thursday through my lens :: Abbey's maternity photos

My little sister, Abbey just had her first baby a few days ago (she posted cute pictures on the Ten on Ten linky if you want to see :)). She and her husband have been living in New Zealand for the past few years and it's just killing me that we are so far away, I am dying to kiss my adorable niece!

It reminded that I had never shared any of the maternity photos I took of her this past fall when we were all together as a family in Palm Springs. We visited Joshua Tree and she was looking so adorable in her little sun dress so she let me take a bunch of pictures of her first baby belly against the desert backdrop. I am definitely looking forward to getting my camera out to capture her new family in a few months when they finally move home to the states (hooray!)…Congratulations Abbey, little Caitlyn is just as adorable as you!

see more from the collection on my flickr account HERE.

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thursday through my lens {on friday}

I've been fasting from social media after my last post showed me how distracting and discouraging it is for me sometimes. It's not been easy though and I have definitely not been perfect but planning to do a good social media free weekend. I've had my real camera out instead, I love how differently I see things when I have my camera out…it elevates a simple walk or a glass of homemade juice into an experience in the present. Hope you all have a great weekend I will be back Monday to share how to make the loopy fork pom pom's for those interested! xo

thursday through my lens :: fox hollow farms

Just a few from a little adventure we took out to Fox Hollow Farm last week with Jenny and her Mom! The sun poked it's head out about halfway through and I so wish I had taken a few dozen more photos, it really doesn't get much better than a pumpkin patch on a sunny day in October! Maybe we will find time to visit another one as a family this weekend! So what's going on through your lens lately?

thursday through my lens :: homegrown

I have to admit these photos make me so giddy. I seriously don't know what I did to deserve this huge bounty of homegrown tomatoes this year. I did nothing but plant five wimpy little free tomato plants into an empty space in one of our flower boxes last spring. We didn't fertilize them or anything. I tried to water everyday or have one of the kids do it and the sunshine has been outstanding this summer too so I am sure that has something to do with it, but seriously these tomatoes are to good to be true and they make me so happy.

I have always wanted to grown things but I can hardly keep succulents alive literally - my thumb is far from green. Lately though I have been reminded that we are all a continuous work in progress and there is always room to grown and develop new skills.

As we head into fall and the holiday season right around the corner we are excited to celebrate our third Christmas in this little rental home Jesus blessed us with all those summers ago. I can hardly believe we have welcomed a baby here and now sent our two oldest off to Kindergarten from this very spot. We have painted and nested and planted tomatoes and herbs and met our neighbors and found our way to a new church...in many many ways we still feel like we are in limbo, an in between stage that we never planned on when God chose to turn our lives upside down. But suddenly I realize how tightly I shut my eyes during that season to ward off the pain and fear and denial that was threatening to creep up - I hit the pause button, but life has kept on the way it does.

These simple sweet homegrown tomatoes are reminding me that HE has been doing a good work in our lives weather or not I have been fully aware. He has a plan and has invited us to be a part of that and so tenderly nurtures us into our gifts and desires. He gives good gifts all the time and surprises us with things we never even knew we wanted or needed.

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

So I am once again blown away and so thankful for the goodness that has been given, not just in the tomatoes but in my heart softening to what He has planned for us. And I am overwhelmed with this bounty of yumminess, what should I make with these delicious tomatoes - can't wait to sink my teeth into them!

thursday through my lens :: ice cream cones

Chris took our older two boys the other night to a really fun birthday party and Josie was especially sad to be left out. We had a few errands to run just the babies and me and so I promised her an ice cream cone on our way home if they were good. They were and so we stopped for soft serve cones and on an impulse I decided to get one for Zeb too since he just loves being included on anything the big kids get. He hasn't really had much ice cream though and never his own cone.

I handed Josie hers and then watched Zeb's eyes grow to the size of silver dollars when I handed him one. He was seriously beaming with pride, but all he knew to do was hold the cone..and it started dripping. Josie was showing him how to lick it but instead he started waving it around smiling the entire time and smooshing it onto his pants. I reached back just a few blocks from our house and weaseled it out of his hands and seriously I have never heard him scream and cry the way he did when I took it away - he was furious and so sad and had huge tears streaming down his face. Josie and I were totally cracking up it was pathetically cute.

I managed to get him out of the car and onto the grass in front of our house before handing it back and grabbed my camera - it was so much fun watching him try out such a simple pleasure with his big sister. He kept saying "cheers" and smashing his cone onto Josie's and eventually he got some of it into his mouth. It didn't last long our little ice cream party and a bath was much needed afterwards but those sweet moments with them are forever burned on my heart. This job is the hardest thing I have ever done but the rewards are ten fold too and I am blessed, I am oh so very blessed indeed!

thursday through my lens :: 10 years

I was looking through photos to print this morning and came across a bunch from our ten year anniversary trip to Cape Cod last April. I realized I had never shared many of them here and to be honest looking at the hundreds of photos I took still feels like a dream. I think I wanted to bottle that rare and special vacation up and keep it all to myself in a weird way. It just felt so sacred and crazy and wonderful. We hadn't taken a trip like that together since our honeymoon and we certainly aren't able to travel much with our four babies - this season is about making ends meet and surviving the crazy and never feeling like we can catch our breath. Boston and Cape Cod was the biggest blessing one that we will not soon forget full of adventures and laughter and yummy food and long talks...and you better believe we are already saving our pennies for our twenty year (hello Europe!) but until then I will hold these pictures and the memories in my heart. I am so blessed to have married my best friend and love adventuring on this life with him!