The Day Clara was Born

'Someday I'll wish upon a star& wake up where the clouds are far behind me, where laughter falls like lemon drops always above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me... Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue & the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.'

We're getting a good dose of rain at the moment, which seems fitting as I write this blog post. One week ago today, we also got a good dose of rain. It was also one week ago today, when we were all in Pasagshak, & my sister started getting texts from her good friend- labor was happening. Her c-section wasn't scheduled for another month, the same day I have to take my youngest to a doctor appointment, out-of-town. As a result of the schedule conflict, I wasn't planning on meeting Clara the day she was born. Instead, she came about four weeks early- healthy, beautiful & oh so very tiny.

It was honestly amazing, being able to photograph her at the hospital. Her big sister is so in love, & was not eager to let me hold her, as she politely whispered, "Can I have my baby back now?!" Clara, you are so loved by her & the rest of your beautiful family, welcome to the world.

The Mandolin & The Fiddle

For as long as I can remember, music filled our house. It either came from the speakers or it was live, courtesy of my dad. I consider the mandolin his instrument, but he also plays the guitar & the fiddle. For some reason, my siblings & I just never hit it off with learning an instrument. While I played the violin for eight years, my sister piano for awhile & my brother still dabbles with the guitar, none of us ever poured a lot of effort into it. Thinking back to the amount of music that surrounded us, it's a bit ironic none of us play well, but what we did develop was a deep appreciation for good music. Over the past few years, my dad has given lessons to a young, incredibly talented fourteen year-old, Sawyer. They have developed a great friendship; this past week, his family moved to Oregon. This is their second-to-last lesson, filled with lots of good tunes & good humor.

Always Kiss Me Good Morning

When I was little, my mom used to tell me stories about two sisters named Tinkerbelle & Anabelle. They went on grand adventures, sometimes in their own backyard, & sometimes far away. Their adventures took me away on my own expeditions- albeit imaginary, but full of so much fun. Hearing of sweet Anabelle's name brought back a rush of memories of my own childhood; meeting her brought back memories of my own children's newborn days. It doesn't seem all that long ago, yet it feels so far away. So much newness, yet so fleeting- the soft fuzz that graces their skin; those sweet, tender cries; lots of feedings & lots of diaper changes; best of all, the comfort of knowing they feel so safe & content wrapped up in their parent's arms. It is special to watch all of this beauty from behind the camera- so very special. Welcome to the world, sweet Anabelle, I know life awaits you with your very own grand adventures.

The Last Two Weeks of May

May 16th. Ready for bed. May 17th. Impromptu violin lesson with Papa.

May 18th. Rollerblading- practicing for the kindergarten talent show.

May 19th. Nature's beauty, the Gray Whale.

May 20th. Diligently looking up to his brother.

May 21st. My laundry assistant.

May 22nd. A new costume.

May 23rd. His spy gear.

May 24th. The last day of kindergarten.

May 25th. Today I photographed a wedding & not my children.

May 26th. Pasagshak weekend- yes!

May 27th. Playing with the mirror perspective.

May 28th. We got chicks & this is Sunshine Lucy.

May 29th. I tucked him in on the bottom bunk & returned to find him fast asleep, in the top bunk & wearing new jammies.

May 30th. This face is telling you the sound birds make.

May 31st. The last day of May- it was a good one <3

Kids Were Here

When I was first asked to be a part of this project, I was admittedly very excited for the group of photographers I'd be working with. They're an amazingly talented group of women. I was also looking forward to documenting a new aspect of our lives, which I gave little (or no) attention to with the camera. Yet it is such a significant part of our everyday. These left-behind toys, the messes, the food, the strewn about clothes; somedays, I think they're staring me in the face, laughing. You vacuumed? ha! You just emptied the sink? Too bad! The entry way has been cleared of shoe piles & coat mountains? Nope, not today! But a funny thing happened to me, with this photo project. I am now pausing more & taking more deep breaths. Do I still enjoy all these messes? If I'm being honest, not so much, but incorporating my photography into the daily disasters has given me a new perspective. I know that 'the days are long, but the years are short,' but sometimes I have to remind myself about the years. Most the time the kids remind me, even though I prefer being reminded by myself. When they do the reminding, like a week ago when Ry finished kindergarten, it sort of provided a big ole' emotional jerk that I was completely unprepared for. Even though I know it's happening, I'm still not ready for it. I'm not sure I'm ready for all the 'remember when's...' either, but I don't have much choice. So I see this project as the perfect opportunity to help me treasure what's happening now, & embrace it.

Remember when you (Covey) kept sneaking the raspberry muffins off the counter, you thought I didn't know you we're doing it.

Remember when you (Ry) always left a shoe by the upstairs door, & then we could never find a pair, as you rushed out the door to school.

Remember when you boys loved waffles for breakfast (Covey, you were especially particular about it being topped with maple syrup & jam).

Remember when you (Covey) ripped a whole in my favorite tablecloth & you (Ry) tried to fix it with duct tape, when you were supposed to practice your violin.

Remember all those socks you boys left lying throughout the house, & how many times you (Ry) couldn't find socks on school mornings.

Remember that doll Nanny made you (Ella) for your first birthday.

Remember that Cheerios box we turned into a mask, which you boys didn't wear much, but pulled out of your costume box excessively...I think to remind us to smile!

Remember that morning you (Covey) asked for eggs for breakfast; I told you when I was done changing Ella & then came out to find a counter covered in eggs, thankfully unbroken.

Remember how much you boys thought of yogurt as dessert.

Remember that wagon you (Ella) loved to push around, always filled with a random selection of toys.

Remember that time you (Covey) put black tape across the cabinet drawers, to apparently keep me out.

Remember those birdhouses you boys made at the Refuge Center, with so much excitement!

Remember all of those little superhero guys.

Remember that first week of summer break, when we rode bikes to the river almost daily.

Kodiak Crab Festival

Every single year, on every single Memorial Day weekend, the Kodiak Crab Festival takes place. It's a big deal, regardless of your age. The kids talk about it for about 360 days, & then it's here, & then it's gone. We managed to get by only going two days. It's also a money pit, so two days there is pretty darn good. My sister lives almost downtown, so it's an easy walk, as well as an easy tease. The boys tried so hard to patiently wait, staring at the moving rides through my sister's porch railing. We somehow managed to forget about all those years we could barely withstand the waiting, & kept the boys a little longer. But then we journeyed down, passed the zooming cars, along the docks, through the maze of festival-goers, to the ticket line. Almost exactly where the boys had dreamed of being for the past 11.5 months, but not quite. They wanted the rides- the Indiana Jones obstacle course, the spin-the-apples, the flying cars...& the games. The balloons to pop, the bottles to ring, the fish to catch- so much excitement for these guys.

After a couple hours, we headed home. The boys were heavily armed in their new pirate-ninja gear. We were heavily armed with seriously delicious Mexican food (& a sweet buttercup bouquet, courtesy of Covey). It was a very fun Crab Festival; & the weather was gorgeous. How could I forget the weather?! The weekend is usually a rainy, wet one, but somehow we managed to get two nice, sunny days. One big win, all the way around!