Purging

I’ve been doing a lot of purging lately. Spring cleaning, so to speak. It feels great. I’m constantly realizing that time is so important. There’s only so many hours in the day, and the days fly by.

I’ve been cutting down my Facebook time. As much as I like to catch up on everyone and participate in chatter, I’m finding I just don’t have time. So Facebook has been reduced, and you know what happens when you’re not constantly checking FB? You are free. More time to focus on the big stuff, and see my kids in their cute moments more.

Worked on email inbox. Way too many subscriptions. Too much time trashing emails each day.

Cut down on the amount of Pinterest boards I’m following. Tried to keep it to the things I’m really interested in, and will use. I love Pinterest, because I use so many things I pin. Vital source of activities for teaching the kids, for real food recipes, and photo business stuff. Cannot live without Pinterest, but have to filter the board following.

I have a black garbage bag that is hiding in my closet. It constantly gets filled with crud laying around the house; broken toys, stuff we’re not using, etc. Decluttering saves your home! Wow, to have less makes it much easier to clean the house. Brings peace of mind, too.

So, purging has been going great around here. Now, here’s a beautiful picture of Ethan I was able to capture last weekend.

It’s always been a challenge to take pictures of the boys. They just wiggle and move so much. Boy nature. Even though Ethan may not always look at the camera for me, he always gives me this wonderful, candid shot that turns out more beautiful than I hoped for. I love this. I’m always at a loss about decorating my mantles at home. I now know what to do;  just put framed pictures up of the kiddos. That’s just perfect.

For this picture, I took the kiddos on a nature walk at my favorite photo taking place. It sure doesn’t look like the desert. It’s the most beautiful, peaceful place with a little creek bubbling along. I have some great pictures of Brooke to share next post.  Kevin was too busy exploring to hold still for a pic, of course.

That’s it for today. What purging have you done lately? Get cracking, it feels great:)

Bittersweet

This week has been a busy one. WPPI has come to my city again this year, the big photography conference. I told my boys that this week would be a little busy with them getting shipped to babysitters on the few days I attended some classes, but that I loved them so much. I felt guilty not having as much time with them this week as I like, but it was also a wonderful treat for me to go to the conference.

Here’s a few shots from today. I won’t post a ton, as I already did on my photography account on Instagram, but it was a good day.

First off, I went to a portrait business class on Monday that really opened my eyes on how I could do better for my clients. I was so thankful to go and hear this humble woman share her mistakes and teach us. My friend Celise and I sat together and listened, taking notes. Second year going to this conference with Celise. Fun:)

We walked around the trade show, and I kept seeing photographers who I saw teach online at Creative Live. Big wigs with lots of gear.

Today, this wonderful musician, Mindy Gledhill, performed some music before my class started. She has a beautiful album named “Anchor”, and her songs have been used by many photographers. I got into my class, saw that she was on stage performing, and thought ‘Sweet! Double whammy! “ Two great treats in one class, Mindy, and Sue Bryce teaching us.

Mindy was so kind and approachable. She is heading into the studio next week to record her next CD, which will be out in September. Yea!

Lighting was pretty off in this area, but oh well. It’s a picture:) I’ve been watching and learning from this funny and kind lady, Sue Bryce. She’s a huge portrait photographer from New Zealand. I’ve watched her on Creative Live for the past year. Excellent teaching in posing. I just wanted to meet her in person, and tell her thanks for teaching me how pose, and to direct hands so well. Haven’t mastered it yet, posing hands is insanely hard, but she’s about the only one who teaches posing so clear and direct. So, this was my treat:)

Then, it was time to come back to reality, get the kids, give them big hugs, and try to not forget the education I gained this week. Grateful I could go for a couple of days.

The bittersweet part of today was a phone call with Shaun’s tender Dad, who is battling leukemia cancer. He no longer wants to do chemo, and the nurses say he has about two weeks left here. So hard to think of, and yet, a comfort to know that soon, he will be with his wife, his best friend, Shaun’s wonderful mother, Dixie. Still, it’s sad and emotional.

I called him today, praying that he could answer his phone. He did. Fighting back tears, I told him how sorry we were that we are so far away, and can’t see him in person, but that we love him very much. I thanked him for teaching Shaun how to be a good worker, because Shaun is one of the hardest, most helpful, working people I know. He takes such good care of us.

I thanked him for teaching Shaun how to treat a wife like gold. Shaun learned from his Dad’s example. Shaun spoils me, and constantly is thinking of my welfare first. He saw his Dad do that for his mom. Example is powerful. I am the luckiest girl in the world to be married to Shaun.

I just wanted to thank him so much for the gift of his son, Shaun, to me. I told him how much I love him, and how happy I am to be his wife and friend. I remember being single, and giving up on the idea of someone wanting to spend eternity with me. I had the mindset of being content single for a long time, and then Shaun came, and my life has been forever blessed. It takes a good Dad to raise a good son.

I also told Dad even though this is hard and sad for us, how happy I was for him to be with his wife soon, and to see her again. She’s waiting to greet him, and everything will be ok. How grateful I am to have the knowledge the gospel gives us, that life does not end at death. There is so much more to come, and families are eternal.

Then, I got off the phone, and cried in the car. I’m an emotional basket case.

So, that was my day today. I tried to notice the sky more, and hear the birds chirping in the trees. Life is a precious gift.