During a visit with family, my brother’s amazing music filled the house.
Category: memories
Not what I had planned…
With a great photo idea in mind, I arrived at school early for pick-up, found the perfect parking spot, set my camera, and waited for the girls to walk into my viewfinder. I was ready to capture the excitement of the end of a school day on a Friday afternoon.
While I waited, I began to think about how I wanted to send this yet-to-be-taken-photo to my husband, as he misses these moments while he’s at work. Then, SURPRISE! Our youngest suddenly appeared in my viewfinder, ahead of schedule and was almost out of the frame when I captured this image. With all of my preparation, I didn’t even have the time to focus properly!
This was not the image I had planned, yet it is one of my favorites from the school year; I laugh when I see this photo and remember how happy the girls were to be starting the weekend.
Some of my best planned moments often turn into something different, and altogether wonderful!
The Ponytail and the Gymnast
The ponytail is making a comeback in our house. I have to admit that I love the way our daughter’s ponytail swirls and bounces as she plays. I also have to admit that I’m surprised how seeing my daughter in her ponytail can bring me back to my days–years, actually–as a gymnast (in a ponytail, of course).
My memories of being a gymnast are so powerful; I can still feel the thrill of swinging on the bars, releasing my hands, and catching the bar again a moment later; I can feel the extension of my legs and toes as I leap across the beam; I can hear my hands and feet pounding on the spring floor, as I tumble my way through my floor routine and feel the power in my body as I flip through the air. To this day, I still remember my bar and floor routines (I even hear the music for the floor routine in my head).
As an adult, I experience gymnastics in a different way, as an observer. I enjoy watching gymnastics, no matter what the skill level. I delight when kids work for and accomplish a new skill, discover their own strength, and find the confidence in themselves to try something new. Most of all, I love watching children having FUN with gymnastics.
In my memories, the gymnast in me can still feel her power, strength, confidence, joy, and grace. Now, these qualities present themselves in different aspects of my life, mostly through being a mom and a photographer. My hope for our girls is that they discover and keep their own power, strength, confidence, and joy through doing the activities and sports that they truly love. As always, keep following your hearts and dreams, girls.
I loved being a gymnast; I’m still a gymnast at heart!
Relaxing Afternoon
Today, I’m reminded of a relaxing afternoon spent with my daughter, reading under the magnificent redwoods.
Favorite Photo Friday: Creating in the morning
Some mornings, we have the luxury of having extra time to create. Our girls love to write, draw, design, and build. I love to capture these moments as they unfold, revealing and creating a story of my own in the process.
Memories
I have an old metal tin, which I’ve used since childhood to hold many of my keepsakes: my lost teeth, photos of puppies, gumball machine rings, Girl Scout badges, and a ballerina necklace. This old tin also holds something special from my grandpa, an old square dancing belt buckle.
It is amazing how many memories can be evoked from the discovery of just one object.
Finding this belt buckle brought back more than just a memory of how much my grandma and grandpa enjoyed square dancing together. I was reminded how I loved to go and visit them at their house in San Francisco, how excited I was when they let my brothers and I “paint” their garage with paint cans filled with water, and how much fun we had playing Yahtzee at their dining room table. I remember the sleepovers, hunting for Easter Eggs, taking the bus to go shopping, and even the sound of their voices cheering for the San Francisco Giants as we listened to the game on the radio.
Most importantly, I remember the love I felt from them, my love for them (then and now), and their kindness toward each other, and to all of us.
Now, as a parent, it warms my heart to watch the bond between our children and their grandparents grow. They may not understand how fortunate they are to have these relationships now, but, when they are older, I hope that they look back at this time in their lives with fondness, just as I am doing now.
In these moments, I miss my grandparents, immensely. I am grateful that I have so many wonderful memories of my time with them.
Thank you, grandma and grandpa!
keep opening doors 