And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
- Lee Greenwood

My oldest brother was recently promoted to Lt. Colonel in the Army, and as I have learned, this is a very, very big deal. Last week I had the distinct honor of watching him officially take command of his battalion at the change of command ceremony. Watching the ceremony unfold made my heart swell with pride as I considered all that my brother and his family have sacrificed over the years, as well as all the men and women who were standing at attention watching him become their new leader. Our country has so much to be thankful for in all these soldiers who are fighting to defend our freedom. It's a humbling thought to consider the toll that countless deployments, long hours and rigorous training that they all have endured. Family and friends surrounded my brother and his wife as they were honored, and it was a very, very proud day for us all to be there and support them!!

I'm due to shoot Charlie boy's 6 month photo montage, but until I can get my act together to get that done... I'm choosing to look back at my sweet boy and ponder how he has gone from a tiny newborn to a little man with 6 teeth who weighs more than 20 lbs in 6.5 months?!? And I must say that every time I look at his newborn photos (which is fairly often!) my heart is just so thankful for Emily Corey and her amazing gift of capturing our family. This also makes me realize why every mom who is frequently behind the camera (which is most moms) really NEEDS to find a photographer that they love and trust to capture them. Now that we have moved I'm on a mission to book our next family session!

I could not resist sharing a couple more shots of my sweet niece as I've been editing the files to send off to my sister-in-law (thanks for your patience Shannon!).

Hope it's been a blessed week - how is it already Friday?!

We are here in the DC area for only ONE year, 12 months, and we don't have a clue where we will be stationed after our time here. This fact often leads to the questions...

So what are you going to do this year? Will you work? How much?

And the fact of the matter is that I don't know exactly what this year will look like for me, but I am approaching it with a very specific mentality of embracing some new challenges both personally and professionally. My mantra is an acronym that one of my good friends created - P.Y.O.T (sounds like pee-yaht) and it stands for Put. Yourself. Out. There.

It's really all about getting yourself out of your comfort zone and trying/doing things that push your limits a little bit.  I'm am the first to admit how quickly I can be lulled into being "comfortable", and how sometimes is hard for me to even recognize that I've settled into that place.  I should also clarify that sometimes being BUSY is often what is comfortable for me so simply saying no and intentionally slowing down is very UNcomfortable, but necessary.

Part of this equation is that we have gone from residential to urban living. More than half our belongings are tucked away in storage. We nixed cable. We are only using one of our cars. Walking is my main mode of transportation. I'm working on really getting back into shape, trying all new kinds of classes and pushing my body out of it's post-baby comfort zone. And the same concept applies to my photography/creativity... I'm trying to find some way to push myself beyond what is simply adequate.

One main goal is to finally finish the Lost Valley book project before the end of the year. Work on my portfolio... find something that makes me lose sleep I'm so excited about it. BE INSPIRED. Last year, the Wallflower Friends Retreat played a huge role in this process, and being there reaffirms just how important it is to do something, anything to expand yourself... renew your persepctive. So there you have it... that is what I'll be up to this year. Stayed tuned for how it unfolds.

So go ahead and P.Y.O.T.
 

"The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys."

We love hand-me-down toys around our house and one of our favorites is the happy apple (it's old school for sure). We actually have two of them, one from each side of the family. These apples are both over 30 years old and they still work perfectly after all that time... they jingle jangle and make a sweet jolly noise. A happy apple makes for a happy boy.