Happy New Year!

We were able to spend a few days in Bandon with our good friends. We had such a relaxing time! With a total of 9 kids, it was rather peaceful! They have the most respectful, well behaved children. It was fun to see their kids with Kale! Somebody was always looking over him & playing with him. He LOVED it! I think that he was sad to come home! Moriah and Jase had a great time too. We were all sad to come home!

The weather was fun. We had a variety of weather the first two days. The third day was perfect. We spent some time on the beach. At one point, I was trying to take some photos of the rocks and I didn't think that the tide would come in...my camera was pointed in the direction of the ocean and then turned back around to take a photo of one of the kids...and before I knew it...I was being doused by a freezing cold wave! Elizabeth Campbell saw that the wave was still coming in & started to run backwards, taking out Jase in the process...she was able to get up, but Jase was still down. So, I grabbed him as I was running to shore. It was rather comical. Erik was up with the other kids...he had a look on his face that said, "she's NOT with me!". I do my best to embarrass him! A couple was walking by as all of this was taking place. They were laughing and saying that they wished that they had a video camera. I'm glad that I could ad some laughter to their lives! :)I have to add that I don't usually have my camera strap around my neck, (the first rule of photography school: keep the strap around your neck at all times so that you don't lose your precious piece of equipment!). I did this time & I would have lost it if I didn't! Lesson learned!

Moriah is a collector...she was thrilled with the opportunity to find rocks and shells. I really need to take some photos of her collections...that will be in another post! :)

I love to just step back and watch kids be themselves. I remember when my dad was diagnosed with cancer. I believe that I was 7. It quickly became important to him that he mend broken relatonsips and make memories. Those four years before he died were a whirlwind of trips to Disneyland, Sea World, Knotts Berry Farm, Disney World.... I remember him talking about how hard it was to know that he would never see us graduate, go to college, get married & most of all...he would never meet his grandkids. That is why it is so important to me to capture my kids growing up. It goes by so, so fast. Sometimes, I am so focused on getting a "perfect" shot of my kids and I have to stop and remind myself that it's the moment and their personality that I want...not some idealized shot that I have in my head. That lesson has been repeated thousands of times because my kids WILL NOT sit and pose. I have always loved a good challenge...and my kids definately provide that! This weekend was great though...all of the kids were distracted by eachother and hardly noticed that I was snapping away.

Here is a quote that I recently stumbled across;

This Year
This Year... Mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion, and replace it with trust. Write a love letter. Share some treasure. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Mnifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Find the time. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Listen. Apologize if you were wrong. Try to understand. Flout envy. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Appreciate. Be kind; be gentle. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more. Deserve confidence. Take up arms against malice. Decry complacency. Express your gratitude. Have faith. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love. Speak it again. Speak it still once again. --Elizabeth Lucas