65/365 Hanging Kicks

64/365 Killer Kicks

Had the pleasure and honor of shooting pictures for my neighbor, Tay, and her friend's for her 14th birthday. It was so much fun to be with her and her friends as they got ready for the night "A Night on the Red Carpet." With three boybarians in my house, I never get to hear the chatter and buzz of girls picking out clothes, talking about makeup and, of course, shoes!

Thanks Tay for inviting me...love ya!

63/365 Clowning Around

62/365 The Swan

Okay, so I was REALLY having a bad day in February when my hubby convinced me to take the gang out for a bike ride while we walked. I sort of begrudgingly agreed, grabbed my camera and hopped in the car. Before long we were at Regency Park and the boys raced off on their bikes. Beans had a tire blowout and I tried to give him a bit of a push which caused him to pop his first wheelie!!! We cracked up...total "had to be there" moment but it began to chisel away at my cloudy mood. While antics of three boys whirled around me, I took a moment to sit at the edge of the lake alone. Within what seemed like seconds there was the most beautiful swan staring up at me. He silently came out of nowhere. His brown eyes seemed to search my soul. There was a quiet gentleness about him that made me think of God. About how in the fray of three young boys popping wheelies and squealing tires and in the moment of absolute tired desperation in my heart, He is there. Out of nowhere like a swan. The grey cloud over my head blew immediately over. Later that day, the eyes of the swan continued to return to my thoughts. I wondered of there was any spiritual symbolism of the swan. Here is what I found:

"...the swan stands for the ethereal. It represents the presence of divine inspiration in our world."

{sigh}

61/365 Beans in a Blanket

One cold morning this week Beans rolled off my bed in a bundle of blankets. I told him to freeze (poor child!) while I grabbed my camera. Snapped this of his bed head and sleepy eyes. I generally do not like this expression to descibe kids but he just looked "yummy!"

60/365 Color Challenge

Many of you know that I began this Project 365 because I was inspired by a fellow mom, photographer named Hallie who was doing the same on her blog http://www.fromtherubberroom.com/ .

Last June (wow, June, really?) Hallie began an online workshop entitled "Through the Lens"-- workshop for anyone who wants to improve their photography skills - for beginners - taught by a beginner. At the time, I was months away from purchasing my new camera and so I stood by the sidelines and watched enviously as people posted wonderful photos. Well, now I need not wait anymore. Woohoo! This week is our first photo challenge:color. We are to take a photo, or many using - color. It could be your favorite color, many colors, unusual combinations and designs, bright, muted, colorful buildings, signs….Being my indecisive self, here is the first of possbily many photos of color. I received in the mail a box full of balls for JumpBunch, our kids sports and fitness business and thought "Aaahh, what wonderful colors!!!" I have some other ideas for this challenge, but this is a start!

Don't Jump! 59/365

My hubby successfully cheered me up on Valentine's Day by taking all of us for a walk around the amphitheater lake. I brought along my camera of course, which, selfishly, made the walk MUCH more fun. The two bigs had great fun pretending they were jumping into the lake off the edge of the path. There was only a 24" patch of grass to land on below so their jumps were only so high...silly boys! Love 'em to pieces!!!

In the Shadow 58/365

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dunk 57/365

Tuesday night we went to see my nephew, Casey, play in the Duke manager's basketball game against the Carolina managers. It was an 11PM start time so the kids were like, "What? we're going where?" We decked them out in their best Cameron Crazie gear and headed out at 10:20. It was so fun to see them play in Cameron. Casey dominated the first half. Some spectators began chanting "Ca-sey's Win-ning." The guys won 90-55. Unfortunately the actual team lost the following night.. :0( We wish all of our nieces and nephews lived close so we could see them do these cool things!!!

Bumper Crop 56/365

Once a month the congregation of our church is offered the opportunity to help those in need by bringing food through a program called "Bumper Crop." They are asked to leave the bags at the bumper of their car, hence the name. Our small group had the chance to run this effort this past weekend. A week beforehand we had to collect and staple flyers on 1500 grocery bags. We then put them out on windshields in the parking lot. We ran out of bags and had to quickly add about 900 more to the mix. This week we collected all of the bags and delivered them to a mobile home park where the food is stored, organized and offered to the residents of the park. As we stood in the assembly line from our vehicles into the trailers, I looked to my friend Janel ,who had been fighting back tears all morning. It was such an amazing feeling of unity although our races, income and personal histories were more varied than we could dare have time to discuss. We were simply people. People help other people. Brothers and sisters giving to one another what each of us needed for that moment; whether it be tangible food or the opportunity to serve and be a blessing. My boys were there, right along side everyone else and I pray they will remember how simple and wonderful it is to help one another.

1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

Philippians 2:3-5
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

String of Gems 55/365

Chucks 54/365

So I love Beans in his Chucks! I was so excited to see these classic kicks re-emerge. I was never one for character sneakers. I often redirected my guys to what I thought was cool, after all I am the one paying for them...at least for now.

Moments

The poem below was written by a friend of my brother, Tom, on the plane after his first ever marathon in Anchorage, Alaska for the Leukemia Society's Team-in-Training in 1995. This very poem may be the signature poem for my "someday" photography business because it is with exactly her description that I strive to capture those "moments." Enjoy...

M O M E N T S

They come and go,
Like the people who touch our lives.
Some pass quietly as small miracles,
While others are announced by trumpets.
Still others slip by, only to fade away, unnoticed.

Each has a purpose,
And a rightful owner.
Those who claim them as their own
Never forget them,
Or the people they’ve shared them with.

They are truly one of the treasures of humankind
In that they can never be taken away
Or diminished by others.
For once they are within - -
They are forever . . .

Frozen in time.
We call upon their strength
To elicit joy, inspiration, humility and even fear.

Perhaps one of our greatest teachers,
Precious moments are to be protected at all costs.
For with gentle, timeless hands,
They lead to valuable discoveries
Of who we once were, who we are now,
And who we can become.



© Lisa Ozalis Graham
June 18, 1995

Zamboni Queen 53/365

I had the pleasure of celebrating my friend Cara's birthday on Saturday at a Carolina Hurricane's game! So. Fun. She had the privilege of riding the Zamboni between quarters and was quite natural with her crown and feather boa! She's a riot!!!

Mighty Moose 52/365

The kids at swim lessons LOVE these floats. They often pretend they are lifting very hefty barbells. Our little neighbor was imitating Boom in this photo...he sure thinks he's big stuff!

BTW, GO STEELERS!!!!!

Snow Wonder 51/365

Last week, we experienced our first "real" snow since we've moved to NC. What I mean is that the snow actually covered ALL of the grass! Beans had never really seen snow before; not that he remembers. Once he got over the initial excitement, I found him standing silently (for those of you who know him, you realize how rare that is!) looking out of my bedroom window. I couldn't capture the wonder on his face, but knowing this little energizer bunny the shear amount of time he stood still told the wonder. "Mom, it's so beautiful, isn't it?"

Yay...again?

Birthday Girl 50/365

This is one of Bean's classmates. She had a super fun party at the Little Gym on Saturday...talk about some worn out four year olds!

On Your Mark 49/365

Okay, so a photo a day is not happening but I will be doing my best to catch up now that I have a new lens...Yay! and Photoshop...Yay again!

I spent my afternoon shooting the kids and staff at Triangle Swim School. I know I have posted about them before but I must say again that these people are second to none. They do a wonderful job of incorporating swim skills with fun!

I took this shot last of the day...

Old Girl 48/365

This is Chase, our 14 yeard old lab/shepard. Chase is our first "baby." It is by owning Chase that we came to learn the ways that did and did not work in our raising of our kids. We highly recommend owning a dog to anyone who EVER plans on having kids. It's the best lesson in caring for another creature that we had experienced until the day Boom was born.

Fins 48/365

Our Fav...47/365

We were so excited when Rita's finally opened in Apex this summer. Tim and I have spent many a dollar on Rita's back when the boys were just a twinkle in our eye! We really, at one point, considered opening a Rita's a few years back but they were not selling franchises in NC yet. Rob and Beth are doing a great job at our Rita's. We love feeling like regulars when we walk in and Boom can't wait until he's old enough to work there. Just a few more years...

Art(ichoke) 46/365

Self explanatory, I hope. :)

Bump 45/365

This is our $2400 cat, Bump. He's turning 15 this year and he was born with a bad eye, bitten by a raccoon, and hit by a car. It's been about 10 years since anything huge has happened to him. I think he's been more cautious to NOT run out of his nine lives.

Pixie 44/365

This is my neighbor who we'll call Pixie. I shot this one afternoon while all of the 'hood kids were running rampant on the street. What is her expression saying? Her sister is in the background, head in her hands...I think she looks a bit pleased with herself.....Don't you just LOVE her hair color??!!!