project 365 {may}

May 1:  May Flowers, of Course

May 2:  Flowers and Showers

 May 3:  Peek-a-boo

 May 4:  She Does

May 5:  Katlyn's New Camera

May 6:  More Flowers

  May 7:  Bliss
Lilacs make me happy.
They remind me of my childhood and whisper that school will be out soon.

May 8:  Blowin' in the Wind
Canon 5D Mark II
50mm 2.5 macro
F/6.3, ISO 400, 1/80
No tripod.
Just in case you're interested.

May 9:  Number Two

May 10:  Need a Nap.
Seriously.

 May 11:  Uncomplicated

May 12:  Mother's Day
Practicing with my new "Lens Baby" to take these pictures.
Feeling blessed and having fun.

May 13: Sunset at the Park

May 14:  Dinner on the Patio

 May 15:  Twenty-two Candles

May 16:  Puffin' Fluff

 May 17:  Full House

May 18:  Marking a Milestone
He finished his bachelors last summer,
{Magna cum laude}
but walked today.
{Thank you, Son.}
One thesis away from his masters.
On the brink of adulthood.
Weeks away from having a wife.
And following God's call east.
When did he get so tall and whiskery?
{Heart overflowing}

 May 19:  Our God is Greater

May 20:  Lilies of the Field

 May 21:  Olivia's View
{She has butterflies swirling over her changing table}

 May 22:  Looking for Real Estate

May 23:  Buddies

{One of the things I love most about our school is how well the big kids love the younger ones.}

 May 24:  Cute Couple

 May 25:  Decisions, Decisions

May 26:  Bear Fruit

{Mackinaw Valley Winery}

 

 May 27:  Morning Rain

May 28:  Artist in Residence

 May 29:  Please Pass the Chips

May 30:  Summer is Comin'
{Last full day of school}

May 31:  Heavens Declare Glory
{Lake Michigan}

Thoughts:
There are days I hit a wall.
I don't feel particularly creative.
Sometimes I'm just tired and cranky,
and I want to end this year's notion of capturing an image every twenty-four hours.

But I'm pressing on.
 There is something about looking through my lens every day
that is awakening a heart of gratitude within me.
The small, simple pieces of my life
have taken on fresh beauty.
I'm noticing things more.
I'm still unpacking what that all means,
but slowly God is pointing me to embrace the ordinary,
to live in the present,
and to look for evidence of His handiwork at every turn.

That's all for now.
I'm sure there will be more on this later.
God's not done with me yet.

 



school's out for summer.

Pure JOY!
 

Last day of school.

We are all ready.

Students.  Teachers.  Administrators.  Parents.  Building Service Workers.

We are ready.

 

But, I must admit, the end of the school year is bittersweet for me as a teacher.

We don't always get it right,

but somehow we become a family, these kids and I (or is it "kids and me?")

 

We've celebrated triumphs,

struggled with hard stuff

("find a more powerful word than stuff"),

laughed everyday

(when appropriate and sometimes when not),

cried some days 

(sad tears and happy ones),

annoyed one another,

encouraged each other,

prayed for each other,

gone to camp together,

gone to bat for each other,

forgiven one another,
listened to each other,
talked over one another,

read great books together,
solved problems together,

helped one another,

sharpened one another,

hurt for one another,

shared memories with each other,

sought to love one another,
and grown together.

 

So as we wrap up the school year,

I get sappy.

{clearly}

I'll miss these kids.

But they are ready.

Ready for sixth grade.

 

And ready for summer.

 

So... go home, fifth graders!

Enjoy the glorious weeks ahead.

Come and see me in the fall.

And don't tell the fourth graders too much.
Their time in fifth grade is coming soon enough.

Note #1: 
I do have boys in my class. 
They just don't skip through fields of dandelions.
Note #2: 
Some of these girls are in Mr. McLain's class.
I like them too.
Note #3: 
These pictures were not taken on the last day of school.
They're symbolic.

That's all.



welcoming olivia.

 So. Stinkin'. Adorable.

Baby Olivia should be a newborn model.

She hardly made a peep the whole time we were at her house for pictures.

Not to mention that she's absolutely precious.

 I love this family picture so much.

My son was my assistant for this session and this is one of his images.

 I can never get enough of itty bitty baby parts.

 Big brother Noah.

Always in motion.

Makes me smile.

A lot.

Congratulations to Nate, Tara, and Noah on your newest family member.

Thanks so much for letting us be a part of your first days at home.





livingston fam.

 "The Organizer."

Every family has one.

Apparently it's been a looooong time since the Livingstons gathered for family pics.

Oldest sister Kate rallied the troops, coordinated the attire, and made the appointment.

The family looked great.

The weather was perfect.

The lighting was beautiful.

The images are sweet.

Good lookin' family.

They should do this more often!

editing.

I'm trying to catch up on editing today.

She makes it easy.



garey family.

The Gareys are one of those families with what I call a strong family identity.

They love each other well.

And love others well.

Work hard.

Laugh a lot.

And just kind of sparkle.

I'm so glad we're friends.

After I snapped a few pictures of the boys, 

I nestled Adrienne alongside a pretty flowering tree.

It took a little scooching this way and that.

"One big step this way...um, turn to the right just little...now look over your shoulder...."

After I caught this shot, she sighed and said,

"Taking pictures of girls is a lot more complicated than taking pictures of boys."

Just wait til senior pictures, Sweetie!

 {pure joy}