Mama’s Diaries

AZ has already DOUBLED it’s annual rainfall this year and it is only the beginning of March!  The desert is sooooo green.  I have been anxious to get more pictures of Tori out in our lush green desert but I haven’t had the chance because….wait for it……RAIN! 

She came in last week in this get up and I thought I needed to record the moment.  Speaking of rain….she says “water” and it sounds like “wah-weeee”. 

…I am getting Brooke’s pictures processed.

Above pictures shot by me using a 24-70ml 2.8L.  Pictures below shot by Liza with a 70-200ml 2.8L (processed by yours truly so they would match).  I really love the perspective that Liza got in this location.

Brooke - added a viewing gallery for you where you can see this a bit larger.  Go to www.livelovedphotography.com, go to the proofing section, password is “Brooke”.  I’ll keep adding them there as I get them done so there are all in one place. 

A few years back, my mom and I were shopping in a bookstore when she came across a book called “How to Forgive When You Don’t Feel Like It” by June Hunt.  While she was skimming, she came across a list comparing forgiveness with reconciliation.   The words resonated with her and she called me over and read it to me in the store.  We both agreed - the author eloquently framed a perspective that mom and I both share, a discussion we have had off and on for many years.

I come from a line of boundaried women and I am so appreciative of that.  Both my grandmother and my mother have served as wonderful examples of how to practice loving boundaries.  To forgive - yes - but to also make wise decisions where reconciliation factors in.  They are not the same thing.   Forgiveness is a must but having boundaries are also very important and sometimes it can be tough to decide what is what - at least I think so.  From a personal standpoint, I don’t want boundaries in my life to ever be “punishment” - to use them out of spite or vindictiveness.  I do, however, want to use them appropriately because not using them when the situation calls for it, enables someone else to violate me, my husband, or children in an unhealthy manner and that isn’t good for anyone.

I thought I’d share this list with you because several people have asked me for a copy of it.  If it resonates as truth in your heart as well, you may want to invest in the book.

*  Forgiveness can take place with only one person; reconciliation requires the involvement of at least two persons.

*  Forgiveness is directed one way;  reconciliation is reciprocal, occurring two ways.

*  Forgiveness is a decision to release the person who harmed you;  reconciliation is the effort to rejoin the person who harmed you.

*  Forgiveness involves a change in thinking about the offender; reconciliation involves a change in behavior by the offender.

*  Forgiveness is a free gift to the one who has broken trust; reconciliation is a restored relationship based on restored trust.

*  Forgiveness is extended even if it is never earned; reconciliation is offered to the offender because it has been earned.

*  Forgiveness is unconditional regardless of a lack of repentance;  reconciliation is conditional based on repentance.

(Page 122)

I also love the picture that the book The Shack (by William P. Young) puts on this topic.  I would quote from it, but out of context with the story, you wouldn’t get the full of scope of such powerful words.  Refer to pages 224 to 226.

Just my two cents for the day. 

Recently I looked up my blogs back in early 2006 to compare Ty’s talking to Tori’s.  Whoa Nelly!  Ty was so conversational at this age and way ahead of the game.  I giggled when I read that he had been walking through the house saying “Uh huh Uh huh I happy I happy”.  :)  Sounds like my baby boy for sure.  Not a bit has changed either.  He is unabashedly, the happiest person I know.

This shot was taken while Liza was here.  We went up north and did Ty’s six year old pictures.  I have more to share but this is the only one I have processed yet.  Am I a color junky or what? 

Oh do I adore my youngest son.  Adore.  He lights up our world.

Sometimes his daily exultations are not so appreciated though.  A short scene in our home from yesterday.

Setting:  Nickle toss to determine who worked on math with mom first.  Ty won the nickle toss.

Ty: Ha ha ha ha…. (said with his usual showering of joy)

Me:  Ty - that isn’t nice.

Tanner:  Mom he is trying to make me a poor loser.

LOL!  I am laughing all over just typing that out.  Tanner does not take losses well and that is something we have to talk about on a pretty frequent basis.  Somehow, Ty is getting thrown under the base for “making” him that way.  Ya right.  I would have addressed Tanner’s comment but I was laughing too hard.

He is doing AWESOME AWESOME with his kindergarten work.  I never, in my wildest dreams, thought K-garten was going to go so well.  His hardest subject is still handwriting but we are making progress even there.  It took me six or seven weeks to get him to even write a capital L because he couldn’t see it in his mind.  He could recognize it but couldn’t recreate it.  We are now up to upper case L, F, T I, O, U, C, H, G, and E.  (And I love to interchange the words upper case and capital just to confuse my children hee hee.)

I have been reading to them every morning from The Sugarcreek Gang series.  This series was written in the 40’s.  My great grandfather owned them and they were read to my dad and also Aunt Beck in childhood.  I thought I would give them a try and the kids are really enjoying them.  I let them play with play dough while I read to occupy their hands.  It’s a darling series about a “gang” of boys and their adventures.   The characters have such personality.  I particularly like little Bill Collins who narrates because he loves run on sentences with all kinds of details.  Easy to read the words of a little guy who talks just like me.  It has that Leave it to Beaver feel because Bill says “on account of…”  all the time. 

This week I got out a Magic Treehouse book and started him on it.  I think most would agree that this series is not on a K-garten level.   I had to giggle when the word “brilliant” was on the second page and he read it like it was the word “dog”.  His decoding ability is masterful.    Shows you what the “experts” now.  The predictions about his learning are turning out to be dead wrong.

Ty is doing fine in math as well but I keep feeling like I can’t get him at the right level.  I started with Saxon Math and quit the K level because it was WAY too simple.  I started a couple of weeks ago with the first grade level and it is way too simple too.  I am trying to decide how much I will skip him through.  The difficult thing with math is that he can’t write the figures yet.  I want to teach him his numbers but most numbers are more complicated than letters so we need to get letters down first.

I got a little worried about him yesterday because his pop tart broke in half and he looked at me with sad sad eyes and broke down sobbing (which is the most heart wrenching sound I have ever heard in my whole life.  I want to cry when Ty cries.)   That is so out of character for him.  He fell asleep on the couch at 9:30 last night too.  Strange.  Waiting for the illness shoe to drop but it hasn’t happened yet.

On a side note…oh how the AZ desert is a sight to behold right now.  I am not sure I have ever seen it so green.  I need to get some pictures of the kids outside this week because it is simply breathtaking.

I best be off now and getta movin’ on school.

A week ago, my sweet friend and photography mentor, Liza, came out all the way from Buffalo, NY to visit.  What a treat that was for me!  Not only to spend time with my friend who I love, but also to talk shop for four days and get to play together.  I have learned so much from Liza over the last year and a half and am so grateful for her.  SO grateful!  She brought her darling little girls, Charlotte and Grace and they were so sweet and fun.

I wanted to do a fun shoot while she was here so we decided to do a Trash the Dress session with Brooke.  Brooke had talked to me when she was early in her pregnancy with Cozy about doing this shoot but since I knew Brooke wanted to stand on her horse, we decided to wait until after baby was born.

I am a big fan of Trash the Dress sessions and hope to do more in the future.   There is something about that denim and diamonds flavor that just captures me.  The pictures speak “celebration of womanhood” to me.   I love that my sisters are confident and comfortable being ultra feminine and then all boots and dirty jeans too.  They dress to the nines when the situation calls for it, but you can find these gals on the backside of the mountain with their husbands bow hunting too.  Brooke is a rancher and loves to be outside more than inside.    She gardens, feeds livestock, cleans out duck ponds (I still can’t get over that), and even sells her eggs to a local farmer’s market.

Why the wedding dress?  Because it’s big, beautiful, white, and a contrast to the outdoor elements we had her in.   A friend of ours donated the dress for our outdoor fun.  Prom dresses and bridesmaid dresses work well to.  I have only post processed a few of them but am anxious for Brooke to see at least a little sneak peek.    Without further ado…

Liza was my second shooter.  She was shooting with a longer lens which gave a completely different perspective.  She gave me the raw files so that I could process the pictures consistently as one batch.  The following picture was shot by Liza.  See the way the mountain outlines Brooke instead of the clouds?

More will be coming (but it may take a bit…)

I must admit that I was a bit nervous for Brooke to STAND on her horse in a large bridal gown but she assured me that she had two backup plans for mishaps.  She had to use both.  Hee hee.  They both worked like a charm - just like she said.  What do I know? 

P.S.  You will be happy to know that Brooke and Daniel have been married for 12 years - happily married.  In no way is this trash the dress a visual comment on marriage.  Their lives give testimony to that.  If you ask me, a wedding gown is not the sacred cow.  Clearly Brooke agrees.