2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 4

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

Littlest wasn't feeling too good on Monday so we let her stay home from school. Now she wasn't deathly ill, so this did not mean a free pass and playing games all day. We did some art and watched some educational nature videos...

...and also, I am bound and determined to get into some of these photos as I am a part of this life! So...

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 3

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

Three weeks in and I already find my photos getting a little repetitive. But this week we found out we got accepted on a different house and I am once again reminded I am, and have been, documenting a season. This is our living room, in a house which has been a challenge, but was nevertheless, our landing spot. Just under six months ago, we moved to Bristol, from California, with just our suitcases.  We rented this house and have gradually accrued most of what we need; our personal items, but no furniture, arrived three months later. We still haven't finished unpacking, as we haven't had the space to store stuff, there are pictures and photos still stacked in the corner which we never got to put up. This has been an ok house but we are really hopeful this next move will have us starting to feel like we are in a home.

It is still early days, there is still much adjustment to do, but family and faith is what roots us. Spending time with each other, even just a boy and his dad playing computer games together, these are the simple and important things.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 2

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

Second week of this year, just documenting our real life. With my portraits I'll clear and tidy backgrounds, I would have closed cabinet and microwave doors, zoomed in much closer, but by stepping back, using a wider lens, more of the story is told; there'll be more to remember. It's hard for me, this is a discipline, a different way, maybe not as 'pretty' but in some ways freeing...beautiful in it's own way.

This is my older girl. My tween. Such a great help. It was a night last week where time was getting away, she was bored and kindly offered to cook dinner. Win!

2018 Lifestyle Project - Introduction and Week 1

It's been a couple of years since I've attempted a 52 week/year project, but here I am again. When my kids were small I constantly had my camera and would document them and their little lives, our life. When I started my portrait business I wanted pretty portraits and photos that I would be proud to show, which meant I didn't document so much anymore. I didn't wand the boring and messy of our real life. It makes me a little sad; I still have plenty of photos, but real life isn't always picture perfect and it doesn't need to be and those photos are missing. It's about the real memories. So this year's project will be just that; documenting our life as it is. The kids may not be as little and cute and cooperative as they once were, honestly it's much harder now that they spy the camera immediately, sometimes getting cross or frustrated, sometimes (which I prefer) just ignoring me, but these memories are important. I love looking back at them. At the end of the year I'll have at least 52 authentic photos of our life. Thanks for following along and let me know if you are doing something similar.

I will take photos all week and choose a favorite to post no later than the following Monday.

Without further ado: 1/52

If you've been following along for a while, you know that we recently moved our family from California, to Bristol, England. That means I lost all my sunshine; my beautiful light. Seriously, it is cold and by the time the children are home it is already getting dark. It is dreary. A photographer is always looking for the light and I am being forced to use the ugly, harsh artificial lighting as so often we are indoors. Sigh. But it is what it is. This is my reality right now. Littlest working on homework earlier in the week.

And a couple of bonus photos as this was a highlight. We were amazingly blessed to have friends visiting from California over the Christmas break and before they headed back today, we went into London this weekend to spend last precious minutes with them. We met up at Kensington Palace (as you do) and were walking the grounds to find the Princess Diana Memorial and Playground when we stumbled upon an area with parrots. They were not in cages, they didn't appear to be tagged and they were incredibly tame. They would land on the kids and eat seeds or nuts right out of their hands. It was such a sweet surprise and an incredible memory made. We will go back for sure.