June 5 on 5

I can't believe that it's already time for another five on five.  The month has flown by.  I thought I would share a handful of pictures from the month of May and what life consisted of for me.  It was pretty easy to sum up.  First off is softball with my girls.  We pretty much live at the ballpark more than we live at home.  They are in the full swing of things with their seasons and loving every minute of it.  I have to say for softball not really being my sport I have really grown to love it and there is not many other places I would rather be than watching my two favorite girls.  

April 30th also marked one year since my dad passed away.  It's been a really rough year and life has changed so much.  My priorities, my focus, basically everything.  Life just isn't the same without him here, but we are finding our way through the fog together.  I wish he were still here to sit next to me at my girls' games.  There wasn't many things that he enjoyed more than watching softball and I miss him tremendously.  I wish he were here to see my Lou play.  It was something he didn't get to see while he was still here, but I know he is watching from a distance.  I'm certain that he is so proud, and I know he is still with us.  We visited his grave on Memorial Day together as a family.  It is such a place of peace for me.  I'm grateful to be surrounded by family that understand all too well how I feel.  I know they miss him as much as I do.  He is definitely not forgotten.  For more five on five please visit my friend Naomi's blog and follow the circle.

May 5 on 5

I am so grateful to have been invited to join an amazingly talented group of women to share five on five each month.  I have been away from the blogging world for several months now.  We've been adjusting over the last year to life without my dad, me finishing school, and changes in my job and our every day life.  I'm excited to be back in this space again and most of all to be creative with my camera again.  I decided to share some of our Easter pictures from last month since it was such a beautiful day and it's been such a long time since I've captured some memories of my family with my camera.  My kids have grown so much, but even as they get bigger I'm hoping to continue documenting our life here.  They enjoyed the Easter egg hunt this year.  They were each assigned two colors to find so that it was fair and fun for each of them.  Let's just say the yellow eggs were a little tough to find with so many dandelions in the pasture.  It was a fun day though, and I'm grateful that even though they are getting older they still enjoy spending these special days together.  It's my favorite place to be.  For more five on five head over to my good friend Naomi's blog.  Enjoy.

Fresh

It's been a while since I've been here.  Life has been busy, and I enjoyed some quiet time with my family over the holidays.  I'm here today with the Creativity Project sharing my take on the theme for the month.  I haven't spent a lot of time with my big camera in a while now.  In fact I think the last time I shot with it was in November.  Like I said, life has been crazy, but just recently during my winter break with my family I finally felt inspired to take some pictures again.  Last year was a rough one for our family and at one point in time life just sort of stopped.  It's still extremely busy, but it feels good to look around and feel the need to pick up my camera again.  When I thought about the theme for the month that was exactly what came to my mind.  Fresh.  A fresh new year and an opportunity for a fresh perspective.  The first picture in the series below was taken with my big camera, but the rest are all shot with my phone.  I've been sharing pictures and stories daily over on Instagram.  For now it's the best I can do with all that I have to juggle, and I'm okay with it.  The quality isn't perfect, but they do show a fresh start for me.  A new chapter in my life and a new year to begin again.  I'll get my big camera back in my hands soon enough, but for now I'm grateful for the opportunity to pull my phone out of my pocket and capture things like this.  It feels good just to take pictures again.  For more fresh pictures head over to my friend Stephanie's blog and follow the circle.

Faceless Portraits

I'm interrupting my gratitude project (which I'm terribly behind on) to join my friends at the Creativity Project to share some of my favorite faceless portraits from this year.  I'm especially grateful for the images of my dad.  They document some of my favorite and last days with him.  To me they capture so much about who he was.  For me they are priceless.   To see more amazing images head over to S Badiyah Austin's blog.  Her work is beautiful!

Happy Memories

Happy Memories, a photo by Marvett Smith (Savoring the Simple) on Flickr.

Gratitude Day 3- Happy Memories. I am so grateful for the ability to look back on days like this one and smile. This photo was taken just after our last vacation with my dad. It was also the last day that we went for a walk outside with him at home. My kids happily raced their bikes back to the house laughing and squealing as they tried to catch up with grandpa. They had no idea that in just another month he would be gone. This picture reminds me that it's the little moments like this one and the time that we spend together that matter the most, and being able to recall the memories of this day are so valuable to me.

Us

Us, a photo by Marvett Smith (Savoring the Simple) on Flickr.

Gratitude Day 1- The first thing that I think of when I contemplate blessings in my life is family. I honestly don't know where I would be without them. I am so grateful for all that they teach me, for the happiness that they share with me, and for knowing that they will always be my soft place to fall. They are my team, and I would be completely lost without them. I love them more than words can say. I am so grateful for us.

Nerd Alert!

Nerd Alert!, a photo by Marvett Smith (Savoring the Simple) on Flickr.

Happy Halloween from my little nerd. I'm gearing up to start my gratitude project and that means dusting off my camera and visiting this space more often. The last few months have been rough, but I'm really hoping to make some time to share more here. It's good therapy, and I would hate to miss out on documenting good stuff like this!