Sometimes photos make life look more beautiful than it really is. A viewfinder that carefully crops out a peripheral mess, a sharp lens, a brilliant flare of sunshine, a good angle–it all tends to glorify moments, melding the great spectrum of emotions from bad to good into one polished freeze-frame of well-now-that’s-just-beautiful.
Words have the same ability to augment a raw scene because the author describing a moment has free will in selecting adjectives. A sky that is gray, morose and depressing to one may be described by another writer as beautiful, mysterious, inviting. And they both might be right.
My camera and my keyboard are priceless tools in guiding my perspective. And while some may view beautiful photos, poetic descriptions, or blogging in general as skewed representations of reality–and I get it, it’s selective writing, a pie slice of our lives–for me it’s another set of eyes, a different way to look at things.
While we may think that reality is what happens without the camera, and glorified truth is the product of a perfect photo captured within that reality; perhaps it’s the other way around. Amid the not-so-pretty moments and rough-around-the-edges days, a viewfinder closes in on the glorious truth we might have missed had we not captured it in its fleeting moment.
I draw insight on a variety of perspectives and believe the raw, unpolished and exposed truths of misfortune are important and need to be heard. But framing sun flares and zooming in on hidden smiles runs deep in my blood. It’s what I do. It’s what I want to do.
And I say this all because yesterday was a hard day. There were tears and hugs and phone calls. But tonight, I am looking through pictures of these past two days. And I am reminded, these are not glorified moments amid a tarnished reality. These are real. This is what really happened, and I’m so glad I have pictures or I might have missed it.
Well now that’s just beautiful.
We returned to Botanical Gardens this morning. Lainey and her friend Leah played House inside a real, tiny cottage for an hour while Leah’s mama and I stretched out in adirondack chairs under leafy shade. We talked and laughed and marveled at how our little girls worked out all their problems on their own. No fighting, no crying, even though we heard two alpha dogs bossing each other around several times. Leah’s mama is good like that. Every time I jump to intervene, she smiles and reminds me they’ll probably work it out on their own. And they do.
Halfway through our garden strolls, I noticed Lainey was wearing gardening gloves. I thought she was the coolest kid in the world for actually remembering on her own to pack her gardening gloves for the gardens. But then she told me she “buyed them” from the gift shop when we arrived. She doesn’t have any money. Cue “We don’t take things that aren’t ours” Conversation #2.
We went back and paid for the gloves and went about our day.
Lainey’s friend Baylee is moving to North Carolina. This is Lainey’s first time dealing with this kind of good bye, and while we are watering down the impact of how far away she’ll be and for how long, it’s still disappointing. And good for her to learn about life. But today, we had Baylee to ourselves and the girls enjoyed manning a lemonade stand on our corner where nobody bought anything. They were singing “Lainey and Baylee’s Lemonade Stand!” every time a car drove by and every time someone passed on their offer, Lainey’s older cousin yelled “HEARTLESS! Seriously! They’re FOUR.”
Our neighbor saved the day with a $5 tip.
We concluded the day with friends in the pool. With brilliant sun flares and hidden smiles and prismatic bubbles that made pictures look pretty.
Glorified truth? Nah. It really happened.
So there. We are doing well. We are happy.
******
Congratulations to the $35 La Luce gift certificate: Comment #30, Shelly: Life’s emotions are a continual roller coaster ride that never ends. When one emotion is raging, others are dormant. And the cycle continues. But, as women, we need that ride to experience every moment effectively. A wild, precious ride:)
Please send your info to kellehamptonblog@comcast.net.
*****
My purse would like to thank new sponsor, PurseBling, for creating some organization among broken pens, capless lipsticks and a thick layer of cracker crumbs. Seriously, this is like As-Seen-on-TV kind of fabulousness. I need sunscreen? Why, the stick is in the third pocket over. Cell phone? Two to the left. Snacks? Easy to find.
Check it.
Nice, eh? Your purse can join my purse’s club with a 10% off discount using Code KELLE. And one comment on this post will be randomly chosen to win a purse organizer of their choice, courtesy of PurseBling.
Your Hallmark post comments? I am loving them. I am smiling reading them. I am writing more just because notes because I am inspired by your stories. Thank you for sharing.
For the record, this baby doll belongs to us. It was not stolen from a gift shop, taken from a friend, nor hijacked from a stranger.
Check out Babble’s new list of Top Baby Photo Blogs. And thank you for reading and being part of our community here…we’re happy to join talented others on this list!
Happy Day.
Gorgeous photos and gorgeous girls, as always! Isn’t your pool all soapy now? At least it’s clean!
Oh my…my eyes got wide and I gave a little gasp when I saw the PurseBling. My purse could desperately use some help…pick me! 🙂
My family lives in Naples and I have never commented on your blog until now, but I love seeing pictures of your girls and just everything. But what I miss is the beach, especially when you post cute pictures at the beach!! I love your blog!!
This blog makes me so happy. I love your family.
I look forward to reading this blog everytime I see a new post. You have such an inspirational way of bring a smile to my face. Your photos and your words are brilliant!
Your family is beautiful:)
Love the sweet pictures you always post!
One day in the fleeting moments of our life, when our memory possibly parts with us, we will hold our photos as the spark to relight an exact moment in time all the while Flooding our hearts with Love.
Keep sharing. Keep going. Keep on.
The moments you capture always add a little sunshine to my oftentimes cloudy Seattle day. 🙂
love it. every last word. You are so genuine and real.
Love your post as always! your way with words and the humor of being a mom make me smile!
I need that purse organizer! Expecting baby number 4 in a month and always have tons of little things hidden in my purse!
LOL I can’t believe Lainey and the gardening gloves…. too funny!
I’m so glad that you’re able to focus on all of the beauty in your life through blogging – even on difficult days. The big bonus is that we get to share in some of the beauty. Thanks, Kelle!
haha we have ‘buyed’ some shoes from carters before that mama didn’t realize until we got into the car and unpacked the stroller…2 hrs later! That was a fun explaination 🙂
p.s LOVE the sunflowers they are my all time fav.
We just moved to NC two weeks ago tomorrow. We had several of the playdates like the one you had and they are rough. My son kept asking, “when can they come to our new house?” a 14 hour drive wasn’t something he was grasping. It’s a learning experience, but so is sending regular mail & skype 🙂 Good Luck!
omg…laughing soooo hard. peyton and i were looking at this post together and all of sudden…(you know peyton well, so you can imagine the emotion and DRAMA with which this convo may have gone;)
“…that’s not fair. those are my favorite friends and i wasn’t even invited.”
honey, we are in mi!
“…mama, call auntie kelle and tell her that was not nice. i like lemonade!”
i’m scrolling while explaining that we are in another state when all of sudden she spies syds dark hair and says, “STOP…(points to syd) is that me?”
omg, i am in tears. i just called you;)
also, the last post…love you so very much! think i’ll send you a little greeting too…just because i miss you! thanks for the inspiration.
xoxo
Cute organizer. Love the beautiful pics!!
Great post, Kelle. I ,too, often feel that people view my blog as being just a peek into the the good portion of our life. It’s true that I don’t usually find myself compelled to blog about the negativity, but that doesn’t make the positive and beautiful aspects any less glorious and valid.
http://www.ramblingsfromtheanimalfarm.blogspot.com
Okay, here’s the plan: You bring Lainey to visit Baylee in NC which is coincidentally where I live! My little guy is the same age as Nella and they can play so I can meet you! Sound good? http://www.paperstarfish.prettyposies.com
You have a way of expressing universal thoughts and feelings that everybody has, so accurately & genuinely! Thank you for sharing your blog with everyone.
Today was/is a hard day. Thank you for being my “me time.” It was a nice distraction….much needed.
As always, Kelle, thank you for a beautiful look at life. It’s always uplifting, even the down days. I think the photo of Nella looking up toward the camera is absolutely precious. Am I wrong, or does it just absolutely capture her essence?
Looking forward to checking out those photo blogs–if they’re in a group with you, they must be good!
Your “things that don’t belong to us” stories reminded me of something similar that I did when I was small. It was the day before my 5th birthday, actually. I remember that because my mom threatened to cancel the party when she found a $.25 gift bow in my tiny little purse. I hadn’t stolen it on purpose (honest!)…I had just seen it sitting somewhere it didn’t belong and took it with the intent of putting it in the right spot when we passed by and, well….I forgot.
My poor mom- I don’t know if she believed me or if she thought I was making it up, but she drove me all the way back to the Hills store the bow had come from and made me return it at customer service. Then I had to sit through the whole speech from the store manager, in his office, with my mom sitting next to me nodding along with his descriptions of handcuffs, police cars, jail, and massive fines. I was mortified. Needless to say, I never EVER forgot about it. I did still get to have a birthday party, though, after my mom was convinced I had been thoroughly embarrassed. 🙂
Don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re doing a great job! I’m pretty sure theft is something every parent deals with at one time or another.
What a great day!
Thanks for sharing your world with us! Treasure these times with your girls for they grow up way to fast! Love the PurseBling. My purse always needs help!
i need that purse organizer! love it.
Whoa Nella looks older in that close up of her near the top! Tell her to stop growing so fast!
Great stuff! I bet you guys have a blast as a family in that pool! My wife is a pediatrician…so no pool, and no trampoline. But it’s all good!
You guys rock!
By the way, if you get a chance, take a look at this open letter I’ve posted to GQ Magazine about their insulting comments towards people with Down syndrome.
—–
Rick
Noah’s Dad
Your blog inspires me every time I read it….to be a better person, better mom, better photographer. To have a more positive outlook on life and to enjoy what really is. It’s my pick me up when I truly need it. And for that I thank you!!
It really is all about perspective. Because as cheesy as it is…with the rainbow comes the rain. Relish the little moments. That’s where we so often miss the most beautifully raw wonderful mess of moments that are what life is about.
Ps…Sweet Nella is growing so fast!
Have been pondering this very same idea… of how much editing goes into what I write & post… selecting what I want the world to see. But this:
Amid the not-so-pretty moments and rough-around-the-edges days, a viewfinder closes in on the glorious truth we might have missed had we not captured it in its fleeting moment.
…is exactly where my thoughts landed as well.
Beautiful moments captured… that is what helps me through the not-so-beautiful but oh-so-necessary other kind of moments that make up daily living.
Hope whatever made yesterday hard has faded away into a very new day.
xo
Kate
p.s. When I was around Lainey’s age we moved away from my very best friend. Because our Moms stayed in contact through our younger years, I am proud to say that she is still one of my very best friends… even after 35+ years & countless moves. True friends stay with us always.
I’m addicted to your blog! You inspire me, so I just started my own blog today actually. I havn’t even posted cuz I am still learning how to do it, ha.
Hard days are real too, your allowed to have em. Thank you for your truth.
I have so been in the ‘friend moving away’ situation.
Usually we are the ones moving but this time last year, my daughter’s bff and her momma, who just so happens to be my bff (a friendship that grew only stronger when her daughter was born with ds 2 yrs after mine) moved from our awesome little neighborhood to Tulsa. My girl didn’t quite understand at the time but luckily they are only 4 hours away so we still see each other often. It will be hard, another life lesson for sweet Lainey and even harder for you probably but I am sure you know that and are taking the neccesary steps of lots-of-picture-taking and lots-of-life-celebrating, ‘just because.”
Glad you are still enjoying the small things like always. Such an inspiration!
Capture the beauty. The world needs it.
The lemonade stand is adorable, and the girls in there yellow swim suits, awesome! I remember trying to sell koolaid when i was little, so many people walked by….how sad!
Love the purse organizer, that is something i need with 2 boys and them brining all kinds of things, lots pockets are GOOD! 🙂
I love hearing how you deal with all the real. 🙂
This comment is for Rick, Noah’s dad, whose p.s. in the comments here really touched me (as did his letter to GQ). I was appalled at GQ’s reference to Down Syndrome. I really don’t think there’s any way that kind of insensitivity can be justified. Noah’s a lucky boy. — Maryanne
The heat index for tomorrow is 115 and no we do not live in the southwest. it is not supposed to feel that hot here. we need a pool. and moving is hard…but even more fun is had when you get to see one another again. spoken by a military wife.
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This is where I come to be inspired. Ahhhhh. I love how you somehow put my thoughts into words on your blog. Ha! Seriously, you are amazing!
I love seeing what Lainey is dressed as everyday! The glasses in the last post were priceless.
Saying goodbye to friends is hard, but watching your kids say goodbye to their friends is heartbreaking. We are expats and when you live overseas people are always coming and going. While there is a special amount of energy and excitement that it brings, it also brings. . . the inevitable goodbye. My middle one (our son) is saying goodbye to his best friend this year. No words can describe it. Our last week before returning to the states this summer, my boy and I just cried together. Each and every night.
Praying and thinking of Lainey as she says goodbye to her friend. Or as we say in China she can say: 再见! (pronounced: zaijian, which means not goodbye, but “see you again”)
So true, Kelle! Thanks for helping me to ‘enjoy the small things’ more 🙂
Of course your blog is #1! I always knew you’d do amazing stuff in this big world!! Following even when I don’t comment…life has been full!
Kelle, your blog feeds my soul. Your words…your pictures, they touch my spirit in ways that are hard to describe. You always give me something to think about, and it’s good. Very, very good. Thank you for the challenge to look more carefully for the truth and beauty in my own reality. I needed to read that today. Thank you for being who you are and sharing yourself so freely. You are a blessing.
Love your words and pictures. And the beautiful, real moments!
Sorry to hear about your tears. Part of life but still. Hope you received couple of kisses/hugs from your girls.
Next time I see girls selling lemonade I will make sure to buy some.
As always a beautiful post with beautiful pictures!
Thanks for always putting a smile on my face!
Brooke Annessa
http://www.TheAnnessaFamily.blogspot.com
Ok I have twin 3 year olds and a 3 month old…..my purse could use one of those! haha anyway i love the way you can take the not so good days and find a glimmer of light and gain perspective to find good. I’m workin on that 🙂
Darn those heartless monsters for not buying a cup of lemonade…and at such a steal too. I love how simple your pictures were, filling in the little details of what summer is all about.
The pictures are beautiful and the pursebling is sooo something I would love!!!
Sorry Lainey needs to learn such a tough life lesson now. It made me sad just thinking about it.
Hang in there, hon!
Motherhood is not for wimps 🙂
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I think that finding the silver lining is the most important part of each day.
Counting blessings.
Making “love” lists.
Acknowledging those whom you admire.
Pausing to breathe, shrugging your shoulders back and moving forward.
ups & downs of life….friends move, family is far away. we must find the joy in every single day to sustain us.
xoxocathy
I love what you are saying. I sometimes struggle with the fact that my blogs tag line is ‘Where the sun is always shining’ because its not always shining, sometimes it rains. But the pictures look like the sun is always shining too…I don’t tend to take pictures of tantrums or of the children watching TV for example. But the pictures that are there are real moments and make everyday chores and struggles fade into the background.
OMG my grandmother is always talking about wanting a purse organizer and her birthday is coming up. I know what I’m getting her now.
If we can’t find beauty in photos and words then what kind of world would this be?
Love the lemonade stand,….reminds me of my childhood…except our wasn’t near as cute!
I am so sorry I laughed that Lainey “buyed” the gloves. My daughter is 3 and my son is 10 months… my payback days, they are acomin’!
Selling lemonade in a teeny bikini…so adorable! Your girls are so pretty.
“… these are not glorified moments amid a tarnished reality. These are real. This is what really happened, and I’m so glad I have pictures or I might have missed it.” Thanks for this perspective. I’m struggling to pluck out the joy from all the tarnish these days. I don’t want to miss it. I NEED to not miss it.
Oh, and my purse is a cavern of mystery, in great need of such organization!
Beautiful post. I get lost in the muck of day to day life, so I really appreciated the way you described focusing on those precious moments. I want to do that more.
What is the song that accompanies this post? I love it 🙂
I love this and I absolutely agree with you. Some bloggers tend to only focus on the good, making their lives seem so divine & extraordinary compared to mine, while others seem to only complain. What is good is a healthy mix, because that’s *real*. Maybe not whining, but acknowledging that some days are harder than others. That’s why I love your blog, because you find the beauty and you make it seem so natural.
Also, I love those last two pictures. 🙂
This blog post embodies exactly why I love this blog so much. Thanks again for sharing pieces of your life. Don’t let people get you down. A quote I saw recently (totally funny, but kind of appropriate)… “Don’t try to win over the haters. You are not the jerk whisperer!”
real is ugly. but real is also beautiful. yeah. mostly beautiful. phew. xoxoxo.
very cool purse organizer! this will definitely help in my diaper bag since I plan on using it as a purse too.
Thank you for sharing the real. On the hard days around here I find myself feeling guilty and comparing our days to those of you and other photo blogging moms, wondering why things can’t be like the pictures.
I love your heart! How you express through photos and words and some times the ****-out swear word ;0)
My daughter, Nina “buyed” a blue bear keychain from Children’s Place this past spring. We had a nice long talk about stealing, she had to go back to the store and pay for it with her own money, not that she has money; but there was an opening of a piggy bank invovled. Even though she paid for it, we decided she couldn’t have it. I plan to wrap it up for her for a wedding gift…(her something blue) On the subject of PurseBling; my son Nick is obessed with as seen on TV stuff and is constantly telling me I “need to get that!” He would be uber excited if I won. :0)
I love how you wrote the description of blogging. It’s so true.
I love the purse bling! I would find that so helpful. I am always missing stuff in my purse.
It was the summer between 4th and 5th grade that my best friend (since we were 4 years old) moved away…to Poland..from Alabama. It was terrible. BUT, that’s when my love of snail mail began to blossom! International mail! Even better! This is perhaps Lainey’s beginning to a glorious love and ability to thoughtfully touch others through mail…and enjoying the small things…like letters…that are really actually very big things.
Seriously – no one stopped for lemonade??? I used to make a bundle on lemonade stands as a kid – a whole $10.00 in change split with my sister and our two best friends! (Keep in mind we charges 10 cents a cup) Can’t wait for my girlies to have a lemonade stand in a few years! Awesome purse thingymajig; this usually organized mama constantly has a disarrayed purse with a 19 month old and a 3 month old in tow!
I sent a magazine to a friend today, in a manila envelope, decorated with stickers and a sweet note saying, hi, enjoy this mag and I love you 🙂
My daughter will have her first experience with a dear friend moving away in a couple months. Keep us posted on how Lainey does with it.
My mom has a gift I hope to share (and sometimes do): she remembers the positive, not the negative. She remembers the good photos, not the drama. She remembers the good parts–and while she doesn’t pretend the bad parts didn’t happen, what she remembers is the good stuff. And it’s good.
Without realizing I had the same worries and same wonders, you confirmed to me that my own ‘pretty pictures’ really do have meaning too. They really are real.
So thank you.
Your blog is, for me, a daily reminder to stop and take pause. Amidst the suckishness that life inevitably brings each of us at times, there is truly a plethora of beauty that often is overlooked. Your pics and words remind me of this. May your hard days be outnumbered by the great ones and thank you for sharing. 🙂
Heartless is right! I jump at the chance at stopping at a lemonade stand. I was the first “real” customer a few houses down from us. The kids were so excited, as was the mom who took a picture of me buying the lemonade! It was so good, that I sent a text to my hubby and he went for a walk in the 101 degree weather to grab a cup too! We all had a stand when we were kids, now we need to repay the future generation so they can get that ant farm or barbie doll!
I love the lemonade stand story… their older cousin? Brilliant!
Our oldest is about to turn three and we are learning that she has learned to stretch the truth and sometimes flat out deny the truth, it is a hard road to go down and to parent, but we’re doing it and we hope it a short, not to rough road!
Kelle, I love your writing and your pictures… and I cannot tell you how many times we have pulled your blog up to dance around the bedroom to the music on your player. Your blog has brought many smiles to all three of us… and many more. Keep doing what you do.
I prefer glorified reality. Those are the moments that we remember long after the light has faded on the messes and the mundane. It’s ok to have the tears and the sadness to remind us of how beautiful our little lives really are.
It’s like going to the zoo with kids. They’re just as amazed by the ducks in the pond and the bunny hopping across the path as they are by giraffes and gorillas. And they’re right.
you are a radical writer.
I was just telling my best friend today that the bottom of my purse looks like a junk drawer…
I literally laughed out loud at your niece yelling at the passersby who didn’t partake of the lemonade stand. Classic.
I would totally stop for some lemonade at that sweet stand!
As a kid I thought ‘I’ll always stop at lemonade stands when I’m an adult!’ It makes kids so excited to finally get a customer and they are usually the only customer.
It was great to take a few moments and read a handful of comments from the Hallmark post. Great stuff!
Love the post today, so glad the tears are over and everyone is better now. FYI: We are moving to VA from DE and I made stationary for my boys’ friends, self-addressed and stamped them and gave them as a portion of our “Friendship Celebration” party’s goodie bags. This could also help Lanie and Baylee with the new chapter in their lives. Goodluck!
I am one of the most unorganized people on the planet…I need a purse organizer for some motivation to organize!
Paula
that very last photo reminds me of “Horton Hears a Who.” What if? Could there be a whole species of intelligent beings living on that pink flower?
Love this post. The End.
I don’t know which I love more…your photography or your writing!
Either way, I always enjoy your blog. I love the way you think and express your thoughts and feelings. Sometimes you make me laugh. Sometimes you make me cry but you always make me feel.
I love your blog and your photos and everything you write. It doesn’t matter that our lives are not always the sunshine and happiness our blogs portray, as long as they make people laugh or smile then that is all that matters. WE know about the hard stuff and we won’t forget it and it makes us who we are, but it’s the good times and the laughter we want to capture. You do that in the most amazing way, and I look forward to reading every blog post you write. It is truly beautiful and I thank you for sharing it with us. Your pictures literally make my heart skip a beat, they bring a smile to my face and they make me want to be wherever you are (instead of in this 112 degree heat that Kansas is having now, are you jealous? Don’t be.) Keep on keepin on girl, you truly make a difference in this world!
Wow, this is a great post! I often wonder if people get annoyed with my “the grass is greenest in our backyard” antics on my blog…but that’s just how I feel about our life! I love reading your blog, your positive, always look on the bright side attitude cheers me up and puts things in to perspective even when I’m having a less than good day. Also – holla! That purse bling is AWESOME! I so need that for my shambles of a diaper bag…I can never find anything! Hope today was better for you than yesterday. 🙂
I love how true your statements are. There are DEFINITELY rough days, but within every day is something worth captioning, and good on you for doing it.
“Some pursue happiness ~ others create it.” ~~anon.
I love your happiness creations!
Love, Bree
Love the big cousin standing up for her girls! And how could anyone resist those cuties in their little yellow swimsuits? The most adorable girls and lemonade stand ever!
I absolutely love this post 🙂 It’s true, life can seem nebulous, disheveled, and inglorious at times, and that can leave us feeling disappointed and confused…. We can’t expect life to be like a perfect photo, but the fact that so many perfect moments exist (and they are perfect not because they are without flaws but because we feel well, and happened to focus on the simply beautiful amid the complexity of it all) does give us reason to celebrate. It is also true that “raw, unpolished and exposed truths of misfortune are important and need to be heard too”. But I think we all need to make an effort to see with those optimistic eyes, that can take a snapshot of the beautiful moments that make our hearts sing.
Thank you for helping me to frame my world in this way. I really like how you think about things, reflect on your experiences, and express yourself so beautifully. I find it tangibly affects my own perception of what’s immediately around me, as well as my perception of the world at large. I know life doesn’t boil down to a series of perfect pictures, and that’s not what I need and hope for….just many opportunities to celebrate those moments when we are fortunate to have them.
Kelle, when I read blog posts of yours, such as this one, I can’t help but wonder… do you get random emails/comments from people that are negative? Do people try to say that your overly happy too much?! You should never have to justify your beautiful posts !! EVER !
I’m sorry to hear that you had a tough day. I love to read how you make lemonade out of lemons. A quality to be truly admired!
“While we may think that reality is what happens without the camera, and glorified truth is the product of a perfect photo captured within that reality; perhaps it’s the other way around. Amid the not-so-pretty moments and rough-around-the-edges days, a viewfinder closes in on the glorious truth we might have missed had we not captured it in its fleeting moment”.
Oh lady, this spoke right to my soul. I, too, have it in my blood to capture the small moments of my children’s lives. Thank you for speaking so eloquently. I pink puffy heart you.
Oh yeah, I also made it my FB status update (w/ all credit given to you, of course). 🙂
I so needed that! I had a really rough day today and your blog reminded me that I need to mentally capture the true reality that I am blessed to get to stay at home and raise my son instead of having to leave that to someone I don’t know very well. Even on hard days when I’m ready to hand him over to daddy when he gets home I am blessed. I am sorry you had a bad day. Let the tears roll, they help!
Yep…what is up with grown ups these days.We had the most awesome lemonade stand last year. My girls were 4 and 6. I wanted them to have the full experience so we squeezed a bazillion lemons, baked homemade cupcakes, carefully crafted bunting and I sewed matching outfits and NOT ONE CAR! Thank God for our sweet neighbors that each bought $5 worth.We are buying lemon flavored Kool-aid this year LOL. My neighbor is a school counselor and told me about this book http://www.parentchildcenter.org/2011/07/12/featured-book-stopping-at-every-lemonade-stand-how-to-create-a-culture-that-cares-for-kids/ and now I too buy, girl scout cookies, and boy scout popcorn and ofcourse lemonade. Whenever I can.
You are right though. It’s real! And, pictures reinforce memories so…just imagine the memories your girls will remember when they grow up. 🙂
Keep capturing the fleeting moments… they are often the best ones.
I love the bubble pictures. They’re beautiful, and so full of life!
Loving the Lemonade stand!!!!! I have been telling my little girls that we need to have one, so much fun!… I love all of these wonderful pictures, and as always your girls are so Beautiful!!!!!
Michelle Torres
decorater4life@aol.com
I really liked this post…one of my all time favorites. I love your perspective, you’re spot on!
i had a hard day yesterday too =( makes me feel better to know that even you have them! and the purse organiser! why didnt i think of that= given that my diaper bag- aka purse is a smosh of itmes all the time- my hubby gives me a hard time about it!!
This is so true….thank you for putting it into words that make sense! Sometimes I ask myself, ‘am I a fraud?’ I edit photos, I add thoughtful captions, make copies of the “best” pictures to give to friends and family, and I don’t post the ones that show my wrinkles or cellulite (too much :). So I often wonder if people have a wrong impression of my family and our lives….we are not perfect; it’s just that I like to showcase the good stuff. I love that you said, “it really happened.” If it hadn’t, there wouldn’t be a picture! Sooo true!
So, NOPE….I’m not a fraud! THANK YOU for that assurance 🙂
Love this,
Kelly
i’ve admired you from afar for too long. i couldn’t agree more with this post. i linked you up, because you said it so fabulously. thanks for loving life. blessing on you.
Dontcha just love the in between moments….the moments that make everything else worth it.
Amen to all of this.
Don’t worry, after a night of snapping at my husband because of PMS and a severe need for chocolate (1st world problems, I know), I understand that life isn’t all rainbows and puppies. And it’s my own fault too. But we move through these times and embrace the moments that are wonderful so that we can live life knowing that’s what matters.
Sorry to hear about the hard day you had Kelle.
Beautiful photos as always.
It’s looking for the small stuff that gets us through the big, hairy, scary, moments. I know that when those moments come the small things are like the flash light at night keeping the monsters at bay. Keep it up!!!
I would love a purse bling! Mine is a bottom-less pit!
Great post! Not sure why the tears and hugs and phone calls? Wanted to take a moment to let you know about some research I am studying about down syndrome. Check out http://www.doctoryourself.com/ There are some interesting articles about ways to help ds children maintain better cell health, etc.
It’s funny, I read all the DS book while I was pregnant (found out at 20 weeks), but have since done nothing but take advice from M.D’s and social workers about what is best for my Lia. She is now 16 months. Time to start learning and getting my head out of the sand again!!!
Your blog is gorgeous!
I would love a way to organize my bottomless Mary Poppins of a purse of mine! Love the bubble pictures.
I feel your pain on the conversations with Lainey. Right now I am having a “we don’t hit people to get our own way” conversation with the little guy maybe 4 times a day? And his big sister is the recipient of my “let’s remember to be grateful for what we” have speech the other hours in the day. But we too are capturing the beauty in photos. Well until we are posing and notice the little one walking under the rope and toward the edge at the Grand Canyon anyway!! But we survive to smile again!!
My best friend is moving to North Carolina, as well. I’m not liking it too much either and I’m 51! 🙂 Saying goodbye never gets easier. And…I would have bought some of Lainey’s lemonade today, for sure, if she’d have set up shop in our neighborhood. Being almost 100 degrees up here in Michigan, lemonade sounds pretty darn good and their stand was adorable. My 17 year old daughter just walked past and noted that our lemonade stand of days gone by wasn’t nearly as cute as Lainey’s! Hey…We had one, didn’t we??? Stay cool…We’re trying to up here!
I wish I was better at blocking the bad moments out instead of fixating on them. Why do we mama’s do that to ourselves? Guilt is no fun. No more mommy guilt!!!
I quoted you on Facebook, yup sure did and will do it again on my blog as i recommit to blog more.
‘While we may think that reality is what happens without the camera, and glorified truth is the product of a perfect photo captured within that reality; perhaps it’s the other way around. Amid the not-so-pretty moments and rough-around-the-edges days, a viewfinder closes in on the glorious truth we might have missed had we not captured it in its fleeting moment.’
this is why i have a hard time blogging, because i see to much of the stuff that isn’t captured in the view finder an dthink no one wants to read about my day, but then i look at the pictures of my fabulous life and sigh and say who wouldn’t want too. thank you, thank you for your inspiration.
your girls are beautiful. i told my sister the other day that i read your blog because secretly i want o be you :). I admire that you are ok with not being perfect but believe that you have the potential to be.
ps. i did give you credit.
I am so with you- I love taking photos to remind me that good is always happening- even on a bad day- and even if it is a short lived play doh moment.
“Buyed them,” haha so cute, atleast she thinks she ‘buyed’ them, my 3 1/2 year old son just picks what he likes and dashes for the door!
“For the record, this baby doll belongs to us. It was not stolen from a gift shop, taken from a friend, nor hijacked from a stranger.” ~this is TOO funny, especially with the picture!!
Exactly what a blog should be: the author’s perspective. I don’t think you could have said this any better: “My camera and my keyboard are priceless tools in guiding my perspective. And while some may view beautiful photos, poetic descriptions, or blogging in general as skewed representations of reality–and I get it, it’s selective writing, a pie slice of our lives–for me it’s another set of eyes, a different way to look at things.”
I think you do it best when you give snippets (sp?) of the negative (which keeps it real, with nobody having the perfect life), but give full doses of that positive flow we are inspired by so much!! Thank you!
(To be honest, everybody who has a perspective has a skewed representation of reality at some point or another.)
My Mom told me a LONG time ago that one of those unwritten rules was to always stop at kids lemonade stands, NO MATTER what. I didn’t understand this until I was way into my adult life. Always stop for lemonade- you’ve got that change or extra dollar bill, and more importantly make the time. It’s the small things 🙂 A good reminder to everyone to always make time to buy some lemonade, its one of those unwritten human kindness rules. xoox
P.S. – Also love the STOP sign in front of the girls’ lemonade stand…the misfortune of no one stopping! Too cute! Your words and photos speak volumes!
Mmmmm. Love this post. I agree about it actually happening, being a reality. Why dwell on the bad when there is already so much of it in the world? Are we going be in trouble when we die for not giving enough credit for the crummy stuff in life? It’s the good stuff that should be glorified and counted as blessings. Not to discount the bad, but to keep the good in a sharper focus so that the bad doesn’t overwhelm a life. That’s my little schpeel for tonight. Goodnight from Kenai, Alaska, where we’re having the best red salmon run in history. Wish I could send you some! Or you could come visit that glacier you were talking about 😉
Love that lemonade stand with the apropos lemon yellow swimsuits! Would love to try PurseBling….my purse is currently a bottomless pit of lip balms, sunglasses, keys, and receipts–where do they all go??
OH PICK ME. My life could do with some organisation. It is currently hectic. And my handbag broke. And i’m too broke to buy a new one. SOBS.
Sorry you had a hard day. One definitely wouldn’t know it from looking at your photos. They are beautiful as always! I’m glad they helped you to rediscover the loveliness of the day too.
Kelle, you say it so well! I could not have found better words to express why I love blogging. And I’ve been trying. 🙂 I love how taking pictures makes me notice the great things life has to offer more and focus less on the not so great. So keep taking those pictures and using those words to focus on the beautiful parts of life and to keep that perspective even on “rainy” days! All the best from Germany!
Hi Kelle, I was sent Nella’s birth story a week after my son was born. It was gut wrenching and beautiful and inspiring and painful all rolled into a beautifully articulated story. I have kept reading your blog since then, all the way down here in New Zealand. My hubby asks frequently “hows little Nella?” – yup I made him read it too as I was blubbing away with my tissues next to him. I just wanted to say that YOU are inspiring. You remind me and so many others that life, the mountains we must climb, the monsters we must face, are always dwarfed by the good stuff. The “unicorns and rainbows” are the good stuff, big or small, seeing the beauty and the life that exists all around us. You remind me to stop and appreciate, and love, and hug, and dream bigger. To be in the moment. Especially now that my role is to inspire and teach and love my wee one. SO thank you. Really, THANK YOU! Kylie x
Tonight i spent some much needed time with some good friends. Friends that no matter what mood I had been in before the minute we get together we act like 12 year olds giggling away. we are silly and loud and i love it! tonight was especially special. i want to always remember it 🙂
Random comments for Kelle –
1. Today’s plan: Make 3 more picture frames, because my husband loves them and wants 3 more.
2. I heart Lainey’s “purchase” of gloves. Oh, to be 4 and not get the whole money thing.
3. That lemonade stand looks professional! Like, stylized photo shoot. But it’s real. I love it.
4. I’m sorry you had a hard day. But isn’t it nice to look at those BEAUTIFUL little girls at the end? Oh, they are too stinkin’ cute. I love it.
5. Happy Thursday from Ellie.
When I have bad days I scroll through the pictures on my blog and find happiness too. 🙂
Happy Day to you too… you know you always make my day 🙂
Love it! Love the Lemonade Stand!
Having friends move away is such a sad fact of life. But just think! Now Lainey will have a pen pal to write and send those real cards and letters to!
That lemonade stand is just too cute!! Great post!!
I love the idea of bag organizer! Some people are so creative. This idea would never had crossed my mind!
still trying to win something here. 🙂
I started to think “that purse organizer would be perfect for my mom”…. then I looked at my purse and decided I had better buy two 🙂
I love the lemonade stand…summer was never over for us as kids until we stood at the end of the driveway shouting at passing cars to buy our lemonade. Thanks for the memories!
You gave me a reminder once again to get my camera out and keep it handy. I am missing moments that will never come again. Thanks!
Words can’t describe the Talent that you have taking pictures..
for new years on my blog i do a little post with my favorite photos of moments throughout the year…it’s like throwing a wonderful party and waking up the next morning and sitting around talking and trying to relive the best parts.
the year my marriage ended i dreaded this ritual. it was a terrible year and i couldn’t imagine even attempting to find a silver lining. but then i went through the pictures…the real and true moments…and realized that through all the sadness and pain, that that year was the most wonderful party i’ve ever thrown.
it was so much more than the obvious. that’s the beauty of all of this isn’t it?
i’ve written too much. haha. i adore you. i’ve decided we’re kindred spirits, i hope you don’t mind.
<3
I don’t think I’ve ever visited your blog before. By the looks of your followers and comments, looks like I might be the only one who didn’t know about it! Wink!
I loved the Hallmark post (as a card and stationery designer, my heart sings when people reflect on the beauty of a handwritten, just because note). But then I really love this post. I feel exactly the same way with a camera in hand or when I sit down to write. It’s all about perspective…one that is uniquely yours. And while some would argue I’m hiding behind a camera or a computer screen, I know that I am very much alive…basking in the present moment and slowing time.
Blessings to you,
Linsey
I like that perspective. A lot. I journal to my almost-3-year-old son and tell him about everything that is going on in his life so he can look back and read them some day. And yeah, I sometimes include a tantrum or fever, but mostly I tell him about zoo trips and playing outside and making epic train tracks. Because that happens too.
I think the best part about your blog is that you publish the memories you want to remember. No one wants to remember the screaming tantrums and occasional misbehavior; we want to remember the lemonade stands, and the way our children get excited at the sight of bubbles. Those are the times that are important… 🙂
I totally agree with you on what you see and don’t miss when you capture moments with the camera, or mind for lyrics, when you blog about them.
I started my latest blog on the purpose alone: to force myself to notice more and to live more and to be more present in my private, off duty, moments and days.
I would have…. I don’t know…. if I hadn’t started doing that. Because that’s my life right now.
Like you, I sit down after what mostly is a demanding work week (demanding psychologically) and load my photos and I start beaming seeing all those moment I had forgotten already.
The wonderful dessert we had or the cute cupcakes we actually did bake or just that moment with lit candles and a glass of wine, watching detective Barnaby in “Midsomer Murders”.
That’s when it happens: my life actually gets better. I feel better and happier.
Then I am better and nicer to be around.
I’ve started calling this revolution of mine “My Favorite Day” (in my blog post tomorrow) and I owe it all to you Kelle. You opened my eyes for that fact that every day is my favorite day.
THANK YOU.
🙂
Bless you for having such a positive impact on my life.
And I hope the tears you mentioned are gone and things a little bit better.
Sincerely
/A
How very beautiful! I love reading your blog it always makes me happy!
I adore your girls 🙂 Very pretty little ladies!
love this mentality of yours. it’s what drew me to your blog when i started reading many months ago. this perspective on life is contagious. You’ve made me re-evaluate my own, and it’s changed my life. thank you for that. 🙂
Love the older cousin sticking up for them at the lemonade stand! How could people NOT stop for those two cuties in their yellow swimsuits? It looks like it was a beautiful day.
I absolutely love your gorgeous photography. I’m jealous of whatever camera/lens you have goin on. Oh and I love that purse organizer! As a new mom, I definitely could use some of that. 🙂
seriously, who passes up lemonade for those cuties! way to go syd for calling them out!
“tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it.” – anne shirley
“tomorrow, tomorrow, i love ya tomorrow…” – orphan annie
“…a viewfinder closes in on the glorious truth we might have missed had we not captured it in its fleeting moment.” You’re onto something here for sure. You introduced this concept to me when I came across your blog last year and it has changed how I experience and what I remember about our days – thank you thank you!
totally agree! and i have found that my perspective on life has changed since I have found photography – even when not looking through my camera’s viewfinder, I see the glorified reality and try to ‘expose it’ on my brain…
Could Lainey get any cuter?! Love the Lemondade stand!Hope your day is better than yesterday!
Writing is such a fantastic tool for gaining perspective on life…
even in the midst of tough moments, I often think, “Well, this will make a great story!”
🙂
Thanks for sharing your “glorified truth” with us!
I remember when my first best friend moved away. We were 7 and I never thought I was going to get over it. I wish Lainey well as she goes through this.
A purse organizer. Brilliant.
My 2 year old son and I love looking at your photos. They inspire me to capture beautiful moments like those.
That little lemonade stand is adorable. I am glad the neighbor saved the day!!
Yes, I get that alot. Along with why does everybody’s life look so perfect on facebook? Well, because. Duh. 🙂 It is amazing how negative people seek out even more negativity instead of breaking the cycle.
Thanks again for keeping things real!! You have inspired me to make many overdue changes in my life!!
Who couldn’t use some purse organization, I mean really! That would be great and the fabric is beautiful (kind of like all your pics :)). I haven’t seen any posts about it in quite some time, how did your garden fare?
That lemonade stand……I can’t believe no one stopped! Seriously the cutest thing I’ve seen.
As much as I swap out my purses-some PurseBling would make it a lot easier than just dumping contents from one to the next. ; )
I love your post just the way it is. It shows the good times and still captures the reality and hard times life throws at you. Reading your post makes me want to be a better person, a more outgoing person, and to capture more pictures…just to name a few.
Not sure if you watch The Office, but your purse organizer reminded me of an episode where Michael randomly asks a woman if she has a snack and she looks at him with a weird look and he replies that she looked like a mom, and moms always have snacks. Definitely made me smile 🙂
I remember selling lemonade out of my radio flyer and playing house. My favorite was cooking, my cousin had the biggest selection of play food. Your girls will love this blog. I love reading it too!
We have a child who has had “sticky fingers” too. We have had the talks, we have made him return the things he has taken, he has had to explain what he did to the person. But still we find little things in his pockets. We started doing “shake downs” to make sure he did not have extra treasures that were not his. A quarter here, a really cool lego man there, a fun happy meal toy from there, it all happened. And yes, we think “where did he get the idea to take it, why is he stealing, where did we fail”. I’ll let you know when I get an answer to that. So far, I’m at a loss. Good luck with your little angel!!
Hi Kelle, you took the words right out of my mouth about photographs. I believe they give you memories you might have forgotten or not seen in the moment. I love photography because it gave me memories of my father I would probably never have had. They are magical moments of life that had existed and did happened and we have the picture proof. Thank you. And your girls are growing so fast, they are they beautiful :-).
Thank you so much for writing and sharing your photos. This post today gave me a world of encouragement. Life is hard and in my case a mess. But when I take the time to capture that special moment of my child then I get to remember alongside the hard times those tiny precious moments. I needed to read your post today.
Oh, KelleHampton. Anyone who would find your blog a skewed representation of reality is a nut. Of course we know you change diapers and wipe noses…but reading you blog about how crappy that is would not make for an interesting read at all.
Yes, I’ll have a half-full glass of whatever you’re having, please. 😉
This is so true! Moments captured are moments celebrated, worth it all! Thank you for your writing and photos, love them both!
You have a gift with writing and photography. I love reading your blog and seeing your beatiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Great pics of Lainey & her cousins lemonade stand! Spool cute!
I seriously need to organize my purse. and I, too, write of days gone unperfect. I don’t have pictures to crop out the mess, but my words can make things seem ok. 🙂
Completely off topic, I have been laughing about the gorilla mask for days. I was having a horrible day, on the verge of tears all day, but when I read that post I laughed so hard I couldn’t catch my breath. My husband thought I was drunk because I read it to him and it wasn’t nearly as amusing to him. Even now, picturing the whole scenario makes me chuckle. It’s mean, I know, but thank you so much for sharing!
Love the purse organizer!
What a great post, I love when you let us in just a bit to know that your life contains the sad and hard moments that ours all do, you just choose to focus on the good. To me that is what this blog is all about, making that choice to focus on the positive and good moments instead of the bad ones. I do truly believe if you do that the good overcomes the bad. Thank you for reminding us of that everyday. I hope Lainey will gain a pen pal that will last a lifetime in her friend, it is such a hard lesson to learn but I am envisioning tearful reunions of great magnitude when she is older…something like “Beaches” one of the best “friend” movies of all times!!!!!!
Heartless for sure! i would have stopped and bought some lemonade. I actually feel a little cheated when I drive home from work and see the abandoned sno cone/lemonade stand un-manned. I wanna buy lemonade from a neighborhood stand!! Tell me where I can send my $0.50. No wait, I want 2 glasses. I am sending them $1.00!!!!
Have a great day!
I think of that when I am blogging as well. That maybe it sounds glorified, or possibly unreal at times. However, writing helps process the emotions from the day (good or bad), and when the positive adjectives are chosen over negative, for some reason the mind believes them. Free therapy.
I would have bought some of their lemonade.
Unfortunately England is a bit too far away and I only have pounds not dollars but I would have bought some anyway.
The people who drove past are meanies and didn’t deserve any.
What an excellent post. As always, very well written…you express so well. Annnnd….HEARTLESS! Seriously! They’re FOUR. was the sweetest thing…ahhhh family. Always got your back.
I love your blog. I too am a lover of pictures. Someday we will forget and we will only have pictures to remind us. My oldest is almost 8 and I am already forgetting wonderful moments of his time as a baby.
It’s ok to glorify. That helps us move on in life to the next project or task. I could really use that purse organizer!
Congratulations on the Babble list! Your blog is awesome so totally deserves to be on the list!
Kelle,
Have your seen the “Mock my pants, not my sister” blog? It is by a doctor in Boston who is famous for his ‘style’ regarding GQ magazine’s comments about Boston having the style of a person with DS. The link is http://childrenshospitalblog.org/mock-my-pants-not-my-sister/
I ‘liked’ QG on facebook long enough to let them know how little taste their comment shows & to ‘like’ the other simular comments.
Your posts are always inspiring. Thanks so much for the adorable (and beautiful) pictures you post, and the moving words that always accompany them.
so how did the “we don’t take things that aren’t ours conversation #2 go?” LOL
I have a son the same age as Lainey, its fun to compare notes 🙂
I really enjoyed this post. I’ve followed your blog for a while. I use it to inspire myself, my creativity, to remind myself to be more laid back and spontaenous with my kiddos. I love your outlook on life. I love how you remind us to “enjoy the small things.” …and I love that a post like this shows that you can choose to enjoy and celebrate these things rather than dwell on life’s curve balls.
Oh my, I love the purse organizer! My husband would love me forever if it meant he would be able to go into my purse and find exactly what he was looking for without having to dump everything out 😉
Thanks for the great reminder that perspective is key…especially when there are times when things are hard.
Yes, yes, yes! Blogging and taking pictures has given me a new lens in which to see life. In those crazy, messy, insane moments were both toddlers are crying and the puppy just broke away from her leash, I can almost picture the blog post in my head. Sounds crazy and stupid to some people…..but to me, it’s my way of maintaining perspective. Yes, the moment may suck, but blogging about it helps me see the good in it long before I otherwise would. And that’s the real reality right there.
OMG I need that purse organizer. My purse is always a hot mess.
I agree it isn’t glorifying as much as it is looking at things from a different perspective.
These pictures are GORGEOUS. They make me want to be better at taking more photos of everyday life.
“For the record, this baby doll belongs to us. It was not stolen from a gift shop, taken from a friend, nor hijacked from a stranger.” hahahahahaha this had me laughing out loud everytime i thought about it! thanks for that! 🙂
Ah, I’m having a hard day too. Well, hard couple of days. Maayybbee weeks, haha. I have been taking pictures and blogging and twisting my words to paint possibly a happier picture then what really happened.. but looking back at it makes me happy too.
don’t worry – little Lainey will catch on and figure it out. Good luck. Frustrating as a mama tho. Bummer Bailey is moving. That’s hard reality for a child. My daughter is almost 8 and I am dreading the day that reality sets in and she no longer believes in Santa, or has to experience “mean girls” or all those horrible realities we like to shield them from for as long as we can. Pooh. Hang on girlie. xo
Let’s hope Pursebling can live a double life as Diaperbagbling!
HAHAHA! The “nor hijacked from a stranger” line made me pee a little bit.
Their lemonade stand is so cute! I grew up in the middle of nowhere, and I’d never seen a real lemonade stand like that until a couple years ago. I was so excited that I made my friend turn around and go back. I think I may have scared the poor girl with my excitement.
i love your blog1 I share it with any one I can. the purse saver caught my eye and then when I read I could win it I got a sparkle!
Watching our babies learn about life can be happy and sad. I’m sorry to hear Lainey’s friend is moving away. It is so hard to have a friend go so far away at any age, but especially when you’re 4 and don’t quite understand it all yet. I also try to capture pictures of everything. I love looking back through them and reliving the moments from a different state of mind and perspective. Pictures are the reality of our lives and it’s all how we perceive them. Thank you for sharing yours with us. I love looking at those happy smiling faces. It’s nice to know you had some good moments amongst the sad ones. Have a better day today and enjoy all those small moments and happy faces. 🙂
I love Lainey and Bailey’s lemonade stand! I also love that your niece was calling the people who didn’t buy anything heartless. It’s true. How could people pass up lemonade served by two cute four year olds?!?
Love the purse organizer. I could def. use one. My husband is afraid to go near my purse because he’s afraid it will eat him. True story.
haha! another winning post for dragging me out of a humid induced bad mood! 😉
Thank you for writing this blog. Just…thank you.
Kelle-
Just think about how much this post has boosted lemonade stand sales all across the world today! The picture of Baylee and Lainey is precious. Your story made this day seem not so hot and muggy!
i have resolved to always buy whatever littles are selling on their front lawns, just becuase
I could use some control over my purse..we just flew back to the North and the entire time I was in the airport, I was rummaging…doesn’t help that 1/2 of a bottle of juice leaked into it. I hate it when that happens!
I’ve been reading your blog for a month or so and I really, REALLY appreciate it. I’m a new mom pregnant with #2, and I like you, see the great on those challenging days. And it helps to have friends like that and read blogs like that. That being the ones that focus on those special moments.
I have friends who focus on the hard parts, the difficults, the bad part of parenting and it always brings me down. Hardcore. And I find myself feeling guilty for not being more frustrated at my kids.
So, when I read your blog, when I talk to my friends who revel in those golden moments, it frees me to continue to enjoy being a mom. Because I really, really love these baby days!
This is why I love taking pictures with my kids at random moments. We tend to forget the happiness and peace we feel when life starts overwhelming us. Bills, urgent tasks, stress, school, work, fights… they all distract us from these perfect moments we forget unless we have a snapshot to remember them by.
You have beautiful girls, and a beautiful outlook on life, Kelle!
Do you remember Pogs? A popular disc game played in the early 1990’s? My girl, (8 at the time) “buyed some” pogs from a staged real estate property I was prepping for an open house. Said property belonged to friends. Good friends…friends with kids. My kid stole from their kid. It was a heartbreaking experience. Thankfully…our only one. My girl, now 25, works one amazing full time job and a fun part time job to pay for her heart’s desires. She’s a good girl! Give Lainey a hug from me! (And of course sweet Nella too!)
Ps. Three years ago next month, my girl moved to Ft. Myers Florida. On July 30th she is moving to Naples. That kinda gives me goosebumps!
I so want to get a purse organizer for my sister! She has an enormous purse that doesn’t have much in the way of organization. Nuts!
I remember when both my kids ‘stole’ for the first time. My daughter, it was gum. I made her write the store an apology card. It was around Christmas time and she made it a Christmas card. they had it on display for weeks! My son was a crappy holder from a store that was going out of business. He liked it, he brought it home. We just got angry with that one because it would have been pointless to go back. Neither kid ever stole again (to my knowledge… they’re older teens now!).
I forget sometimes to focus on the positive and good and instead dwell on the not so great. Thank you for the reminder to knock it off.
Kelle,
You are absolutely right about the camera catching moments that you couldnt see in reality. When I am having a bad day, I always come running to your blog. You have a way with words and beautiful photos that you may not see as amazing, but they truely make my day 🙂 Keep blogging because it breaks me from my reality and into the hearts of you and your children.
Thanks!
let people say what they will about blogging, that it creates a false persona, whatever. i still love seeing the beauty in others lives, and my own. there are so many sweet, precious moments i would have completely forgotten had they not been blogged. viva la blog!
That PurseBLing is amazing! Maybe this would stop my fiance from making fun of me when it takes me 10 minutes do dig my keys out of the bottom of my purse!
I am stoked about this purse organizer! I SO need one! I also LOVE your blog! Read it every single day!
love the purse bling
the purse organizer looks amazing!! I love all your photos and the magical moments of each day they capture…
Your pictures are always beautiful and frame-worthy.
Oh & I must have one of those for my purse.
Another post that stops & gives one pause. More lovely photos. Beautiful life. Beautifully framed life.
PurseBling rocks. seriously what a great idea.
Beautifully written post today Kelle. You definitely have a way with words!!
I definitely feel like that some days. What a great entry.
From Florida to Alaska ~ love your pics, so different from our landscape and beautiful, too! I gave my 16 year old son $20 and sent him over to the farmer’s market, where a girl he likes has a table of handmade crafts. Told him to pick me out a purse. Thought it’d be a good way to generate conversation with The Girl! It’s all open inside, though, with no clasp anywhere. But I must carry it, you know! I’ll check out purse bling for sure ~ have a wonderful day! Oh, and my only daughter (5 sons) prays for a sister like Nella. . .Love, Allison
Kelle I always come here for a little pick me up. Life is hard, having a kid with special needs is hard, you always make me smile. I feel the same way about my beautiful photos. Life is still amazing.
I could use that purse organizer!
This made me cry. I love petrography for this very reason. Not because it glorifies life, but because my lenses can see things that my naked eyes misses so often. I have a picture that a friend of mine took the day my husband walked away. I was heartbroken to say the least, but she captured a moment of pure job between my daughter and I, a moment that I did even noticed until I saw the pic months later. That pic is a constant reminder that is so easily to forget about these little moments of joy when the big picture looks so gray. I captured as many pics as I can so I can freeze these precious moment for forever! thanks for sharing.
My purse is a freakin’ mess! I organize it and then life just happens and it’s messy again. I love the lemonade stand….and the pic of lainey and her friend. Priceless.
Oh dear… I am tearing up for Lainey and Baylee. I was the one who moved away from my only “best” friends at 4.5 years old. Thanks to our parents we’ve always been in touch. My very first “drive myself” road trip was the 4 hour drive to see my childhood friends. Their first trip on their own was to see me.
We are still “friends”, though really just acquaintances now.
I still miss having them as my closest loves… My heart is just breaking for Lainey & Baylee…
love it. and so agree with you that a camera and a blog capture real life amidst the chaos, not the other way around.
You are so right….the photos help us remember that life is full of small wonderful moments that we don’t want to forget.
xoxo
you’ve inspired me to enjoy my life and my 2 girls more, to take more pictures, to soak it all up each day, and to focus on the positives instead of the negatives. don’t go worrying about skewed representations of reality – who cares about the haters. they probably just hate their lives and are jealous of your blogged bliss.
for some reason I always end up leaving an old cough drop or lollipop in my purse and it ends up melting all over things I need…pens, lipstick, you name it. Sticky and gross, especially in summer!
You are so right! Not so happy moments will always happen, yes, but it is best so savor on the happy and memorable moments! My daughter was a little cranky yesterday morning but then she enjoyed laying on top of me with our legs up the wall pointing her chubby finger pointing at the ceiling. I had the peaceful moment stuck in my head all day.
You are so right! Not so happy moments will always happen, yes, but it is best so savor on the happy and memorable ones! My daughter was a little cranky yesterday morning but then she enjoyed laying on top of me with our legs up the wall pointing her chubby finger at the ceiling. I had the peaceful moment stuck in my head all day.
You are so right! Not so happy moments will always happen, yes, but it is best so savor on the happy and memorable ones! My daughter was a little cranky yesterday morning but then she enjoyed laying on top of me with our legs up the wall pointing her chubby finger at the ceiling. I had the peaceful moment stuck in my head all day.
Love this blog Kelle…always puts things back into perspective for me. You are such an awesome writer…or maybe typer…either way I love reading this and seeing your pics.
Always love reading your blog – thanks for keeping it real.
I love that you clarified that the baby doll was indeed yours! LOL!
I needed a pick me up today as I’m having one of those days…and your blog always delivers. Thanks for sharing your heart!
Hugs!
Ooh the ying and yang of life. Fun, isn’t it? HA! Cue my “who would ever be able to enjoy a rainbow if they never experienced the rain” speech. 😉 Remember that this is all the — making her into who she’s supposed to be stuff happening around you. The lessons that will shape her into that…teacher, mother, life-changer that Miss Lainey is going to be. The good kind, so don’t you worry. 🙂
Endings are sad, beginnings are usually happy — but it’s the middle that really counts. The ooey gooey real life, middle.
Enjoy the rest of your week Kelle!
~ Katie
I love that lemonade stand! I would have defiantly have stopped! Did you make that? Beautiful pictures as always!
the photos are beautiful! the last one of the pink flower or whatever that is looks like the flowers from Horton hears a who! maybe some photos inspired by the movie would be awesome! 🙂
I need one of those purse organisers!!, I’ve joked about them, but didn’t now they actually exist! This could revolutionise a part of my world (the broken crackers and long lost pens in bags part)
Too much of our lives is spent focusing on what goes wrong, there’s nothing fake about choosing to see what goes right.
I thought I was hyper organized as it is! I NEED this organizer for my bag! Pronto! 😀
I totally know what you mean about taking pictures helping you realize the moments that are going on. I think that when I’m behind a camera I’m MORE aware of what’s happening around me, MORE able to appreciate the beauty of the moment because I’m looking to capture that beauty. Thanks for this blog, it’s interesting to get someone else’s take on life.
Cutest lemonade stand ever! And I can barely handle Nellas pigtails. SOOOO CUTE!!
My “purse” right now is the diaper bag – I throw my phone and credit card in and go. It would be nice to not have to dig all the way to the bottom to get them out!
Love the bubbles in your photos. They look great. You take gorgeous photos, but you also have beautiful subjects 😉 Love the lemonade stand. I would love to have a drink. LOVE the Purseket!! What a brilliant idea!!
You are really amazing. I love the photos, music, words, everything. You have an amazing talent and a beautiful family. Thank you for always bringing a smile to my face.
Know why today is a Happy Day for me? Taking my little guy to get his first haircut straight from work today. SO excited!
PS–my purse really wants to join the PurseBling club!
I need me some PurseBling!
you inspire me…….
Reading your post today brings me back to the time when my children were little. I guess I am stuck with a bit of empty nest syndrome right now. Watching your family interact with each other gives me a chance to remember some of the little moments that I had almost forgotten. It is gratifying to read that you have learned another lesson in the school of motherhood. So much of what we learn as our children are growing up shapes who we are in life, who we become. Thank you.
I love to see your days captured! It inspires me to DO/GO/SEE all of the little things love and family have to offer.
Such cute little friends. Love their blonde locks.
My granddaughter kept bringing home other children’s books from pre-school. She got in big trouble. She told the teacher that it was her Mom that kept getting inthe kids cubbies and bringing the books home. She finally quit doing it after endless lectures. Then she started bringing home the others artwork……whatcha going to do, hah.
Love the organizer.
That is so funny that Lainey “buyed them”. I would probably be mortified at the time though.
Wow. Your photos are stunning! Your family is beautiful and I love the pool photos – the shots with the bubbles are fantastic! And I totally would’ve stopped for lemonade! Love your blog. Rock on.
When I saw the first pic of Nella I smiled at her trying to get her to smile back since she looks like she is on the verge. I then quickly realized it was a picture! Not enough sleep around here lately.
I always love “catching up” on reading your blog! You have an amazing gift of telling life stories. So real. So touching! Love.
That purse organizer is amazing! I can’t tell you how many times I start to freak out because I think I forgot my wallet or some such must-have item only to dig around and finally find it- tucked inside a spare diaper!
I just watched your episode of Fresh Take again, I had it recorded on my DVR. Such an amazing story and I find such inspiration and healing when I read your blog. I used to check in once a week- but now I check daily to see if you’ve written anything new. LOVE YOU and your girls! Are you planning to come back to Missoula any time soon?
I love it! Friends moving is so hard but it means Lainey can write, send packages and go visit her friend and those times are extra special.
I love the purse organizer – I need none of those – do they make a life organizer I think I need one of those two right now.
Loved this post…like I love every post 🙂 Your blog is awesome!
Thought this would make you smile – my son Ryan was watching over my shoulder while I read the blog today. He pointed to Lainey and asked who she was. I told him. He asked, “Can we go see her?” “No,” I said. “Why?” he replied. “Because she lives in Florida.” To which he stopped and thought for a moment. I thought he was going to ask me where Florida was. Instead, my smarty pants 3 year old said. “But Mickey lives in Florida. We could see her when we go see him!”
Good logic, Ryebread.
My dad always mocked my story-enhancing skills and still does. “It was never quite like that,” he’d say. I’m glad you understand.
I only have one word: pigtails. Love, love, loved them.
You have the most beautiful writing style 🙂 I think about your posts more than once throughout the day. Keep on truckin’!
Love pursebling!
Amid the not-so-pretty moments and rough-around-the-edges days, a viewfinder closes in on the glorious truth we might have missed had we not captured it in its fleeting moment. <— needs quotation marks around it because its so good! As a fellow capturing-memories-mama, I couldn’t agree more 🙂
I was so grateful when my neighbor not only bought lemonade from my daughters lemonade stand, but also gave money to a passin cyclist so he could buy some too! 🙂
I loved the pictures of Lainey and Baylee – there’s nothing in the world like girlfriends! I moved away from my best friend 25 years ago before third grade. We are still best friends, every time we get together it’s like no time has passed at all. I wish for Lainey (and Nella) that kind of friendship, one that endures.
Love this! You have the greatest giveaways. And way cute lemonade stand.
what a beautiful post – i think while people like to see “happy” on blogs, there is something so real about your writing that even when you are having a bad day you help to remind us all, that all is not lost, there is always a little beautiful in each day (just sometimes a little more or a little less each day). thank you, as always for sharing!
and purse organizer – I love it! I so need one – but can it vaccumm out animal cracker crumbs? 🙂
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Your stop signs are so lovely. Way nicer than ours, which have recently been decorated in black spray-paint with “Don’t” and “Believin'” I’d be upset if it wasn’t so awesome.
My purse desperately needs some organization. Thanks for another great post!
I love taking pictures. Seriously, a hundred in a day is not uncommon. But I get teased a lot for it. Your thought on capturing the real and beautiful moments help me remember that this crazy hobby I love is worthwhile, and worth finding joy in. Thanks!
I love, love your blog. I am momentarily removed from my own chaos and put into yours! Reading it makes me feel like I’m right on track as a mom!
Holy crap I need that organizer. Do you ever notice how whatever item you need is WITHOUT FAIL at the very bottom of the purse? Like if you’re looking for your keys, you pass your sunglasses, cell phone, and wallet on the way down? But if you need your sunglasses… you pass your cell phone, wallet, and keys?? Ad infinitum?!
Oh, and beautiful pictures, and thank you for the giveaway : )
these are absolutely stunning! Making me feel really inspired to go out and take some pics.
Such a beautiful post! I’m happy I’m not the only who uses their blog to find positive perspective!
LOL! Good to know you’re not baby doll hijacking type of family! 😛
My 2-year-old has a pout. Oh, does she have a pout. Like, the best, lip extended, arms folded, march away pout you ever did see.
My mission was to capture it on camera.
Only in those moments of defiance, sitting down for a talk,a time-out, or a cuddle is in order instead and the camera gets put to the side.
So I snap a photo shortly after. One where she’s being stubborn, pout still in place, only with the addition of a mishievious sparkle in her eyes with a now semi-smirky pout. It’s as close as I can get.
But the thing is, it is perfect. Because it is not the actual tantrum I want to document, but the fiesty and hilarious spirit of who she is.
You have helped teach me that. We can be honest about the hard stuff- fears, tantrums, laundry… while still finding the brilliance in and amongst all of it.
That is your gift and I am thankful for it every time I read you.
The Truth, not so much Glorified as it is Perspectified…
(Not a word but it should be!)
Cheers,
Kari
Wow. no one stopped for lemonade? Love cousin, yelling, “seriously?! They’re 4!” so funny. I can’t believe it. here in Ks., kids just made 30$! in 2 hours! They bought an air hockey table on craiglist with the money! Got the fella down from 80$ by telling him it was the kids’ money! ( it was)
the pursebling looks like it will give my non-existant organizational skills a face lift.
I love your little disclaimer about Lainey’s doll. Hee-larious! A few weeks ago I was garage sale-ing with my kids and my 3.5 year old decided he wanted a “goodie bag” that had three cheesy Oriental Trading Co-type “toys” in it that the lady wanted a dollar for. A whole dollar! Seriously, it was worth maybe 25 cents. Anyway, I told my son no and we put the bag back. A few minutes later as we were pulling away my 5 year old says, “Mom, how come Jonathan got a toy and I didn’t?” The little stinker had swiped the dumb bag and decided to “buy” it. Anyway, I was momentarily torn as to how to handle it b/c a part of me was so annoyed that the lady wanted $1 for her nickle junk that I almost kept driving. But, of course, that wouldn’t do so we turned around and I marched up to the lady and handed her a buck. When I got back in the car we had a little chat about what it means to BUY something.
The pictures, as always, are beautiful, and “the glorified truth” is simply, profound, philosophical, reflective, and inspiring.
i had a hard day too. weird. maybe it’s the full moon… anyway. thank you for doing the giveaway… hope to win 🙂
I love their lemonade stand! So cute!! I totally would’ve bought a cup or three. 😉
I’m finally back at it, tuning in after weeks of being too busy to read my fave blogs….
Love that you shared the story about Lainey ‘buying’ the gardening gloves from the gift shop. These are the stories people reserve for retelling their friends (as they know what side-slapping guffaws and gales of laughter they’ll produce!) but would never dream of telling a stranger for fear of having their child look less than perfect. But, the fact is–everyone’s kid does something similar at some point in their development. Life lessons!
And love that your neice shouted at strangers to shame them into buying lemonade from the little girls…priceless.
Gorgeous pics as usual, gorgeous girls.
,,,cute lemonade stand,,,leah is adorable!,,,baylee so cute and looks just like her mother,,,friends and family make life *sweet*!,,,
The dirty feet in the chair is my favorite pic this time.
But also got a huge kick out of the caption that the baby doll wasn’t stolen….
I want Baylee’s bathing suit. Do they make that in my size? Which would be a large.
Awww this reminded me of my childhood lemonade stands at my grandma’s house! I used to make good money in the summer doing that as a kid. I think most places have now cracked down on that – there was a recent article in the news about it. So sad!
Congrats on the babble honor! Well deserved! And I could definitely use some purse bling! Help me be organized when I grow up!
omg. I used to have something like the PurseBling, but it wasn’t all pretty. It was boring and black. Glad your girls are enjoying summer.
Hi Kelle!
I’ve been gone for a month in the wilderness but I’m back! So excited to have a backlogged month of Little Things Enjoyment. I am soaking in the images and words the way one would soak in a hot bubble bath. Nellas ear to ear grin is just….unstoppable.
I’m sorry to hear you received bad news, Kelle. I am in the thick of it as well, sadly. I wish you strength.
Okay, i’m diving back in!
Melina
Lainey’s interpretation of “buying” made me laugh. Kids can be hilarious!
I love the lemonade stand!! I remember trying to sell scrunchies around 8 years old with my older sister that sewed them. The neighbor’s wanted to buy them out of pity. Also hot chocolate was attempted once. A guy told us if he went home and made it himself it would take less time lol.
Rosie O’Donnell has something she used when her kids were really little. She would tell them that their was what was called a mommy dot. When the child lies a dot appears on their forehead. Nobody can see it except their mommy and possibly their Daddy in your case. They cannot see it in the mirror and other mommies cannot see it. She said it was hilarious when they would try to cover their forehead before lying lol.
I remember taking a pack of big red gum around Lainey’s age from the store not knowing how store’s worked yet. I didn’t pay attention during the exchanging of money part. My older sister was horrified when I offered her a piece and she knew I didn’t pay for it. After seeing how upset she was it made me upset. Ahh youth.
Lovely post – as always. 🙂 I agree, sometimes we see things through photos as though it is a perfect world – when in all reality, it is not. But what we have is reality, our memories, our right now’s, this very moment…it is real. So, it is great to capture it and ‘keep’ it. 🙂 Love your photos! 🙂
I loved everything you said in this post!! Was exactly what I needed today!
I loved this post. I was going through my daughters first year photos and behind some of those pretty pictures I could remember some of the rougher moments they fell around. But you are right. All those pretty pictures are the icing. The good stuff. That good stuff happened – even on the bad days.
Your post also reminded me of this: http://rulesformyunbornson.tumblr.com/post/48777743/167-always-stop-at-a-lemonade-stand-tip-well It’s a good rule 🙂
Oh poor Lainey, that’s tough when a bf moves. But she’s got the right momma by her side to help her through it. Love the way you look at life the good and bad.
awwww… im sad about Baylee moving 🙁 my first best friend in kindergarten moved at the end of the year and i didn’t reconnect with her until facebook …26 years later… but its awesome
I’m in stitches over the older cousins “Heartless..” comment to all that passed on lemonade!! Very sweet. Hope your day is better.
Um, i need the purse bling! my bag is such a mess! hah!!! I adore the pictures of the girls at the lemonade stand!
Your perspective is always enlightening. Have a glorious weekend!
I love the purse organizer. I’ve been wanting to sew one for ages, but haven’t got the nerve yet. Maybe I’ll just win one!
Oh my goodness, cutest lemonade stand ever!
I adore your photographs. So inspiring. When I look at photos, either the ones I take or other people, I often wonder what is going on in the minds of the people I am photographing. Their thoughts at that particular time. It is almost like their expression is whispering a hint to you. Your girls always look so deeply loved. Cling to this young time…it goes fast.
Your posts always make me feel normal. Sorry, but I had to laugh at the garden gloves. At least she has good taste, they’re really cute! As a mom of 4, my purse could really use some organization!
The lemonade stand is to die for!! Precious beauty…
Love reading your blog as always! Such a fresh perspective!!
My purse could use a little, well a lot, of help! 🙂
def. need some purse bling organization-as always thanks for sharing!
The sunshine & blue sky, the sunflowers, Nella’s face, your niece with Nella & Lainey in the pool, Lainey & her friend’s Leah & Baylee are: so beautiful…
Congratulations on the Babble list! You deserve it. :)))
Xox. Have a beautiful week~
“…You feel far more in harmony with your interior self, your soul, by having the fortitude to make courageous choices than by collapsing out of fear and compromising yourself. And you – all of us – have a profound need to trust that your life is on a path of purpose, which does not by any means exclude experiences of chaos, loss, disease, pain, and isolation. The purposeful life might well require all such experiences because these are essential to a soul’s journey…” ~Caroline Myss
a friend’s husband once commented on the writing of blogs that it’s not what really happens, or the way we word things make life seem better than it is, or makes the moments we blog about happier than they are, or the pictures we take are not showing the entire thing. to anyone who says this i reply the reason i blog is my way of scrapbooking for my girls when they are older….keeping up with highlights {and sometimes lowlights} of our days. i CHOOSE to find the good and beautiful and happy every situation……isn’t that what life should be about? choosing to find good even in the bad. i just finished a book called “one thousand gifts” by ann voskamp….it reiterates what i try to do when blogging….trying to give thanks to God for every moment…for every moment is a grace gift from Him!! do i feel happy 24/7 & does my family live a perfect life?? NO. BUT when i look back through pictures on even the most imperfect day i can still find happiness and beauty in the unpleasent and ugly times! LOVED this post!!
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Your perception IS your reality. Never forget that.
I have to admit, a friend of mine whose son has DS pointed me in the direction of your blog, but I’ve hooked ever since Nella’s birth story. My favorite song at the time was Anberlin’s “Breaking” and for some reason, any time I hear it, I’m reminded of your sweet family. Love your blog and reading about your babies =)