{grateful daily | day twenty-two}

today i am grateful for
the twinkly bells
that are the sound of his laughter

{when you look back}

love. cuddles. make believe. warmth.

you. me.

this is what i want you to remember. when you look back.

it's us. every day here, in our little family. watching you flourish. astonished.

when you look back, i want you to remember our moments; if not clearly, then remember them as a blur of happiness.

i want your entire childhood to be one delicious blur of happiness.

i want you to know how important you are. i want you to look back and see how your spirit grew, how you became who you are today, someone i don't know yet know, but will never forget.

i want you to love you as much as i love you.

{healing machine}

he says he's got a healing machine
that glows in the dark
glows in the dark

say there's not a lot of me
left anymore
just leave it alone

- tori amos

{mini photo session}

Protection.

{click image to view larger}

{some captures of the precious one}

in the land of make believe




processing for this one inspired by the legendary Sally Mann.

{some words on wishes}

today we spent a lot of time in our backyard. this is the first home you've had in which you've always been fully aware of your surroundings. i think you love it here.
you especially love our little pond with the fountain in the backyard. you've taken to dropping in little trinkets from mother nature and making wishes. today you wished for trees. you wished for leaves with mayonnaise. you wished for mama's camera. you made wishes for papa. you dropped your wishes into the water and watched the breeze send them fluttering.



you got dirt from sticks under your fingernails. leaves clung to your overalls. you laughed. loudly. you cheesed for my camera.



my wishes for you went unspoken. they are simple.

be true to yourself.



be kind. think before you speak. consider before you act.



live in the moment. but plan for the future.








know that there is nothing
you cannot do




{click images to view larger}

{with love from me to you}

when i was first pregnant with dakota, i filled up several journals with my thoughts on the journey. and then came the quiet, peaceful days of his newborn-hood when he would spend hours sleeping and i would log his every coo and gesture. now that we're well into the toddler years (and quickly approaching the 'kid' years), i've slowed down considerably on my chronicling. i have to amend this. i want to be able to give him his early years in words, in images. i want his memories to be tangible.

this drive is what truly sparked my interest in photography. i found a way to give him these things through a medium that brings me intense joy.

i am continuing to chronicle. i am dusting off the journals. i am writing his story.

while he lives his life, i fill the pages.


{click image to view larger}