Ive always wanted THIS picture… The snow blanketing each branch beautifully. The warmth felt, although its snowing and cold. The snow covered road.
As I was driving home, I admired the trees and knew I was coming in to get the dog and my camera. I put on my 85mm macro lens and went out. Sometimes some of the best shots, are not planned at all. I walked out, took a few shots in the yard and walked towards the road. The timing couldn’t have been better, not a vehicle in sight, until after I took the shots.
Learning to trust more in my intuition, especially when I get that creative urge. Something that may not make sense to anyone else, but does to me.
I LOVE that we are having a traditional winter, its going to be a white Christmas!
Ann-Christine leads us this week with a great theme as we get closer to Christmas holidays – Holiday Fun! She encourages us to share some holiday memories – “Shared Joy is double joy – as we say in Sweden”.
I will also be choosing Christmas for this theme, with my kids late teens I cherish their young childhood Christmas years even more!
The magic of Christmas, is most definitely through a child’s eyes! My two human babies and fur baby Christmas 2009.
His face in this pic is just the best! He loved his cars and still does!
I have spent many years of our holiday celebrations just watching the little ones and taking photos to capture their expressions! Truly the best.
Playing with a new to me lens, I remember this like yesterday!
Our boy’s hockey passion, begins!
Her first camera! It was so fun!
The kids puppy’s first Christmas, back in 2011, our boy Becker.
Christmas 2012 our son was given something that my husbands uncles had made him when he was a young boy for his beloved cars! Literally ‘old school’ car tracks on boards that go together!
Making Gingerbread Men! Christmas 2012
The ornaments mean… so much! The yellow dog, our Becker and the black one, my Elwood who I had when I met my husband and who quickly became a family dog!
The annual Christmas parade! SO many memories myself as a child and our kids and nieces when they were young. Our big sucker truck!
Their sweet faces, watching the santa tracker!
Only super heros decorate Christmas trees the best! 😉
My sweet great aunt, she would have been 99 just yesterday, and passed only a couple years ago. The sweetest old lady who had the biggest heart, independent yet also so fragile. Ive always lived a few blocks from her growing up and she was a big part of our lives spending every holiday and celebration with us. Our family loves to play cards, especially when we get together. She loved it! This was 10 years before she passed. I love these memories! I love that we were so lucky to have so many years with her.
Their little faces, I loved, love, every stage the kids are at, but I can also admit I miss all the stages, deeply.
All the family games before dinner… so many memories, especially of those who loved the game and are watching over us. ❤
They just keep growing…
This challenge theme, although warms my heart deeply, has also been pulling on all the heart strings. Our 2nd Christmas since my brother passed. There are still many times it doesn’t feel real. Yet the only way I will hear his voice again is on the voicemail I saved. Last Christmas we were still very numb. It was just over a month. This year seems to remind deeper, he’s physically not here.
He is however, with so many loved ones ❤
Yes we were, are, an elf household 😉 Charlie is wearing the scarf our daughter made for him!
We also did the family Christmas PJ’s, and still do! This Christmas we surprised the kids with each a carry on luggage – their perfect size and a Disney Cruise. The biggest and best trip we’ve ever taken and I am so thrilled we got to experience it with our kids! Christmas eve it was a tradition they could play with the elf before he left for the north pole!
Cousin time at Christmas at Grama and Granpa’s making gingerbread houses and trains.
2020, the year Christmas was forced to be different on everyone. Oh my the memories lost and how I will never do that again. Blessings to the cousins being together for more gingerbread, fun and laughter! My children and my brothers intertwined each other with their ages, the tens of thousands of photos of the memories, I am so grateful we could do that together and it brought us so close.
Sledding at grama and granpas with the cousins during Christmas holidays, this one my brother and son. My son, at the time, was the only boy of 5 grandkids. He now has a bookend with my sisters baby 😉
Traveling during Christmas, 2021, the year it began to not be cool to let your mom take photos of you 😉 Teens hide, doesn’t stop mom!
2022 Christmas Parade pulling the Mount Forest Drifters Snowmobile float. It was so cold that night, I remember it very coldly, I mean clearly!
We now have the joy of watching my sisters family grow up with our niece and nephew, children truly bring the magic of the season!!! Many more memories created and captured. Their pure innocence and absolute joy. Seeing my “big” kids with the “littles”!
If you would like to learn more about the weekly Lens-Artists Challenge please check it out here!
On this Tuesday, I am reminded of our words and as the month and year is nearing the holidays and new year I am focusing on how to better shift my energy and the energy of our home for the new year.
Interestingly, I keep reading about this 14 yr cycle that is coming to a close. This takes us back to 2011. Think back to that time. When I do… whoa… honestly its a big whoa. My life changed a lot that year in various ways with various loved ones and things.
I will admit I am more naturally on the doubt, worry side of life, err of caution, where my husband tends to trust easier. Something I am working on, to rebuild my trust and more fully trust this flow of life. Perhaps as the mom, dealing with the variety of mom/kids things and house stuff, the frustrations perhaps are more surmountable. As they have gotten older, shifts have been made and although much less frustrations its on me to be able to shift my mind set.
Moving into 2026, I am ready, very ready to leave the past 5 years, and truthfully the past 14, in the dust. I have copious amounts of photos of all our times together and am ready to purposely choose happiness and positivity every day.
Here’s the thing, I know the side effects of negativity, it attracts more into your life. As one person, can I change the world? No – it also hurts, feels out of alignment and scars when you try too hard to change the world.
Start with one – yourself!
Affirmations to help boost yourself!
I intentionally choose integrity and courage each day.
Everything I say is a reflection of myself.
I am grateful for the time and money always flowing into my life.
I am surrounded by people who care, people who old love firmly in their hearts and live their lives in harmony with it.
I am grateful for the love I have for myself.
I am grateful past challenges have helped me learn and grow.
I am a magnet for abundance in my life.
I am grateful I have grown through the hard times in life and have come out stronger!
I consciously attend to the details of my life and home.
I trust to allow myself to let go of any worries, negativity, self doubt and fears to be released fully from my energy body.
I confidently move through my tasks with ease and joy
I am guided and protected by the divine!
I am aligned with my heart, soul and energy!
I am aligned with my truth and happiness.
When I am in the flow, there is little resistance and I find my truth.
Resources
Yasmin Boland – Moonology – A beautiful wealth of information for the planets – if you are wanting to learn more about the moon cycles, I highly recommend her 2026 Moon Diary Journal!
“On December 10, 2025, 07:23 AM EST, Neptune stations direct at 29º of Pisces. After more than a decade in his home sign, Neptune is preparing to leave Pisces for the final time in our lifetimes: this is a moment of dissolution, surrender, and letting go, a moment to wrap up loose ends and trust that whatever is leaving our lives right now is making space for something more aligned.“Source Moon Omens
We are on day 3 of our daughters Hockey tournament! The girls have played well and held 2nd place into the semi-finals! At their last game, last night, the seating set up was perfect, from a Mom-Photographer standpoint 😉 I could sit right at the glass, with a bar counter in front of me for both cameras. For close up and wide angle 😉
My Canon R6MII has my RF/EF Adapter with my EF 70-200 f2.8L zoom lens and my Canon RP has my 28-70 f2.8 STM lens on it. I am loving this set up this winter!!!
Our girl even scored in the 2nd game! Its hard to see but thats her in the middle of the celebration!!! This tournament has been interesting, ties have been completed with shootouts. The girls lost one game to a shootout Friday night and then won in a shootout Saturday night holding 2nd position strong!
Updated end day December 7th our girls pushed the final game with a 0-0 score to over time… where unfortunately they lost with only 6.9 seconds left. Our girls played hard and brought home the SILVER!
There is a very strong pull within of a shift that is actively happening, pulling us towards the energy of the new year.
I learned this year, 2025 is a 9 year, endings, transformation, reflections, completions etc. Whereas we are walking into a 1 energy with 2026. New fresh energy, a clearing of a new 9 year cycle.
This full moon, is the last full moon of 2025.
I am feeling a strong pull for alignment with my heart and soul, enough of the self sabotaging, or putting everyone else before me, keep on the straight and narrow for me and what lights up my heart.
The other night my husband and I went to see one of our favourite energy workers. He is so in tune and this being the first time my husband and I saw him together, I think the energy was that much more powerful. As someone who has been dealing with heavy grief the past year, knowing I haven’t been breathing properly, he was able to shift some really heavy energy, allowing me to feel a sense of freedom I haven’t in a long time. I loved his analogy of the masculine and feminine energy. The feminine is a flowing energy, which I knew, also on the left side of the body. The masculine energy is the right side. I was experiencing the tightness, and pain on my right side as well as not breathing properly. As he explained to us, with the feminine energy being fluid like water, masculine energy is like the river banks, trying to contain the feminine energy – which is what my husband and his energy had been trying to do for the past year to help me and my energy was just – the words coming to me while writing, visualizing a rough angry ocean – a violent mess.
How cool is the alignment that he picked up on between my husband and I – serious goals!
The moon this morning, was so big and bright, earlier it was peaking out of the clouds so beautifully, we could see it from laying in our bed – if you may have any renos in your future I highly recommend a massively large window in your bedroom for all the natural light. This moon was incredible, the detail that I could see just from the window made me run for my camera and a lens.
The first shot, I barely adjusted settings, so no test shot when all these birds were circling with the moon in between. The moon is totally blown but I still love this shot, giving the full moon vibes!
The clouds were also very interesting, everything was moving with the birds.
This moon feels like the closer, its the beginning of December, yet its the last full moon of 2025. The energy is ready for a deep reset. Find the truth within.
For me, taking more photos – taking the time to take more photos – when I see something, stop, a minute could absolutely open a closed heart chakra for me. BE in the moment. Tonight at my daughters hockey game, I was taking photos and moving positions to take photos, I can loose focus of who is on the ice, specifically my daughter, however I typically follow the play – and then realize after I did get some awesome shots of her – after her 2nd game today, she came out and said did you see who scored, I said oh who was it? To my surprise, it was her. LOL I got a picture of the of the celebration of the goal, as I missed it, and hadn’t realized she was in the midst of that celebration! For her final year in minor hockey, as much as I am present in the taking of the photos, stay in the moment with the camera I am using and in the position I am in before shifting to a different angle or camera. In my defence, it was at the other end of the rink, I am so damn proud of her though, either way and grateful I captured the celebration, although her stick is covering her face haha!
Someone made a comment to me years ago about supplements being a waste of money and time. My body has proven to me, what I was doing years ago when I was putting me first, is what my body craves and desires. If it works why try to shift or change it. Putting me first, means feeling good, having energy to do things, those creative desires being fulfilled and true comforting relaxing. It is worth my time and money to be taking these supplements for my body’s overall health. We are each unique and when we listen to our selves, our soul, that is when we can set ourself free.
With this, moving my body again, finding my flow. Allow 2026 to set the past 5 years free from my body – both energy and physical. To breathe, deep and fully. To nourish my body and mind with foods and drinks that benefit. Surround myself with people who see and hear each other, who we mutually enjoy each others company, laughter and good times. Who are there in a moment of need, with compassion, understanding and love. No expectations, only flow and understanding. Allowing to fall back into full trust again. Using my oils daily, in all the ways that I used to. Respectively speaking my voice, that for years I swallowed.
Guiding myself first.
Much of this life we live as humans is completely beyond our control. When in times of turmoil, we crave the control, the known, the comfort – however rigid it may feel. 2026, the year we free ourselves from that emotional prison, with zero judgement only love. Acceptance. Peace. The unknown is frowned upon, as typically bad. What if that nervousness we thought was holding us down, was actually a building excitement.
The making time for me, yet the true fullfillment, could happen in the 5 or 10 minutes I tell myself I do not have time for – the same 5 or 10 minutes that can multiple into 30 or 60 minutes if handheld on a phone. Ironically, to many people that we ‘wouldn’t have time for’ if we ran into and they said “we should really get together” and that, just never happens. Make time for people who make time for you! Small circles, are beautiful and instagram worthy posts are from 2020.
Walking into 2026, yes with some bumps, bruises and heartache… but with even more trust, love, compassion and awareness!
Happy (last) Full Moon of 2025… this shift is going to feel so good!
This week Beth led us in the challenge with the theme Wings!
Please check out her beautiful examples of wings HERE on her blog, Wandering Dawgs.
This summer a butterfly landed on our nephews exersaucer, with him in it and hung out for a few minutes. Long enough for me to get my camera out and take several photos!
A grasshopper in our garden, he was an awesome subject to photograph, turning to share his angles with me!
Dragonflies sitting near a pond.
The hummingbirds were fun to watch!
They seem always on guard.
Next year, I up the shutter speed to capture their wings better! I do love the motion! Their wings are incredibly fast!
The loon family on the lake
Baby seagulls on their rock island
I love all the bee’s!
Beach Seagulls
Geese
Bald Eagle above the Saugeen River, I had no clue what I was photographing, something caught my eye, I shot, then I saw what I had captured!
A gorgeous Blue Heron
How cool would it be as a photographer to have gardens, rivers, lakes to travel to and from, you have no worry in the maintenance, you just get to show up with your camera(s) and get to shoot to your hearts content. Even better, you can get your fix at home, on your own property with birds, butterflies, bees, bugs, blossoms etc!
Winter in Southwestern Ontario has been interesting this week, so although I had wanted to get out and get some snowy bird shots, it didn’t work – yet! So this week I was able to share and enjoy some ‘wings’ throughout the year and various seasons.
I truly am grateful for these challenges, I am feeling behind this week, with Christmas deadlines hitting earlier this week for creative creations, this is the first time Ive had to sit and focus, as I knew I wanted to find a variety of images. My goal of snowy birds, will be met, when the time is right!
Be sure to check back on Saturday, December 6 at noon eastern time when Ann-Christine will be hosting the challenge.
For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.
This weekend, November closed out with a wild and wonderful snow storm that blanketed us for days starting on Thursday. All the snow here fell Thursday and Friday, we had an awesome day Saturday to enjoy our nephew’s 1st and then the snow began again on Sunday, in lighter amounts.
Here is our Gunner, just over 1.5 yrs old. Posing for his mama in the snow beneath the ever green trees blanketed in snow.
December begins like a lamb, with a beautiful fluffy white blanket, also just like a lamb. This past year, deserves a good, deep reflection. I am ready to call in the energy of 2026. This month feels like the shift has already begun out of this 9 year and into a 1 year!
I feel this is the perfect end to the ‘Surviving November’ Round theme.
My sister gifted us this many years ago, a round shape holding our initials together for our family. It hangs inside our front door, also the main living area of our home.
The November theme details can be found in this post – think Round!
