Doesn’t everyone at the end of the year, stop and reflect on the past 365 days… what they have done and what they can do better? Of course, right?!

I could blog into high heaven about what happened this past year and what I want to do in the next year… but I guess I could also just upload 2 photos… one from my kids last Christmas and one from this Christmas to show how much I’ve for one, grown as a photographer in one year… I hope that I continue to grow in this area… and after reflecting… and seeing in these 2 shots how much my kids have grown in one year… and how big they are getting… I want to be sure to relish all the moments I spend with them… enjoying them for who they are and the age they are at… children just grow so fast… you have to stop and look around once in a while… to enjoy the moment you are in… even the driving to events and the doing homework and the getting up and out of the house by 7:40am every morning… that is what I am goingn to try to do better… to enjoy all the moments… everyday…

To continue on with our blog circle, please visit Ginger’s blog: Www.gingerunzuetaphotography.com/blog

A lot has been going on lately to remind me of the true meaning of Christmas… and what is really important… the main one was my sweet 4 year old niece having emergency surgery to remove her appendix this past week… thank God she is okay… but the whole ordeal was a bit scary… and it really put things into perspective for me… I usually am taking lots of photos this time of year of the kids… ornaments… activities… holiday events… so when I saw this week’s photo theme I thought how easy it would be… however, it has been so crazy that I haven’t really had the time to take out my camera much… nevertheless, I did get a photo of a gingerbread house my daughter made with her friend yesterday…

I would love to upload a photo of my niece in the hospital… she was so little and innocent looking in that big bed… and the thought of her almost missing Christmas this year was too close for comfort… but someone was looking out for her… and has given us a good reason to be thankful this Christmas…

God bless you and your families this Christmas season… hug your loved ones who are near and dear… and remember what this is holiday is all about…

To continue with the blog circle, please visit Amy’s blog: Amy Ames, Holly Springs, North Carolina Photographer

I thought about this a lot. Was odd to try to think of an accomplishment for this year… since I stopped working because my job moved to Maryland and my family wasn’t in a place to relocate… Starting in June I became a full time stay-at-home mom… while in search of a replacement job… And while being out of work… I have learned exactly what my family needs from me right now… a mom who is around a lot more… a mom who runs the house full time… a mom who is able to help the kids with their homework every night… a mom who can get their kids to their various activities on time and dressed for that particular activity… a mom who cuts coupons in an effort to cut costs… a mom who cooks meals and doesn’t take the familiy to eat out as much… a mom who is learning to be a better mom and wife with the extra time in my days when I would have been at work… I guess this has been a learning year and since I have been doing okay in my family’s eyes I guess you can call that an accomplishment… So who knows what the future holds for me careerwise… but for now I can say that this adjustment of not working has been an accomplishment in-and-of-itself…

And on that note… here is a photo of the kids after school today… before swim practice… just a typical afternoon…

To complete our blog circle, please visit Ginger’s blog to see her accomplishment for this year: http://www.gingerunzuetaphotography.com/blog

I can’t believe this year of blogging photos each week is coming quickly to an end… I had not missed a week, and then yesterday I realized that it was Friday… and I had not put up my post… I had been so pre-occupied with taking my kids photos and our Elf’s photos… this project just slipped my mind… ug!!! So I quickly went on-line and saw that this week’s theme was “Magic”… and I’m so glad it was because I have been taking weekly photos of our Elf on the Shelf (Scout) and his wild adventures… he has been sharing the Christmas spirit… and his magic has been so entertaining to us and the kids every morning when we go find out what he did during the night… so here are some photos of Scout… and a few things that he has been up to this year… he is a michevious little elf… that’s for sure… well what do we expect… being sent to show our family Christmas magic…

Her he is the day after he showed up… My daughter is asking him to please come back since mommy knocked him over with the curtain and had to put him back with kitchen thongs… she was afraid he magic was gone…

Taking his new friend bunny for a ride down the steps…

Reading the Elf-on-the-Shelf story… he brought the kids Elf blowls this day…

Pretending to be a snow-globe…

I guess he is exausted… taking a nap this day…

He got into our brand new photo copy machine… and copied himself… this day my daughter said, “Okay, that is just wierd”…. lol… and she brought some of the photos to school to show her friends…

I guess he was caught by Spiderman this day…

Everyday is an adventure with him… so glad he has his magic and gives us something fun to look forward to each morning…

The other evening I sat on my couch under a fluffy blanket, watching a Christmas movie on Lifetime TV, and while looking around my family room all decorated for Christmas, felt total comfort that comes to me this time of year…

To continue on with the blog circcle, please visit Linsey’s blog to see what her comfort photo is: Linsey Stuckey, Houston, TX

I am thankful for my children. I am thankful they are happy and healthy. I am thankful they are good natured and loving. I am thankful for watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade with them in my lovely house this morning, in my pjs, under the covers on the couch. I am thankful that Scout the Elf on the Shelf came back today and brought the kids a special gift. I am thankful for my husband who always puts me and the kids first, and who works so hard so we can have everything we need. I am thankful for my parents and for how much they love me and my kids, and am thankful that we get to go to their house for Thanksgiving dinner later today to spend time with my family (I’m thankful for my little sister and brother too). I am thankful for my mother-in-law who is awesome and who is going to come and visit us very soon (hint-hint). I am thankful this summer we are going to the Lake on the other side of the country to spend time with my husband’s side of the family. I am thankful for miy friends… and I have some really really great friends. I am thankful that we are about to see Santa at the end of the parade right now which means that it is the start of Christmas season! I love Christmas! I love my kids. So very much.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

To complete our blog circle, please visit Lucy Jane’s blog: Lucy Jane, Adelaide Photographer

This week I took a photo of one of my daughter’s pet bunnies… this is Amberlee… or “Ambers” as we call her… she moves real fast so it was tough to get a good shot… but thought this was cute nonetheless… She is really soft and fluffy…

To complete our blog circle, please visit Amy’s blog: Amy Ames Holly Springs, NC Photographer