The first time we spoke we were strangers. Without knowing anything about each other, she entrusted her family to me, her finances and her memories, I entrusted my safety, my time and my knowledge. Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly met with a “dashing” young family of boys…ahem…men, and a mother who carried herself with grace and respect.

My attitude when approaching a session is this…I don’t know you…but what you are asking me to do is so important that after this time, we will be called friends. I asked questions, she was gracious enough to answer. She loves the Lord…so do I…she knows about missions…so do I. Her mission field is so powerful…she gives love to expectant parents who need love. Guidance, gentle nudges, clothes, diapers, ultrasounds so they can see the beautiful life forming within them before they decide to end it, and if they already have…she helps them with forgiveness, because there is nothing too great that our God will not or cannot forgive. Read that sentence again if you need to.

Her house of life is located in the middle of seven…yes you heard that right…seven clinics that serve the opposite purpose. When I dropped off her prints, I got to see the amazing work her ministry does.  We talked, and she listened to me, the ramblings of a tired young mom with high energy young children. She empathized, and prayed for me. I immediately wanted to do everything in my power to remain close to this woman and help her cause. Raising multiple boys, she knows the life of a mother, the angst, the trials, the joys.

Later on her blog, in some of the most beautiful words I have ever read, she described my mission field, your mission field, as a mom who is just starting out. As a mom who still gets up at night, changes diapers, wipes faces and goes to bed exhausted…

“…her mission trips are to the jungles of the laundry room where small children try to climb into the dryer,
or the wetlands of a plastic pool on a muddy spot of lawn.
It means singing hymns to a congregation of three before bedtime, and eating with the natives.
It means being the physician to a patient with a skinned knee, and uttering words of comfort into the ear of the broken-hearted.
It means living with warriors and princesses.”

If I only met her to hear those words, then I am thankful. In discovering my mission field, a cloud of uselessness can hover at times. Watching my husband travel to far away places, talk to people about the Love of Christ and in the worlds eyes be “used”. Or seeing her ministry, literally praying hearts into turning towards life, and nine months later when that child is born, there is tangible evidence of God’s awesome power.

Yet I know in God’s eyes, my mission field is great, maybe the greatest? There are three tiny beings who if I don’t put priority on my calling…will most likely grow to know nothing of the Lord or of their amazing potential. There is absolutely no one better than I to kiss those skinned knees or prepare tiny toddler meals or wipe ever running noses. Me…their Mama.

{Thank you Tricia. I am blessed by your friendship. }

To learn more about the ministry that Tricia is involved in, visit http://alternativespc.org/

I have a new little feature on my blog! If you want to share something from my blog through facebook, twitter, etc, just click on one of the little icons at the end of each post and it will take you where you want to go! They look like little half hidden squares. Let me know if you have any problems with them!

I had the privilege of teaching a short elective photography class to the upper elementary students at a local Christian school where Abby attends. I had such a fun time with the students! They already had a love for photography which made my job so easy! We spent two days together, first we learned the ins & outs of their point & shoot cameras as well as functions of a dslr.  They practiced their composition on the elementary students that day. The second day we took a field trip to the Sacramento Capitol to take some photos. I absolutely love the Capitol. I feel very blessed to live in this city where there is so much culture and beauty.

I was very very impressed with some of the natural talent both students had. These are some of the photos that they took. Only very light edits were done to these photos for lighting adjustments and sharpening for the web.

{Tanner & Manesha…you guys rock. Seriously. You both have such wonderful talent!}

First: A couple of the students in action, taking photos of the elementary students.

Their Talent…

Apparently I am a very serious subject…

Photos from the Capitol…

This my favorite from Tanner.  I just love the composition and the way you framed the beautiful swirls of the lamp. This photo is straight out of the camera (SOOC).

This one is my favorite from Manesha. What a wonderful example of the rule of thirds. It is so beautiful it could be a postcard! This is SOOC.

Here’s a small plug for Skyline Christian School located in the Natomas area of Sacramento. If you are looking for a private, high quality education for your elementary student (k-6th). Please contact them to schedule a visit! Skyline employs some amazing teachers and gives an education that meets my standards as a mom who home schools. (Believe me, my standards are extremely high!) It is new, so the ratios are small, which I know every single parent out there is looking for!

…are her favorite. Especially green juicy ones with the skin on so she can eat around it with her little tiny crooked teeth and drop the peels all around the house. Yes folks, she is a pampered princess…

ps. I am pretty sure I will be starting a 28 day challenge for the month of February (along with my friend Jeanette, right??) I have gained some major inspiration from other photographers who have photographed one or all of their children for a month straight and blogged each day. I had a blast doing my project 52 and am in the mood to undergo another challenge. If you want to join me in this challenge, leave me a comment or drop me an email so I can follow your blog. Let’s motivate each other and take some pictures! No editing software or professional camera needed!

Exif Data: Nikon d70s, f2.2, Iso 400, 1/160, window light on her face.

I haven’t blogged in a long time. Honestly, I don’t know why. My resolution to blog more has intensely gone down the drain. I have about about 5 entries in my drafts waiting for me, half finished, like little time bombs, waiting to go off. If I post one of them…those emotions, those secret rain drops will go flooding through the internet like a deep ocean. I have a fear of water, of deep bodies of water that I can’t easily swim out of.  Remember that “fear” word I wrote about just two posts down? Yeah..that’s the one. The one that multiple moms contacted me about, expressing their common hearts and minds to me. I’m not the only one, I know that. I feel that part of me is here to suggest that you aren’t the only one either.

A little bit about me: I used to travel - a lot. I’ve been to multiple countries, lived (not just visited but *lived*) in Mexico, my daughter learned to walk in a foreign country and my son learned to crawl in another.  I loved traveling, the adventure, the unknown and all the risks were intoxicating to me. I would have one child in my Ergo carrier and the other holding my hand, and we would play with the children of the country we were in. I used to speak a foreign language, although I would never let on that I could. I underestimated myself and in being away from traveling for so long…I have lost the dear language that I loved.

This past week I got on a plane for the first time in three years. We said goodbye to our children and for a few short days we reveled in the glory of a country that is dear to our hearts. We walked into a room, filled with strangers, proceeded to laugh, cry, worship and share…at the end of the three days we were strangers no longer. To put it lightly, it was refreshing.

In so many ways desires of my heart were met this week. Some history: in the middle of my pregnancy with Zach, I started to suffer from deep physical pain. It came and went and came again. Choosing to have Lily was a big decision for us and then the pain became so severe that it lead us to tearfully deeming Lily our last. First the pain sidelined me, and then the new trials of being a mom of three threw a wrench in my perfect traveling plans. It wasn’t the birth of my tiny princess…it was my Heavenly Dad saying “Pull back Amy…focus on your children, your health and supporting your husband.” I welcomed the new calling, but I still longed for a taste of adventure…of feeling like I was still that young girl who would fall asleep under a mosquito net to the sounds of new friends speaking a language I could not understand. I am still that girl…but now that language I fall asleep to is baby babble, or the sound of my husband cracking jokes that I am to tired to laugh about. I have new adventures…but they are not for me…they are for the benefit of my children.

This week I broke a barrier that I had been fighting for years now. The fake, imaginary wall that was built between the Mommy me and the Adventure me. They are one and the same…it just took me getting out of my comfortable little home to realize it. Oh how I missed my children, my heart ached to hold their little soft bodies and their little faces were wet with kisses when I got through coming home! Walking in my front door I knew where my heart belonged. So often over these past years I have longed to close my eyes and take in a deep breath, trying to imagine the wonderful scents of a country that is not my home. But today I walked in my small house, decorated with balloons and streamers to welcome home Mommy & Daddy…and a tiny princess ran up to me pleading with upraised hands for Mama to swoop her up…and she has never smelled so good.

He has not forgotten the desires of your heart. Grieve no longer the dream that has died its horrific death…our God is in the business of Resurrection.

What  a great holiday we had! Actually, we had multiple Christmases over here…not sure if I will blog all of them, but here’s one of the family parties we had. This is on Christmas eve over at my parent’s house.

Baby E’s first Christmas

All the grandkids listening to papa

Abby performed the song from “Polar Express”. She is such a little actress.

Grandpa & Zachary

Just a little prettiness!

Mom & Dad

Proof I attended Christmas!

…have a very lovely Christmas! Don’t forget what we’re celebrating! JESUS!! Our one and only Savior who came to save us from our sins and lives not worth living. I love Christmas, I love it! But my goodness it can be stressful! The massive amounts of sugar, the insane materialism that we all feel around the holidays, the shopping and the eating! This holiday could easily mean nothing if we don’t understand His amazing LOVE for us! I am so thankful that my life has true meaning and that I wake up each day with a heart full of acceptance and love from my heavenly Father.

I’ve got three beautiful children all asleep in their beds, some days I just don’t know what I did to deserve my life. Then I realize…I didn’t do anything…I’m just a child of God. Thank you Jesus for blessing me and my family. Bless those who are reading this, may they feel your Love on Christmas morning.

under “I hate winter”. Yes…hate is a strong word. I don’t allow my children to even say that word. But their mama is saying it. This photo makes me think of Spring…and I love Spring. LOVE IT! And I hate winter, and the terrible part is….it isn’t winter yet!! The hubster and I have planned a very much awaited trip to sandy beaches and warm water early in the spring next year. I am literally counting down the days and sometimes its the only thing that gets me through these yucky overcast foggy rainy cold wet damp blustery icky yucky no good weather days.

I apologize for the lack of blogging lately. Honestly, I’m in one of those infamous “ruts” that I and all photographers get into. I fully blame it on the weather! I need a photo project to get me back in the mood….hmmmm…..

sunshine
flowers
the ocean
far away friends
friends close by
closest friend around the corner
new nephew
starbucks
hair clips
toy trucks
crayons
and lots and lots of paper
sippy cups that don’t leak
babysitters
date nights
his freshly shaven face
kisses
long talks into the night
snuggles
tiny cold hands in the morning
pacifier breath
a blue blankie
a purple white flowery blankie
a pink blankie
a pink elephant
the new tiny pink potty waiting to be “used”
pretty pink cloth used in the mean time
time outs that work
days when no time outs are needed
family days
pajama days
long days
short days
dinner at the table
food in the fridge
our own house to call home
THE God we serve
knowing I am loved
knowing I was died for
my husband

my gorgeous boy, my baby princess and my lovely dreamer…I have much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving.

and even though it does feel time has flown…the majority of my heart feels like it has been way longer than a year since we said goodbye to Grandma. So much has happened this year within our family, a baby has been born, an engagement, close friends have passed away, children have grown, babies learned to talk, we’ve celebrated holidays and birthdays. She’s missed out on so much, and we’ve missed her being with us. My Grandpa has learned how to survive and we are all very happy that he is finally happy again.

The saying is so true that life does go on, the earth doesn’t stop moving and we don’t stop living. We just feel that a part of our family is missing and we’ll always feel that way. I will forever have to explain to my little ones why Great Grandma isn’t here…and at least one time a week, Abby makes sure I know that she misses her. Baby Ethan will grow up and we will tell him that his Great Grandma would have loved to hold him and knit him little sweaters. Life has taken on a different tune, not good, not bad, just different.

Love you Grandma…miss you so much!!