Miriam Lovell Photography

The Thomson Family

2012-01-20T18:23:00.003-05:00

The whole family was in town and they had to get together for one group shot, at the very least.

It was in the 30's with wind (it does get cold in Sacramento), but we did what we could as long as everyone could stand it, which happened to be for about 45 minutes (much less for the little ones). You might not even be able to tell how uncomfortable everyone was because they were such troopers.

My favorite!

Hopefully, I'll get the chance to photograph them again. They're pretty awesome.

Same family, different weather conditions.

~•~

The Werner Family

2011-11-15T02:18:00.003-05:00

So easy to love these peeps. I was so close to taking that baby home with me, but they know where I live...

The beautiful Morgan Werner and I did a little session swap (I'll have to post ours here soon). I was thrilled to get introduced to a new location since I haven't really been out scouting much. This area is still new to me. Anyway, we went to a family walnut farm in Lincoln. The weather, temperature, lighting and setting was perfect.

So, now I ask, how many is too many???

Love.

~•~

Little Dancer

2011-10-16T19:46:00.003-04:00

This little girl is dreamy. She reminds me of my Hannah in lots of ways.

Her mom has been wanting pictures of her in her dance outfit. She hardly said a word as I asked her to move here or there or do this or that. She just went with it. Sometimes she just did her own thing. I wonder what she was thinking...

You're a beautiful little dancer, E.

Morning

2011-09-17T18:08:00.004-04:00

Hannah and I left everyone else in their PJs this morning and went out to catch some light. It's been a long time since I had a shoot with my most patient little subject.

I love mornings like this...

It's been way too long

2011-09-12T14:34:00.005-04:00

Once again, life's roller coaster has taken me for a ride. I have not completely gone off the grid, as those of you who read my family blog know, but I have been overwhelmed with challenges that kept me from blogging here.

I am finally to the point where I can breath and therefore begin to enjoy photography again. Not that I haven't been taking pictures. Here is a random and incomplete assortment from the last several months.

I'm curious as to who is still listening...

My Max

2011-04-22T21:32:00.003-04:00

My wee babe is so sweet to behold and I love snuggling with him. I wish that was the reason I haven't taken many pictures of him.

Unfortunately, my mother suffered a serious head injury during her stay here and our attention has been drawn to her. We are hopeful and praying for a good recovery.

Situations like this help me to keep life in perspective. My perspective is love and family, and I'm focused on it.

Introducing...

2011-04-08T22:25:00.003-04:00

Max Anson Dyer
4.7.11
7lbs 15oz, 20 inches

Our boy is finally here.
We are all so in love!

~•~

Happy Birthday, my Claire lady!

2011-03-28T00:17:00.000-04:00

I love you, monkey.

These days...

2011-03-04T12:23:00.009-05:00

I haven't been getting out much lately. I have had a lot of physical limitations put on me-- this pregnancy has been very hard on my body, to put it lightly. Five more weeks. Five more weeks. Five more weeks...

Anyway, I go out when I need to, but mostly we're home. That's what my photos reflect these days-- home life.

Here are some images from yesterday, in chronological order. Of course, there is more that goes on, but it's a glimpse. Boring, maybe, but it's my life. And I love my kids. I think they are simply awesome.

Yep. Just another day.

~•~

My birthday girl

2011-02-15T12:53:00.005-05:00

Happy birthday, my sweet, sweet girl. You amaze me.

* Oh, and when I said a 'slow and steady comeback', I really just meant slow. :)

Attempting a slow and steady comeback

2011-01-11T23:24:00.004-05:00

I feel like a stranger to this blog, like I am just commenting or filling in for the real author as a guest blogger. It's been strange to be away for so long, and yet I just needed to be.

Since my announcement below (the baby one), many things have happened: my birthday, my husband's birthday, news that we are having a boy, all of "the" holidays, AND we bought a house and moved again.

The buying and selling of homes became an issue which magnified all others, and the stress of it all paralyzed my drive for blogging. It may sound dramatic but it was true.

Now, we are settling into our new home and new area (Orangevale, CA) nicely and we are loving having a home again! I feel alive and motivated to do so many things I haven't done for so long. It's a very good thing.

One of my girls (Jane) has had a hard time adjusting to California. She has wanted to go back home to New York since we left. It wasn't until a few days ago that she said she liked our new home. Having all of our stuff has 100% to do with it, I think. I am happy that she is happier. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if we hear about her missing New York from time to time.

All the girls are happy with our yard. We are in Northern California, so it's not warm but it's not freezing either. The girls only need a jacket or coat, or in their case, a blanket or scarf to keep from getting too cold.
We played outside today and I was so happy to know that this is our space. This is why we moved and changed everything about our lives, so that our kids could have a yard and more space. It is so gratifying and I am so grateful.

Anyway, this is my start for 2011. A new home, a new state, new friends, new experiences and a new life with the same wonderful little girls whom I adore.

I'm really looking forward to this year.

Guess what?

2010-10-06T21:49:00.002-04:00

Number four is on the way. It will be a Spring chick. Boy chick or girl chick, we don't know yet, but exciting either way!

~•~

A photographic update on my girls

2010-10-04T09:52:00.006-04:00

It's been a couple months since I've attempted to take real photographs of my girls. It's way overdue for me, but here are a few, of the older two at least, that I snapped quickly yesterday, if you're interested...

I'll have to get my youngest girl up here soon.

~•~

I'm so out of practice, I don't have a title for this one

2010-10-03T19:41:00.007-04:00

I might have forgotten about this blog completely had I not received comments and emails inquiring about my absence from it.
I guess I've been busy transforming my life.

So, it happened. We moved. We have been in California for a little over a month, and it is an understatement when I say my life (and my family's lives) have changed drastically from life in NYC. Almost everything about where we go, what we do, what we see and who we interact with is different. Even though I don't know how to live this life as mine yet, I am happy to be here. We feel at peace about it.

We are living with family, for the time being, and it has been great. It's actually been quite fun. Not only have my BIL and SIL made our adjustment easier, but we have played and traveled and gone out on dates together. Eventually, however, we will be getting our own place, and then I will have to adjust on my own. Until then, my real life is on hold.
I'll consider it a vacation.

~•~

Packing up, moving out

2010-08-10T23:30:00.004-04:00

Just thought I'd mention that we're moving next week. Surprise!

We are leaving New York for the Sacramento area of California.
It's no secret that I've been wanting to leave New York for a while, but now my husband will be changing jobs and that is our ticket out of this big, crazy city.

Remember that Sunscreen "song" Baz Luhrmann created from a Class of '99 speech?
There's one link in that long chain of advice that says, "Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California, but leave before it makes you soft" and I keep thinking, "too late." Not that I'm a bitter old lady now, but it has changed me a bit- probably because the stress level is so high.

New York has given us some great opportunities for life experiences, but the day-to-day reality of having a big family in New York City (and five is a really big family here) has really worn us out. I am ready to go to Northern Cali to get nice and soft. Squishy even (I don't really know what that means).

So wish me luck that all this packing and moving across the country and starting a new job will go off without a hitch!

221- Seven years...

2010-08-09T22:13:00.005-04:00

and three kids later...

(photo:Jonathan Canlas)

~•~

215- my birthday girl

2010-08-02T20:27:00.004-04:00

*I'm just going to pretend that I haven't been an absentee blogger for the past month*

It's my sweet (spunky, sassy, independent, curious, wide-eyed, dramatic, imaginative, adventurous, sometimes stranger-than-fiction) Jane's birthday today.

She is the proudest four-year-old girl I ever knew.

Dancing with waves

2010-07-13T01:22:00.004-04:00

I left a post with a picture of two of my kids at the airport with no mention of where we were going. What suspense I must have left you all in!

We were on our annual Cannon Beach vacation on the Oregon Coast. It was so great in so many ways. I am always so surprised at how much fun we can have there year after year while doing the same things we've done in previous years (for the most part). That is a sign of a good vacation spot.

Until next year...

~•~

184- the best little travelers

2010-07-03T23:23:00.001-04:00

The girls had just flown across the country. It was 2:00 AM New York time. They were tired, but we didn't hear a word of complaint between waking them up to get off the plane to waiting for luggage to getting in the car (3:00 AM for us at that point) for a long car ride.

Yes, they have had a lot of practice, but I'm always amazed when they can be such troopers while traveling in the middle of the night. They made it as easy as it could probably be for us traveling with three little kids.

~•~

183- these two sisters

2010-07-02T13:12:00.001-04:00

I wasn't feeling well this morning so Hannah took care of Claire without me asking. She does it naturally and because she loves it. What's even better is that Claire lets her take care of her and she loves Hannah back. She responds so well to Hannah, probably because she senses how much Hannah really does care for her.

How's that for touchy-feely?

(Photo above was taken last weekend on our camping trip. Don't worry. It was a new fire ring-- there were no ashes in it :)

182- halfway there!

2010-07-01T17:36:00.002-04:00

I have made half a year's worth of daily grateful posts. It has actually gone pretty fast.
I really like doing this, even though sometimes it can be hard. I think I need it right now. I'll just leave it at that.

*Technically, half of tomorrow would be half the year but this is close enough, I think.*

181- free movie days

2010-06-30T15:24:00.003-04:00

The free summer movies have begun!

My only captured documentation of the event.

I was a little worried about taking the three kids to a movie, especially a one-year old, but they all loved watching the show on the big screen.

The movies get out early enough to have a big chunk o' day to play. Although it was a beautiful day, I'm sure will be going to these free movie days to beat the heat this summer.

~•~

177- camping

2010-06-27T19:39:00.005-04:00

I love summer for moments such as this.

The last time we slept in our tent was in our friends' backyard out on Long Island last month. This time, we went to an actual campground and had the complete camp experience.

It was so fun, mostly because the kids loved it so much. Having kids makes me enjoy life's little pleasures even more. Not that I don't enjoy camping.

Next time, I hope we stay longer.

~•~

176- an experimental roll of 120 film

2010-06-27T15:02:00.005-04:00

This is a SOOC (straight out of camera- no editing) shot of a ride at Coney Island, taken with a vintage Kodak Duaflex IV, twin lens reflex camera. The camera is built for 620 film, but 120 is compatible with it.

The camera was given to us by our friend's parents (thanks!). My husband gladly took it (as well as two old movie cameras), cleaned it and ordered film for it right away. He was very excited about it.
We got the film and were both clueless as to how to work it. I had to use a 2 1/4 camera in college but I recall it being more self-explanatory than this one.

This roll was my husbands, but I got my hands on it for the shot above. We had no idea if the film would even turn out, what the focal point was, if we were forwarding it enough...

Now that we know it works and how to use it better, we will definitely try using it again.

*When we got the negs back, I remember how exciting it was way back when to get a roll of film processed and to see the results.
Good memories...*

171- the fathers in my life

2010-06-23T15:24:00.006-04:00

Happy Father's Day to...

Dad, because you love being a dad and grandpa and you always want us to be happy. It shows.

Dan, because you far exceed my expectations as a father to our children.

Dan's dad (also Dan) because my husband is the father he is because of your good example.

Happy (albeit belated) Father's Day, dads!

~•~

170- meeting this baby

2010-06-23T15:21:00.004-04:00

I don't always do catch-up "grateful" posts, but I thought there were a few noteworthy things to be grateful for that I'd like to share...

My childhood BFF had her baby last week (hallelujah!) so I drove up to Rhode Island to meet her. She is sweet as can be, and I'm not just saying that.

So sweet.

More to come, Julie!

~•~

169- at the beach

2010-06-18T23:52:00.000-04:00

"We are going at the beach!" my daughter yelled this afternoon.

She was getting impatient with the sea life at the aquarium. She just wanted to play in the sand. When we finally finished and we walked up to the boardwalk, she couldn't contain her excitement. Kids rock.

~•~

168- those perfect days

2010-06-17T16:46:00.008-04:00

They don't happen very often, but every once in a while, when all the moons align, and life's daily happenings work together in synchronized harmony, I have a seemingly perfect day.

I do have a lot of good days where one thing or another can just made my day good, but today was good everywhere and in everything...

The weather was beautiful.
I worked out.
We went to the park early, a park with grass!
We walked for leisure, not just to get from A to B.
We were all happy.
The girls were obedient.
We laughed together a lot.
I was productive.
Jane took a nap.
The house was clean.
Claire gave lots of kisses.
Everyone got cuddle time with me.
I got cuddle time with everyone.
Dinner was easy and delicious.
I got new bedding (after 7 years).
I read.
Tomorrow is Friday.

I'm sure I could think of some things that could have made my day even better, but I think today is just about as good as it ever needs to be.

164- free grandma rocker!

2010-06-15T16:21:00.004-04:00

Or maybe even a great grandma. It seems old enough.

I went to this moving sale around the corner and I saw this chair. I thought about how perfect it would be for the girls' bedroom, perfect except for the fact that we don't have room for it. Not even close.
Nevertheless, I expressed interest and the seller said she would contact me if the person she promised the chair to didn't come to get it.
Two days later, I got a phone call-- the chair was mine, if I still wanted it. I went to check it out again, and the lady told me to just take it, for free!
Room or no room, it's ours and the girls (and I) love it. Besides we won't live in this small space forever...

right?

~•~

163- race day!

2010-06-12T15:39:00.002-04:00

(Yep. This image is all you get. I was too proud to show my post-race-sweat-face pictures.)

I ran a pretty OK race in Central Park today. I think half the women in NY ran in it with me-- we had a lot of men cheering us on.

The weather was probably the best I could ask for in June. It could have been worse. Much, much worse.

It was fun. I'm so happy I did it, finally.

~•~

162- cool June days

2010-06-11T10:59:00.004-04:00

It was 65˚ this morning. Lovely.
I am loving this weather the last few days. No A/C. No sweating for doing nothing. No cranky kids (mommy), at least not from the humid heat. We are comfortable and happy about it.

This is perfect running weather. Last Sarutday when I ran, I was overheated right away and I thought I was going to pass out. I hope this 60's business sticks around for tomorrow...

~•~

160- that's better!

2010-06-09T16:35:00.007-04:00

Hannah was pretty sick yesterday and the night before. We've all been sick, actually, but Hannah seemed to have the worst of it.
Today, however, when she woke up, she was practically bouncing off the walls, ecstatic to be alive, or something. Anyway, I'm glad she is happy and well today, even if she is over-the-top hyper.

~•~

154- an opportunity to garden

2010-06-03T22:48:00.003-04:00

The girls and I got out of the city to spend the day with a friend of mine up in New Rochelle. There was loads of space inside and out of our friends' home for the girls to roam around in.

Most of the time, all three girls played with the dog, but we took some time to plant in the garden. It wasn't much but it made me realize how much I want a garden of my own to harvest and to teach from. Gardens can be such a great learning experience.
Just waitin' on that yard...

~•~

152- cool down

2010-06-01T22:15:00.003-04:00

We had to go to three parks before we found one with the water turned on or accessible.
The spray was so refreshing, and we actually got a little chilled.

When we came home, the girls watched this video of themselves over and over-- home videos are some of their absolute favorites. After that, the girls were hot again so they got in the bath tub in their suits.

How much longer do we have of this humid heat???

~•~

151- Reminders

2010-05-31T17:14:00.005-04:00

Here are some of the things we saw that remind us that today is more than a day off from work or school and more than an occasion for a BBQ.

I saw a Veteran waiting at a bus stop, and I wanted so bad to stop and ask him if I could take his picture, but I was with my kids, in the van, at a light that had just turned green so I drove on. I didn't feel like getting honked at. I'm such a coward. Now I wish I would have stopped.

I hope you all had a nice, and memorable weekend.

~•~

150- It could have been worse

2010-05-30T23:03:00.000-04:00

The first of many scooter accidents, I'm sure. The lip was only part of her injuries.
Upon first sight of her fat, bleeding lip, Hannah screeched in panic. Poor girl.

As a mom, can I say that my kids have the cutest bulging purple owies ever!?!

~•~

149- summer fun has come

2010-05-29T22:46:00.000-04:00

ready or not!

"Almost", and my 148th Grateful post

2010-05-28T07:03:00.000-04:00

This week I almost made a post about a great morning run I had, but I didn't because no one would understand how happy I was to make it to "the bridge".

I almost wrote about the best compliment my husband has ever given me (and he does not hold back with the compliments), but I thought it sounded narcissistic.

I almost showed how fun Sunday cuddle time with our girls on our bed was, but I didn't because I just didn't.

I almost wrote about how much I needed vegging in front of the tube after a long hard day of a migraine and getting the place ready to show with three kids needing anything and everything, but really, how boring is that?

I almost shared a lovely heart-felt thank-you card sent from a friend, thanking me merely for who I am (I actually thought, did she get the right person?), but again, narcissistic. And now I feel narcissistic...

I was considering making my Grateful posts into a separate private blog, but I don't know. I may still continue to just be selective about what I share and what I don't. What do you think???

ANYWAY, that was my way of catching up. Now on to more important matters...

148- my parents wedding anniversary!

Aren't they cute? :)

If it weren't for them, not only would I not be here, I would not be who I am.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad. I love you!

~•~

141- girls' weekend

2010-05-22T23:59:00.005-04:00

I was reunited with many friends this weekend, and we relived our glory days at a karaoke joint, the same one we sang our hearts out in three years ago. We had a blast, again.

~•~

140- morning face

2010-05-20T07:21:00.000-04:00

(From yesterday)

I do keep track of my grateful posts, even if I don't actually publish them. Sometimes, I feel like they are either too insignificant, too embarrassing :) or too personal. Oh, and sometimes I just don't get around to it. This one I had to share, though, late as it may be.

*****

This is what Jane looks like when she walks out of her room in the morning.

I like it when she wakes up after I do because then I see her fresh from bed.
She's got that "deer in headlights" kind of look which makes me want to just scoop her up and squeeze every little bit of her. If she's in a good mood, she'll let me do it and then she won't let me put her down. I eventually have to bribe her with a banana.

~•~

137- lifelong friends

2010-05-17T08:35:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday, Julie!

~•~

134- leaving to say goodbye

2010-05-14T11:06:00.003-04:00

Remember that race I was supposed to run in this weekend? Didn't think so.

Well, I am going to have to trade my day of running in Central Park for a day in Salt Lake City to attend my grandmother's funeral.

I'm so grateful I get to go with my husband. He wasn't with me for the funerals of my other grandma and my uncle back in January and I wish he would have been. I love my friends and the other people that are making it happen.

Back Sunday, with red eyes...

~•~

New baby, new family

2010-05-13T21:35:00.003-04:00

I love this little family. I love that they are part of mine.
Congratulations and love every nano second!

~•~

129 Days Grateful- My mom

2010-05-09T21:40:00.006-04:00

I have been very busy this weekend in Seattle, but I couldn't let the day go without this post.

Words cannot express the gratitude I feel for this woman. I will spend the rest of my life showing it though.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

~•~

128- My grandma

2010-05-08T18:47:00.002-04:00

Lila Opal Hirst
May 15, 1915 ~ May 8, 2010

My dear grandmother passed away this last weekend, the day before Mother's Day and one week before her 95th birthday.

I am so grateful for her life here and what it meant to mine. She was probably ready to go long ago, before we were ever really ready to let her go. Now, I know she is in a beautiful place where she is not bound by the limits of an aging body. She is happy now.

~•~

123- a new routine, rain or shine

2010-05-03T09:15:00.002-04:00

I don't have a habit of running first thing in the morning. I wish I did, but if you had children who didn't sleep through the night, you'd understand why that is, or isn't.
I am generally too tired when I wake up to get my body geared up for physical exercise so I run in the evening when my husband gets home. However, I am running a 10K in a couple of weeks, and it occurred to me that I should probably get my body accustomed to running in the morning.

So, this morning I woke up against my will. I got ready before everyone was up (that's the key to getting out the door) and I quickly went downstairs.
Then, I saw the hard rain. I hesitated, but I didn't get up and ready for nothing.

I ran. The water was annoying, but I ran. I guess I could have run with an umbrella like I saw one guy doing (funny, but good for him :). I had to quit at 2.5 miles.

I'm really glad I went, but my body and mind definitely need more morning training. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a dry run.

~•~

120- Have you ever been on a date accompanied by 7 wheels?

2010-04-30T23:22:00.000-04:00

Dan takes the girls out on regular dates. I would love to take them out more, but they usually spend all day with me, and by the time their dad gets home they don't want much to do with me. They can't seem to get enough of him though. Even Claire-- she won't let go of him once he's picked her up. I must be so... so... boring. Zzzzzzzzz

Anyway, Dan and Jane took their wheels with them on their date tonight, and that's how they rolled.

Jane simply cannot leave the house without her scooter (awesome!). She's had it a week, and she could pretty much go pro with all her skills, except for the one where she makes you pull her when she gets too tired. I'm willing to give the three-year old a break, though.

What I love most about daddy/daughter date night (DDDN, I'll call it :) is how it makes the girls feel. They get so animated when they come home and tell me all about what they did/saw/ate/bought/found. It's like I was there, but I might have to coerce one of them into going out with me one of these days ;)

~•~

119 Days Grateful- wall, nail and masterpiece painting

2010-04-29T16:06:00.007-04:00

There was a lot of painting going on in our home today. The one that made the biggest difference in my life, however, was the painting that happened in a sad and dreary little hall, or maybe it's more like a passageway.
Did you know paint makes walls look better? I must have forgotten. This job was put off for way too long.
I love me a fresh, clean set of walls to look at.

~•~

117 Days Grateful- when Hannah gets a playdate

2010-04-27T21:25:00.003-04:00

She doesn't get the chance to play with many kids outside of when she's at school. She is one of those kids that just loves other kids, and she misses all of her friends that have moved away. We were happy to have an old friend visit us today.

We'll come visit you soon!

~•~

114 Days Grateful - a new baby to celebrate!

2010-04-24T17:01:00.000-04:00

My brother and his wife had their first baby!
It's a girl. I love girls :)

I can't wait to meet her!
Soon...

~•~

112 Days Grateful- the Earth

2010-04-22T22:22:00.001-04:00

Isn't it beautiful?

Happy Earth Day.

~•~

Looking for that place...

2010-04-21T22:50:00.002-04:00

Not this place in particular, although it looks like a nice place to be right now.

I have been struggling for the past few days, trying to find something in that area of my brain where creative ideas used to live.
I can't even find words to express these thoughts I have, and so I sit here...

I can't tell you how much creating means to me and how directly it relates to my overall satisfaction with life. When I don't feel creative, I feel less... less... me, I guess.

It's a rut. I know it happens, and maybe it's supposed to happen so I can look at where I've been, what I've learned and what to do with it. That is growth. I feel like I am not growing. I have too much going on in my brain every day to let inspiration happen and to let it help me create. I think that is why I chose the image above. It looks like a quiet place where the distractions in my head can dissipate leaving it fresh and open to new ideas.
Time to get out of the city???

I'll probably regret posting this. It seems so psychoanalytical.
I just had to get something out. My husband is not here :)

~•~

110 Days Grateful- Happy baby, here again

2010-04-20T21:46:00.003-04:00

My happy baby is back!
After a week of teething, fever and cold (and insatiable neediness), Claire is her happy baby self again. Yay!
Today, she made me just so giddy to be her mama.
~•~

109 Days Grateful- impromptu flower shower

2010-04-19T09:42:00.005-04:00

We spent hours outside today. We walked around town while attending to errands and doctor appointments. We took a break or two in between to play.

The trees are all shedding their beautiful blossoms, leaving a blanket of petals everywhere. The girls spent a half hour or more in one spot, just showering themselves with flowers. They thought they were in heaven.

~•~

105 Days Grateful- Running in the rain

2010-04-15T22:31:00.002-04:00

Sorry, no photo for this one yet. I don't normally take my DSLR on my runs, but I'll have to come up with something...

*****

Before I get to the good stuff, I need to gripe.

Today started off rough, getting up from a sleepless night (no news there).
Then there was,
a home showing I had to clean for before 10AM,
Kindergarten registration with all three kids (not fun),
pre-k,
laundry (but at least the house was spotless),
several allergy attacks,
and a baby that is obSESSED with me right now. I'm hoping it's only because she's sick and that it will end soon.

Then, when Dan got home from work, I went on a run. Here comes the best part of my day.
I ran to Forest Park. It is so lovely and green there now, unlike the barren forest it was the first day of Spring.

I was halfway into my run when it started sprinkling. Ahhh.
It was so invigorating, smelled so fresh and everything looked so beautiful in the twilight. I could have run into the night. The rain didn't last, but it turned my day around.

Then, when I came in, walked down our hall and saw Claire at our door with her little arms opened wide for me to hold her, I was ready. Sweaty but ready.

~•~

104 Days Grateful- I'm glad I held on to that stuff, and a surprise

2010-04-14T08:51:00.005-04:00

(Still waiting for a headliner photo for this post)

A while back I gave myself what I called a closet challenge. I had to go through everything in my closet and wear at least one thing a day. If the article of clothing didn't make it through the day, whether it didn't fit or just didn't look good, I had to toss it.
I have a big bag of give-aways so far, so I've made some progress.

There were some items in my closet, however, that I have hung on to for years. When I say years, I mean at least a decade, but I always come back to them because they can, but don't always, work with the current trends. I have nearly thrown them out several times because I wasn't wearing them, but recently, I found that some things can just be worn a little differently and suddenly they're fashionable again (at least I think they are).
There is a bit of nostalgia associated with these clothes I have kept, especially old favorites. I'm glad I have at least a few to remind me of other lifetimes. And now, I feel like I have nearly a whole new wardrobe.

In addition, I have gone through my old jewelry, jewelry that I forgot I had. I found earrings that someone(?) gave to me in my early twenties but I never wore them. I think I can wear them with several things now, even though I'm kind of over the whole flower craze, but they are subtle enough.

I also found these little skater earrings which I wore back in my skater obsession days in the 80's (do you remember these, Julie?). I don't know if I'll be wearing them any time soon, but I'm glad I kept them, just cuz...

Sooo, after going through all my jewelry, Dan came home from a work trip today with a new pair of "bling" for my ear lobes. Not expensive bling, just sparkly bling. He has only ever bought me jewelry once before (aside from my engagement and wedding rings) and never as a random gift (not that I mind. I'd rather have other things) so it was so funny/strange that he got me these on a day when I was playing with jewelry. We are so MFEO ;)

Anyway, even though I'm all about dejunking anything and everything, I do hold value in keeping some things, especially when those things give me a few new outfits without spending a dime.

(Sorry this was so long)

Another one of Hannah from yesterday

2010-04-12T21:21:00.004-04:00

One thing I love about this photo is that it doesn't seem like it was taken in Queens. I love the three mismatched fences/gates and the mossy step stone path. It makes it all look so "country", and there's just something about "country" when all you see every day is city.

~•~

101 Days Grateful- Our civic duty: weeding and litter patrol

2010-04-11T20:30:00.004-04:00

We had such a nice walk this afternoon. If our empty bellies and other matters (ahem) hadn't called us home, we would have stayed out into the night.

While we cruised the neighborhood streets, we took it upon ourselves to tidy things up. First, Hannah and Jane pulled dandelion after dandelion after dandelion and cleaned up that strip of grass along the sidewalk in the process (what's that called? Alex?). To the girls, they were just acquiring a new bouquet to prance around with. When they tried to pick tulips or tree blossoms from private properties, we had to draw the line, of course.

Then, we started to pick up trash, which I didn't photograph-- not as pretty as little yellow "flowers", obviously. That got a little gross, especially since we weren't prepared to pick up cigarette packs and beer cans. We plan on bringing bags for trash on our future walks. It might not make a huge difference, I mean what single person can make a dent in NYC litter, but it can make our walks a little nicer.

FYI: It is actually pretty clean where we live, compared to many places in the five boroughs.

~•~

99 Days Grateful- date night

2010-04-10T08:20:00.006-04:00

I know I'm not supposed to say things like this, but I apologize for the image below. It is not great, and it's a strange PP, especially with so much of my husband out of focus in the foreground, but it's the best one I got. I know, why even post it, right?
Anyway, now that I've completely discredited my photograph...

Every time we go out on a date, we wonder why we don't try to make it happen more often. It's the best therapy for our marriage (not that we need therapy :)
We get to focus on nothing but each other and we are so, so relaxed.

Last night, we frolicked around Manhattan. Our plan was to restaurant hop, but we ended up going to only one restaurant, which had the best sea scallops I've ever had. It was an old turn-of-the-century bank (hence the vault) turned restaurant in downtown's financial district. Thanks for the suggestion, Reagan.

So, we ate, shopped and explored streets of Manhattan that I'm pretty sure we've never explored before, or maybe they just look different at night. It was all so fun and romantic, and I felt young and lively.
I am SO grateful for date night. Hopefully, we'll get to do it again soon.

(Thanks to Marci for watching our kids!)

~•~

98 Days Grateful- Claire loves someone almost as much as she loves me

2010-04-08T11:08:00.000-04:00

It wasn't easy for Hannah to gain Claire's trust and affections, but Hannah is naturally nurturing and never took rejections personally. She never gave up on trying to take care of her and be her friend. Now they have such a good relationship.

~•~

94 Days Grateful - Easter and the hunt

2010-04-04T11:06:00.000-04:00

Man, I am really behind on photos and posts. At least I can say it's because I've been busy. I like to be busy.

From yesterday...

It was fun to see my two older girls get so excited over finding eggs. Even though most of the eggs weren't hidden enough to be found, they were spotted, they still had a great time.
Easter Sunday and breakfast and dinner with friends was nice too, especially when family is so far away.
AND it was an awesome day for weather, and I absolutely adored my kids so much last night that I had a hard time leaving them alone so they could go to sleep...

Lots to be grateful for.

~•~

Small town shoot

2010-04-03T17:12:00.003-04:00

Turns out that lil' ol' dowtown Danville, VA has a lot to offer in terms of settings for a photo shoot.

Here are a few of my cousin's great family...

We had such a good time with all of you. Thanks for letting us come out!

~•~

Gone and back again

2010-04-02T15:21:00.003-04:00

I'm back from a week in Virginia, spent with my cousin and his family.
And now I have pictures to go through...

~•~

86 Days Grateful- my baby is one!

2010-03-27T23:55:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday, Claire baby!

~•~

83 Days Grateful- showin' the love

2010-03-24T15:31:00.005-04:00

Sometimes they don't get along and sometimes the even fight.
They are mostly best friends, but rarely do they do this.

Even though they don't always show it, I'm sure this is how they feel about each other.

~•~

79 Days Grateful- First day of Spring

2010-03-20T18:20:00.001-04:00

It's official. It's Spring, and the glorious weather today was worthy of its arrival.

~•~

78 Days Grateful- girls' night out

2010-03-20T10:14:00.002-04:00

Those are my friends in the background. One came from Connecticut and two came from Long Island so we could all have a night out. It is no small thing, the four of us getting together. I think we took it for granted when we all lived so close.
We made the best of last night, eating and talking until the late hour, several yawns and their long drives started calling them home. I just had a short walk to my front door. Thanks for coming to my neck of the woods, ladies. I had a great time!

~•~

76 Days Grateful- free day

2010-03-17T21:29:00.008-04:00

(I'm a little behind :)

No dr. appointments
No house work
No one coming to dinner
No meetings
No one else's children to babysit

My only obligation was to be a mom.

~•~

74 Days Grateful- when she lets me see her sweet face

2010-03-15T16:53:00.007-04:00

I barely recognize this face. It is usually hidden behind a mass of disheveled hair.

I try to do her hair. When I do, she pulls it out within about 10 minutes of completion. Sometimes, I don't even get to finish it.

Today, she kept her hair in all day. I tried not to draw her attention to her hairdo by complimenting it. Instead, I took several dozen photos of her, because let's face it, she may not ever let me do her hair again.

FYI- Jane is so like me when I was a child. I wouldn't let my mom do my hair either. My elementary school pictures hold the proof.

~•~

71 Days Grateful- the best 45 minutes of the day

2010-03-12T23:16:00.004-05:00

It was a

paper filin'
car breakin'
home cleanin'
home showin'
tear wipin' (not mine)
important documents missin'
return emailin'
clothes mendin'

kind of day.

It wasn't all bad, but it was all busy and I was so tired for all of it.

It really did me some good when we took the girls out tonight during our home showing. We braved the wind and rain and went to our favorite bakery for a treat. It was more for me than for the girls, but I'm glad they enjoyed it :)

Can you tell which cupcakes they wanted?

~•~

70 Days Grateful- fairies

2010-03-11T18:46:00.003-05:00

Hannah's chosen fairy pose in the window.

Good fairies, bad fairies, happy fairies, sad fairies...
I bet you didn't know that fairies are very temperamental.

My two older girls played fairies today for SO long!
It's always so funny to listen to them in their make-believe world. I find myself laughing around corners.
Even though they experienced every emotion imaginable, they played through it and they didn't bug me at all.
Good fairies!

~•~

69 Days Grateful- cherry blossoms

2010-03-10T11:07:00.002-05:00

I love fresh flowers in my home, especially cherry blossoms which are so representative of Spring. Every time I look at them, I feel happy.

Here's another one, just because.

~•~

68 Days Grateful- surprise shoes in the mail

2010-03-09T22:22:00.002-05:00

Check out my daughter in those heels! I'm not sure what she is doing with her hands there. I think she was arching her back and holding herself in place to keep her balance in the shoes. After she had her fun trying them on, she told me how silly the things were. Yeah, silly, but who cares.

My M-I-L sent me these shoes in the mail, and I didn't even ask for them! What's even better is that I'm really excited about them because I just don't buy shoes like this these days. Thanks, Mom!

Good thing I just painted my toe nails. Now I just need an outfit to wear with these babies and somewhere to wear them...?

Dan?

~•~

67 Days Grateful- at home pedicure

2010-03-08T19:41:00.004-05:00

If you are podophobic, look away.

I don't know what it is about a fresh pedicure. It just makes me feel a wee bit prettier.

~•~

A fresh face, and a wet thumb

2010-03-04T15:24:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple of my favorites from this thumb-sucking cutie I got to photograph yesterday.

I don't know what it is. I just love it.

I've never had a thumb-sucker. She looked so cute with her thumb in her mouth, so I welcomed it at first.
Then, when I wanted the smiles, 'cause she's got some great ones, I couldn't get them. I did get a few, though, before all she wanted was thumb.

It was great to shoot again, other than my kids and my everyday happenings. It's been a while. Thanks, you two!

Still, I can't wait to shoot outside!

~•~

62 Days Grateful- modern miracles

2010-03-03T23:06:00.003-05:00

I wasn't going to mention this because I was just too embarrassed, but I lost my Canon Speedlite on Sunday. I was careless and it fell out of my bag. My heart has been aching with regret since. I'm pretty sure the ache comes from the money lost from such expensive equipment.
I don't use my flash that much. In fact, I try not to use it, but sometimes, you just need a flash. They have their place in this world.

After we had exhausted our search, looking in every possible location, my husband put these up around our building:

My husband and I both felt it was a lost cause, especially after a couple of days had passed.

Are you waiting for the miracle?
Here it comes.

Tonight, I received a phone call from a woman in our building whose husband may have found the flash. She said that he found something in the middle of the road the other day while he was driving down our street.
She was trying to translate what information he wanted her to get from me over the phone, but I wasn't making sense of it. Finally, without getting my hopes up, I asked if what her husband found was a "Canon Speedlite 580 EXII in a black case". I just wanted a "yes" or "no".

"Yes. I will have my husband bring it down to your door."

I proceeded to hold my breath for the next five minutes until I heard the door ring.

I remember opening the door with my eyes searching only for what rested in his hands, and there it was. Relief and elation surged through me.

The man, my hero of the day, had apparently seen the case laying in the middle of the street right in front of our building on Sunday morning, right after we left.
He said, as I understood him to say, he didn't normally look or stop for things like a black case, but he just did. So he picked it up and took it home.
Maybe it took a few days to make the connection between his find and the "Missing" posters, or maybe he just took his time getting around to it, but I don't care. He found and returned my flash to me safe and sound.
I am definitely thinking of ways I can show him and his wife my thanks.

The miracle is threefold:
• No one ran over the flash in the street, crushing it useless,
• a person took the time to pick it up, right after I dropped it,
• and this person was honest and decent enough to hold onto it to seek out its owner instead of selling it on Ebay.

Some of you may understand why I was suffering this week over a piece of camera equipment and some of you may not. It's really about money and an investment. Losing a lot of either can hurt.
I am not hurting tonight.

~•~

61 Days Grateful- Thank you, Jane

2010-03-02T18:37:00.007-05:00

Dear Jane,

Thank you for being so good today while I shopped, even though I thought I lost you when in fact you were just laying down on the bottom rack of the cart.

Thank you for letting me have a workout two days in a row. I'm on a roll! Let's keep it up.

Thank you for loving my music. It's funny to listen to you sing the lyrics as you hear them.

Thank you for having enough personality for the two of us (I've been kind of dull lately).

And in honor of his birthday, here are some words from Dr. Seuss that make me think of you, Jane:

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
~ Dr. Seuss

58 Days Grateful- sidewalk saints

2010-02-27T18:42:00.004-05:00

(From Saturday)

I am grateful for these two industrious women who chiseled and shoveled the ice and snow off of the public sidewalk (only one agreed to have her photograph taken).

The hard-packed snow had turned into a 2-3 inch thick layer of ice. You can see a big chunk of it on the right. What a woman!
It was quite treacherous. I had tried going over this area moments earlier with the stroller and found it challenging, but it was worse for my kids who were trying to walk on it.

Thank you for your service, ladies!

~•~

57 Days Grateful- breakfast for dinner

2010-02-26T21:38:00.004-05:00

That was a round pancake at one point.

I love having breakfast for dinner. It's fast, easy and the kids love it.
Interpretation: It's last minute dinner decision-making time and I don't want to think about it. Plus, Dan usually cooks it.

~•~

56 Days Grateful- "musical night"

2010-02-25T22:12:00.003-05:00

Today, my daughter said she wanted to have a "musical night" where we all play and sing like a band.

I was supposed to play the drums (my lap), but I just sat back and watched the girls play the maracas and the ukulele along with the guitar. They made sweet music.

~•~

54 Days Grateful- the rain

2010-02-23T11:53:00.003-05:00

Why the rain?
Because that means it's not cold enough to snow, and it's washing some of that dirty snow away. Yay!

BTW, I am so done with winter ):P

*******

If you've noticed, and/or care, I have withheld a few "days of grateful" from being shared on the blog merely because they are just too mundane and boring, like how yesterday I was grateful that I saved $25.41 (20%) on my groceries. I mean, who wants to see a picture of my receipt?
I'll try spare you those insignificant details of my life.

52 Days Grateful- the end of the day

2010-02-21T20:20:00.002-05:00

I don't want to sound negative or anything, but I am so glad for this day to come to an end.

~•~

51 Days Grateful- first run of the year

2010-02-21T20:13:00.002-05:00

I finally got to go running outside!

It was a sweltering 47˚ (without the wind), so I took advantage of it and went for my first outdoor run of the year.
It was about time!
It felt so good.

~•~

50 Days Grateful- when Friday night becomes take-out night

2010-02-21T20:01:00.003-05:00

We don't do it often which makes it taste even better.

~•~

49 Days Grateful- good health

2010-02-18T18:03:00.004-05:00

Sometimes, most of the time, I take our good health for granted. We have had no real health issues in our immediate family, thus far.
I know, and know of, SO many people that have dealt with or are dealing with sicknesses, "conditions", serious allergies, diseases and unfortunately, death caused by health problems.
When I think of all these souls, young to old, I realize I have everything I need-- my family. I am grateful for the blessing of a family in good health.

~•~

48 Days Grateful- playmates in the making

2010-02-17T20:11:00.001-05:00

For so long, Jane was quite indifferent toward Claire. I have often tried to get her interested in her sister, but it always seemed forced.
Now, these two are finally starting to play together. Part of it is that Claire is becoming more capable and can "play" with the same things the older girls do. The other part is that Jane just seems to be growing up, becoming more tolerant of her baby sister. She also loves how Claire will laugh at her.
There are still issues that a middle child and baby of the family will share, and Jane is still learning how to treat a baby, but I feel like progress is being made in their relationship. Yay!

47 Days Grateful- a quarter from a stranger

2010-02-17T11:17:00.007-05:00

This guy didn't know I had had a long busy day, that I had struggled traveling to the store with my three girls and the stroller in the snow, that we needed something to do until we could go back home, that we were out during dinner time and hadn't eaten.

Our realtor wanted to show our place twice last night, once at 6:15 and then again at 7:00, and my husband wasn't going to be able to be home to help. I didn't make us a real dinner to avoid a mess. I had spent the day keeping the girls entertained during the constant snowfall and once I finally got the place cleaned, I corralled them out the door just in time for the showing.
At first I didn't know where we'd go. I thought about hanging out in the car, even though I didn't know where it was parked (typical), but I decided we needed some things at the store two blocks away so there we went.

The walk was a trek. Strollers and snow don't work well together, and I knew that. I wouldn't have taken it, but we usually take it out when we show the place, because it's the first thing you see when you open our door. It's not that pretty.

ANYWAY, after our leisurely time in the store, we still had time to kill, but what do you do with little hungry kids in the snow, dark and cold? (Am I sounding pathetic yet?)
Outside of the store, there is a horse that I used to let Hannah ride (Jane used to be scared of it), but we haven't used it since they hiked the price up to two whole quarters. Hannah asked to ride it, and both girls climbed on. They probably would have been fine just sitting there pretending, but I grabbed my wallet, and I rummaged for quarters. I pulled one out, and suddenly from behind me, came a hand with a quarter in it. I accepted it gratefully. The young man (younger than me, anyway) tried to give me another one, and the friend he was with started to pull one out of his pocket. I told them I had one, and I thanked them both very much, twice.

So, my girls got to ride the horse. Woot! Woot!
(Evidently, Jane's not afraid anymore)

Seriously, it wasn't that big of a deal that my girls rode on a one-minute horse ride. I don't know why this post has lasted this long with all these ramblings. But last night, at that moment, it meant so much to me that someone would offer a small token so that I could give my girls a reward for sticking out the day with me.

So thank you for the quarter, stranger. You lightened my load ever so slightly.

~•~

46 Days Grateful- this girl!

2010-02-15T10:57:00.003-05:00

She just turned five!

I know I'm supposed to say "I can't believe it" but I can.
She has always seemed so much older than she actually is.
Maybe it's because she's so tall, or because she had a vocabulary of 150 words at 18 months, or because she cares so much about other people, or because she understands things I wouldn't expect from someone her age. I guess it's all those things and more.
She doesn't act too old though. She still has a fresh, young, playful spirit and gets excited over the smallest things.

To my Hannah,
You have charmed my life.
You are such a good example to me and you teach me so much.
Thank you for being so fun, for giving so much love, for helping me be a better mom, for being the best big sister anyone could ask for, for always smiling when a smile is given to you, and even for all those little quirky things that sometimes drive me batty. You wouldn't be you without any of it, and I love the "you" you are.
Happy Birthday, sweet girl!
Mom

45 Days Grateful- the loves of my life

2010-02-14T15:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

43 Days Grateful- flowers for his Valentines

2010-02-12T22:58:00.003-05:00

Dan brought home flowers for all of his girls, even the baby.
Just sweet.

~•~

42 Days Grateful- Music to move to...

2010-02-11T17:27:00.004-05:00

because I was not self-motivated enough to get my to-do's done on my own.

This little baby got me through the day. Thanks, Arpel! (I know at least one person out there that gets it ;)

*******
Hmm... How many things can I make into a heart this weekend???

~•~

41 Days Grateful- handmade Valentines

2010-02-10T17:59:00.003-05:00

I loved getting Valentines ready for school when I was a kid. This is the first time I have been able to do it with my kids.

Hannah made 80% of these little cards (8). Not bad. I let her stop when she said her fingers hurt, but then she went on to coloring on some other paper???
She's like me-- she needs to change tasks often or she gets bored.

Anyway, we're both excited for her to take her Valentines (attached to a huge cookie) to school tomorrow for her little party.
I kind of wish I could go. The memories...

~•~

40 Days Grateful- fresh homemade bread

2010-02-09T17:27:00.002-05:00

Need I say more?

~•~

39 Day Grateful- simple advice, little voice

2010-02-08T13:51:00.008-05:00

I was a grump today. I can easily attribute it to lack of sleep.
On a day that I feel better rested, it might not bother me that I had to fish a couple of things out of the toilet, that I sprayed myself soaked while trying to clean the refrigerator shelves, that I burned the macaroni and cheese (I know, I didn't think it was possible either), that I picked up my daughter late from school. Not bother me as much, anyway.

So, Hannah knew I was having a bad day...

H: Mom, just fix it, 'cause you can fix anything.

First, I laughed because she thinks that. Then I realized I was glad that she thinks that.

Me: Ok. I'll be right back.

H: Where are you going?

Me: In my room. I'm going to fix it.

H: Can I help you?

Me: That's OK. Be right back.

So, I went in, closed the door for a while, even changed my clothes (so as to feel more attractive?) and I got a do-over on my day.

~•~

38 Days Grateful- sweet ride

2010-02-07T23:15:00.006-05:00

RI -> NYC

Husband driving. Kids asleep. Feet on the dash.

Girl Scout cookies :)

~•~

37 Days Grateful- kids bowling

2010-02-06T22:19:00.002-05:00

The girls were so funny to watch try to bowl today.
Hannah didn't care if she knocked down one or ten pins (ten never happened), she was always excited.
Jane... she had a meltdown halfway through the game. Just tired, I guess.
Still, we need to take the girls bowling more often. I'd like to take myself more often too. My game score was shameful.

~•~

36 Days Grateful- young sitters

2010-02-06T13:15:00.002-05:00

I've been loving these young people that have been taking care of my baby. They do it eagerly and they are good at it.
I can't wait until Hannah is old enough to babysit. Well, I can wait, but you know what I mean.

~•~

35 Days Grateful- a forgiving husband

2010-02-04T06:55:00.002-05:00

I made a mistake. I made a stupid mistake. I made an embarrassing, stupid mistake (albeit not a terrible one) that I was afraid to tell my husband about. Why, I don't know, because I know my husband.
Anyway, I am grateful for a forgiving and unconditionally loving husband who is so understanding and would never blame me for anything.
He makes my heart want to burst.

No, I cannot share my mistake with you.

~•~

34 Days Grateful- a warm wood fire

2010-02-03T22:41:00.002-05:00

I'll be the first one to admit that I have no idea what I am doing when photographing flames, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful for a nice warm fire.

I'm in Rhode Island and it's cold. My friends made a fire for us to cozy up to. It's been a long time since I sat in front of a wood fire inside.

And then we ate ice cream.

~•~

33 Days Grateful- the coolest toy ever

2010-02-02T15:37:00.005-05:00

Any toy that can keep my girls occupied for an hour or more gets an A+ in my book.

We first saw Magformers at my B-I-L's family cabin and we had to get them for Christmas. They are super strong as a magnetic force, indestructible (so far :) and the amount of objects that can be made from them seems endless.

I love to play with them as much as the girls, but today they had them to themselves while I got work done. They beat a movie any day.

The only problem with these is that there will probably never be enough as we always want more pieces to build with. Oh, and we have to keep them from Baby Destruct-O. Her magnetic force to anything being built is stronger than all the tiles put together.

(Look for them on sale. We got ours for half the retail price.)

~•~