Watching him play

Nervous, excited, proud, just some of what I feel when I watch him play. My wishes for him:

• PASSION-to find things in life you love, whatever they may be
• CHALLENGE- to try things that help you learn and grow
• TEAMWORK - while its important to challenge yourself, learn and grow in your own skills, its important to be a team player,  help others, pass the ball and support the greater good
• COURAGE- to try new things even if you aren't good at them at first
• TENACITY & HARD WORK -- practice, keep going even when its tough, never stop getting up when you fall

Most of all FUN!

Rain Boots

Jazz Therapy

The past several weeks have been busy at work, the next several will be even more challenging. I'm learning to live in the present moment and steal the little opportunities when I can.  Tonight my photo is my 5pm Jazzercise students! I love them, they are the best therapy I have ever had or could ever imagine.  They show up, they work hard, they laugh, they holler, sometimes they complain a little, I'm certain they call me names under their breath :). They give me more than I could ever give them and I truly couldn't imagine getting through the stressful times without them.   Grateful for the hour I stole for myself and for my students! win-win!

The Escape Artist

It's day 4 of my photo-a-day project, clearly I was delusional when I committed to this.  I missed my photo yesterday, so here I am 10:00 pm grasping for a photo opportunity, keeping my goals in mind (things that are important and I want to remember...... blah blah blah).  

 I am just 21 short days from go live of one of the largest projects I have worked on in my 23 year career at my employer. I teach 4- Jazzercise classes per week, I have a family, a commute, and somewhere in all of that I really should sleep. None the less, I committed to this, so here I am.  

My photo tonight is my son's pet hamster, Alex.  Alex was first named, Derek, and then Matthew (my 8 year old) got sentimental and renamed him after our late yellow lab, Alex.  Alex-the-hamster is becoming quite the master at escaping from his hamster house.  He has escaped 6 times now.  The fifth escape, which was just last weekend, my husband, masterfully devised a strategy to catch him in a bucket (lured with peanut butter) Alex couldn't resist and was caught almost instantly.  We decided we should purchase an addition to his house and give him a bit more room to roam, so Mike and Matt built him an extension.  Just one short day after he moved into his new house, he escaped again!  This was his longest adventure loose in my house (roughly 12-15 hours).    To be honest, I never expected a hamster to be smart enough to do much of anything (I mean he does spin around in a circle on a wheel most of the night!) but darn if this little guy doesn't have some sense, he keeps finding his way out.  As for the new house, I think it just gives him more escape hatches.   I think Mike is starting to lose it too, tonight he was walking around the house calling himself 'Mouse Hunter" or something like that!  Never a dull moment that's for sure!   

365 Photo Project - Day 2

Today is Day #2 of my commitment to the 365 photo-a-day project, I'm already starting to enhance my goals (surprising, I know).    I"m taking a picture everyday so that I can:

1. Focus on what's important everyday
2. Have a year long record of every single memory
3. Improve my photography skills
4. And....(insert drum roll here) .... improve my photo editing skills

Today's photo, my best friend.  We were cleaning up the basement after the wreckage of Matt's hamster escaping.  Sam was sitting at the bottom of the stairs breaking down cardboard boxes and he called me down. When I looked at him,  at the bottom of the stairs, for a single second there was a glimpse of the young boy I met over 20 years ago.  I don't know if it was the silly grin he was wearing or just that he was tired, but  I saw that young boy and it warmed my heart.  I said 'WAIT!!' hold that expression on your face (so I could run and get my camera) in that second I knew that he was my picture for the day. 

As a bonus, my picture was awful. The lighting was bad, cropping, etc.  Thus goal #4  I think I did a decent job at editing the photo.  I love him, in sepia, in black and white or in color! 

365 Photo-a-day Project

I know it's 7 days into the New Year, but I heard this idea about making a  365 day goal.  The goal I heard was 'you can't buy any new clothes for a year'  It peaked my interest, but I don't think I'm ready for that!  I did a little research and found lots of people have taken a photo every day for a whole year.  I love photography and I love the idea of documenting the wonderful little things that happen everyday.  I created a new blog site as I've struggled with this one, but I think I"ll take another shot at seeing if this will work here.  Wish me luck on my 365-day journey!       Happy New Year!