Welcome to Jupiter

“What’s in a word” I’ve been thinking a lot recently.

Autism.

“What’s in a diagnosis” I’ve been contemplating.

Autism.

“Why do we need it?” I’ve been pondering

Autism.

“Why not?” I’ve wondered out loud

Autism.

A song from one of my favorite humans kept playing in my mind.

I've been riding around Saturn's rings
Learning how each one sings
Jumping from star to star
Finding my own heart

I've been learning to slow down
Putting roots in that ground
Waiting until that fruit is ripe
Growing up in that light

Sunshine through my window
She's coming home tomorrow
It's my choice to be joyful
Giving up all sorrow

This is my story
This is my vision
Everything right on time

Well I'm hearing Jupiter's Call
Got me feeling strong and tall
Laughing at the play of life
Giving me a brand new sight

The war between right and wrong
I'm putting it all in song
And trust that I do my best
Letting my body rest

Sunshine through my window
She's coming home tomorrow
It's my choice to be joyful
Giving up all sorrow

This is my story
This is my vision
Everything right on time

Sunshine through my window
She's coming home tomorrow
It's my choice to be joyful
Giving up all sorrow

This is my story
This is my vision
Everything right on time

Jupiter’s Call by Trevor Hall

To all the special needs moms out there I see you. I know you. I FEEL you. We know Jupiter. Everything is right on time.

November Gratitude

In the end, only three things matter:

how much you loved,

how gently you lived,

and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha

Stay Inside

Brene Brown always brings the best stuff to the hard stuff. Vulnerability, courage, being brave, shame….her new podcast saved me this morning. Having the emotional bandwidth for 4 individual beings all feeling very different things simultaneously during this pandemic has me in a tailspin to say the least. I am back to my “old hat” of taking pictures as therapy. Visually processing the mundane moments to complete insanity this life throws out has me feeling all of the feels this afternoon. I am constantly reminding myself to give kindness, we are all in this together. My 11 year old is throwing death con 5 tantrums because this is the FFT. My 9 year old refused to walk for a week because this is the FFT. Her twin sister has been lashing out at my 6 year old because this is the FFT. My 6 year old seems to break into tears anytime I’m not within her sight because this is the FFT.

I need to remember GRACE.

I need to remember to TRUST THE PROCESS.

I need to remember THIS TOO WILL PASS.

I need to remember witnessing these four ladies’ childhood is a PRIVILEGE.

I need to remember it’s all INSIDE.

Exhale

Breathe in, breathe out. It’s all in the exhale…

Monkey see, Monkey do

Into the colors of the dusk

when your whole world is shaken
from all the risks we have taken
dance with me into the colors
of the dusk

when you have awoken
from all the dreams broken
dance with me into the colors
of the dusk

the paths we're walking on
crumble behind us
but if we leave now they will
never find us
and if this crazy world spins itself
down to dust
i want to be with you
in the colors

when you again start hoping
with your arms wide open
dance with me into the colors
of the dusk

and all will be right
dancing like water with the light
dance with me into the colors
of the dusk

~Ben Harper

Space to breathe

Wide open spaces

Shop Kamili

"Kamili in Swahili stands for "full." When refugees flee their war-torn countries, they are stripped of their humanity.  With each bracelet purchased, you encourage each refugee to feel "full" again. Full of hope, full of community, full of love."  Britta Kelley, develper of ShopKamili

So many amazing colors coming out this Fall! 

This is 40.

We brought Mil home on JG's 30th birthday.

She just turned 10.

Here's to learning new tricks, laughing until you cry and seeing things from new perspectives at 40 JG.

Sparkles on the water

Mother's Day Weekend

““I struggle with enormous discrepancies: between the reality of motherhood and the image of it, between my love for my home and the need to travel, between the varied and seductive paths of the heart. The lessons of impermanance, the occasional despair and the muse, so tenuously moored, all visit their needs upon me and I dig deeply for the spiritual utilities that restore me”
― Sally Mann”

Breathe

And when you don't feel like singing

and you don't feel like laughing,

there will still be rhythms to breathe to-Morgan Harper Nichols

Seasons

It is the first day of spring.

These images are from a summer when everything felt up in the air

a season of loss

a season of unrest

a season of blind faith-

that everything would be OK.

On the first day of spring with impending snow, it feels right to delve into this untouched and unedited batch of raw files from the summer. 

Seasons change,

everything is OK.

Just keep swimming...

I'm going back to work this year.

Millie is going to a new school this year.

The twins are starting first grade this year.  

John is going to work for another company this year.

Lucy learned how to swim this summer and it reminded all of us to just keep swimming...

...and NOT to forget to take a breath every once in a while.

August

There is just something about summer nights in August that are so bittersweet. August is sticky door handles, never ending requests for snacks and damp bathing suit pieces littering the kitchen floor.  August is summer coming to an end, babies growing another year older, days getting a little shorter, patience running a tad bit thinner, and the beginning of school jitters.

Editing these pictures for this sweet family I found myself nostalgic for my own family just a couple years ago when my youngest was their youngest's age.  Such a whirlwind life is.  I love spending time with families in their element documenting the story of them where they are.

Because life keeps moving.  The babies grow and they outgrow the little chairs.  

The slow and often mundane August nights will eventually turn into a crisp scheduled fall routine...

Summer Vacation Day 1

Holy summer time. That is not really the S word I want to use. It's day 1. 

My underwater camera is permanently underwater-30 or so feet underwater.

We burst an ear drum and the recent broken bone needed re-molding (?) today due to a blue thumb (apparently NOT a good sign)...all before 9am.  Because we had been at 7 am swim team practice (really kicking myself on that specific decision) Lucy was still in pjs and didn't have shoes on and the rest of the ladies were either comando or soggy in their bathing suits, basically we were a HOT mess.

So by the time 3pm rolled around and I realized the end was NO WHERE in sight, we headed outside...

Addy fell, Millie said summer was too hot, Lucy explained she couldn't wear shoes because her feet are just TOO big and therefore she couldn't ride the scooter she HAD to bring, and Tatum's flip flop broke mid scoot.  Then feelings were hurt because someone's injury was not taken as seriously as someone else's and it all just became too ridiculous and we were all laughing.  

The gaggle of girls arguing and simultaneously laughing on the corner this afternoon as the skies got darker and darker was us.  It was kind of awesome. I felt like we literally brought the storm to our doorstep.  The energy was palpable.  The first lighting lit up the sky as we ran up the porch. 

I'm pretty pumped to see what day 2 has in store:)