Refresh

The only thing more refreshing than a cold beer on hot day, might be a cold lake or pool.  But considering we don't have easy access to either of those things...this is the next best:

I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures as well.

Blessings

Recently, I was discussing with a good friend of mine how I've been working on my photography and developing more technical skills.  She surprised me by asking if I would be willing to do some family photos before their new baby was born (she was about 8 months pregnant at the time).  After quickly explaining that I haven't done much portrait photography - but would be willing to try if they wanted to be my guinea pigs - we agreed to figure out a time and place.

Since the weather has been so gorgeous here in the NW lately, and considering I don't exactly have a studio to use, we decided on a nearby park that her husband and daughter had been to previously.

"A new baby is like the beginning of all things - wonder, 

hope, a dream of possibilities." 

- Eda J. Le Shan

It has been fun spending time with Ben, Ania and Hailey recently and to watch them get ready to welcome their new baby girl and sister into the world.  Baby's are truly a blessing and a miracle - a sign that life can be good and innocent and sweet.

I felt blessed as well to have the opportunity to both spend time with my good friends and hopefully give them some memories to hold on to for years to come.

(My Favorite)

 "Only love can be divided endlessly, and still not diminish." 

- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

There will be more to come from this family once the baby is here - lots of sister pics on the way...

Also: If you have a chance, go check out Stefanie @ Ni Hao Yall. She has some great photos, as well as a weekly link party!

Drive

 
"To believe in yourself and to follow your dreams, to have goals in life and a drive to succeed, and to surround yourself with the things and the people that make you happy - this is success!" - Sasha Azevedo

Growing up, I went through stages in my love/hate relationships with cars.  I've heard stories of my dad taking me for late night car rides to try to get me to sleep and ones of me staying up all night during our 8 hour trip to Northern Idaho.  I used to dread our occasional trip to Portland, even though it was only an hour away.  The other day, though, I realized how much I really love to just go for a drive.

As Tristan and I were driving through the hills on our way back to the city - I thought about how relaxing and enjoyable it is to just sit back and enjoy the scenery passing by.  We had the windows down, the music up, and my mind was open.

 

The particular road we were taking back towards Portland is one the I have seldom traveled and when I have, it has mostly been through the cover of nightfall.  I have never really paid much attention to what is along the winding highway.  

In the small town of Mist, Oregon is an old school with a playground around back.  Walking onto that playground felt like stepping somewhere back in time.  Today's playgrounds are covered in rubber and plastic.  There was something sweet and sentimental about coming across this classic merry-go-round, swing set and metal slide.  It was a quiet reminder of how easy it is to become accustomed to the way things are today and forget about where we come from.

 

Just across the field was another reminder about how things evolve and perhaps even devolve through the years.  Tristan's grandparents used to live next to the old school.  While we were there, Tristan told me about how the property at that time was mowed and weeded . . . how it sustained the livestock of a farm and entertained family gatherings.

Here, where Grandpa and Grandma Trass's house once stood, it's now just an overgrown field.  

The remains of an old brick BBQ

It was so much fun to listen to Tristan's memories of what this piece of land used to be.  The hollow tree above is where he used to hide his "treasures" when he was a little kid.  And the ones below were just small saplings when he helped his grandpa plant them, with the intention of growing Christmas trees.

I have listened to many stories which have reiterated in my mind what hard workers my husbands grandparents were.  They were driven: to make something of what they had, to take care of their family, to do something worthy of being remembered.  They were driven and determined and they worked hard to build a happy life.  To see what has become of that life they built now that they are no longer here, of the land that they put so much of themselves into, made me sort of sad.  But at the same time, it is an inspiration to always find that drive to be something more - to make the most out of the moments and opportunities we are given.

As we finished our drive home - I sat back into my seat, letting the wind blow over my skin and through my hair, absorbed in the music and my thoughts.  Again I was dwelling on all the things we take for granted every day and how we fail to recognize all the hard work those who came before us have done so that we can have the lives we have today.

For those of you reading this, do me a favor: think about your friends, your parents, your grandparents.  Think about some of the things that they have done in their lives and how they have provided you with opportunities to do some of the things that you have done.  Think about how fortunate you are to have those people in your life who can motivate you to be a better person.

I guess our little Sunday "drive" pushed me to think about finding that drive in my life to do great things.  They may not always be big things, but the little things in life can have a huge impact on ourselves and others as well.

 On a side note: we also spent a morning this weekend driving these RC rock crawlers up and down a big rock pit in our friends' back yard.  I have to say - for as much as I make fun of Tristan sometimes for how much time he spends "playing" with his truck - they are actually a lot of fun!













"Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do." - Norman Vincent Peale