♥♥♥ Spring Weekend ♥♥♥

Spring has Sprung!!!!!! Anthony, Zoey and I are loving the warm weather. This weekend we spent countless hours engaged in pure family time. From early Saturday morning until this evening I let everything go. I didn't worry about the laundry or cleaning.... about errands or packing for our upcoming trip. I simply enjoyed the warm weather..... and enjoyed MY FAMILY ♥

Saturday morning we left the house early and took Zoey to her first show - Sesame Street Live : When Elmo Grows Up

It brought tears to my eyes to see the excitement Zoey had for the show. I couldn't help but think about how fast time goes .... how one day Zoey will be to big to sit in my lap ...... and she will outgrow Elmo. I am not ready for that day..... so instead I smiled as Zoey enjoyed her popcorn......

.....and I smiled again each time Zoey extended her arm to point to "EMMO" ......

...... and as the show went on I couldn't think of anywhere else I would rather be .

...Or anyone else I would rather be there with..... Mommy, Daddy, & Zoey

Oh, and Bert and Ernie too.

After the show we were able to enjoy the rest of the day at the beach. I have a deep love for the beach. The smell of the salt air, the smooth sand between my toes, the sound of the roaring ocean and the waves crashing on the sand, and the way the sun beats down as the cool ocean breeze tousles your hair.

Each time I bring Zoey to the "BEESH" I am reminded of the beautiful gift of motherhood. I love the way she loves the beach too. I love to think to myself -she gets that from me- because after all she is my daughter and I am her Mama.

I love to watch her take it all in .....

....... to plant her bottom down in the ground as she digs in the sand ........

...... and she takes time to feel the sand between her toes.....

...... and she examines each shell like it was a long lost treasure.....
and through her I learn so much

As I scour the beach in search of the perfect whole shell - she collects the bits and pieces of broken and cracked shells.

When I hand her my whole perfect beautiful shell - she is left unphased.

She makes me stop and think - and realize that in her two year old world everything is beautiful.

I want to bottle that up forever. I want to keep her world safe and shelter her from harm. I want to keep her small forever. Small and Innocent.

I love that the beach gives us a time to reflect and a time to see the beauty in the world.

But,eventually the sunset and it was time to go home.


Sunday ...... Another beautiful day.... we headed to Aunt Debbie's for the first BBQ of the season. Zoey spent the entire day running around with her cousins.....

..... acting like the "Free Spirit" that she is.....

...... Sometimes Serious........

........ Sometimes Innocent........

........ but most often running .... with the wind blowing her hair ............

and always loved by her Mommy and Daddy ♥

Beauty

I once read that everything looks more beautiful when you are looking through the lense of a camera. I didn't believe it until I started on this photography venture. Now, I simply can't believe the beauty that I am able to capture with the click of a button. I am addicted to the sound of the shutter - I can't put my camera down.

I always toyed with the idea of a DSLR camera, but never made the leap. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to work it. They always looked so overwhelming. Last month I finally took the leap. I purchased my camera along with the book "DSLR Camera for Dummies" and a great love story was written.

I can now appreciate the little things so much more.....

the beauty of the water, the trees, the birds.....

Now I see more beauty in sandy feet.....

chalk drawings...


finger paintings...



then I ever have before. I put my eye to the view finder and search for the beauty that I would have never taken the time to stop and see before.

I look back on my photos and see Zoey's hair blowing in the breeze.... her long eye lashes..... the love of life that she has and shows me every single day. Someday, I know, she will be all grown up and these picture will remind me of all the happy times that we have made together.

I still have so much to learn when it comes to photography ..... but I am a work in progress. One day, I hope to look back at this blog and see how far my photos have come. Because I know that now that I have seen the beauty of what this camera can capture I will never be able to go back.