project 365

I’m still plugging along in my Project 365. Okay, I’ll be completely honest. There have been a few times where I haven’t taken a picture for that day, so I’ve plugged in one from another day. But I went into this saying that I was going to do my best, but that I wasn’t going to pressure myself or make this a project that I didn’t like doing.

But I’m actually NOT doing this project to just take one picture every day.

No. I’m challenging myself to get better. To really KNOW what my camera can do. To LEARN how to shoot better images. To FORCE myself to find the beauty in the everyday.

And in a strange turn of events, I have found a new appreciation for my life. My friend Molly … [you know … THE Molly of Molly Flanagan Photograpy? Yeah, she’s totally my friend … I mean, we’ve actually met in real life and stuff. I KNOW!! Or maybe I’m just forcing her to be my friend so that her genius can rub off on me.] … Anyway, Molly mentioned something along these lines in her latest blog post, and it really rang true.

I mean, sure … I have learned a lot about my camera, I’ve challenged myself to see things in a new way, and I’ve definitely worked my eyes and brain and fingers in ways that I didn’t know I could do.

But more importantly [to me, as a mom and wife and woman] … I have gained a new perspective on life. I’ve learned that my life is absolutely amazing and that I am very blessed.

I’ve captured moments that I wouldn’t have captured if I hadn’t remembered that I needed to take a picture that day.

I’ve seen things … I mean, REALLY SEEN things that I would have just walked right by in past days.

I’ve found many reasons to thank God for His blessings.

I’ve also used this time to try to capture my girls’ spirits. Which is really not hard to do if you shoot with your heart and not your head. [wink, wink] But my sweet girls are two very different creatures, and it’s fun to be able to see that even in photographs.

And I’ve been able to savor those moments with Ken that I wouldn’t normally think about capturing, but moments that he appreciates.

Alllll of that to say, I’m just so thankful for the opportunity to see things in a different light. To step back from the mess and the whining and the complaining. To really see that Emma is a passionate girl with her own opinions and her own desires and her own thoughts about everything she sees and hears. And while this can sometimes drive me completely insane, I know that I am very lucky to have such an amazing little girl.

And Lucy? Well, Lucy is my little dairy-free, clingy, momma’s girl who sometimes makes me want to say, “Can I please put you down for just one teeny tiny SECOND!?!??” But at the same time … she’s also the most cuddly, sweetest, smiley’est little baby you will ever meet. The grins she gives when I go into her room after she wakes up? Oh, they are unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

[oh, she’s crawling … did I tell y’all that? crawling everywhere and loving it so hard]

Her determination is palpable.

[no, she hasn’t started using pacis … that is a little plastic lizard. she’s like a momma lizard to that thing, toting him around in her mouth quite a bit. I don’t even know.]

Okay, so this post just went in a totally different direction than I planned, but I guess I just needed a way to post a bunch of pictures or something.

You’re caught up.

Emma’s strong-willed and amazing.

Lucy is snuggly and crawling.

Life is good.

Goodnight.

{ 25 comments }