Week 3 - 365 Challenge

This week has definitely went by in a blur! I finally withdrew Caleb from his old school and got him registered for his new one. (He will be having the same 1st grade teacher that both of his cousins had, how cool is that?!?) We finally got some photos and artwork up on the walls at the new house and we experienced one heck of a monsoon week at the new house too...complete with lots of rain, wind, lightning and thunder. Caleb finished up his last week of summer camp with a trip to a water park, a day at the movies AND his number one favorite place, Peter Piper Pizza. Our family joined a local gym on Friday and Caleb and I made our first visit the very next day!

And then we finished up the week with a fantastic family dinner at our house. I can't even put into words how awesome it is to finally live closer to our family...my SIL visited us twice this week after I got home from work, and we went shopping one day after work too. I wish we would have moved to this side of town years ago, but at least we are here now and we can start making up for lost time!

So onto the photos! This week has a few more landscape & architecture images than the last couple of weeks, but I am definitely taking this challenge to heart. I am using it as a way to really challenge my work as an artist and up my game a little, trying out new things and really trying to see the world in a whole new way!

15/365 - This photo pretty much says it all! 

16/365 - Bathtime

17/365 - I love modern architecture and this building at a local community college is just amazing!

18/365 - Beauty in the simplicity of nature

19/365 - A little nap after a long day at summer camp. 

20/365 - Just a little practice at the local park.

21/365 - Using the force on his cousin (ps. this is my favorite of the week!)

Thank you so much for visiting me this week...make sure to check out Tina Sparkes blog next for some absolutely amazing images! (Seriously...she totally rocks and you don't want to miss out!)

Week 2 - 365 Challenge

I can't believe it, but we are starting on our 3rd week in our new home! Time is just flying by...it seems like just yesterday that we were moving in here! It has been a busy week, one filled with school clothes shopping (Caleb will start 1st grade in just 3 weeks), getting back into the swing of things at work after taking time off to move then taking a long 4 day weekend over the 4th of July, and my husband & I got a much needed AND big surprise date night this past Saturday. Grandma offered to let Caleb come spend the night at her house so Chris & I went out to the movies and dinner...then we slept in. Did you read that...we SLEPT IN, a glorious extra 2 hours this morning until 8am. It's been at least 6 months since we last did that and it was much needed and appreciated!

Here is a little snippet of our lives this week...I can't believe that I have made it for 14 days without missing a day yet! And please make sure to head on over to Megan's blog for a glimpse into her week two...I am so proud & excited to be a part of my 365 Challenge blog circle. The women are all such amazing artists that I personally look forward to seeing what they come up with each week!

8/365 - Someone really hates losing  

9/365 - I absolutely LOVE that he wakes up this happy each day (he definitely doesn't get it from me!)

10/365 - I love how Caleb always put's his toys & stuffed animals "just so" each day

11/365 - Ranier Cherries...my favorite summer indulgence!

12/365 - I have a thing for little one's feet...this is a special little one that's turning 3 in a few weeks!

13/365 - Caleb is obsessed with his new running shoes...he has worn them each day since getting them earlier this week.

14/365 - Watching a dust storm roll through

I hope you all have an absolutely fabulous week!

Week 1 - It's a 365 Started in July

I did it...I finally accepted the challenge and joined a very talented group of women that are doing a 365 photo challenge. It's something that I always aspired to do, but didn't have the faith in myself that I would follow through and finish it. But through the support of my online circle of fellow 365ers I really feel that I can accomplish it!

One of the BEST things about this challenge beginning in July is that it coincides with us moving into our new home...so I will be able to document out first year in our home**, making new memories in this new place, experimenting with the lighting in the home and practicing my lifestyle photography skills. I am so excited to begin this journey!!! I will be posting once a week with my 7 days of photos, so make sure to come back Tuesday each week for each new installment.

(**Yes, I did mention a new home...It's been almost 6 months since my last post on here and quite a bit has changed for our little family. I promise I will share with you all the news and changes, doing this challenge has also kicked my behind back to regularly posting on here and I can't wait to get back into the swing of things again!)

1/365 - Cooking our first meal in the new home! 

2/365 - Exhaustion after water day at summer camp.

3/365 - What begging at dinnertime looks like each and every night.

4/365 - Early morning iPad time before getting ready for summer camp.

5/365 - To infinity & beyond!

6/365 - New haircut and missing 4 teeth! Pretty cute isn't he?

7/365 - Sunday morning chores.

As part of the my Project 365 circle, please make sure to take a spin over to Melissa at  Sweet Grass Moments  to visit the next very talented person in my group!

Living Life...Loving Life

For the past year my presence on this blog, in my little corner of the web, has been sporadic at best.  The last year we have experienced many things…some good, some bad and heart wrenching and some amazing:

Caleb started kindergarten, played soccer, took swimming lessons and went to Disneyland. We made new friends, lost friends through death and attrition and lost a man near and dear to us…my father-in-law Ken. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthdays all were experienced and enjoyed to the fullest. Getting the devastating news of my mother being diagnosed with terminal colon cancer and her first visit to see us in almost 5 years.  Day trips to play in the snow, holiday parties with friends, girl’s night’s out with my amazing neighbors, and photo shoots. I joined a non-profit and have since been appointed as co-chair of the Media Relations committee. My husband was promoted at work and my photography business has boomed. We enjoyed movie nights at home and campouts in the living room. Enjoying BBQs, picnics and pool parties with friends. Connecting and being inspired by other photographers, upgrading my camera gear and finding my “place” within the industry. Board games have been played, books read, and poems written.

The time has been filled with surprises, heartache, hugs, sadness, love and togetherness.  It has been a year of soul searching, learning about life and how to live it to the fullest. I learned more about who I am and what I want out of life…I learned how important family & friends are, along with how important giving back and helping others is. Through this time,  people I thought were friends turned out not to be, while others showed how amazing, thoughtful and supportive they were. The saying is definitely true that when the chips are down, people show their true colors. AND they did...and I am thankful for it, because while just a few are no longer a part of our lives, many, many more are and my life is richer today because of them. 

So, while I have been away...life has kept going. I have been living it and enjoying and, more than anything, I am thankful for it.