I took this photo on Sundays, the day after the storm, it was such a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and snow to keep the kids happy and busy!
The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee
The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full! . The students responded with a unanimous “yes.”
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your spirituality, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions–and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else–the small stuff.” “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff , you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your health and happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the “golf balls” first–the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”
Before I was a mom…
Before I was a Mom I slept as late as I wanted
and never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.
Before I was a Mom
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom I had never been puked on.
Pooped on. Spit on.
Chewed on
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night..
Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do
tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put
it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I
couldn’t stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom
I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so
important and happy.
Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10
Minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,
The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.
Motherhood
MOTHERHOOD
is a choice you make everyday
to put someone else’s happiness and well being
ahead of your own
to teach the hard lessons
to do the right thing
even when you don’t know what the right thing is
and to forgive yourself
over and over again
FOR DOING EVERYTHING WRONG
Donna Bell
As a mom I love this quote, its so true.
I’ve seen mothers I have compared myself to and really there is no comparison.
We are each our own, our kids are truly individuals and we as their moms know the best way it is they need to be raised.
As a mom everything I do or think of doing must somehow relate to my kids whether it is where they will be, if they will want to do it, will they like it, etc. I’m not a perfect mom, would not claim to be, I have my good days and bad.
One thing I can say, that unfortunately not all mothers can is I have been 100% involved in my kids lives from the moment they were born and they have been my true main focus in life. I feel horrible for children who do not have their mother 100% without a doubt. To have a mother who is not only truly dedicated to her kids but also to her family.
The Naked Truth…
After posting the photos of my kids in their playhouse and I mentioned how I processed them 100% in Lightroom 3 I thought I would show a before and after of each. Essentially the “naked” photo in the RAW vs the complete one.
Part of being a photographer is having a creative eye, knowing what your camera is capable of and in the end being an artist which comes in when you are taking the photo and processing the photo. I could have spent more time processing these images as well, however went for a clean edit and processing. Yes I process 99% of my images, thats why using Lightroom for the majority of my editing saves me SO much time!
I have always had an interest and eye for art, when I was in highschool I took art lessons for many years, always had an enjoyment for photography and after our kids were born I truly found my passion. I LOVE that I have photography as a way to express my artistic side and also capture the memories of our family and most importantly our children as they grow and change.
With these images I wont go step by step what I did, however when I shoot, I only shoot in Manual (M on the top of the dial on the camera), so I choose all my settings. My LCD shows me not only my image after I take it but it also shows me my settings and my histogram and blinkies – any blown spots in my image. This is the biggest reason why I shoot in RAW, these images I was able to save the blown spots in the snow – although because I shoot manual I am also better capable to control this. Being outside in the snow and bright sun its hard to see the complete details on the LCD which is why I do tend to under or over expose slightly. As we went from the front yard to the back yard there wasnt as much sunlight so the photo was slightly under exposed. However this is easily fixable in Lightroom or Photoshop. I do use both programs, however I am becoming more comfortable with LR and the exporting saves me SO much time with saving etc!
Our sweet kids
Aren’t they sweet lol they were having a blast outside in the snow today :)Funny thing is these little faces totally show their personalities even when they make faces Haha! I edited these 100% in Lightroom – realllllly liking it for simple processing 🙂
Hockey & Skating {knowledge}
Our kids have come along way from when they both started hockey & skating this year! Cars is loving being a part of the hockey team and is (finally) paying more attention to the puck than making sure mommy and daddy are watching him! hehe.
Our wee lady has passed 2 levels this year in skating, she is doing awesome on skates and is determined to dance on the ice 🙂
Yes he does still get mommy & daddy’s attention lol as he was preparing for one of their practice drills 😉
They certainly do make us proud and love to be active ❤
He loves sports
Yes this boy takes after his daddy that’s for sure with a shared love of racing – slightly ironic as we met at a race track 😉 in the USA lol! He loves his race cars and know so many of the numbers and drivers – that’s some true boy {knowledge}!
Expanding their knowledge
I have more photos to share of our kids, I used this week’s word as an opportunity to capture some of the amazing ways our kids knowledge expands everyday!
They love their books and reading – we are so proud!
Reading quiet time
While I was doing laundry I could hear the kids playing in Madison’s room. I quietly walked down the ball and peeked in to see them reading to each others – of course I ran for my càmera 🙂 A previous moment I had to capture! Very proud mom moment! {knowledge}
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