Category Archives: Photography

03 / 52

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“a portrait of Ezra, once a week…every week, in 2014.”
Momma is photographing the O2 Experience this week in Florida….and Ezra is just playing “I’m with the band.”

02 / 52

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“a portrait of Ezra, once a week…every week, in 2014.”
At 18 months, our little man got sick for the first time. Fever and all. We’ve been resting all week.

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Ezra Week 01/52

“a portrait of Ezra, once a week…every week, in 2014.”  
A John Deere lawn mower, a favorite Christmas present.
 

As a photographer, it’s easy to only bring out the “big camera” for a photoshoot for a client who is paying you for a job. I want to reverse my thinking on this in 2014. I want to document my family more….with the best equipment that I have. iPhone photos have their place, indeed….but I want a bit more for this project.  I want to print a few books so we can look back and remember….and give thanks…for the sweet-sweet memories we have made together. It’s so incredibly easy to forget the small things if we don’t take the time to reflect and look back.

Many fellow blogger friends of mine completed a 52 Week Portrait Project last year and I was so inspired by their project not only along the way, but the treasure they now have at the end of the year. So, here is Week 1 of my 52 Week Portrait Project. A portrait of Ezra, once a week….every week, in 2014. My goal is to capture him in his element. Nothing styled. No expectation of perfection. Just my curious son…..being an adventurous little boy in Whitefish, Montana.

Who’s in? If you decided to jump in on this series….let me know!

2014: Simplify and Focus

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I’ve been thinking a lot about this New Year….2014. I am super excited to start afresh. I’ve had this constant desire to SIMPLIFY for the past few months. I want to simplify all areas of my life….

….my closet, our garage full of things we don’t need, my online life, our home. Focusing on less things and more experiences; quality over quantity.

Another word that has been echoing in my mind is FOCUS. Focus and clutter are opposites of each other, I must choose one or the other.

I want to make more room….to have more face to face conversations and host more gatherings inside of our home. I desire deeper relationships. I want to know Jesus more. I want more quiet time. I want to strengthen my marriage. I want to pray more with my husband and over my son. I want to strengthen my mind and body so I can be all that the Lord desires of me.

A few weeks ago, Pastor Chad Veach spoke at our church and he said something that was totally for me. When he said this…it was as if the Lord was whispering this in my ear. I knew when the word “DANG!” came out of my mouth as soon as he finished his thought….this was the word I had needed for a while. Ok, so you want to know what it is, right?!?

An empty mind is the devils favorite playground.”

Bahhhhhhh! It’s both our heart AND mind that the Lord wants. This also happens to be very thing the enemy wants to take for himself.

Our minds can be full of “to-do’s” and “busy-ness” [AKA clutter], but if we haven’t set aside and protected the space for our true treasure, the living Word, our Life Source…..our minds are pretty much empty. We lose focus….and lose sight of our target.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more stoked to kick off a New Year. I want to give God all of me…..so that I have the stamina to run with horses [more on this topic soon], to use me and my microphone to glorify Him. To use my platform to point people to Jesus. I have a son now…..and it’s so important for me to live out the words I speak over his life. I want him to see a real Jesus through the life we live…..we are pilgrims, seeking a homeland…..we will all break camp one day so what do we really have to lose by living boldly, bravely and adventurously!?!

What are you looking forward to in 2014? Don’t be shy….I’d love to know the changes and additions you plan to make!

xoxoxo

Christmas Time At The Red Caboose

One thing that I love about having a brick and mortar shop is dreaming up ideas and decorating for the winter and summer seasons. We don’t have large windows gracing our entrance so we’ve got a small storefront space to work with, but the real magic happens inside!

My dear friend, Carrie helped me put together our “Winter Theme.” Being that winters are pretty long here, I don’t create a heavy “Christmas” theme because I like to keep things up for the entire season. However, we always have a bit of Jesus gracing the walls….always.

JOY TO THE WORLD. This is our anthem this year. Details included marquee lights, map paper and a few many many many strands of marshmallows and cotton balls. It was simple, but definitely labor intensive. I have the best team ever…..and they did a fantastic job hanging lights and executing quite a few DIY projects for me. I love how creative our staff is….it’s kinda becoming a pre-requisite for employment….must love coffee and have a knack for DIY’s!

Here’s a peek inside the Red Caboose……and if you’re ever in town, please let me know! I’d love to say HELLO to you! I seriously love getting to meet fellow bloggers and Instagrammers who visit Whitefish!

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