This adorable little boy turned one last month and we celebrated by capturing his cuteness with a photo shoot. I may not be able to show his face—at least as ordained by the State of Nebraska—but I’ll tell you what I do know below…

Though this child may be anonymous for now on one very small blog in the great world wide web, he is not anonymous really.
This child is important.
This child matters.
This child is made in the image of God.
This child is deeply deeply loved.

Commence the debate as to whether it’s still summer or not. Summer, the season, came to visit us again yesterday (and I hear it’ll show up in full force today as well), so even though we’re in full swing at school, summer still reigns.

A quick note about photography and motherhood. Sometimes photographers who happen to be mothers get tired of documenting every event. We do this for work and are keenly aware that sometimes you need to put the camera down and simply *live* life, without documentation. And yet, I describe my cameras as being almost like a body part of mine—I want them with me pretty much all the time and feel something less than whole when I don’t have one at my disposal. But yesterday, while the kids were playing outside, I was somewhere between laziness and living in the moment, and had this ridiculous internal dialogue going. This light is wonderful… Look at these little faces… That’s okay, just enjoy it and enjoy chatting with Renae… But the light! Aaaa, the light! And that’s when I got up and shot a few images.

I’d say my efforts were entirely worth it in the end. I love these precious kids and I’m glad to make art from some of their last carefree summertime moments in 2012.

On August 10 a walk/run fundraiser was held for Priya Steiner. It was a beautiful morning at Holmes Lake and I praised God for his healing hand in Priya’s life. It was a joy to participate and to see her friends, family and devoted public gather to support her that morning.

Read more about Priya’s story on her Caring Bridge site, and consider making a tax-exempt donation for her family at West Gate Bank in Lincoln, Nebraska (“Pennies for Priya,” Attn: Scott Faber).

My next personal essay will be entitled, “The Role of the Trampoline in Respite Care” or “How the Trampoline Saved My Bacon.” Stay tuned.

I am thankful for the cool air this morning. It’s filled with moisture and weighs lightly on my skin until a Nebraska breeze glides past and stirs it once more.

I am thankful for strong legs and feet that carry us to school in the morning, and for the way they walk, jump and run at our command.

I am thankful for aggressive Yorkies on the bike path and how they make me laugh as they remind me of my old dog Chloe and her crazy neurotic ways.

I am thankful that God goes with me, throughout my day and Livia’s. I am thankful he hears when I talk to him and I am thankful Livia is getting to know more of him as she grows. (This note of gratitude is written to him.)

I am thankful for Livia’s teacher and how insanely awesome she is. I am thankful our school administration believed Livia would learn well under her teaching, and how each detail I continue to learn about this educator builds my confidence in the leadership of our school. Thankful, thankful, thankful.

I am thankful for my husband in so many ways. I’m thankful for the ways he comforts and protects me as well as the ways he pushes me out of my comfort zone and encourages me—in his straightforward Jeremy way—to prove I can do new things. Yes, I did not want to license and register our new vehicle the other day and I certainly did not want to wait in line at the DMV, but I did it. And I can do it again.

I am thankful, once a challenging experience has passed, to learn of humility, grace, forgiveness and mercy. This life is not an easy one and it’s filled with people who have good moments and bad. May I continue to take deep breaths, believe the best about the folks around me (including myself and my family members) and dole out grace in enormous portions.

I am thankful today is Wednesday. And school has started. And that I have more time to work at last.

With that I’ll sign off. Happy Wednesday to you all!

PS: What are you thankful for?

Father God,
Watch over your beloved Livia today on her first day back to school. Be her strength and her stronghold, her solid rock while the rest of her world is changing and still unsettled. May she know that your spirit is with her all day long and that you comfort her. Please bless her with a quieted mind that is eager to learn, a heart of compassion for befriending others, and a spirit of joy that is contagious. Give her at least one friend today, Father; one person who understands imagination and creativity and exuberance. I am so grateful that you love her far more than I can even fathom. May your grace mark our household and your love bolster us to love others today.
In Jesus’s Name, amen.

It was hot and it was in the middle of the afternoon. In Nebraska. In July. But my goodness, this large extended family was wonderful. Everyone worked together with sweet spirits and I felt like it was such a privilege to capture a few moment of their family reunion with my camera. More than that, I realized how important it is to get together with loved ones when possible. Cousins together with grandparents who adore them. I noticed Grandpa’s hand holding his grandchildren’s fingers or shoulders or knees in many of the portraits I gathered—and it spoke volumes to me.

Thanks, Tanya Hsu, for sharing your family with me! Many blessings on your upcoming journey.

“We all have to fight the desire to self-protect and hide, but the rewards for opening ourselves up to relationship are big and beautiful.”

A wonderful and personal essay by Maralee Bradley is up at Her View From Home. Take a few minutes to swing by the site and then go visit A Musing Maralee for a bit of additional encouragement.