Just a little game of catch. Aaron had a long day of work + yard work + kid time so I could rest.

I’m sure it’s probably the last thing that he wanted to do, but even after this full day, he called Reed outside to play catch.

Perhaps he had told Reed he would earlier in the day. Or perhaps he just knew that Reed wanted to. But, he took the time.

A big challenge for me, and I think a lot of parents, is not taking the time for moments like these. Moments when you know you’re not raising the next Babe Ruth, but maybe you’re letting your son know that he’s worth your time.

A simple game of catch = love.

Oh, and I love this guy. I’m glad my kids have him for a dad.

September is over. Which also means that my Project 365 is over, but I’ll save that recap for another post.

September Must-Capture List:

• Gus’s start of school
• My birthday 🙂

Gus’s Start of School

This fun day got its own blog post. It’s a lot of fun to see my littlest guy hit these milestones and I’m glad to be able to capture them.

My birthday

This was a lot less exciting. I was feeling pretty sick on my birthday, so we really didn’t do anything for it. I enjoyed a sunset and we did eat cake, which you’ll see on the second to last picture for my September calendar.

I completely neglected to mention our happy news from September: I have a new niece! She is gorgeous and I cannot wait to meet her. We did get to meet her on Skype, which was very exciting. She is definitely the best thing to come out of September 2014!

September was a very full month and had a lot of unexpected events. I’m glad I kept this last month’s goals simple. I’m excited to share my post on the Project 365 overall, so look for that in the next few days!

Tomorrow is my birthday.

Birthdays are not a very big deal in our house, but at the very least, this birthday marks the passing of time for me. Another year lived. Tuesday marks the last day of my Project 365 as well, so it seems like a second reminder that a year is over and a new one is beginning.

This year has been full and interesting. Picking up my camera each day is a act that forces me to look at the blessings and the beauty in small, ordinary moments. I just finished a book called Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist which put my untamed brain into beautiful words:

“Today is your big moment. Moments, really. The life you’ve been waiting for is happening all around you. The scene unfolding right outside your window is worth more than the most beautiful painting, and the crackers and peanut butter that you’re having for lunch on the coffee table are as profound, in their own way, as the Last Supper. This is it. This is life in all its glory, swirling and unfolding around us, disguised as pedantic, pedestrian non-events. But pull off the mask and you will find your life, waiting to be made, chosen, woven, crafted.
Your life, right now, today, is exploding with energy and power and detail and dimension, better than the best movie you have ever seen. You and your family and your friends and your house and your dinner table and your garage have all the makings of a life of epic proportions, a story for the ages. Because they all are. Every life is.
You have stories worth telling, memories worth remembering, dreams worth working toward, a body worth feeding, a soul worth tending, and beyond that, the God of the universe dwells within you, the true culmination of super and natural.
You are more than dust and bones.
You are spirit and power and image of God.
And you have been given Today.”

-Shauna Niequist’

I spent the eve of my birthday watching the sun set. The clock will always keep ticking, but I want to take every opportunity I have to cherish to something that I love. And I love sunsets.

In an uncertain world, a world where I don’t have all of the answers, I can count on a few things: time passing, the sun rising and setting, and a God who is present in every moment, whether or not I notice.

Happy New Year to me. May I remember what is important and let go of what is not.

Gus is at an age right now where he can be pretty hilarious. His ability to communicate has exploded and what he has to say rarely disappoints.

Walking into school one morning:
Me: “Are you excited about school?”
Gus: “Can you make it funner?”

Reed: “Gus, what did you do at school today?”
Gus: (casually) “I screamed.”

…he really does like school, but if one bad thing happens, that day he had bitten his lip, that’s all he tells us about!

One morning when we had gotten up before the sun was fully up:
Gus: “Mama, it’s too dark. I was sleeping and then it was time to wake up. it’s too dark.”

One evening, we asked the kids to tell us one thing that they learned in school that day. Reed explained fresh vs. salt water and where you’d find them. Lena explained how germs spread and how to keep your germs from spreading. Gus: “Taste of red paint.”

(Walking into store in a mild but steady rain)
Gus: “Mama, is it raining?”
Me: “Yes.”
Gus: “No, mama. It’s sprinkling.”

His correction was cute on its own, but I couldn’t stop laughing when I watched this video tonight. I just wish he could have been a part of this conversation!

I just wanted to share a few of my favorite photos from last weekend that I didn’t manage to fit into my other posts.

Royal Gorge. Which has quite a bit of construction happening right now.



On our early morning hike, taken via tripod + self timer.

The trees have eyes.

(High in the mountains, the trees have slowly started to change from green to yellow.

Shimmering aspens with Mt. Evans in the background.

Colorado is just a breathtaking state. Bright blue skies, mountains breaking the horizon, and my dear friends the stars. I just love it.