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.