I pretty much hate winter.... 
But I tend to forget how beautiful it can be. I have been forcing myself to go outside and shoot.
There is something about freshly fallen snow that is so magical and peaceful.

the beloved Valentine's Day box contest

Sydney:
"If this box doesn't win then obviously it's too fancy for them....."
"If they don't vote for this box then I'll be like 'What!? You don't like candy? How could you not like candy!?'"

I actually loved making Valentine's Day boxes and had a blast helping Sydney make her own. Sydney wanted to do a sugar Valentine's Day box, basically one covered in all sugar..... But her mean mom wouldn't let her so we compromised and did a box covered with candy. And it was very fancy.

Happy lovers day!



 One of my favorite after school snacks.... 
graham crackers, apple sauce, and home made whipped cream. 
Not gourmet by any means but oh so delightful.

Hudson

    
This kid can get away with murder and he knows it. All he has to do is flash that little smile and you're putty in his hands and the world is his. He is so cute and cuddly but a little stinker at the same time.
Everytime I see him I just want to bite his cheeks. But in these pictures I can't decide if the food on Hudson's face is totally gross or makes him kind of even more yummy.
I have to give a shout out to sweet, little Conner peaking his head through the door.... I simply love this shot with Conner. He is so quiet, soft spoken and always seems so curious about the world around him.

Sydney, age 8

Sydney just turned 8 years old in December. I am amazed every day with how big she has gotten. When she was 3 years old I would always try to imagine what she would be like when she was 8. Sometimes it was hard to imagine because I was never sure if she would even still be with me. I love this girl and am so blessed to have her in my life. She truly is her own little person.

She is:
super sassy
frilly and fashionable
stubborn and determined
a great singer
tech savvy
a true tomboy at heart
resistant to getting her photo taken

She loves:
Saying hi to everyone we pass
playing with friends
ice cream
making goodies
spending money
puppies and kittens
snuggling with stuffed animals
dancing and singing
nickel arcade

Framed Episode 1

So.... Somehow I stumbled into this new website, "Framed," where they interview a photographer and show behind the scenes footage of a photo shoot. I am super excited about this website.
here is the first episode about world famous Ad photographer, Mitch Meyer. 
I can't wait for many more.



The Girl Effect

In a previous post I talked about a book that I read, "Half the Sky."  As I read it I was reminded of the power of an education, something that my dad taught me to appreciate and cultivate, but never really understood the magnitude or the value of it to the degree that I do now. Especially as I am raising Sydney I am brought back to how different her life would be right now or in five years or ten years. I often think of how different my life would be but rarely think of how different hers would be if we had never met.... If she had not come to live with me.....

As it stands now, only two people in her family have actually graduated from high school (one being my ex-husband). That is 2 out of the 9 people, who could have finished high school, actually did graduate high school. There are still 6 children (including Sydney) who have not attended high school yet and I'm not sure how many will actually go. How many of those children will actually still be in school at that point? It never occurred to me that people don't actually finish high school.... But even here in the US so many don't.

k. I couldn't decide which video to post....  so here are both. hehe. Watch both of them. I know I can't change the world. But it brings such comfort and joy knowing that one girl even, Sydney, can change generations. Now if only I can find an organization for girls in the US, as I suspect there are so many even here that never finish school....