four years & three days

Four years and three days. I was looking again at the picture I took of Emma today (the second photo down). It hangs on my fridge in a beautiful 8x10 print. It was taken four years and three days ago. (One of these days I'm going to have a canvas done of it.) The time has gone by entirely too quickly. She's grown well over a foot since then, and her little features now look down on me by several inches. I still love the original most of all. Most of all I'm so thankful for all of these years of {project 365}. Having captured little freeze frame moments of life to treasure them everyday for years to come. In four years and three days from now, God willing, I will look back and be grateful for this magic moment captured in time.

"When we went hunting the Dragon
In the days when we were young,
We tossed the bright world over our shoulder
As bugle and baldrick slung;
Never was world so wild and fair
As what went by on the wind,
Never such fields of paradise
As the fields we left behind"

-G.K. Chesterton
'The Hunting of the Dragon'

Lord, help the mister...

i know i say all of the time... where did the time go? but, man-o-man... where did the time go? i just took the top picture a few days ago, and it reminded me so much of this earlier picture of the girls. maybe it's their cheeks all squished together in that sweet sisterly love. maybe it's their snuggly smiling faces. maybe it's just me... but it feels like yesterday... but in fact, almost five years to the day separate these two precious pictures.

it must be sort of what it feels like to be stan. i know it's only been 7 months since he took off on deployment, but it seems like they just grow up that fast. i've been thinking a lot lately about all of the things that have changed since he left, and trying to imagine what it must be like to take that all in. the girls and i have our trials living without our big brawny man, but everything else around us stays stable. stan lives half a world away, in a tent, with skype and airplanes as his company. he is a very strong hearted man.

just a little something i've been thinking about as we are so close to his homecoming, and the transition back into "normal" family life... the normal'ish part being that we're all in the same country at the same time. :)

along with thinking about and prepping for homecoming, i've been snapping away on my 365 shots. i got this accidental favorite in the rain the other day. i took several shots of emma out in the rain with her umbrella. i got this shot quite by accident, lucky me. 

speaking of photos... if you're looking for some great photography tips & challenges, head over to ella publishing's blog every friday for the next several weeks to get your fill. the fabulous moon ko and i are putting together some fun thoughts, ideas and helpful hints... oh and there just may be some prizes, too! the first challenge is already up here.

and if you happen to be interested in the rest of the rainy day shots, you can see those here.

this past weekend i was blessed to enjoy some time with a few friends i hadn't seen in a long time. it's wonderful to have friends that you can pick up right where you left off with. we're all 15 years older, and lots of kids wiser... we laughed and talked and were thankful for enduring friendships and family.

monday, memorial day, i took the girls to a local cemetery to spend some time reflecting on how thankful we are for all of those who have served our great country, and for those who gave all for her. we shot up a few prayers for the families who have lost those that they love, and for safe returns for those who served... especially for the one nearest to our heart.

thank you so much to those so willing to give so much to keep us safe. God bless you & God bless America!

smells like tween spirit

smells like tween spirit

oi! how is it that no matter how much you savor the moment, it still seems to fly by? another mom moment today... i was walking through target with the girls and one of their friends. there was a lot of girlie giggling about some little boy who kept making faces at them. so i'm picking up a little bottle of travel shampoo and torrey mentioned that she thought she needed some deodorant. i assured her she didn't... but she offered for me to do a smell test. UM, YAH... she needed deodorant! how weird is it that a flood of feelings came over me, thinking how much changed in just the blink of an eye. it seems like it's just the gateway into a whole new part of her little life. but being there in with three giggling girls did help me keep myself pulled together enough to help her pick out some asian pear scented secret deodorant.

when we got home the two of us walked the yard and talked about growing up stuff. crazy how-am-i-already-at-this-point stuff and cute little things too. she said, "i'm going to have to start thinking about different kinds of christmas presents now. do you think a purse is a sensible gift for a girl my age?" that's my girl. :)

she seems to be taking it all in stride. today, at least!

i saved the news for her to tell stan when he got home from work. i seriously think he choked up when he heard the news. why is it that there just seems to be this intrinsic understanding that this is the beginning of many changes to come? such a silly thing. deodorant. who knew? stan just sat and hugged her for several minutes. it's kinda choking me up typing this. just a sweet moment to watch & ponder.

yes, i did get a picture of her with her little bottle of deodorant... but promised her i wouldn't post it online. :)

seize the day! life flies by faster than we expect it.