An Assortment of Photos (Sunday Snapshot & 4/52 Project)

 So as I had these grandiose plans of taking my two youngest outside this

week for some photos in the snow.

That obviously didn't happen.

Old man Winter has decided to hit us again with another "polar vortex"

otherwise known as being "too damn cold outdoors for any living creature."

So we stay inside, that's our only choice.

I decided to take my mind to a better place

and photograph still life.

And get real comfortable shooting indoors for a while.

This week I decided to get my Etsy shop 

up and running.

It's something I've been asked about and I figured

it was about time.

My shop is called amothersartphoto

and I have about 24 fine art photography prints

that are available.

It's an eclectic assortment, some of them

vintage inspired, some travel and some of China.

There will be more prints added in the weeks and months to come.

I would be flattered if you'd stop by and 'favorite' (click on the little heart)

of my shop.

Thank you!

(Sunday Snapshot) - Are We There Yet?

 

 

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men.

 

~ Chinese Proverb

I feel like I'm one of my children in the car as we travel to a destination,
and instead of asking "Are we there yet?" I
keep asking to myself, "Is Spring here yet?"

It seems to take one step forward and 3 steps back.
Many days we've had cold rain, a few days of snow, and not much sun.
Since we've had a month of April showers, we should have
a plethora of flowers in May.

We decided to embrace our (slow to arrive) Spring
and have fun in the puddles and rain.
Spring will come, it always does...

 



30/52 - my week

{iphone photo collage} 

 

A little bit of my week, iphone photo style.

1. Will and Logan, the Superhero/Crime fighter neighborhood association. 2. Cool bridge in central Illinois. This week I made the 6-7 hour drive to my sister's home in Indiana. 3. Grace demonstrating some pool love. 4. Stayin' cool when it's 103 degrees. 5. Indiana prairie wildflowers. 6. Big sky over the state of Illinois. I'm a native Midwesterner and I love the endless corn fields with the blue sky. I can happily say that we finally got some rain, both in Indiana and Wisconsin.
And we had a blast at my sister's...a lot of laughing, a little shopping, kids swam, it was all good!

4 years with Will (Favorite Photo Friday)

And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 

 ~ Matthew 18:5 

 

 July 20, 2008.

We all first met in a sterile meeting room in the Lakeside Hotel in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China.

We actually heard William as we stepped off the elevator, before we saw him.

He was crying very hard and was afraid. It wasn't an easy first meeting and something you can't forget.

I remember thinking what a big boy he was then at age 2.

When I look at those photos now, he was a baby
and so incredibly brave.

He'd been through so much in his short little life.

More than most of us have in a lifetime.

We've had ups and downs, easy times and more difficult.

Through it all, like the Energizer Bunny we kept going and moving forward.

And praying that we were doing the right thing.

Because that's all we knew to do.

You see, Will happened to get two very stubborn and patient parents that would never give up.
We could see the big picture in all of this story and

when we make a commitment, we keep it.

Forever.

4 years later from that first meeting in the Lakeside Hotel meeting room, my 2 year old
 has grown into a long legged 6 year old little boy. 42 lbs. of all boy.  

He is happy and much more at peace with the world.

He loves to laugh, has a sparkle in his eye for his mommy and daddy, and has a dear, sweet, kind heart. 

If you meet him once you'll never forget this child...he's an extraordinary person.

  I dream of only great things for William as there is no limit as to what he can accomplish someday.

Thank you to Deena and Mike Van't Hul in China who were his first parents for 2 and 1/2 years and his Kindergarten teacher, Sue Truitt who has loved and treated Will like her own son.
The words thank you aren't adequate for what you've done for him.
 And us.
We are the lucky ones to have Will in our lives.

 {My beautiful boy, I couldn't love him more than I do.}

Will is shown in his bedroom with some of his favorites...his Batman collection. He's a Superhero - Crime Fighter aficionado and knows way more about them than his mommy does.;)

But I'm learning.