Shades

Day 31/365
Today we had a long drive to Minnesota, and tomorrow we will remember Grandma Ann, celebrating her life and rejoicing in her homecoming. The kids did really well on our 8-hour drive, working on school work for over half of the trip and then they were rewarded with some time watching DVDs in the backseat. One of our favorite stops on our way to northern Minnesota is Treasure City. This little shop is jam-packed with all kinds of crazy toys, trinkets and oddities - every kid's dream store. You can't turn around without bumping into more stuff! I found a rack of funny sunglasses and got the kids to pose for me. Love these playful pictures of them!

Knit and Sip

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."Psalm 139:13-14

Day 30/365
On Thursday afternoons the kids attend art and music classes at a local homeschooling coop. That means I have 1 1/2 hours to myself. Sometimes I run errands or stop at the grocery store, but my absolute favorite thing to do on Thursday afternoons is to visit The Sow's Ear, a local yarn and coffee shop that just happens to be right next to the church where the kiddos have their classes. I did make a quick run to the grocery store today, but had plenty of time left to stop in and browse through their wonderful selection of yarns. There were so many lovely colors, weights and textures.... oh, the joy of shelves upon shelves of glorious yarn! I also enjoyed a chai latte and accomplished some knitting on a project I've been working on. It was a wonderful way to spend a snowy afternoon. The Bible verse above is another one of my favorites and I often think of it when I'm knitting or crocheting. I love this picture of how our Heavenly Father carefully, delicately and deliberately created each and every one of us.

Gumballs

Day 29/365
My daughter loves to chew gum, especially gumballs. She received a huge jar FULL of gumballs from her nana for Christmas and loves to chew a few pieces at a time. She keeps a small cup or bowl full by her side when she's working on her school work so that she can change out her gum once the flavor is lost. I thought it would be fun to capture the different colors of the gumballs in her little hands. Just in case you are wondering, white is her favorite.

Collage: Week 4

Milkweed Pod

Day 28/365
I braved the cold for a few minutes this afternoon to snap some pictures of this milkweed pod in our garden. I found it yesterday when I was out looking for icicles and decided to venture out today to catch it in the afternoon sunlight. I love the prickly texture of the pod and the soft fluff on the seeds - such a cool contrast. I would have liked to stay outside longer as we're all feeling a little stir crazy, but I was beginning to lose feeling in my fingers. Probably time to head inside when one's extremities are numb!

Icicles

Day 27/365
I figured that a picture of icicles was appropriate for this extremely cold day. I found these delicate little beauties hanging off of the stone chimney on our house. I liked the way that the afternoon light shone through the cylinders of ice. It's nice to find something to appreciate about the frigid weather.

A Day at Home

Day 26/365
It's been a cold, snowy, blustery day and my little man is fighting off this virus that is hanging on for dear life. We spent the day at home, curled up on couches, snuggled in recliners, playing games, reading books and checking out the new iPad. I like this picture of the orange cross section: if nothing else, it brought a bright jolt of color to my day (and it was delicious!). I am also in love with this picture of my boy reading, and his toes - oh, those toes! I know that he is growing up fast, but I remember when I used to kiss those toes, and I love the fact that he let me hover around him and snap shots of him quietly reading.

Monkeyin' Around

Day 25/365
Nothing says Saturday morning like hanging out in your pajamas, especially monkey footy pajamas. And what's a girl to do when she's wearing monkey pajamas? Make a silly face, of course!

Curly Cord

Day 24/365
Something kind of different today! This cord was just one of those weird things that when I looked at it I thought, "That would make a cool picture!" I had fun playing around with the shape of the cord and examining the shadows and reflections it made on the counter top. It's getting harder for me to be creative with these photos - I may need to start bribing my kids for some photo sessions.

Shopping Cart

Day 23/365
We needed to make a quick run to Target this afternoon, and I still hadn't come up with my picture for today. I had taken several pictures, but I wasn't pleased with any of them. As I was walking the cart over to the corral, I noticed the criss-cross pattern and the vibrant red - I was inspired. I like the little bobbles of light from the afternoon sun peeking through the pattern of the cart. I have to admit that I did feel a little strange taking pictures of my shopping cart in the Target parking lot. Thankfully, my kids were already in the car, so at least I didn't have to hear, "Mom, why are you taking a picture of THAT?!?" I've been hearing that a lot lately!

Milk Bubbles

Day 22/365
When I asked my daughter if she would be willing to blow bubbles in her soy milk, she looked at me with a gleam in her eye and said, "Sure!" She was more than happy to oblige, especially since the bubble-blowing involved a pink polka-dot straw.

Collage: Week 3

Flurries

Day 21/365
Today we were goofing around outside, taking some shots while throwing snow up in the air. This was the last picture I took - I love those sweet freckles and long lashes, not to mention that adorable smile. That's my boy!

Flower Petals

Day 20/365
I picked up a small bouquet of flowers while grocery shopping to chase the winter blues away. It's so nice to have something pretty sitting on our kitchen table.

Collage: Week 2

A collection of the pictures from week 2 of my Project 365 posts.

Exhausted

Day 19/365
After a very long day of travel, we are home! Our day started out with a 9am flight out of Portland, which was delayed over an hour because of the wet, heavy snow that was falling. After bumping 18 people from the flight and deicing the plane, we were finally on our way to Chicago. I think that being forced to sit on a plane for close to 90 minutes with sick children is a true test of one's patience! We landed in O'Hare, but we had missed our connecting flight to Madison and there were no available flights to be had in a reasonable time frame. I have never wanted to be home more in my life! After rental car craziness, we were finally able to secure a car to drive one-way to Madison and arrived in town about 3:45pm. We stopped at the airport, dropped off the rental, picked up our luggage that was able to catch a later flight (go figure!), and finally drove home in our own vehicle. You can see from today's picture the toll travel can take on a sick kiddo. Both kids actually slept most of the way from Chicago to Madison, and they are beginning to feel better. I am so thankful to be home!

Doubling Point Lighthouse

Day 18/365
Today was our last day in Maine and we left all the sick kids at home in Dr. Talitha's care while Jason gave us a tour of part of the Maine coast. We visited Reid State Park, but on the way we stopped to visit the Doubling Point Lighthouse. It was a beautiful, serene location, tucked away in a grove of pine trees. It was so peaceful and there was snow falling - absolutely perfect. We walked on the beach at Reid State Park, collected sea shells and found a couple of tide pools. I really feel like we were able to experience the beauty of Maine today - a special way to spend my birthday. We have had a wonderful visit with family, but I am looking forward to making it home tomorrow. We welcome your prayers for safe travel and healing for our sick ones.

Squirrels and More

Day 17/365
We now have a house full of sick kiddos! It's kind of a bummer, since we were all looking forward to having lots of playtime with cousins. There's a verse from I Thessalonians 5 that talks about being thankful in ALL circumstances, and I can truly be thankful that we are here, visiting our family's comfy home, where the kids can rest up and get better. The kids have been enjoying a movie day, but Davin and I were able to get out for a long walk this morning. We ventured back to Bates College so that I could shoot some pictures of the beautiful church on campus and other fun photo finds. We continued our walk about Lewiston and ventured down Main Street. These couple of hours away were such a treat for both of us and we really enjoyed our time together. My photo for today is one of the squirrels that frequently visit Tali and Jason's bird (read: squirrel) feeder. I was able to sit in our guest room and shoot away for about 30 minutes this morning, which was really fun! Since I got a chance to take several photos on our walk, I put together a collage with some of my other favorites from today.

Lewiston, Maine

Day 16/365
We've had a quiet day in Lewiston. One of the kiddos isn't feeling well, so we've been hanging out at home and laying low. I did get out for a walking tour of the city today and I enjoyed seeing Bates College. I'm hoping that everyone will be feeling better tomorrow so that we can get out and about, even if just for a little bit.

The Orange Line

Day 15/365
We finished up our last day in Boston by visiting the Boston Tea Party Museum. We really enjoyed the tour and all of the kids liked playing their parts as patriots, throwing tea overboard into the harbor. We also rode the subway to visit a few sites around Boston. I took this picture while we were waiting for a train on the orange line. I loved the way the orange tile looked on the wall - the pattern and bright color was really pleasing to my eye. We are settling in with family in Maine and we're looking forward to having a couple of low-key days with cousins now that the busy days of touring are behind us.

Boston Public Library

Day 14/365
We continued our tour of Boston today and our first stop was the Boston Public Library. What an amazing, beautiful building! We enjoyed peeking into the different collections, work areas, courtyard and children's section. I took both of these photos while we were there. Tomorrow will be our last day in Boston, then we head to Maine for the next part of the trip.

Bunker Hill Memorial

Day 13/365
We followed the Freedom Trail in Boston today, stopping at so many historical sites that they all started the blur together by the end of the day. I'm glad that I took so many pictures of all of our different stops, which will help my memory when we go back and look them all. We ended our day at the Bunker Hill Memorial, which is at the end of the Freedom Trail. We got there just after the sun set and I took this picture as I was walking up the hill. The kids made it there first, and I was able to capture one of them checking out the statue in front of the memorial. We enjoyed lovely weather here today. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so we will be checking out some of the indoor activities Boston has to offer.

Patience

Day 12/365
Doesn't this picture sum up how many of us feel about traveling? We are excited to be in Boston, but the rush-then-wait of air travel can take its toll, especially on the littles. We're thankful to be in this beautiful city and can't wait to get some sight-seeing in tomorrow, including seeing the cousins. Yippee!

Metal Scroll

Day 11/365
I walked around the house today, looking for something interesting to capture with my camera. I saw the texture and flow of this metal scroll and it drew me in. I especially like how the rough screen contrasts with the soft curves of the metal. Note to self: one advantage of living in an older home - unique elements to photograph.

Berry on Ice

Day 10/365
We had some light snow and fog this morning, coating everything outside with a layer of frosty spikes. The weather was pretty crummy, and I debated about going outside to capture the frost, but I am glad I did. I found this red berry in our yard and I loved the way the shards of frost were sticking to the berry and branch.

Peek-a-Boo

Day 9/365
The first of today's pictures is an extreme close-up of my daughter's eye. She really does have lovely eyes and I just have to stop and stare at this picture. I found that if I zoom in on the picture, I can see the perfect reflection of a tree framed in our windowpane - wow!

The second picture is the key hole to our old front door. We had our front door replaced today - gone with the old, cracked, wooden, drafty door and in with the new, modern, fiberglass door. I wanted to take some pictures of the old door that we have lived with for way too long (since we bought this house almost 13 years ago). It was fun looking at the shots of the door knob and key hole - the colors in the patina really are beautiful. There is a certain charm to a door with a old fashioned key hole, but I am so glad to have a new door!

Self Portraits are Scary!

Day 8/365
I decided to attempt taking a self portrait today, and it gives me butterflies in my tummy to even think about posting it. This year is about learning about photography and sharing my photos, so I'm going to be brave and bold and share this shot of me. It is really hard to take a flattering picture of yourself, or maybe it's just me? I love to take beautiful pictures of others, but have rarely had pictures taken of me that I have liked. I guess I am my own worst critic. As I was working through the editing of this photo, one of my favorite Bible verses kept humming through my brain: "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) It made me stop and think, reminding me that I am a beautiful creation in Christ. I may not always feel that way, but that is how the Lord sees me each and every day. How's that for a dose of courage?

Collage: Week 1

I successfully made it through the first week! I feel like I have learned a lot already, especially working in Lightroom 5 and using PicMonkey. I made this collage using Picasa, also a new experience for me. It's fun to see all of the pictures I posted this past week in one place.

Hot Chocolate

Day 7/365
A perfect day to warm up with a cup of hot chocolate, especially when you have pink heart-shaped marshmallows. I'm looking forward to slightly warmer weather tomorrow - it's time for the polar vortex to move along.

Blowing Ice Bubbles

Day 6/365
It is extremely cold outside - so cold, in fact, that we were able to blow bubbles and they actually FROZE. All of the local schools and several businesses were closed today. We still completed our homeschool subjects (much to the disappointment of my children), but when I brought out the bubbles for a science experiment, they got pretty excited. We didn't spend more than 3 minutes outside at a time - we blew bubbles and the solution started to freeze in the container, so we headed inside to thaw out the bubbles and our extremities. We went outside three times total - a very fun science activity for a super cold day. I asked the kids if they wanted to go out one more time so that I could blow the bubbles and they could try catching them. My son replied, "No way! I am not going outside again today!" Sounds good to me!

My Little Eskimo

Day 5/365
It is certainly feeling colder today. After church this morning and a trip to the grocery store this afternoon, we were all ready to hunker down, snuggle under blankets, sip hot tea, and watch the Packers game. Well, that didn't turn out as well as we would have liked, but I did capture this portrait of my daughter. She was sporting a new sweatshirt, complete with faux-fur lining on the hood, and I was able to talk her into a few pictures. She told me that she didn't like this picture, but I thought it was adorable.

Rose Hips

Day 4/365
It was relatively warm today, at least for January in our neck of the woods. Since the temps are supposed to drop to dangerous lows for the next few days with wicked wind chills, we decided to get outside and enjoy some fun in the snow. We played in the yard, sledding and throwing snowballs. I tooled around the yard, looking for something interesting to photograph and I found these vivid, red rose hips. They looked so striking against the white snow and overcast sky. I love how shiny they look in the picture - a pop of color on a gray day. Can you spot that lone snowflake that made its way into the picture?

Kitties and Krumkake

Day 3/365
I took a bunch of pictures today - you know how it is when you are on-fire with a new project. It's fun to look around and find all kinds of inspiration! I hope that I am still feeling this way in March. I couldn't pick just one picture, so I decided to share my two favorites. The first picture is of one of our outside kitties, Peaches (named for her cute, little, pink nose). The second picture is of my daughter's hands holding a homemade krumkake. We decided to break out our new krumkake machine today, and the kids and I experimented with making these delicate, lacy cookies. They weren't as difficult to make as I had feared, and they tasted delicious. I took a lot of pictures of the intricate designs on the cookies, but this picture was by far my favorite. I love this image of my little girl's fingers, so small and crumb-covered, holding this fragile cookie with great care.

Back to School

Day 2/365
We started back to school today. It was a fun break, but I enjoyed getting back into our homeschool routine, tackling some reading, math and writing thank-you notes.

Polish Poker

Day 1/365
New Year's Day celebration at Aunt Ginny's house - my mom's hand for one of many games of Polish Poker.