Blessings by Snail Mail

Welcome to my Snail Mail Station... I LOVE sending cards, especially the unexpected ones. I think the reason I most love sending them is because of the joy I feel when I receive a surprise note in the mail. I mean, you can't really help but feel joy when you get home at the end of the day and drudge over to the mail in anticipation of bills, ads, and other not-so-friendly pieces of mail, and are surprised to find a piece of mail that has a hand-written address with YOUR name on it! Seriously... do you not instantly smile???

Well, I was lucky enough to catch wind of this great opportunity to expand my card collection over at (in)Courage, one of my favorite online communities for women. They offered to send me a pack of cards to send off to others! Seriously?!?! That means ME receiving a PACKAGE, and then being able to Pay It Forward... Wahoo!! I'm IN!
To my surprise, the package not only held these bright and beautiful cards, but it also contained a surprise thank you gift of a card organizer! As you can tell by the picture that started this post, my Snail Mail Station could use some help, and now it is tidy and organized! Another Wahoo!

But, what really got me was the label on the card organizer....


I have always tried to be very aware, and open in acknowledging the constant stream of blessings in my life. I also have a heart prayer to be a blessing to others, whether from my words, my actions, from behind my camera, or in front of my students... I love that this little reminder is right there on the front of my new Snail Mail Station to remind me that every time I pull out a card, I have the opportunity to be a blessing to someone in my life. I can't count the number of times that I have received the perfect card, filled with the perfect words, right at the perfect time. I know that it happens because my eyes almost always get teary. I also know that the sender didn't know the impact they were truly having. Many thanks go out to my mom, my grandma, my friend Mel, and my dear friend Jensine, who have all sent just the right note at just the right time.


This week, I sent out a couple of the cards. This one, I sent to a new friend. I met her two weekends ago on "Girls Weekend" - which was a blast, and was with a group of women that changes and grows from year-t0-year. This particular woman was filled with such grace and joy. I was drawn in to her genuine energy for others. I was blessed by her presence, if even for just a few short days.


However, I made a mistake with my words in a conversation, and think I may have hurt her a bit. Nice work, huh? I apologized, and I meant it, however, you know that lingering ache when you make a mistake and feel a bit embarrassed by it? Yep... the ache came home with me. So, as I looked through these new cards and this one just seemed perfect. The weekend was a joy-filled reminder that life is marvelous - I mean, really - a four-day weekend with 11 wonderful women, and meeting this new "friend" that was so genuine and real about her faith and her mission in life. She was a reminder to me that God is good, and he provides blessings for me in the most unexpected, perfect moments, even when I make mistakes.

Thank you, (in)Courage for touching my life, again. Thank you, New Friend, for being a blessing to not only me, but to others. Thank you, God, for working through me.

So... who can you send a card to this week???

:) j.

Disclosure: (in)Courage provided me with a dozen encouragement and thank-you cards, along with a card organizer as part of their (in)spired deal review program. However, like anything and everything else you read here at this blog, all opinions expressed are my own. I don't review for companies I don't like, and I most certainly don't share things with my friends unless a.) I believe them to be all things good, and b.) would feel comfortable with you spending your hard-earned money on it.

Another Crazy Christmas is Over...

Yes, Christmas was a month ago. Yes, I hold on to it for as long as possible, and this year, with no snow until January 19th, it has been a miserably Un-Christmas kinda year! So... now that there is a bit of snow on the ground, I was feeling motivated to start catching up on the events of the past month or so.

I think I made quite a few "discoveries" this year through our very fast, whirlwind of Christmas. One of the things that I am always reminded of is that I just LOVE my family. I LOVE spending time with them. I love when we are all locked up in mom and dad's house without any of the outside forces getting in. I don't know what those forces are all of the time, but I think sometimes they might be stress (or any stress-inducing agent, like money, rumors, work, bills, health, ya know... the stuff of life that aren't anyone' favorite), or lack of time, or getting caught up in "today" (ie - Internet, TV, iPads-n-Pods-n-Touches, and the list goes on). But, for the few hours that we get to JUST BE... all together... just BEING.... I cherish these times more than I can explain in words... obviously... :)

So, this year, while we started, hopefully, a new set of traditions, I loved up every minute of it... here is a brief rundown:

Nothing new here, that we all show up HUNGRRRRY! :) So, a new tradition this year is that we decided to have our Christmas on the 23rd, and we made home-made individual pizzas, and had an ice cream sundae bar for dessert. Yum, and YUM! :)

While we waited for our pizzas to bake, of course, we got our wrestling out of our systems... Double-team against Auntie Amy!

This isn't a full view shot, but yes, this is my sister, jumping on my brother... apparently, some people just never grow out of the need to wrestle a bit before dinner!

Then, the most stressful part of Christmas is upon us... the required pictures, prior to presents. We tried to get them out of the way before dinner this year... can you tell everyone started off on a great note?!?!

Don't worry... they get better....

At least the adults didn't need bribery, or threats.... me and my sister...

My brother and his wife.... I must say.... aren't they beautiful? I just love taking their pictures. They are cute.

And they make cute kids... seriously... a family of six and not an ugly one in the bunch! Gotta love that! ;)

This one's for mom.... her kiddos.... yep! We sure are growin' in to fine young men and women, if I don't say so myself! :)

And this is probably why.... aren't Ma and Pa adorable?

This picture was taken after dinner, rather than before. We took it because I told the kids they were NOT ALOUD to open a single present from me (and there were plenty) until I had an "Aunties Pictures"... yep... I'm that mean. And it's totally worth it. I don't see these kids often enough, and they are growing too quickly (do you see the one that's ALMOST taller than me???) and I need this cuteness to look at as often as possible!

Of course, in the excitement right before presents, there is always a little entertainment from Mr. Entertainer himself. This year it was dancing and pseudo gymnastics. :)

Finally - ON TO PRESENTS! It's fun to watch people open presents that they are truly excited about, and I am blessed to be part of a family where giving presents is important and thoughtful. Love it! And... I love their joy...

On to dessert!

Gracie would live on ice cream if she could... this dessert had her name written ALL over it.

Then, my favorite part of the night: GAMES! The kids are now getting old enough to play, too, which is SO FUN! It takes a bit of work to figure out which games are perfect for them, and which are not. QUELF is where we started, folks, and I believe in the end, we decided maybe it wasn't the best for them, but in the process of figuring that out, we sure did laugh a lot!

Everyone went home and slept in their own beds, and then came back to mom and dad's for brunch and an early visit from Santa on the morning of Christmas Eve. We spent the mid-day playing more games and just enjoying our time together.

After Christmas Eve church services, we head on out to "The Farm" - where I believe all but one of my 33 Christmas Eves have been spent. Of course, after dinner, before presents, there is another round pictures in every imaginable grouping - each family, grand kids, great-grand kids, in laws, parents and their kids, etc. etc. It takes a while, and the kids don't absolutely love it, but they sure were troopers this year!

And then, the presents.... My grandparents work SO hard to make sure everyone gets what they want from their lists. They work toward perfect brand, perfect color, perfect size, perfect price, and to be honest, they do a pretty darn good job, given they both celebrated their 80th birthdays in the fall. I sometimes wonder how many hours they log in Santa's Workshop for just one Christmas season. As you probably all know, I sure do adore my Grampa...

I found myself trying to soak up every detail of him at Christmas this year, even down to his handwriting on the gift tags... priceless memories.... absolutely priceless...

Jay got a new tractor from Great Gramma and Great Grampa... I am pretty sure my brother was jealous!

John got some 3-D boxers from his great aunt and uncle, and Gramma sure enjoyed checkin' 'em out!

Then, another round of games... John started a new one this year called, "Hairdresser".

I think the kids lasted one hand of Hand and Foot....

I believe there was a heavy duty game of Pinochle going on at the big table... maybe Amy's first?

And some Will Dance games in the teeny tiny den.

I don't know what time we left "The Farm" - I believe my brother's family headed for his in-law's around midnight. We know we can't sleep until hearing from them that they are safe and sound at "The Lake", so we usually hang out for a bit with Gramma and Grampa and then take off. When we got home, however, we did twist dad's arm (which wasn't TOO difficult) into playing another game or two before we all crashed for the night as well.

Christmas Day, Mom, Dad, Amy and I didn't even get dressed. We played games ALL day - literally - even when our butts got sore, we just played standing up, or walked between hands of cards. It was a marathon day, and it was AWESOME. (Not gonna lie - Christmas Day without the kids is pretty quiet and bland, so it just turns in to a great day to relax, knowing they are having a blast at "The Lake" playing ice hockey, opening more presents, and playing with Gramma Karen and their cousins, which, apparently, Amy and I are failing miserably to provide.) :)

I hope each of you that read this had a wonderful Christmas as well. Cherish the memories... they truly are priceless.

Hoping that 2012 is off to a blessed start for each of you, and that I am back here real soon with the next catch-up post!

:) j.

First Post of 2012, and.....

It is all about my current passion.... catching the tiniest moments for families like this sweet family whose Mama is a co-worker of mine, and whose baby boy was just four days old when I got to take these sweet pictures...

especially the glimpses into roles that I don't yet know...

like the precious moments in the first week of a new baby's life...

the first few days of life as brand new parents for the first time...

I am in love with my camera...

in love with the stories it helps me tell...

in love with the drive that I find to keep learning...

keep growing, improving, and developing...

so... my first post of 2012 is driven by my desire to grow as a photographer in the year 2012....

there is a giveaway over at a Crave Photography right now to start the new year...

grand prize is an amazing lens, and the runner up prizes range from mentoring to gift certificates to the design store.... I'm a realist (most of the time) and I know the odds are not in my favor to win any of the prizes, but seriously... if I am going to get better, I am going to need some help, and I will do whatever I can to help myself, starting here! :)

So, if you are a photographer friend, go over and help yourself to the odds (see how nice I am to share the opportunity?)... and if you are a non-photog friend, can you send up a little prayer that the win might go in my favor on Monday when the winners are determined?!?

And then, watch for new posts this weekend. I have LOTS of catching up to do! Ya know... Christmas... New Year's... Li'l G's birthday... pictures, pictures, and more pictures... some writing... ya know... a whole-lotta-bloggin' needs to be done! :)

~ j.

Tis the Season!

I worked from 8 this morning until 9:40 tonight. However, I had my camera with me because I wanted to drive by THIS beautifully lit house on my way home from work tonight...

It was so pretty that I just stopped and stared for a moment first. I turned on my Christmas music, probably way too loudly, and just took a couple of deep breaths.

After I took a couple of pictures, I drove on... All of a sudden, I was on a search for lights.... singing along to my music, driving around alone... it was peaceful and wonderful... and I found this....

And, finally, I found the Mother Load. I have seen the glow of it from the highway several times, and so tonight, I finally found it...

Now THAT is some kind of wonderful!

Happy Holiday Season, everyone!
:) j.