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I am so thankful for my camera. With the crazy running from here to there, I don't always take the time to stop and breathe in the beauty that is all around. Taking pictures helps me to connect, to take a moment and slow it down. I took these photos the other day during a brief few minutes of sunshine. The light breeze added some welcome mystery: every time I pressed the shutter button, the gently moving scene that ended up in the picture was entirely different from the photo I had lined up.

In a photograph, you can see things that you wouldn't otherwise notice. A heavenly glow of light through the trees; intense colors; a clear, beckoning sky; little ladybugs on leaves. It's the same taking pictures of the kids. When I look closely at their photos, I sometimes catch a glimpse of joy, courage, love, confidence, or even sadness that I didn't realize was there at the time I took the picture.

There are other perfect moments where, no matter how hard you try or how many pictures you snap, the camera refuses to capture the truth and depth of your experience.

On some days, holding the camera gets in the way of experiencing the fullness of life at hand. Then we have to just put it down and get real.

Wow, I love these photos. I'm so happy to share them with you. Thank you for spending part of your day with me.