Day One Hundred Seven

More of the Library Quotes...

I've lived in Central Oregon (this time) for five and a half years. I've taken my children to the public library in Bend on several occasions (more when we actually lived IN Bend). So why did it take me until a couple of months ago to notice the quotes all along the front of the building?

I really think this discipline of 365 is making me more observant. More aware.

Day One Hundred Six

Saturday. The way it's meant to be.

And a look into what seems to be my obsession with old windows.

Day One Hundred Five

Sunset.

One of the first in way too long...

Day One Hundred Four

Pencils...

A girl in the after-school care program where I work wants to be a wildlife photographer when she grows up. We were "talking shop" and she was telling me that sometimes there doesn't seem to be anything interesting enough to take a picture of. I told her that I often feel the same way. When I do,  I have to take something very ordinary and try to find a way to make it interesting.

The next thing I knew, I heard the pencil sharpener whirring way more than usual. I watched this fifth-grader arrange these pencils in a can and use her point and shoot (which she got for Christmas) to "make it interesting".

She did a good job. I asked her if she minded if, since I still had to take a picture for the day, I used her idea...

Day One Hundred Three

A beautiful morning fog was clearing from the neighborhood and gathering around the foothills of our niche in the Cascades.

Some days, one just doesn't tell the story.

Day One Hundred Two

Day One hundred One

A throwback to Eugene...

I love Summer, so I thought I'd make it for myself with this Lightroom preset.

 

Day One Hundred!!!!

Can you believe it? 

I stuck with something for a hundred days!

I know. Me neither.

This is a frozen sunrise walk this morning to the ball field at our community park...

Something so nostalgic about this one.

We can see it from our porch.

I loved the dugout as a kid

A tiny cleat print. Aww...

Sunrise over Newberry Crater

This? This is a log.

I was digging the texture...

 

Day Ninety Nine

The kid from yesterday belongs to a couple of my dear friends. I graduated with his dad and his mom is my boss. Yeah, I know. But it works.

They've opened a candy store in our town and she agreed to let me practice by taking pictures of their stuff. I'd like to go back to get some things right, but I like some of what I got.

Thanks, Jen!

Day Ninety Eight

This is my friend's son. He's such a sweetie!

Day Ninety Seven

I've been pouting and whining about our LATE Spring, really, since February. We live in a place where, honestly, this is the first proof of life I've found. I'm so excited!!

 

Day Ninety Six

He's a builder.

It's one of the things on his list of what he wants to be when he grows up.

He wants to build a beach house for his dad and I.

I could live with that!

Day Ninety Five

They say a dog is man's best friend.

When we were looking for a dog for this family, I had no idea that I could love him this much...

He's my walking buddy, my foot warmer, my floor cleaner.

Day Ninety Four

He Is Risen!

We have been a bit lonely. This is the first Easter we have spent without our oldest daughter. Sigh. We have two still at home. But we all feel the hole!

  So we made our way to church this morning at Antioch. 

Besides missing my girl, the day was amazing. I love this church!

The challenge is that we are called to give our lives away, and at the end of that is authentic, sustaining joy.

We shared a fun lunch at Red Robin, complete with comic relief from my son who, when presented with his second root beer before the meal was served, commented about our server (when she was probably not quite out of earshot), "Wow. She's really on it! Dad, you should give her extra."

After, we went home and prepared for the Sunday ritual of lazy.

But I was so pleasantly surprised to get a call from my brother, whom I see not nearly often enough. He and his love were in the neighborhood and wondered if we were doing anything...

It's amazing what light family who are friends can bring to a cloudy, snowy, lonely kind of day.

We played Wii. We laughed. We shared love and eggs.

All this and a raspberry limeade made for a beautiful Easter.

(yep. Still with the noise issues at only 400 iso...?)

Day Ninety Three

This Easter...

This year is like no other before it for our family. My husband was a pastor until last Spring. We have been in both senior pastor positions and associate/youth pastor positions (always a slash). In any case, there have been Easter preparations and service plans that have always ended up, in the end, trying to take over any real time I may have otherwise spent actually reconciling the meaning of the holiday in my heart. Add to the obvious pressure as a pastor's/staff wife, many of these years I also was worship leader/choir director (see, the slash. And the slash goes on...) and the pressure tripled. At least. I believe I even remember a year, not too long ago, when we hit the mother lode and celebrated a Sunrise service celebrating Christ's resurrection followed by a choir performance that had been MONTHS in the making AND daylight savings time all on the same bleary morning. Sure, I'd always manage to pull out the teary "thank you Jesus"and did, most definitely come to a moment of  impact. But I was always feeling the frenzy. That "I'll have to get back to You later, God. But, really, thanks" thing ...

Not this year.

This year has been intentionally, decidedly low key as far as the busyness goes. We, as a family, are no longer on that treadmill. It's a good thing.

The story is long and we're very happy to be on this side of things this year. And the fact that I had the time to take a shot of an egg that my husband (with the kids) took time to design for me speaks volumes concerning the miracle of this family fully taking time to be a family in this most blessed of seasons.

Thank you, Father for the cross. 

And thank you for this moment... this peace on a Saturday.

Day Ninety Two

I'm NOT going out there...

At least until I have to go to work, anyway!

(the view from my door)

Day Ninety One

April Fool!

(the old cheese-still-in-the-wrapper sandwich trick)

Day Ninety

I made something!!

My creativity has been a bit buried under a cold winter, but I needed a pouch for my new iPod.

It is meant to be worn across my body so I can do laundry or cook- even when I don't have pockets...

This is what I did today. Not really anything else.

 

Day Eighty Nine

A brighter day!

B. is on his way to school and it looks like blue skies!

I haven't meant to be grouchy. I just am ready for a change.

I've also realized that I haven't really been exploring new things photography-wise so much lately and have just been kind of  "phoning it in".

This week of "blah" has made me want to learn more again...

This shot is soft, but I love it anyway!

  

 

Day Eighty Eight

Is it still snowing?

Let me come out of my grumpy cocoon and see...

Plus, my guy is home sick. I'm SO ready for Spring.

Today I'd settle for color.

Day Eighty Seven

I know, Bruno...

It's been two days since our walks, which we both really look forward to. But the streets are icy and we're, well, cold.

Maybe later this week...

Day Eighty Six

Uh...

It's a snow storm.