30 days of gratitude...DAY 27

Day twenty seven...

Serenity.

I am grateful for the quiet moments in my life when I can breath in the fresh air and feel good.

Those moments where all I hear is the sound of the wind chimes outside my window.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 26

Day twenty six...

Being delighted with the small things.

I made this jewelry organizer for my wall last week and I'm practically giddy about it! I previously had all of my jewelry stored in a dark dresser drawer. I could never find what I wanted, things got tangled up, and for the most part I just skipped the whole jewelry part of my outfit because it just annoyed me to try. Now I have easy access to all of my bling!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 25

Day twenty five...

My new shower!

For the three years that we have lived in this house I have not had a shower or bathtub in my master bathroom. Now I do! So, I can shower upstairs, in my own bathroom! I'm beyond grateful for this luxury. I'm also able to take a bath in this house...also a first since our other bathroom is a shower only. In addition to a new shower/tub we're also re-doing the whole bathroom so it will be functional and pretty!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 24

Day twenty four...

Tater.

This cat is almost as dumb as a bag of rocks and he isn't cuddly or particularly funny (although we do laugh at how unintelligent he is at times), but we love him and appreciate him. He catches mice, which is why we have him! The kid adore him and he is entertaining when he's wrestling with Punky.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 23

Day twenty three...

Technology.

I'm grateful for modern technology.

I'm able to keep in touch with practically anyone.

My kids can talk to their grandparents and see them at the same time!

I love my computer, my cell phone, and my new iPad.

I also love my t.v., my alarm clock (okay, I actually hate my alarm clock), my microwave and a bunch of other things! I have a lot of respect for communities and cultures who choose to live without such things, but I just don't want to!!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 22

Day twenty two...

The Honey Badger.

I'm grateful to have some honey badger in me.

And to see it in my kids at times.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, look it up on youtube.

I'm not going to tell you, cuz honey badger don't give a sh!t.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 21

Day twenty one...

Me.

I'm grateful for being alive and healthy.

I like me.

I am funny, quirky, and happy.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 20

Day twenty...

My office.

I'm so grateful to have a place to edit, file, package orders, etc.

It is not fancy or a dream space, but it's mine and it's function and I love it!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 19

Day nineteen...

Punky.

She's a diva and sometimes just a straight up b!tch, but when she is sweet she is oh so sweet and cuddly. I handpicked her from an adorable litter of 15 kittens, much to my husband's dismay. It's obvious, though, that she is HIS cat. He spoils her something awful.

She's an awesome mouser and does her job at keeping the critters out of the house.

She even taught our other cat how to hunt.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 18

Day eighteen...

Transportation.

I'm so grateful to have my own car.

About a year ago, my minivan pretty much just blew up.

Luckily a family friend sold us his vehicle for crazy cheap. Our hope was jus that it would tide us over for about a year until we could get another van. Well, now that the year has passed and it looks like my husband may lose his job, I'm so grateful that the car is still running!

We live a mile from the closest city bus stop and the entire trek is on a busy and dangerous road, so taking the kids to the city bus stop is really not ideal or even safe.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 17

Day seventeen...

Coffee.

It makes me happy.

Wakes me up.

It's a treat to buy a mocha away from home.

I'm so grateful that my husband has finally started drinking coffee, as it's something we can share now. He's sweet and usually makes me an iced coffee in the morning, so that it's there when I wake up (and he's already off at work).

30 days of gratitude...DAY 16

Day sixteen...

Me time.

I'm grateful to have a place to relax (my bedroom or my balcony).

Alone.

To think, veg out, or escape.

I am grateful for those days that I get to spend shopping by myself.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 15

Day fifteen...

Music.

My oldest plays the clarinet and is planning on learning the guitar soon.

My middle song is in choir and plays the piano. He plans on playing the trumpet, the drums, the guitar, and who knows what else.

My youngest loves music, as do my husband and I.

We love to dance and rock out in the living room.

I'm grateful to have found a good deal from a nice lady on a piano (even though it drives me bonkers most of the time).

Music can completely turn my day and my mood around.

I am grateful that my kids still have music classes, as well as extra

curricular music classes at their schools.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 14

Day 14...

Location, location, location.

I love living in Oregon.

I love that we have four distinct seasons.

I love that we are an hour from the beach, an hour from a big city, and just a few hours from the mountains, desert, and a bazillion other things.

I love that I can sit in my own front yard and enjoy the view

(that's where I took this photo, actually)!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 13

Day thirteen...

Photography.

I am so grateful to be able to do what I love...and to get paid for it!

Even if it's just part time or I decide to return to being just a hobbyist, it will always be part of me and part of my life. I've been told that I breathe photography.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 12

Day twelve...

Food.

I am grateful to have food on our table and in our pantry to feed my family.

I'm well aware of the fact that this is not the case for many many families around the world and I do not take it for granted.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 11

Day eleven...

My dad.

Although I didn't realize it growing up, I have an awesome dad.

He is one of the most patient people I've ever met (he had to be, living with both me

and my mom!). He's gentle and kind and funny. He's an awesome grandpa.

My dad taught me how to drive a car, how to fish, how to check the oil in my car, how to use power tools and...how to make totally kick @ass paper

airplanes (which has earned the respect and awe of my children).

Thanks, Dad!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 10

Day ten...

Friends.

I love my friends.

I love that my friends all meet my needs in different ways.

I have my local friends, my coffee homies, my long distance friends, my friends from back in the day, friends that make me laugh so hard I almost pee my pants, shopping friends, and even a friend who will always be the Lucy to my Ethel.

There are many days I wouldn't have made it through without my friends.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 9

Day nine...

My mom.

We've had a few rough years (when I was a feisty teen and she was...uh...MY age!), but we're close and she's taught me a LOT that I am thankful for.

Independence, self-confidence, and above all...how to shop sales like nobody's business!

In her honor, I'm posting a photo of a coat that I bought yesterday (at a bargain, of course)! Sure, I could have posted a photo of the entire coat, but that wouldn't be as visually interesting as the texture, would it?

30 days of gratitude...DAY 8

Day eight...

The important moments.

I'm so grateful to have been here for all of the special little moments in the lives of my children. First steps, first time without training wheels, loss of first teeth, etc. I know that a lot of people aren't as fortunate as I am and I do not take these moments for granted.

(This is a photo of Oscar that I took last week right after his first tooth fell out.)

30 days of gratitude...DAY 7

Day seven...

My photography community.

I wouldn't be where I am today with my photography business if it weren't for my fellow photography buddies...both online and in real life. There are too many people to list, but I assure you, I have a LOT of people to be thankful for. I will say that one person in particular, though, has been my saving grace. Azure, of Azure Marie Photography, is the one person I communicate with daily about anything and everything photography (and personal life) related. She is a colleague, but also a friend. We have worked together on numerous occasions, shooting weddings and sharing hotel suites for boudoir photo parties. So, thank you to my fellow photographers and, of course, Azure.

Photo below taken by Azure Marie Photography.

That's ME shooting a bride and groom this past summer.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 6

Day six...

Seasons.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I absolutely LOVE autumn.

Love. It.

I love apple cider, halloween, pumpkin patches, cool crisp air, the changing leaves, the fog, etc.

I feel like I wouldn't appreciate fall so much, though, if it weren't for the other seasons. I despise summer, but I love knowing that when it's over that I'll get my fall leaves!

I also enjoy living somewhere that actually has seasons.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 5

Day Five...

Our youngest son, Oscar.

To say that this little boy completed our family is an understatement.

He's the only person in our family who was not born in Oregon.

This little guys was born at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX...yeehaw!

Oscar has a smile that just lights up a room.

He's a people person and LOVES to make people laugh.

We've always called him our teddy bear because he's always been chubby and cuddly, but is just about as sweet as can be. He's nice to other kids and is usually the peace keeper.

He is full of energy, humor, and like all of our kids...handsome as can be!

Although he's "the baby" of the family, he's certainly not a baby anymore.

He's enjoying Kindergarten, can ride a bike without training wheels,

write short sentences, and just lost his first tooth!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 4

Day four...

Our middle son, Karson.

Oh man, if I wrote all the awesome stories we have about this kid, it would turn into a book!

Karson was by far the most difficult baby (ahem, and toddler, preschooler, kindergartener....) I've ever encountered. He is just now, in fact, getting easy to handle.

He was stubborn, angry, moody, and did I mention stubborn?

Luckily for him, he was the easiest child to deliver. Ha!

Karson is hilarious and makes me laugh on a daily basis.

He's also creative, smart, athletic, and artistic.

Oh, and obviously quite handsome!

As a pre-schooler he wore pink rain boots for an entire year because he wanted to and didn't care one bit that kids (not his peers, mind you, but older kids!) made fun of him for it.

He's currently sporting long hair because he likes it and yet again, doesn't seem to be bothered much by those making fun of him (I'm far more bothered by it than he is!).

Out of the blue he decided he wanted to take piano lessons. I was hesitant to sign him, but eventually did. He absolutely LOVES it and I think he might have a future in it!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 3

Day Three...

Our oldest son, Kayden.

This child has always been considerate, sensitive and empathetic.

Although he's in the peak of tween awkwardness I can start to see the kind of man he'll be. Even though he's a LOT like me (looks like me, acts a lot like me, same interests as me), I see that he's picked up some very special traits from his dad.

Kayden is always doing things to make us proud and he's just

an all around awesome person. He made my miserable labor and delivery all worth it!

30 days of gratitude...DAY 2

Day two...

My husband, Ben.

I've been asked quite a few times how we got along so well (seriously, we rarely have arguments and we've never EVER called each other a bad name or raised our voices at each other). The answer is simple. We are compatible and respectful. I didn't marry an @sshole and he didn't marry a b!tch. It's that simple.

We've also got a little bit of the "opposites attract" thing going on.

We met in college...he was a jock and I was an art major.

He'd never even set foot in my building.

I'm funny, he laughs at my jokes.

I'm loud, he's calm.

I'm messy, he's clean.

I'm weird, he's normal.

I'm chocolate moose tracks ice cream, he's apple pie (thanks for that, Kate!)

When it comes to the big things, though, we tend to agree.

For example...we agree on how to raise the kids, morals, etc.

I love him with all my heart and he's the most considerate and thoughtful man I've ever met.

He would get up in the middle of the night and drive an hour to get me Tums if I asked him to. Seriously.

30 days of gratitude...DAY 1

First of all, I'd like to apologize for the lack of posting on this blog.

I'm going to try to post a lot more. I'll do a '"catch up" post ASAP.

In the meantime I'm starting my annual "30 days of gratitude" project.

I think this is my third year doing this and I just love it.

I love it when I'm forced to acknowledge how fortunate I really am.

It always puts things in perspective for me.

So, day one...

My home.

We do not own a fancy home or a huge home, but it's PERFECT for our family.

I instantly fell in love with this house because it's so quirky and unique.