Capturing The Moments

Keri started 4th grade when the new school year began in September.  So far 4th grade definitely seems to be a transitional year, a year of growth from being a young elementary school student to learning how to get ready for middle school.  The students seem to be taking on more responsibility, their school work has become much more challenging and they are realizing how difficult life can truly be. It definitely isn’t always black and white.

Each month Keri has an at-home project for school that she must complete and then give an in class presentation on what she learned.  This month the project is about Family Celebrations and Traditions.

I used to think I was a decent journal writer, decent meaning frequent … or at least when memorable events happened.

I also used to think I was a decent photographer, decent meaning someone who captured the every day life and other holiday events that occurred (not necessarily meaning the photos turned out expertly).

However, as Keri and I were going through old snapshots to look for pictures that captured the family celebration she chose to honor (our annual Christmas Eve Dinner with most of the family on my side who live in Los Angeles), I realized that my ability to record our family history has been anything but proficient lately, especially during the last couple of years.  I think having three little ones in the home has something to do with it.

Capturing the moments and preserving family history has also been on my mind a lot because my last living grandparent (all 4 of my grandparents were alive most of my life), my Grandma who is 89, was just diagnosed with lymphoma.  This just makes me realize even more how precious life is and how important it is to capture and preserve our time together.

Lately my philosophy has been to capture the moment purely in my memory, but I realize I want to strike a good balance between living my life and preserving it.  I want to have more pictures of our time together with friends and family, and I also want to make sure I capture the simple moments, the mundane moments and the ordinary moments.

I realize, too, that I want to start zooming in less on some of the pictures I take. I want to remember what the floor looked like with toys strewn around, what the kitchen island looked like when all the Christmas Eve dinner was sitting on it and what items sat on the bookshelves and fireplace mantles.

Anyway, here are a few snapshots I have taken so far this Fall. [But first, a quick side note.  In my previous post I was lamenting the fact that summer was over, but let me tell you, Western Washington has had an exquisite Autumn so far.  We have had many days with lots of brilliant sunshine. I am in love!]

One other thing I am quickly realizing – I need to give up my camera shyness.  I typically don’t like to look at pictures of me, so normally I make sure I am the one behind the lens.  However, that doesn’t do me much good if I am trying to capture and preserve our family history.

Halloween 2010 – A Firefighter, A Witch, and a Little Boy who refused to wear a costume

Halloween Night – Making Nice Monster Puppets

Halloween Night – Cory Cataloging His Sorted Candy

Halloween Night – Keri Cataloging Her Sorted Candy

Eli drinking the leftover of mommy’s hot chocolate.

Eli only ever wants to play with the real deal. Here he has an old digital camera with batteries and his cherished Dustbuster.

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