Getting into the Christmas Spirit (Sunday Snapshot)

 

 

 “Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!” 

~ Dr. Suess, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

 

I've often wondered, what is the Christmas spirit?
What does that mean?
It seems like people are happier, kinder
and more giving.
It's a shame that it goes away after Christmas is over.
Maybe we can all try to keep Christmas in our hearts
all year round.

 

 

 

 

These were all taken this week...

the bits and pieces that I saw of Christmas around me.

Vintage tree decorations that come from my mother in law's family,

Will's school Christmas program, Grace performing at a benefit for a local

charity that helps families, and the lights at a nearby tree lot.

I see Christmas in all the details.

I leave shortly to photograph the live Nativity at our church tonight.

I hope you see Christmas around you.

 

 

 

 



Keeping Christmas in my Heart(Sunday Snapshot)

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.

 

  ~ Charles Dickens

 

As much as I enjoy seeing the Christmas decorations and giving gifts to people I love.

  It is easy to feel a lot of pressure to get the decorating & shopping done, the cards sent, the presents wrapped and all of the other activities going on this time of year. 

 Unfortunately, it is way too easy to forget about the reason for the season. 

Getting out into the quiet of the snow with Grace was a great way to get back to what is really important: love, family, simple beauty and God. 

 The blessings of the season are with us everyday. 

 We should try to enjoy them as much as we can. 
Time passes so quickly and these days will be fond memories before we know it. 

A Christmas Carol

The shepards had an angel,
The wise men had a star;
But what have I, a little child,
To guide me home from far,
Where glad stars sing together,
And singing angels are?

~ Christina Rossetti
written in 1856



 

 

Tradition (Sunday Snapshot)

 

 

 

 At Christmas, all roads lead home. 

~Marjorie Holmes

 

 

 

 

Growing up my family had the tradition of cutting
down our Christmas tree and as the years have gone by
and I now have my own family, we've continued it.
We moved to Wisconsin 8 years ago when Grace
was a little one of 3. That year Dan carried her
through the tree farm and it was bitter cold!
We still go to the same farm to find our tree and now
my two youngest definitely help and voice their own opinion
on which is the perfect tree.
This year the tree we chose is the tallest we've ever had.

I think I love this entire experience so much because
we get to drink yummy hot apple cider and
the fragrance of the fresh trees outdoors always
speaks of Christmas to me.


(Taken yesterday afternoon, the hazy light was gorgeous)

 

Sunday Snapshot (Thankful)

As I write this November is 2/3 over and Thanksgiving
is nearly here.
I realize that I almost got through this month without doing another blog post
but decided to get this one in.
It's been a busy month for me for various reasons, but not too busy to reflect a little bit about
what I'm thankful for...

I'm thankful that Will is a happy person and that he surprises me almost everyday. 
The things he knows and asks about, the things he thinks about and does - always make me smile
 and wonder how we got him. 
I'm thankful that Will is smart and kind - it will make his road a little easier.  I'm thankful that he has a strong belief in God - it will give him strength through hard times.  I'm thankful that Will loves his family - it makes our Wisconsin winters a bit warmer.
And finally I'm thankful that I get to be his mom.

 

No Tricks, all Treats (Sunday Snapshot)

October,

tuck tiny candy bars in my pockets

and carve my smile into a thousand pumpkins.... Merry October!

 

~Rainbow Rowell

Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story. 

~Mason Cooley

They start talking about Halloween starting in early September,

and Will usually has thought of what he'd like to dress up a good 6 months

before Halloween. His costumes get a lot of wear as he wears them at home frequently.

This year he went as Ironman and Grace is a 'Weeping Angel.'

I took very few photos of our Halloween evening because it was a rainy one but it didn't stop my trick or treaters by any means.

Probably my favorite image was the candid one below as they checked out their loot in between houses.

 

It may have rained but they still had a great time!





October snapshots (iphone style)

October is almost halfway over.

We're in a good routine and my kiddos have been great about getting up early to get

ready for school

and completing their homework in the afternoons.

 Dare I say this...we are about 10 weeks away from Christmas.

 

1. Top left. 'Bruce Wayne' in black and white. 2. Grace making

lemon sugar cookies for her classroom (she has become quite the baker).

3. Ballet has started again for Grace. I have finally mastered the ballet bun

for her hair. 4. Gourds and mini pumpkins. 5. Grace with a sequined kitty cat mask.

6. We made a quick trip to Chicago for a girls China friends get together.

7. 'Frenemies' Jack kitty and Zoe dog, they rarely get this close together. Usually Zoe is

chasing the cat. 8. The leaves are starting to fall here. 9. Sweet little farm stand selling pumpkins.

I wish Fall lasted longer than it does, but for now we are savoring every

moment of it.

Welcome Autumn (Sunday Snapshot)

If you stand still outside you can hear it...
 Winter's footsteps, the sound of falling leaves.

 

~ unknown

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came,

The Ashes, Oaks, and Maples, And leaves of every name.

The sunshine spread a carpet,
And every thing was grand;
Miss Weather led the dancing;

Professor Wind, the band....
The sight was like a rainbow
New-fallen from the sky....

 

~ George Cooper, "October's Party"

 

 

Autumn is here in Wisconsin.
This week our yellow leaves popped,
next will be the oranges and reds.

It's my favorite season for many reasons but
as a photographer I notice the light is low in the sky, golden
and delicious in color.
This week I took Grace out to a new location and loved the light in the trees.
I can't get enough of seeing these Fall colors
and spending as much time as we can as a family
outdoors.

 

 

Little Boys and Football

 

A Mom's Observations About Flag Football

 

(Now Will is the first of my 3 children to try flag football,

so it's new too me. These are some things I noticed)

 

~ There's quite a bit of energy out on that field of little boys

and it's not necessarily going in the right direction

 

~ Pulling a flag seems to be harder than tackling

 

~ There is some little boy that cries on every play(after all they're only 7)

 

~ The favorite play is "RUN!"

 

 

 

Will might be small but he's quite fast.

And it's really been a joy to watch him play.