecting back on his face, I didn’t encourage him at all to look at me.  Had he looked at me, his eyes would have been dark and that’s a look I’m never after. 

(This next one cracks me up because I’d just put my camera on the floor and when he did this pouty position, I just focused and shot without looking through my viewfinder.  Turns out it’s a favorite!)

These next two are yet again just using the light from the dormer window … totally different look from the backlit ones, eh?? 

His mood was deteriorating quickly, so I had to jump in a few with him … this is an example of flat light… which I believe has it’s place in photography just as much as images with dimensional light.  This flat light works for casual, happy interaction we’re sharing. 

Again, just using the dormer window, with the other one closed, and having Kaden sitting parallel to it … introduces shadows back in and resulting in dimension that accentuates the sweet curves of his face.   Oh, and introducing his biggest brother onto the scene helps bring these smiles out. 

He was just about done with photos so we took a break to read… light by just the window to camera right with the curtains closed except for the bottom corner propped open by a stuffed animal.  This just helps to intentionally direct the light source exactly where I want it, rather than letting it spill through the entire scene.

I appreciate the progression to these last three from the first four as they have a lighter feel and remind me that he did emerge out of his week long fever …

… and that we’re looking forward to brighter days. 

Sheesh… I love love love studying light.  It can make or break a photo like nothing else and as I look through my photos I constantly find that if I don’t love a photo it is most likely due to the light.

{If you want to learn more about using natural light in your photography, check out Clickin Moms!  There is tons of information there, and even more focused, in-depth studies in a number of courses in CMU.}

Thanks for visiting my blog today!  xoxo

You Might Also Like:

Enjoy!

You Might Also Like:

Our ‘school’ day, couldn’t be further from this and I feel such a battle going on inside me over how to handle it.

I have little boys who don’t like to sit still.  They literally climb the walls (I’ll make a point to capture that for you ) and sitting on their bottoms for school just doesn’t happen.  I look to one boy to assist him on his lesson, look back at the other who is supposed to be working and he’s doodling or looking out the window, or listening to me instruct his brother.

They are not being naughty or disobedient … just, maybe, little boys?  I try to assure myself of this, as I ask one or the other to focus on his work for the ump-tee-nth time.  Eventually, they get through it, and they do well.  Cooper (Kindergarten) is reading and writing and spelling and adding and subtracting…  Gage (2nd Grade) has improved greatly in his reading and writing, and is acing his spelling tests, enjoying learning about the states and our nation’s history, and is learning multiplication.

That’s all great and we are so excited by this learning!  But I still very much struggle because of my idea about how school should go.  I end our school-time feeling a tightness in my chest … anxious about the seeming disorder and chaos of disruptions and lack of attention.  I find myself relieved when they’ve completed their lessons and that really, really makes me sad.  I want them to enjoy our schooling, and I want to enjoy it just as much.

Quite frankly, though, I know I can’t expect them to be loving it if I’m not.  So, what to do??

I have read so much about just letting go and doing what is right for your family (I have no idea what that would entail), embracing why we started homeschooling in the first place (I’m questioning my motives now), sit on the couch and learn and read together (my boys would rather jump on the couch than sit on it), and just going with the flow of what they want to learn and let them guide us (I have no words for how anxious this makes me).

100% for sure, I don’t want to put my boys into public school right now.   100% for sure, my thinking/approach/attitude needs to change toward our schooling.

Let me tell you what I know … I am the roadblock here.  I know it sounds like I’m pointing my finger at my boys as to why homeschooling is not going as I had envisioned.  Unfortunately, I am a person of order, and structure, and lists, and consistency.  I literally feel my heart start to race (not in a good way) over the thought of not having a set curriculum to follow.

And I know my problem, too, is not knowing what is ‘okay’.  Is it ‘okay’ for Cooper to leave his lesson in the middle of it to use his sticky feet to climb up the door frame?  Is it ‘okay’ for me to still be assisting Gage through his English lessons even though he can read the instructions himself?  Is it ‘okay’ that I let them get up for the 5th time to get a drink of water or sharpen their pencil?  Is it ‘okay’ that G wants to take a break in between spelling and history to build Kaden a paper airplane?

I compare our day, all the time, to how a public school classroom is ran.  And my judgements on whether these things are ‘okay’ or not is based on that.  Which has me feeling that nothing about our school time is in fact ‘okay’.   I know that sounds messed up, and very contrary to the gift that homeschooling is, but I know that eventually my boys will go to school.  And I don’t want them to be hit with insane anxiety by what is expected of them in the schoolroom vs what ‘freedoms’ they experienced during homeschooling.

Where is the balance?  Because I have to ask this, I am just continuing to think I’m not cut out to be a homeschooling mama.

I want so badly to be.  To be their educator and to nurture a love for learning in my boys.  But right now, that’s not where we’re at and that is incredibly deflating.  For me as their ‘teacher’ and even more so as their mom.  And whether they recognize it or not, it is deflating for them which is what matters the most.

I’ve always been really hard on myself when it comes to what I expect from myself.  And when those expectations are for what I expect of how I care for and educate our children, I expect way more.  But when there is uncertainty about what I should be expecting from myself and from my children, major cognitive dissonance results and I’m a ball of confusion.

I know that after next week is done, our formal curriculum will be as well.  We’ll move into summer ‘break’ which we are all looking forward to.  While it will be a break from the ‘sit-down’ schooling, it won’t be a break from learning and growing.   Because I know I don’t have to be doing school, it’ll be a lot easier on my OCD brain to look for casual ways to educate.

More than that, though, I’ll be praying for growth, clarity, and conviction on what path we should take with our children’s education.  I pray that I  will become as passionate about homeschooling as I am about my children and about other areas of my life.  Maybe this means going through a cleanse diet and ridding my life of some ‘extras’.  I’m not sure exactly how things are going to change, but I know for certain WHAT is going to change …or, rather WHO needs to change.

ME.  If I want my children’s experience with homeschooling to be all I hoped it would be, then something in ME has to change.  That’s a tough pill to swallow, but I believe God wants this to be a success for us, so I’ll put my faith in that, and in Him, rather than in myself.

Maybe someday I’ll be able to write an inspiring post about the revelation and turning point we had that made me and my boys have full hearts in regards to our homeschooling experience (like so many I’ve read recently).  But for now, I’m just honestly telling you (and myself)  that I don’t rock as a homeschooling mom… I need prayer and guidance, and I am more thankful than ever for the grace God extends onto us.

xoxo … thanks for listening. 

{btw … I rarely photograph my boys during school … i know it is a distraction so avoid it. But for the sake of ending the school year, and this post, i snapped away to document what our time looked like.}

You Might Also Like: