Celebrating the ordinary: May

Being without a camera for three months made me think about the things and moments  I am drawn to photographing and ones I avoid. I like capturing moments that bring me joy and avoid the uncomfortable, messy moments that compose the majority of my day. I want to change that. I want to start celebrating the ordinary. I want to get better at being present in the less than glamorous moments- you know, the downright crummy ones. So am going to start taking pictures of my disastrous laundry room, the fight to get the children out the door on time, the meltdowns, the tears, the time outs and other moments that make up my ordinary life. I want to remember those moments as well as the lovely moments. I want to capture and celebrate my world in its entirety.

Climbing under our deck.

We have come a long way in the hair brushing department but it can still be quite tedious.

Walking home in the sun turns my five year old into a puddle of despair. She was actually thrashing and yelling at the top of her lungs. I am so glad that Levi was paying such close attention. *sigh*

Okay, so this photo makes my heart feel a little mushy, but the truth is,  my naked son is sitting on our kitchen table for the zillionth time despite being told not to.

 Grocery shopping. We all do it. It's life.

Another meltdown.

After watching  YouTube tutorial about how to de-tangle doll hair, my girls tried it out. They destroyed the bathroom.

A very dirty entryway and a little man who wants "up" every other minute.

Motherhood

Motherhood. 

A gift. A life changing commission.  

It will wreck you in a thousand ways

and then turn you into mush.

It will stretch your body and your patience past what you thought possible all the while

revealing your inner ugliness as well as your boundless love.

It will challenge your expectations, hopes, fears and values and force you to surrender

everything.

You will experience every emotion known to mankind while you navigate its uncharted waters, grasping at lifeboats as they float by.

It is intense, it is lifelong, it is eternal.

It is one of the most incredible gifts you will ever receive.

Hang in there mommas!

Currently: May

Planning

on ordering a new camera this week. It took me awhile, but I finally decided on the Nikon D7200 with a Nikkor 35mm  f/1.8 lens. Initially I thought would purchased a full frame DSLR but then decided otherwise when I borrowed a friend's camera and it was a dream to use. Furthermore, I
am not a professional photographer and I don't have unlimited funds. I  really wanted something that could handle low light situations and be compatible with my other lenses. The D7200 fit those requirements.

Painting
an old headboard that I found on the side of the road... its been a work in progress for a couple weeks now. I used to finished a piece of furniture in a couple hours... now it takes me a couple months.

Working
on a birth preferences sheet for a client I will be supporting next month.

Learning
about  victim impact statements and the healing they can bring to those who have been victimized.

Dreaming
about the day that Levi sleeps through the night consistently, doesn't want to be held 24/7 and will allow someone other than me to do things for him.

Longing
for rolling green hills, dogwood trees and river views

Designing

my dream home (if we ever build one) using a program called floor planner.

Eating
roasted yams and brussel sprouts. No one else in my house likes either of them so I get to have them all to myself.

Wearing
Dark blue denim jeans from H&M, a colorful blouse from bootlegger and earrings from a cute shop downtown.

Thinking
about how isolating depression can be

Listening
Amanda Cook's album "Brave New World"  on Spotify. It is so good, so powerful and so uplifting that I wish I could play it at full volume every.single.day. The music, the worship and the lyrics always carry me to beautiful places.
*sigh*

Picking
armloads of lilacs at all my favorite spots. Over the years I have found spots in my community where they hang over fences or grow in abandoned lots. I love the deep purple and white ones. Their fragrance is intoxicating.

Quote of the day

" If we could learn how to balance rest against effort, calmness against strain, quiet against turmoil, we would assure ourselves of joy in living".

- Josephine Rathbone

Instagram Saturday: Birth

A couple days ago I received an email from Photobook Canada reminding me that the voucher I had purchased was about to expire. I had initially planned to make Claire a photobook for her birthday, but then had forgotten to collect all the photos from the past six years of her life to do so. Opps! I didn't want to waste the voucher so I decided to make a photo book from Levi's birth. I had meaning to put all the incredible images that Nancy had captured the day Levi was born, but hadn't gotten around to it. It took maybe about forty five minutes to make something that I will treasure forever.

I decided to share one of the images on Instagram. The caption reads:

"I finally got around to making a photo book of Levi's birth. It was the most challenging birth of my three children but incredible nonetheless. I loved bringing him into the world
 surrounded by my amazing team. I love that my children were able to witness the birth of their little brother. I love that I live in a country that allows women to choose where and how hey want to give birth. While I am finished having babies, I am honored to support women as they bring their babies into the world. #thejoysofbeingadoula#empoweredbirth#choices#rawrealimages#midwivesrock"

If you would like to see more images from that incredible day you can view them here.

No matter

"No matter how chaotic it is, wildflowers will still spring up in the middle of nowhere."

- Sheryl Crow

It's been awhile....

Sometimes I wonder if my blogging days are over. It seems like the only time I get to sit down is to eat or pay bills, so finding time to sit still and write feels nearly impossible. I find myself asking "what purpose does blogging serve" when I  have so little time as it is? The thing is, I like to write. I like to  share my musings with the world, especially since my "role" in most relationships is that of a "listener". I'm not much of a "talker". I swear my husband has a larger "word quota" than I do. When my hubby gets home from work I am more likely to retreat to my room for some much needed quiet time than talk about my day.

Part of reason I haven't posted much is because I don't feel like I any "pretty pictures to post". Since my lovely DLR met an untimely end in Hawaii, all I have are grainy, out of focus photos taken on my

iPad. *sigh* Needless to say, life marches on with  all its joy, upheaval, tears, triumphs, hopes and mundane moments. Here are a few recent snapshots from my life.

Enjoying a lovely evening at our Church's 20th anniversary

Cleaning out the shop while Levi enjoys some coveted time on Nathaniel's dirt bike.  

 Taking an impromptu bath in my kitchen sink... by himself.

Amelia turned eight and invited WAAAAY too many people. I survived. Barely.

Early morning sweetness with this sweet boy

My eldest got her ears pierced!!!!

This little man stopped taking naps in January, except for the occasional snooze while watching his favorite show.

Visits with sweet friends

Beekeeping with my husband. Notice Levi in the tree behind him. We stuck him in it to keep him away from the cranky hives.

Watching daddy prune a local apple tree.

A typical breakfast: Omelette, bell peppers, avocado and some wasa rye crisps. 

Just a typical meltdown... every day... multiple times a day...

Finding beautiful spots in my neighbourhood that refresh me

Who knew that clam digging could be SO FUN!!!

Both sets of grandparents at the same table. My heart is FULL!

Love watching these men whip up incredible food in the kitchen. 

SPRING!!! 

Saying goodbye to daddy as he heads off for a week of tactical training.

Thoroughly enjoying all the gold I have been finding at value village.