it took him all of three photos into it before he got used to the whole idea

1. "what is this strange green stuff with twinkles?"

2. "um, i think i'm gonna have to get used to this idea before i go exploring."

3. "ok. never mind. i'm goin' in!"

so, as i said in my post yesterday, we put up our christmas tree last saturday night. as you might imagine, this is a very exciting christmas for us! but more on that later.

since this is isaac's first christmas {post-birth}, i had the camera ready for the big "lighting of the tree". right after we plugged in the lights, i sat him down smack dab in front of it and raced to the couch to pick up my camera, sit down and start capturing his response. {and those three shots above really are the first three i took, just as the scene really unfolded.}

and then he was off!... off to a good half hour of pure enjoyment of a whole new world.

as you can see, i couldn't stop at just three photos... there were so many sweet little expressions to get and i could not pick only one adorable face out of the bunch. so i had to post them all {well, actually, i took so many more. but these shots turned out the best.}

anyway, as i said, this will be a special christmas for us. in fact, it will be the first time in a long time that we got really excited about celebrating it the way we did as kids. we were more excited than usual last year at christmas... just with anticipation of the arrival of our first child in the new year to come.

but this will be far more special. isaac is sitting up completely on his own now {even without the support of pillows and such around him}. so we feel like it will be lots of fun to have him around on christmas day. he may not remember it for a long time to come. but we will enjoy him more if he is sitting up with us... able to play and laugh and listen to the christmas tunes.

it is special for both mr. b and me. but i feel an extra special aspect to this time... because it was last year at about this time, that i announced my pregnancy, using this very tree to take photos for that post.

and though i already used "isaac is my gift this year" for my birthday in september, it fits here, too... this is our gift this year... so how appropriate that i should let him hang out under the tree {supervised, of course... don't worry, it's a fake tree}. i'm so grateful to have someone new to celebrate christmas with this year!

well, i guess that will wrap up my "thankful for" posts for the month. i wanted to do another, but i don't think i will get around to it. i'm bummed, 'cause after a short series that a blog friend of mine invited me to take part in, i won't be blogging much again. i've got projects in the works, and christmas to prepare for. and with the gratitude posts behind me, i'll be back to not blogging regularly again {not that it was a regular thing in november}.

anyway, the in-laws just spent their last evening here. they will head back to florida in the morning, and they will be greatly missed. we are already planning our next trip down there. i think we'll be going sooner than we thought. we have other relatives that really want to meet isaac. he is growing so fast, so we feel a sense of urgency to get down there soon.

tomorrow is december, and i am ready for it. i'm so excited to make christmas as magical as it can be. i want isaac to have great memories of his first christmas... they may not stick in his mind, but i'll be sure to capture it with the "pen" and lens so that he can relive them some day.

my hope for him is that he senses the wonder of the reason we celebrate.

stay warm, all! see you around in december.

{it's not just another day... cultivate gratitude... begin by opening your eyes and be surprised that you have eyes you can open} + {maple walnut apple crisp}

i was looking forward to winding down the holiday weekend with a day of rest and relaxation yesterday. however, the day started pretty tough for me. it was begun with somewhat of a blindside to my resolve. and almost the entire day, it threatened to dampen any joy i felt or any gratitude i had been cultivating over the past few days.

in fact, i wrote a lot about it just now, but then i decided to delete all but the first paragraph {above}. i just won't go into it here and now. but i wanted to at least share a video about gratitude and some yumminess in the form of a thanksgiving recipe today.

the video below was sent to me by my husband's aunt the day after thanksgiving. i did not get a chance to watch it until sunday night. but it turned out to be a good time for me to see it. after the discouraging day i had, this helped me on multiple levels.

i'll preface it by saying this... i don't know what this speaker's views or beliefs are, but i am pretty certain we don't share the exact same world view {based on a couple things he said}. but that is not why i am sharing the video. i am sharing it, because as i love photography, i find the images in it very beautiful and moving. and the core message of the video {to be grateful for so much that we often take for granted} put with those images was inspiring and quieting and thought-provoking.

it's not just a "be grateful for what we take for granted" message. it's sort of a "put people in their place" message. everyone has a story. everyone has difficult parts of their lives. some more than others. some more visible than others. but no one is alone in experiencing mistakes, pain and heartache... some even catastrophic. but it's what you do with it that counts, i think. this video speaks to that... and it's a universal message for everyone, no matter what you believe.

the video is almost ten minutes long, so if you want to lessen your viewing time a bit, i suggest skipping to the 2 minute and 38 seconds mark, and start viewing from there. before that point, the speaker is basically sharing that he is a photographer who specializes in time-lapsed photography and what he believes is meant about the way people respond to his art/craft.

there are so many things in this that struck me... i thought the little girl's words were profound. and they made me want to turn off that television of mine for good. for me. for isaac. for the world around me. i want to explore life much more intentionally. i want to walk down paths to discover beaches at the end. if you know me well, you know i love paths and photographs of them. this video has made me want to start a photography series on paths and what lies at the end of them.

i had to chuckle at her finger in the nose as she was saying "it makes you wanna go deeper in..." {*smile*} anyway, i just found what she said to be very inspiring. it's amazing how the thoughts and words of a child can sometimes wake up us adults.

but what i found the most inspiring {and convicting} were the words of the aging man in the last half of the video. if we merely wake up each day with the ability to see, we are blessed. and yet, we have so much more than just that. and to treat each day in gratitude as if it were our first and last is some of the best advice i have ever heard. if people did this, there would be a lot less blame and criticizing and bashing and beating up and hurting and senseless tearing down.

yes, it's a simplified way of looking at the world or life. but i have to say... what is wrong with simplifying things? isn't their enough complication in the world? could it be that if we are so filled with gratitude for what we do have, we won't let bitterness take root and grow and fester and choke out all life and joy?

my beliefs point me to the bible verses that speak to this... "give thanks in all circumstances"... "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

i know this post is getting long... just one more thing about the video... i loved what the man said about the sky and clouds. if you have been reading here a while, you know how much i love {and am fascinated by} clouds. so what he says about them resonates very much with me.

in fact, much of the video hit home for me, because it is what i want the essence of my blog to be... through my words and through my photographs... gratitude. wonder. seeing. amazement. and even though i am not blogging regularly {don't know how ANY mom has the time to}, i will make the biggest effort i can to log in and post about that... as often as i can. especially, like i previously stated, during the month of november.

with that, there's only a few days left of the month, and i have a few last gratitudes to share {above, below, and a couple more things tomorrow and the next day}.

so... now for the yummy part... finally!

last thanksgiving was sort of a bummer for me. i was in my first trimester of pregnancy, and food did not sound at all good to me, as i was unable to keep any of it down. i spent the day alone with mr. b, and i was sad that i was not with family. it was a difficult day. but the thanksgiving before that was a really wonderful day. food is always such a fun part of thanksgiving... and a true blessing and gift i am grateful for {even if there was nothing else to celebrate that day}. it's something so many go without, so that alone should keep us from complaining.

anyway, because i'm so busy now with a baby who is in constant need, i opted for a more simple dessert this year. four years ago, my mother-in-law gave me this book {below} on thanksgiving.

it's just a collection of recipes, but there are also pages to write down memories of family gatherings or put photos. since i already have a blog, i use it for my recording of memories and photos instead. but the recipes still come in very handy... especially the one i chose this year.

it's so simple! {who doesn't want simple, especially when it can still be delicious!}

so, i made the maple walnut apple crisp dish on page 87.

this is what it is supposed to look like when all done and served. i just made it last night, and i'll be serving it tonight when my parents-in-law come over for dinner. {they are staying at a hotel in town.} yes... i was a little late getting this thanksgiving dish made. it was supposed to be made on thursday for the feast... but things don't always go as planned. anyway, we'll see if it looks like the photo above... tonight, all warmed up and complete with a nice cold, melting scoop of vanilla goodness on top.

i decided to take advantage of my new lens and all the light it lets in to take some photos of my crisp-making adventure... something i could not do well with my old lens, as there is little bright and natural light in my kitchen. it was some good practice time with this lens.

i loved how all the golden-peachish colors played with the greens. and those apples looked so delicious in the bowl, it was all i could do to not eat them as is right out of the bowl.

well, i won't torture you any longer. without further ado...

i'm not gonna share the recipe verbatim... you know... copyright laws. 

but i will say this... this is such an easy recipe {no "from scratch" here, but every bit as yummy!}

basically, you can't go wrong with it if you add the basics and then play around with the rest. to get that maple flavor, use about four packets of maple & brown sugar instant oatmeal. and for those gorgeous apples i took pics of above, use a couple cans of apple pie filling.

and if you want to get really creative...

or any combination of the above.

and for more texture and chew...

like i said, you can't go wrong. if you want, add some cinnamon or nutmeg. don't forget some walnuts {or a nut of your choosing} and a little over a half stick of melted butter. mix it all together, put it in an 8" square foil pan {the other really easy part!}, and cook it at about 400°F for about a half hour.

i modified the recipe slightly, because it calls for making your own syrup to add to plain canned apples. instead, i just bought apple pie filling that comes with the thick syrup already. that way, the maple syrup that the recipe calls for can be saved for drizzling over the scoop of vanilla on top.

basically, the pre-cooked crisp looks almost the same as the cooked version.

but if you do it right, the cooked version will be a little more golden brown on top.

when i have made cobblers and crisps in the past, i sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon sugar on the top just before the baking was done... it adds a delicious {almost burnt} caramelized flavor to it. try it!

speaking of trying it, i can't wait to try this crisp tonight! my mouth is watering just looking at it now... and i can attest that it tastes delicious, because i sneaked a little corner of the crisp into my mouth before i went to bed last night. shhhh...

well, i guess that's about it for this very long post. i hope you enjoyed my better-late-than-never contributions to thanksgiving and gratitude-celebrating. {keep in mind, the recipe may be too late to use for thanksgiving, but it will still work great for all the christmas and new year festivities to come.} here is a little glimpse of what else i have for november thankfulness in the next couple of days...

obviously, we put up the tree... but i'll share more about how special it was with a little squirt to share it with for the first time.

i hope you had a great holiday weekend... and have a great week!

a few more thankfuls before november turns december

i'm

i love to watch him while he is with his family...
it's a side of him i don't always get to see.
laughter always ensues when they are all together,
and it is a joy to watch.

long days of traveling and visiting with family away from home

are so much easier when you have a very helpful husband.

he has always been so great about sharing equal "duty"

since isaac has been born.

and he has the best attitude while he is at it.
{usually... just like i usually do. *wink*}

of course, playing with him is the easy part.
but then there are the less-than-fun responsibilities,
and he takes part in both... and very well, i might add.
i'm so thankful he's an involved dad.
there are several more photos of him with isaac below...
you can definitely see how much he loves being a dad.

anyway... i'm also

not for me, of course... for isaac.

{isn't she cute?}

this is mr. b's brother's little girl.
this is only the second time they have met.
but it was more like the first,
because the first time, i think isaac was too young to realize
that there was another little squirt in his midst.
this time, he sensed it and rather enjoyed it!
well... most of the time.
there might have been a few moments that he was not quite sure about the whole scenario.

which brings me to my third thankful...
i'm

i'm sorry, but i have to admit something... i LOVE when isaac gets sad or scared.
'cause that's when this beyond adorable look comes across his face...
THE POUT
the ever-endearing pout.
i've always loved it on babies.
but it's even more extra-adorable when it's on your own kiddo.
i could look at that face all day long.
he just started making this face regularly... it's his new thing.
and he's got some pretty hilarious sounds that accompany it, too.


anyway, all in all, it was a very fun thanksgiving out at mr. b's brother's home.
we had a lovely time... truly.

isaac got a teeny bit cranky when he could not hold {or drink?} dad's beer.


but other than that, he was a pretty happy camper.
{sorry for the blurry pics... i'm still learning the new lens.}


at times, i think he was almost over-stimulated... so much to look at... so many more people than he is accustomed to.


but he really did enjoy his cousin.
it's one of the first times since he has become very personable
that he has had a chance to play with and observe another baby.
can you believe they are nine months apart?
isaac is almost as big as his cousin!


isaac loved his grandpa {mr. b's dad}!
it made me a little sad to watch them giggle together...
wishing isaac could have met my dad, and vice versa.
but that sadness did not take away from the joy of watching him
interact with his grandparents and really taking to them.
they saw him one other time before this...
they came up from florida shortly after he was born.
at five months old, i think he enjoyed this visit much more!

he also loves his aunt {my sis-in-law}.
she is super smily and talkative,
so i think isaac really perked up whenever she would talk to him or play with him.

here is a family shot i took with the tripod.
that little turkey... he was the only one not looking at the camera.
i guess he only has eyes for mama.

and what precious eyes they are...

they are just one more thing i'm so thankful for.

{oh, those ears, too!

those ears, those ears, those ears!

and that peach fuzz on his head...

that sweet little mouth...

that button nose...

that wonder in his expression...

i could go on and on!}

well, we hope you had a nice thanksgiving this year.

and we hope you survived black friday.

{we stayed in for ours... other than a short drive to the lake}.

enjoy the rest of your weekend!

PEACE OUT!
=)

thankful for good things in small packages

... was inside this small package.

{not the smallest package i've ever received, but still relatively small.

small by dimensions... not by the value it held.}

the box said STOP!

ummm...

i can't even tell you how patiently {most of the time}

i have waited for this upgrade and boost
to my photography inspiration and passion
{and hopefully to my livelihood, too!}.

or...

the af-s nikkor 50mm f/1.4g lens i have been wanting for so long!

bought mostly with money i received for my 40th birthday...

along with a little money i got from a design project i did.

it was soooooooo worth the wait!

i instantly loved my new lens

and couldn't wait to use it.

so that's just what i did.

i removed the kit lens that came with the camera i have

{which is what i used to take the above photos of my new lens}

and put the new one on

to start taking pictures of anything within a three-foot radius of me

{i was in the living room}...

like my favorite plant and isaac's new toy box

{toys are scattered no more... see last post}...

and my favorite guy's {mr. b's} guitar...

and my favorite snuggly blanket on the couch...

and issac's toys atop his toy box

reflected so whimsically in the coffee table glass...

and of course... little isaac.

admiring his dad's guitar here...

{he's gonna be a guitarist for sure!}

just hangin' out on the couch here...

well, i won't write too much more about my lens here.

i'm guessing {or hoping} my little photo series tells the whole story.

but i just have to say,

i could not be more grateful

that i received my new lens yesterday...

just in time for thanksgiving.

we'll be spending the day with mr. b's brother's family

and their mom and dad who are up from florida.

isaac will be seeing his baby cousin, lucy, for the second time.

what a great excuse to use my new lens!

i'm grateful to have the lens, period...

not just today, but EVERY day.

the above photos could not have been taken with my old lens

because of the low amount of natural light in my home.

they would have been blurry if i had tried.

but with this new lens, i've got so much more flexibility!

and it's giving me the most dreamy d.o.f.!

i'm so thrilled.

lastly, i am so thankful for the things you see in these photos...

my home.

my family.

isaac's toys.

mr. b's toy.

{guitar}

and my new toy!

even the blanket on the couch...

it represents warmth.

literal warmth, when snuggled up underneath it.

the warmth of a home that shelters us in the cold.

the warmth of the love we have for each other.

i have so much!

and i am truly grateful.

today.

every day.

what a wonderful "first thanksgiving" morning with isaac

it has been around our home today.

i woke up and got started on this post.

brewed a cup of coffee.

walked past the bedroom to see mr. b and isaac

sleeping in, content as can be.

when isaac finally woke up,

mr. b. and i went in to greet him

and wish him a happy first thanksgiving.

we had such a sweet time of giggling

and telling him how grateful we are for him...

that he is healthy, beautiful and happy.

asking him what he was thankful for...

"mommy kisses?"

"parents that don't give you away even though you wake them up a thousand times each night?"

{*wink*}

"all your cute baby clothes?"

"yummy food?"

"mommy and daddy?"

"toys?"

"how much you are loved?"

we had the nicest time,

just hangin' out on the bed for a little while.

now, we're all getting ready for our trip to the city to see family.

i'll be sure to get some photos.

and i still have more photos from my

"first photo shoot of isaac with the new lens" session

from yesterday.

but until then,

the best "good thing in a small package"
i have ever received
has a little message for you...

love, isaac

{and his mama, too!}