Day 31 {Small}

Hot chocolate and a gluten free muffin. Yum :)

January 31st, 2014

Everybody dies famous in a small town


I love this little town. Everywhere I go, although I don't really know people, it seems like everyone knows everyone. With a population just over six thousand it's really the size of some high schools, and even half the size of high schools in some areas. In a small town you suddenly don't feel so small, you're not just another person among millions, you are part of a community and a group of people who consider a few stop lights "downtown" and who will extend a helping hand in any way they can.

Day 30 {Red}

Sometimes he lets me take pretty great pictures of him

January 30th, 2014

Red is a color


Red. Red is only one word and one syllable but, there is much more than one interpretation of "red."  On the electromagnetic spectrum it is the color of light between 620 and 740 nm. The color of tomatoes, strawberries, and blood. We associate the color red with anger, love, passion, communism, China, Christmas, and fire. It's one of the "primary colors." In English, it's an adjective. For only being one little, three letter, word isn't it sort of amazing that so much spirals off of it and goes into it?

Day 29 {White}

Eating snow...the only reason snow even exists

January 29th, 2014

Where does the white go when the snow melts? -Hugh Kieffer


Snow will always be a wonder to me. White, fluffy particles of frozen water fall from the sky and gather all over the ground. Snowflakes are sticky enough to stick to trees, cold enough to frostbite fingers, and yet wet enough to turn to water. In places like Atlanta, snow is a dangerous thing as temperatures drop and it turns to ice on the road ways. But here, where everyone is prepared for winter's rain, you can just enjoy it.

Day 28 {Glance}

January 28th, 2014

In just a little glance you can see so much


I have always liked the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words" because I entirely agree. A picture only captures a split second of time but, if you capture the right second, you get to see it over and over again. It's just amazes me how that split second glance can show you so much. A quick click of the lens and you can see it forever and there is a story to be told from just one quick shot.

Day 27 {Clutter}

Cleaning out closets ends in finding all sorts of treasures

January 27th, 2014

Cleaning out the clutter


It's a new year. Time to say, "out with the old, and in with the new." Sometimes I think we can measure the year in our cleaning sprees, whether it be literally cleaning or just figuratively. We clean during the month of January, we make new year's resolutions to tidy up our lives, actions, and our homes. Then, in late March, as the snow is melting we go through a phase of spring cleaning; we evaluate how well or poorly we have worked toward completing our goals for the new year, and with the spring time weather outside we choose to brighten up our home. And the cleaning cycle continues, in June for summer, September for school, and late November as the holiday season begins. Constantly, we clean out the clutter in our lives because we are always working towards something better.

Day 26 {Loyal}

Bailey. Sunday afternoon snuggles

January 26th, 2014

Loyal as a dog


I adore dogs. They are always there to greet you and only want to please you and be by your side. They are such loyal, loving creatures. No matter what mood you are in, or the type of day you've had, they will still gladly curl up and watch television with you; they're happy to just be with you. If only humans were like dogs and could just love everyone. There would be no disputes over skin color, hair style, or language; everyone would see each other the same.

Day 25 {Heart}

January 25th, 2014

Dead Hearts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQT2HVfxJu4


I love all the little things this world has to offer, the tiny simple joys. It doesn't take much to impress me. Finding little hearts just makes me smile. And I think that the little things are what matter. Smiling at a stranger, taking time out of your day for someone else, a quick text or phone call. I mean a heart in my ice cream cone made my day, why not make an effort to make someone else's day?

Day 24 {Washing}

January 24th, 2014

Washing Machine


When something brings you happiness, you crave approval and you look for someone else to enjoy it too. We all have our funny little quirks and things that just make us light up. For me it's probably snow, or cooking something new, I love to cook. But, for this little guy it's laundry and what he is watching spin around and around is not the "washer" but the "washing machine" and he will tell you when the water is coming and when there will be bubbles and when it will spin back and forth and he will make sure your full attention is on the laundry cycle. He wants to feel like his favorite thing is liked by all and eagerly teaches his little sister the ways of the laundry.

Day 23 {Frozen}

Freezing bubbles in the freezer because the wind was too rough outside

January 23rd, 2014

Frozen Bubbles


Bubbles are an incredible childhood pass time. They are soapy wonders that drift through the air in all sorts of patterns and then they pop, or you pop them, and just as quickly as they were created they seem to disappear. There is so much in life that is just there for a little while and then it's gone. Every day brings something new and things and people always come in and out of our lives. I think that's what I love about photography, you can capture a small moment and keep it forever; the moment doesn't have to end.

Day 22 {Tracks}

January 22nd, 2014

Follow in my tracks


"Sam went out to help his father gather wood for the fire. It was winter and the snow was very deep. Sam and his father each took an armload of wood and started back toward their home. It was hard for Sam to walk in the deep snow with his heavy load. Sam’s father told Sam to walk in the footprints that he left in the snow. It was much easier for Sam to walk when he followed his father’s footsteps.

This little primary story is one I like a lot. I love when there is fresh snow on the ground and you can walk through it and look back and see just where you stepped. Walking to class last semester is was always kind of interesting to try and figure out the types of shoes that made which tracks in the snow. Wouldn't it be nice if we had literal tracks to follow throughout life showing us where to step and which way we should go?

Day 21 {Routine}

View from the bus stop

January 21st, 2014

Stuck in our routine

It's the same thing day in and day out. The world becomes so used to their life and their routine. But, drive a different way home from work, go somewhere you haven't been in a while, go see an old friend, and suddenly you've broken the routine. Sometimes all you need is a change of scenery to raise your spirits and realize that life isn't always just the same old routine and it goes so fast.

Day 20 {Rails}

Sunset in Montana. Breath in all that open space.

January 20th, 2014

Roads and rails under their feet


If you sit back and think about, it doesn't take long to realize that everyone in the world live entirely different lives. Some people don't get out much, they live in their town in their bubble. There are teachers, pilots, truck drivers, real estate agents. Some people like to run, swim, ski, play soccer or basketball. There are people who walk miles for water, drive hours to the nearest town. You can live in cities, suburbs, small towns. There are forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, and deserts. Some people live in huts with dirt floors and others in mansions with marble counter tops. I've always liked Jason Aldean's song "Fly Over States" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1GZzucDMlQ). It says "who'd want to live down there in the middle of nowhere." I hear that line and it makes me think that some of those people living in what some of us would call the middle of nowhere, probably wonder why anyone would want to live in a city.

Day 19 {Moments}

January 19^th, 2014

Little Moments

Riding shot gun in his truck, holding his hand, bowling, ice cream, football, smiles, trying to take a picture of the beautiful moon and failing miserably. I love every moment I am lucky enough to spend with my amazing boyfriend and it may have only a little more than a day but it was all of the little moments that made it so great. When you can go a month without seeing each other and instantly pick up right where you left off without missing a beat, you know it’s real. It’s the things that seem small and insignificant that mean the most and that I hold on to.

Day 18 {Hustle}

Sunrise at the train station in Whitefish, Montana.

January 18^th, 2014

Hustle and Bustle

We live in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Alarm clock, shower, get dressed, breakfast, work, lunch, dinner, driving, traveling, running. Some days just feel repetitive, the same routine. You don’t stop and notice the little things anymore, like the moon on the west side of town in the early morning. We live in a world where we walk around on our phones, texting, calling, staying in touch, putting us out of touch with those around us. Sometimes it’s just nice to slow it down and enjoy a little bit of life, the sunrise, a long train drive through Glacier National Park and clear across Montana. Slow down the hustle, dare to go somewhere without cell service, or without your phone, just take a step back from it all and take it all in.

Day 17 {Up}

January 17^th, 2014

Up, Up, and Away

You can blow it up with your mouth or with helium, they’re fun to hit back and forth, you can carry it around on the string, kick it like a soccer ball, sit on it and pop it. But, the best part of a balloon is watching it float away. You can let go and watch it float to the ceiling or let go outside and watch the wind take it and carry it away. The latter was our choice of entertainment today and I’ve never seen so much excitement. It’s like letting go of something you’ve been hanging on to too long. It’s amazing to watch it just disappear.  

Day 16 {Friends}

Sometimes he likes to teach her his devious ways...banging on the fireplace was the choice today.

January 16^th, 2014

Siblings are your best friends

No matter the age difference, no matter how much you do or do not get along sometimes, your siblings will always be some of the best friends you can ever have. They will look out for you, protect you, and help you in any way that they can. You might not tell them everything or spill all your deepest secrets but, they’re your family and family doesn’t turn their backs on you when you need them most. These two sometimes go at it but, he’s a great big brother to her and always makes sure she is doing the right thing and is always willing to be silly to make her smile. At the end of the day they’ve always got each other and will always stand up for each other. Those are the relationships you want to hold on to and cherish because those are the relationships that will matter in the end. You can always count on family.

Day 15 {Water}

Bath time :)

January 15th, 2014

It's incredible to me how something that seems so small and insignificant can have so much affect on the world. We have water all around us. 70% of the Earth is made up of water. We can find it everywhere; the clouds, icebergs, lakes, oceans, rivers, and for most of us we can find it in the pipes in our house. And since water is the key to life and is likely the most important thing we have, it's a good thing that for most of us water is easily accessible. But, almost one billion people on the planet are without clean drinking water. And about 50-60% of our bodies are made up of water. No crops would survive without water. There'd be no bathing, no swimming.

Day 14 {Three}

I love the way he holds the paint brush

January 14^th, 2014

Three

Meals are cooked for them; sometimes if they’re lucky they get to help, time is spent playing games and using their imagination, pants aren’t a requirement (except usually in public), their wish is your command. Three year olds have their own sort of routine. Their days are filled with “why?” and “no”, mix matched clothes, tears, naps, boo-boos, shoes on the wrong feet, and man are they busy. But, busy is hard when not much captivates their attention for more than 5 minutes. We found a short term cure today, water color paint. It’s easy to set up, clean up, it’s quiet, and it’s exciting to see on the paper. 30 minutes of this three-year-old’s life was taken care of and he loved it. Oh how I wish my life was as simple as a three year old.

Day 13 {Clouds}

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH7185u8Ho8

January 13^th, 2014

When you’re young you can fly, but you trip on clouds cause you get too high

I guess I talk a lot about kids. Probably because I spend so much time around them but, they just amaze me. Their innocence, blind following, extreme trust, worry-free, just soaking it all in lifestyle. It’s something I almost envy but also love to watch. Today, as my little three year old friend said "absolutely" when I asked him to go grab something for me, the same way I say it whenever he asks me to do something, that kids are just so impressionable.  When I was little, I mean very little, I would walk around the grocery store and say “hi” to everyone no matter how they looked, dressed, or talked. It would make everyone smile, I didn't know the difference between people they were all just people to me that I should say hello to, even if they dressed differently, had a different skin color or hair style. Somewhere along the line though, those people became people that I put my head down when I walk past to avoid, I was changed. And because I was changed I don't want to change anyone else. I think it’s so important to be a good example for young minds so they take in the good and don’t have to see the bad. You can find negative in everything but why bother? Why live in fear when you can find all the positive and just be happy? I’m not insinuating that we shouldn’t be smart about the people we trust and those we choose to come in contact with but a smile or helping hand isn’t going to hurt anyone and certainly being careful about the way you treat others when little eyes are watching you is SO important. 

Day 12 {Time}

Old scrapbook photo we found while organizing a closet. That little guy in the blue suspenders is my boyfriend, Conner, precious right?

January 12^th, 2014

Time

Most of our lives are measured in time. We have time to do something, we do not have time for something else, we need to remember to make time for this or that, we can look back in time to a moment, a memory. I love old pictures and scrapbooks, it is always incredible to be able to look back at a moment in the past and see who you were and remember places, people, and experiences. We have 24 hours of time a day, which sounds like a lot but we find ourselves running out of time. I saw a link from Facebook about the 37 things that people regret most on their death bed and most of those things are related to time. We all have different aspirations that we want to achieve in this life but, every one in a while it might not be such a bad idea to slow down the time a little and realize what it actually going to matter 40 years from now, sure jobs and money are important but too much seeking after money and not taking the time to see your loved ones or visit an old friend can take a toll when you realize you don’t have that much time left. In a Sunday School class once we were asked to sit for an entire minute in silence, do it with a timer running and you'll see how long it really feels and maybe spend each minute a little more wisely.

Day 11 {Snowman}

Our new, nameless, snowy, friend.

January 11^th, 2014

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Before you read this I have two disclaimers:

11. I love snow, I didn’t grow up with much snow so any amount of snow just makes me smile; I love love love it. And going along with the I didn’t grow up with much snow, I missed out on the opportunity to do a lot of fun things in the snow like snowmen, snow forts, skiing…ect.

22. I kind of love the new Disney movie, Frozen. No matter what anyone else says I think it’s adorable and if I’m in a bad mood I’ll just listen to the soundtrack and it’s sure to cheer me up.

Okay, so do you want to build a snowman? Come on let’s go and play. (If you haven't seen the movie and don't want to see a clip from it don't click the link and look up the song without video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azOmSXgKfus)

I asked Hunter if he would build a snowman with me and he must have read through my excitement because he was enthusiastic and couldn’t wait until we had time to build one. After shoveling and cleaning at the church we finally had some free time. But, before we went outside I had to play the “Do you want to build a snowman?” song, look it up if you’ve never heard it, you won’t be disappointed. And then we ventured outside, where the snow was perfect for snowman building, wet and easily packed. Huffing and puffing we rolled our balls of cold moisture around the yard until we had our perfect snowman. It took both of us to lift each ball on top of the previous but, in the end, our snowman was our own wintery masterpiece; complete with a baby carrot nose, a crouton smile, and oreo eyes. It wasn’t as excellent as Frosty, or Olaf, but it was still pretty magical. 

Day 10 {Little}

My little friend, Aaron. I watched him, his brother and two other children up on the mountain today while their parents went snowboarding. 

January 10th, 2014
Little Steps

It takes a lot of courage to try something new but, even once you get past the first time jitters you still have to work hard to succeed. Whether it be walking, singing, skiing; chances are you probably will not succeed your first time. You have to start with little steps and expect that you will wobble, slip, and fall a time or two.  It amazes me how young children start skiing lessons when they live in a ski resort town. At 2 or 3 years old I wouldn’t think that their little brains could figure out the coordination and timing of things that go into keeping yourself up and steady. But, I guess there is something to be said about little children and their trust of others and their fearlessness. They can take little steps and learn faster than most adults could. And in just a lesson or two they are more than willing to share their knowledge of  the “pizza” and “french fry" way of life. (terms used to teach little kids how to speed up/go and slow down, make your skis look like a pizza or a french fries)

Day 9 {Thaw}

Melting ice-sickles, can you see the drops of water? 

January 9th, 2014
Warmer weather

It's been a pretty cold week overall, all over the country really. On Monday even beaches were below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. It was warmer here in Montana than Atlanta was a couple days this week. But, today the weather was perfect. Light snow in the morning but it got pretty warm, warm enough that the snow and ice sickles even begun to melt. So, of course since I had the afternoon off I had to go on a walk and take a million, or just like 300, pictures. I am loving the winter weather.  

Day 8 {Inquisitive}

Cooking up some potato pancakes.

January 8th, 2014
Inquisitive

I would love to have the curiosity of a little kid. It's the "let me try" "can I do it by myself?" fearlessness and the curious "why?" "why did the spider die?", that makes kids so great. If we could all keep that innocent openness there wouldn't be so much fear of new things and fear of the consequences. I think a little bit of fear is healthy but, I also think it can sometimes stand in the way of great opportunities that you would never get if you never give anything a try and are never willing to trust and take a chance.

Day 7 {Coke}

Coke Float (a.k.a. lots of sugar)

January 7th, 2014
Coca Cola

It's funny, being up here in the Northwest I get a lot of comments along the lines of "oh, you're from the south do you know about...?" Today it was Coca Cola. Which I never really thought of as a southern thing but, we're teaching my little boys about Coke so they can know all about where Ms. Lauren comes from and that is fine by me because after a long day yesterday and a rough night last night I need it to get me through today.

Day 6 {Exuberant}

Stuffing our mouths full of cherry tomatoes. The world is a happier place when you enjoy the little things.

January 6th, 2014
Exuberant and care-free

Children can teach us more than anyone else. They are so impressionable. An older brother repeating something he heard at school, a parent yelling, anger, happiness, fear it all comes full circle and a 3 year old soaks it all up and just wants to follow in the footsteps of those whom they are surrounded by. I took a child development class last year, and in it my teacher recounted a story from her life. Her son, about 4 years old, and herself were in a hotel room somewhere and, I don't remember the specifics, but their was a snake that slithered down the hallway. She had volunteered at an exotic animal place and had no fear of snakes so she simply picked it up and brought it outside. Her son just laughed and thought it was great but, had she panicked and screamed in terror (the typical female response) he likely could have gained a fear of snakes as they would have had a negative experience in his head. Be careful about your actions and words, you never know who is listening and hoping to learn from you.

Day 5 {Nowhere}

Off a back ground in an already fairly small town. Running some service errands on this Sunday evening.

January 5th, 2014
Middle of nowhere

It's incredible to be able to pause and see the mountains. We are so blessed to live on this planet with the many sights and just flat out beautiful landscape. I'm loving this little ski resort town, Montana there is nothing in the world quiet like this valley and it's an experience to be able to take it all in. I find myself in the car sometimes wishing I were walking so I could just take pictures of everything. I hope everyone gets a chance to visit a place like this at some point in their life, it's worth the trip.

Day 4 {Window}

Looking out the back porch window after the snow finally ended this afternoon. This place is simply breathtaking.

January 4th, 2013
Look through my window

It's easy to judge someone else's life and their imperfections. I'm guilty of it all the time. I look through my own window and down on them. Their was an LDS General Conference talk once, I can't remember who the speaker was, but he told a story about a woman who always complained to her husband about how their neighbors would hang up their laundry outside but it was still dirty, as time went on she complained each day and then one day she looked out her window and saw clean laundry hanging on the line and exclaimed that the neighbors had finally learned to do their laundry but, her husband's response was that in fact he had simply cleaned the window. I think we could all use some work on judging others. Taking a step back and focusing on the important things and looking at something from a different perspective. We all have a unique story, and each have our own imperfections and windows we look through, try looking through someone else's, who knows you might just see something beautiful.

Day 3 {Winter}

January 3rd, 2014
Winter Sunset

I love snow. It snowed all afternoon today, the hardest I have ever seen it snow in my whole life; which isn't saying much since it doesn't snow in Georgia but, nonetheless I still LOVED it. I spent over an hour outside just taking pictures to capture every second of it. Another favorite of mine during the winter months in addition to the snow, are the winter sunsets. Their colors never cease to amaze me. And, after a day of snow the peaceful way the sky gives a warm purple glow as if to put a beautiful close on the day and say goodnight.

Day 2 {Light}

A quick shot from the porch this evening just before the sun entirely faded.

January 2nd, 2014
Light in the Dark

I've never been a huge fan of the dark. There's something so dreary about it, you can look around and have no idea what is right in front of you, or behind you. When I was younger, we had a girl scout camp out in some caves. I don't remember much about the trip or even where the caves were but, I remember the darkness. It was a sort of "modernized" cave in that it had electricity but, when our guide turned out the lights it was impossible to see any of our surroundings. Electricity is something I would never desire to live without. Street lamps, flood lights, overhead lights, they're all important to me.

Day 1 {Sunset}

Seattle sunset, from my little tiny propeller plane as we made our decent 

January 1, 2014
Sunset in a new city

It's a new year. A time to reflect and to move forward. Some people are optimistic, they say 2013 was great and 2014 will only be better. But other people just hold on to the hope that the new year will bring them some happiness and new experiences. It's a time for new years resolutions: reflecting back on what you could have done better and what you plan to do in the new year. I guess I fall in the middle of the two groups, 2013 could have been better and could have been worse. But, I was the first flight out of Atlanta in the new year at 6:30am this morning and the last flight into Kalispell, Montana tonight and am perhaps overly optimistic of the change and newness of the new year but also hopeful that the things I regret from last year won't follow me forward.