I adore this weeks challenge, mostly because I love both photos and quotes but also because I am diving into my archives to my quotes folder. When my kids were young, I spent a lot of time with creating the perfect image-quote combination so I am very excited to share.

Ann-Christine introduces this weeks challenge with some beautiful photos! “This week I have chosen for us to illustrate favourite quotes. Personally, I love quotes, and I believe many of us do – some maybe even collect memorable quotes in a book or a file on the computer or phone. There is much to learn from old wisdom – and wit…that speaks to us.This week you can choose one quote accompanied with a maximum of five pictures or a maximum of five quotes illustrated with one picture each. Make us ”feel”your quote(s) in pictures!”

Her tree photo and the flowers are my fav’s! They are so beautiful.

Today, feels like a breath of fresh air for me. Its like I am looking out from under the covers after 2 months of hard, consistent, steady dedication to a significant shift in our office at work. Being a family business, this meant a lot of long days, late nights and weekends. Ive spent a ton of time on my laptop and now… now the push is off, the shift is I would say 95% complete – there will be still some fuzziness however I am SO very happy with the results! After many years, 22 years myself, of using the same software at our business, that sadly had issue after issue and the past 5 years was extremely stressful to use, we have made a complete shift to something thats much more user friendly, has even more benefits, is easy to use – after the learning curve of course, and isn’t full of errors! A shift like this is a ton of work, however my goodness was it worth it.

One of the biggest challenges with this shift, was the change. Being used to using something for so long, knowing it inside and out, even in my sleep. I will admit it was, it felt, very hard especially with late nights and life, lifing us and throwing us a few curve balls. Can you handle it, can you embrace in the moment. Choosing to let go of the known and allow the unknown to come to life. Water is such a great reminder of this, water is always changing and continues to flow!

I am looking forward to even more time with my camera, getting outdoors in nature and spend time sharing on my blog. The best part, I feel this shift at work is going to contribute to much better, easier days for work.

This image is one of my favs, as well as the quote. I feel so much truth in this and looking at their sweet faces, it was around this time that it finally sunk in for me. We can try to lead our kids and teach them things, however they truly are our best teachers! <3

My favourite view with some words that truly can be taken to heart. Looking at it my heart feel so warm and filled.

The curve balls of life can really throw you for a loop, can feel isolating and lonely. Even if you want to vent and blow off some steam, that’s valid and heart breaking, not everyone will understand. The other day after reading something this realization hit me hard. I have learned so much in life, through the lens of others. But not everyone will understand YOUR story; Tell it anyway. Those who do understand, will gravitate to you. Not in a negative way, not in a dwell on this way or ‘I can’t fix this for you’ way. In a way of understanding, compassion and kindness. The reality of life, the situation, whatever that might be, and allowing permission, regardless of what anyone thinks or how they may judge you, its ok to feel pissed off, feel frustrated, feel scared and angry all at once. To not sit in false positivity that everything is rainbows and cake all the time, to open up to feeling and in that, not feeling guilty for what you are faced with and needing to blow off some steam. Especially when it involves standing up for your loved ones, which also affects your day to day!

Our kids when they were wee. I read this quote and it held my heart. As a very young 20’s girl newly married and hit with the word infertility, the journey felt hard and yet was the best journey of my life becoming a mom.

The past two months, this describes perfectly ;)

Although I was working a lot, either at the hockey arena or working essentially. Both were in my element, even though it felt exhausting and overwhelming at times. Sometimes finding your own calm, is all someone needs. Even through the work overwhelm, and life throwing us a couple curve balls, there have been peaks of anger, peaks of frustration, and underlying it all, a very confident calm.

This image brings me such a feeling of peace. Although life can feel dark at times, dark and heavy. Grief compounds all of this. With each step I have felt growth, even through the pain and frustration, all valid feelings. Its the anger at times that sinks me, when something that could have been prevented or avoided or found sooner is the distant past, dealing with the present, sometimes means making some difficult choices including standing up for you and your loved ones. Which not everyone will understand, and thats ok, during the hard times you do realize who your friends are and how much your loved ones mean to you <3 Its all okay, you are allowed to feel to heal without feeling like a burden to anyone else!

I hope you enjoyed my quotes + images – if you would like to join in on the weekly challenges, use the tag Lens-Artists to be sure we can find your post! Looking forward to the next challenge this Saturday at noon!