the gift of problems
the gift of friends
the gift of giving
the gift of gratitude
the gift of family
the gift of learning
the gift of money
the gift of laughter
the gift of a day
the gift of dreams
the gift of love,
which leads to the ultimate gift.
- from jim stovall's movie, the ultimate gift
my mother-in-law had recommended we watch the movie, the ultimate gift. and we did; we watched it together as a family last weekend. and just as she said, it was such a wonderful, heartwarming movie, with an incredible message. these gifts--problems, friends, giving, gratitude, family, learning, money, laughter, a day, dreams, love and the ultimate gift--truly are gifts in our lives, gifts to be recognized and appreciated as such.
++++++
i've had a number of people ask / email me over the past few days, inquiring how i am. really...i'm fine. a bit numb, but fine. it's funny how it feels like just another day, yet in 24 hours, steve will be gone, on his way to iraq. to return in 204 days. tomorrow, the countdown will begin. i know tomorrow will be hard. and i know some days will be harder than others but i will do my best to remain strong through the good and the not-so-good times. for the moment, today is a day that we are still together...as a family.
last weekend, i took steve and the kids out, for a pre-deployment photo session. i am going to print a photo for each of the kids, to keep on their dresser. i want them to see their dad whenever they want. i want them to be able to hold their dad, when they're having a rough day. i want them to know that their dad is thinking about them and loves them, while he is away.
and i know firsthand how important a photo can be for a child. in 2000, when kiele was three, her dad and i divorced. i moved (via the AF) to FL and mike separated from the military and moved to NH. in feb 2002, mike sent kiele a photo of himself. we laminated it and she has slept with it every day since she received it. it has been taped, re-taped and taped again. at one point, i tried to replace it, with a scanned, laminated copy, and kiele wouldn't have anything to do with the new print. this simple photo has become her treasure, her everyday connection with her dad.
FRONT:
BACK:
don't ever overestimate the power of a photo!
P.S. i have no idea what is going on with my blog. it's going crazy.
the gift of friends
the gift of giving
the gift of gratitude
the gift of family
the gift of learning
the gift of money
the gift of laughter
the gift of a day
the gift of dreams
the gift of love,
which leads to the ultimate gift.
- from jim stovall's movie, the ultimate gift
my mother-in-law had recommended we watch the movie, the ultimate gift. and we did; we watched it together as a family last weekend. and just as she said, it was such a wonderful, heartwarming movie, with an incredible message. these gifts--problems, friends, giving, gratitude, family, learning, money, laughter, a day, dreams, love and the ultimate gift--truly are gifts in our lives, gifts to be recognized and appreciated as such.
++++++
i've had a number of people ask / email me over the past few days, inquiring how i am. really...i'm fine. a bit numb, but fine. it's funny how it feels like just another day, yet in 24 hours, steve will be gone, on his way to iraq. to return in 204 days. tomorrow, the countdown will begin. i know tomorrow will be hard. and i know some days will be harder than others but i will do my best to remain strong through the good and the not-so-good times. for the moment, today is a day that we are still together...as a family.
last weekend, i took steve and the kids out, for a pre-deployment photo session. i am going to print a photo for each of the kids, to keep on their dresser. i want them to see their dad whenever they want. i want them to be able to hold their dad, when they're having a rough day. i want them to know that their dad is thinking about them and loves them, while he is away.
and i know firsthand how important a photo can be for a child. in 2000, when kiele was three, her dad and i divorced. i moved (via the AF) to FL and mike separated from the military and moved to NH. in feb 2002, mike sent kiele a photo of himself. we laminated it and she has slept with it every day since she received it. it has been taped, re-taped and taped again. at one point, i tried to replace it, with a scanned, laminated copy, and kiele wouldn't have anything to do with the new print. this simple photo has become her treasure, her everyday connection with her dad.
FRONT:
BACK:
don't ever overestimate the power of a photo!
P.S. i have no idea what is going on with my blog. it's going crazy.
nothing can bring you happiness but yourself.
- ralph waldo emerson
yesterday was a day i was thankful for, even if it involved an entire day of cleaning. it was our day of spring cleaning, just in the fall. since steve won't be here for the big spring cleaning, we decided to do it yesterday--we cleaned every screen and window (inside and out) in our house, washed the cars, thoroughly cleaned the bathrooms, and organized the garage. steve has also been working on finishing kiele's bed. he built it from scratch and is now doing the finishing touches. steve is amazing with woodworking. in the past, he's built a 7-drawer dresser, two beds and three book cases.
it was so refreshing to get all the stuff done that we did and...i can't even tell you how good it feels so good to have clean screens and windows. :-)
the last thing i did yesterday was scrub my tub and as i was scrubbing with a magic eraser, i thought i should share my love for the magic eraser on my blog. then i remembered how a dear and talented friend of mine had recently shared 10 of her favorite things on her blog. sooo...
i share with you ten of my favorite everyday things:
1. magic eraser.
if you haven't heard of magic eraser, run to the grocery store and buy yourself a few boxes. i promise, you won't regret it. if you have heard of magic eraser, i'm sure you're nodding your head in agreement. i love, love, love magic eraser. from cleaning my tubs to cleaning marks off the wall that won't come off with anything else. hands down, a must have in every household. although i do joke with my friends about how nothing should be able to do what magic eraser does and all our hands are probably going to fall off in 20 years b/c of the 'magic' chemical in magic eraser. seriously though, i use it all the time.
2. hoodies.
yep, i LOVE hoodies, especially lucky brand hoodies. i'm not sure what i would do without my hoodies. i wear them almost year round and the grungier they get, the more i love them. my favorite lucky brand hoody is currently hanging on by strands but yep, i still wear it and love it.
3. jessica mcclintock perfume.
by far, my favorite perfume. i'm pretty much a minimalist so i only have a handful of perfume bottles but i've used jessica mcclintock since as long as i can remember. it smells beautiful and romantic, yet fresh and clean.
4. dwell magazine.
i love modern / mid-century modern. someday we hope to own a mid-century modern home. owning an eichler is our dream. i drool over the homes, furniture, wall decor...everything, in the magazine. love, love, love it so.
5. cucina
i discovered cucina products at a friend's house, and i've been hooked ever since. recently my mother-in-law was visiting and she, too, is now hooked. i prefer the 'coriander and olive tree' scent. but, if you're a liberal dish soap user, this product might not be for you (it's not cheap).
6. method.
well, i pretty much love method everything. but my huge fav is the lavender, all surface, non-toxic cleaning spray. i love lavender and i love clean...so for me, the combination is more than perfect. although i have to say that i do also love the clorox (with bleach) cleaning spray. did i mention that i love clean!
7. anthropologie.
i love the antrhopologie store. if i had all the money in the world, i would probably own one of everything in the store. not only do i love their clothing, but also their decor. i'll frequently go in there, just for some design ideas.
8. mexican food.
i could eat mexican food every single day--morning, noon and night. and i mean it. i love mexican food.
9. the sound of my kids giggling and laughing.
couldn't help list it in my top 10. they are outside playing and i just keep laughing as i listen to them play and giggle together. it makes me happier than anything else ever could. they always have so much fun playing on the trampoline (that's where they just were).
10. blogs.
i love posting on my blog. i love reading others' blogs.
and here are a couple blogs, that i recently stumbled upon and love checking (i couldn't tell you how, or though who, if you paid me). i check my blog feeds pretty much every day, for recent updates.
somewhere...i can't remember where, i heard about the nie nie dialogues blog. i want to say that it was on the radio or somewhere like that. i can't even remember what they were saying about it, but at the time, i remember saying to myself, i need to remember that name and google it when i'm home. and then one day, when blog surfing, i came across her sister's blog, c jane run..
stephanie, the author of nie nie dialogues, and her husband were in a private plane crash back in mid-august. her husband is now in rehabilitation; however, stephanie is still in the burn unit, fighting for her life. stephanie's sister, courtney, regularly posts updates on stephanie on her c jane run blog.
the bliss blog shares the most wonderful products.
- ralph waldo emerson
yesterday was a day i was thankful for, even if it involved an entire day of cleaning. it was our day of spring cleaning, just in the fall. since steve won't be here for the big spring cleaning, we decided to do it yesterday--we cleaned every screen and window (inside and out) in our house, washed the cars, thoroughly cleaned the bathrooms, and organized the garage. steve has also been working on finishing kiele's bed. he built it from scratch and is now doing the finishing touches. steve is amazing with woodworking. in the past, he's built a 7-drawer dresser, two beds and three book cases.
it was so refreshing to get all the stuff done that we did and...i can't even tell you how good it feels so good to have clean screens and windows. :-)
the last thing i did yesterday was scrub my tub and as i was scrubbing with a magic eraser, i thought i should share my love for the magic eraser on my blog. then i remembered how a dear and talented friend of mine had recently shared 10 of her favorite things on her blog. sooo...
i share with you ten of my favorite everyday things:
1. magic eraser.
if you haven't heard of magic eraser, run to the grocery store and buy yourself a few boxes. i promise, you won't regret it. if you have heard of magic eraser, i'm sure you're nodding your head in agreement. i love, love, love magic eraser. from cleaning my tubs to cleaning marks off the wall that won't come off with anything else. hands down, a must have in every household. although i do joke with my friends about how nothing should be able to do what magic eraser does and all our hands are probably going to fall off in 20 years b/c of the 'magic' chemical in magic eraser. seriously though, i use it all the time.
2. hoodies.
yep, i LOVE hoodies, especially lucky brand hoodies. i'm not sure what i would do without my hoodies. i wear them almost year round and the grungier they get, the more i love them. my favorite lucky brand hoody is currently hanging on by strands but yep, i still wear it and love it.
3. jessica mcclintock perfume.
by far, my favorite perfume. i'm pretty much a minimalist so i only have a handful of perfume bottles but i've used jessica mcclintock since as long as i can remember. it smells beautiful and romantic, yet fresh and clean.
4. dwell magazine.
i love modern / mid-century modern. someday we hope to own a mid-century modern home. owning an eichler is our dream. i drool over the homes, furniture, wall decor...everything, in the magazine. love, love, love it so.
5. cucina
i discovered cucina products at a friend's house, and i've been hooked ever since. recently my mother-in-law was visiting and she, too, is now hooked. i prefer the 'coriander and olive tree' scent. but, if you're a liberal dish soap user, this product might not be for you (it's not cheap).
6. method.
well, i pretty much love method everything. but my huge fav is the lavender, all surface, non-toxic cleaning spray. i love lavender and i love clean...so for me, the combination is more than perfect. although i have to say that i do also love the clorox (with bleach) cleaning spray. did i mention that i love clean!
7. anthropologie.
i love the antrhopologie store. if i had all the money in the world, i would probably own one of everything in the store. not only do i love their clothing, but also their decor. i'll frequently go in there, just for some design ideas.
8. mexican food.
i could eat mexican food every single day--morning, noon and night. and i mean it. i love mexican food.
9. the sound of my kids giggling and laughing.
couldn't help list it in my top 10. they are outside playing and i just keep laughing as i listen to them play and giggle together. it makes me happier than anything else ever could. they always have so much fun playing on the trampoline (that's where they just were).
10. blogs.
i love posting on my blog. i love reading others' blogs.
and here are a couple blogs, that i recently stumbled upon and love checking (i couldn't tell you how, or though who, if you paid me). i check my blog feeds pretty much every day, for recent updates.
somewhere...i can't remember where, i heard about the nie nie dialogues blog. i want to say that it was on the radio or somewhere like that. i can't even remember what they were saying about it, but at the time, i remember saying to myself, i need to remember that name and google it when i'm home. and then one day, when blog surfing, i came across her sister's blog, c jane run..
stephanie, the author of nie nie dialogues, and her husband were in a private plane crash back in mid-august. her husband is now in rehabilitation; however, stephanie is still in the burn unit, fighting for her life. stephanie's sister, courtney, regularly posts updates on stephanie on her c jane run blog.
the bliss blog shares the most wonderful products.
i have this theory, that if one person will go out of their way to show compassion, it will start a chain reaction of the same. people will never know how far a little kindness can go.
glory only comes when one pursues their dreams. how many of us know what we really want and go for it? how many of us have enough trust, strength, and faith, to believe that we could do the impossible?
don't let your character change color with your environment. find out who you are and let it stay its true color.
these were the words of rachel joy scott, the first person killed in the columbine high school tragedy in 1999.
i had the opportunity to attend a 'friends of rachel' assembly at standley middle school (kiele's school) yesterday. it was an amazing assembly that shared a message of kindness and compassion...courage and hope.
rachel joy scott. rachel was the kind of person that always looked for the best in others. she treated everyone with kindness. she reached out to those, who were disabled, picked on, new at school or overlooked. rachel did little things, things that weren't a big deal to give out--but things that were huge when received, things that made a big difference in someone's life.
rachel joy scott. rachel died in 1999, when she was only 17. and today, her words live on, in the hearts of millions. her message is shared in thousands of schools and millions of students every single year. her message has now been shared with over 11 million people.
we were left with five challenges (based on rachel's actions and writings) :
1. look for the best in others and you will eliminate prejudice.
2. dare to dream. set goals for you live. keep a journal.
3. choose positive influences.
4. kind words and actions produce huge results.
5. start a chain reaction with your family and friends.
the assembly closed with the speaker having the audience close their eyes. he asked everyone to think about the five people closest to them.
go to those five people and tell them how much they mean to you, how much you love them, how much you care about them. someday, he said, when you're not around, they will remember the conversation. someday, you'll be glad you did it.
++++++
today, we were going to dinner and as we were stopped by the light, there was this car, going in the opposite direction, that wasn't moving. it would start and stop. and start and stop again. it was obvious that the person was driving a clutch and having troubles.
i said, steve, we have to help that person.
no, she'll be fine, he said.
no, i don't think she will. she's already stalled about 10 times. let me go help her. pull over and let me help her.
the light turned green and steve pulled over to the curb. i jumped out and ran to her car.
are you okay, i said. can i help you drive your car around the corner?
oh my gosh. thank you. thank you. i'm shaking and ready to cry. my car is new and i thought i'd be okay. i thought i was going to have to get out of my car and just stand there and cry. i'm shaking so much. thank you.
with the girl in the passenger seat, i drove her car up the street, talking to her about driving a clutch. i asked her if i could drive her somewhere. she said that she was trying to go to vons. i pulled over by steve and asked him to follow us to vons. on the way, i talked her through getting into first gear...over and over again. i told her how i thought it would be best to find an empty parking lot tonight, to practice starting and stopping...starting and stopping. the girl told me that she was meeting a friend at vons, who knew how to drive a stick, so i was felt okay leaving her. as we hugged and said good-bye, she thanked me over and over again--and said that she didn't know what she would have done if i didn't help her.
it was nothing on my part to do this for this person. yet, for her--it was huge! and i can't tell you how good it felt...
how good sharing a little bit of kindness felt.
you can find out more about rachel's challenge here.
glory only comes when one pursues their dreams. how many of us know what we really want and go for it? how many of us have enough trust, strength, and faith, to believe that we could do the impossible?
don't let your character change color with your environment. find out who you are and let it stay its true color.
these were the words of rachel joy scott, the first person killed in the columbine high school tragedy in 1999.
i had the opportunity to attend a 'friends of rachel' assembly at standley middle school (kiele's school) yesterday. it was an amazing assembly that shared a message of kindness and compassion...courage and hope.
rachel joy scott. rachel was the kind of person that always looked for the best in others. she treated everyone with kindness. she reached out to those, who were disabled, picked on, new at school or overlooked. rachel did little things, things that weren't a big deal to give out--but things that were huge when received, things that made a big difference in someone's life.
rachel joy scott. rachel died in 1999, when she was only 17. and today, her words live on, in the hearts of millions. her message is shared in thousands of schools and millions of students every single year. her message has now been shared with over 11 million people.
we were left with five challenges (based on rachel's actions and writings) :
1. look for the best in others and you will eliminate prejudice.
2. dare to dream. set goals for you live. keep a journal.
3. choose positive influences.
4. kind words and actions produce huge results.
5. start a chain reaction with your family and friends.
the assembly closed with the speaker having the audience close their eyes. he asked everyone to think about the five people closest to them.
go to those five people and tell them how much they mean to you, how much you love them, how much you care about them. someday, he said, when you're not around, they will remember the conversation. someday, you'll be glad you did it.
++++++
today, we were going to dinner and as we were stopped by the light, there was this car, going in the opposite direction, that wasn't moving. it would start and stop. and start and stop again. it was obvious that the person was driving a clutch and having troubles.
i said, steve, we have to help that person.
no, she'll be fine, he said.
no, i don't think she will. she's already stalled about 10 times. let me go help her. pull over and let me help her.
the light turned green and steve pulled over to the curb. i jumped out and ran to her car.
are you okay, i said. can i help you drive your car around the corner?
oh my gosh. thank you. thank you. i'm shaking and ready to cry. my car is new and i thought i'd be okay. i thought i was going to have to get out of my car and just stand there and cry. i'm shaking so much. thank you.
with the girl in the passenger seat, i drove her car up the street, talking to her about driving a clutch. i asked her if i could drive her somewhere. she said that she was trying to go to vons. i pulled over by steve and asked him to follow us to vons. on the way, i talked her through getting into first gear...over and over again. i told her how i thought it would be best to find an empty parking lot tonight, to practice starting and stopping...starting and stopping. the girl told me that she was meeting a friend at vons, who knew how to drive a stick, so i was felt okay leaving her. as we hugged and said good-bye, she thanked me over and over again--and said that she didn't know what she would have done if i didn't help her.
it was nothing on my part to do this for this person. yet, for her--it was huge! and i can't tell you how good it felt...
how good sharing a little bit of kindness felt.
you can find out more about rachel's challenge here.
be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
- mother teresa
the countdown has begun. that countdown that i've been dreading, but is happening none-the-less. steve leaves a week from today. that day will be my birthday. i will kiss him good-bye, knowing that the next time i see him, things will be different. we will all be 7 months older and whether we like it or not, things will have changed.
i'm sad. i'm strong. the words go hand in hand at the moment. i can't help the sadness. i must be strong. strong for my kids.
these last days, before his departure, are difficult. it's a battle with one's self--trying to stay connected, yet knowing that the disconnection has begun without my approval.
it's a coping mechanism, i share with my friends. i don't want to shy away from my husband, yet it's happening. i guess it will make the good-bye a bit easier, i tell myself.
i begin doing more and more things by myself, without his input. i begin looking inward more. i begin to get quiet, when he is around. i try and stay busy. and he doesn't argue with any of my senseless doings. i think he feels guilty. and sad. he doesn't want to go. he has to go. this is what he was trained to do.
+++++++
the other day, i had to leave the house for a 6 AM shoot. steve got the kids ready and off to school. when i got home, in the afternoon, sky was so proud to show me the braids that daddy did. and he was too. i laughed a little.
what's so funny, steve says. it's not funny. it's adorable, i said with a smile. i have to get my camera.
these little things. these little things that my husband does each and every day--i will miss them. i will remember them. i will remember the small things and the big things that steve does for the kids and i. i will cherish the memories and hold them tight, until new memories can once again be created. i will draw strength from the memories. steve will not be here by my side, but he will be with me, and he will help keep me strong. soon, a new countdown will begin...the countdown until steve returns home and our family is once again complete.
- mother teresa
the countdown has begun. that countdown that i've been dreading, but is happening none-the-less. steve leaves a week from today. that day will be my birthday. i will kiss him good-bye, knowing that the next time i see him, things will be different. we will all be 7 months older and whether we like it or not, things will have changed.
i'm sad. i'm strong. the words go hand in hand at the moment. i can't help the sadness. i must be strong. strong for my kids.
these last days, before his departure, are difficult. it's a battle with one's self--trying to stay connected, yet knowing that the disconnection has begun without my approval.
it's a coping mechanism, i share with my friends. i don't want to shy away from my husband, yet it's happening. i guess it will make the good-bye a bit easier, i tell myself.
i begin doing more and more things by myself, without his input. i begin looking inward more. i begin to get quiet, when he is around. i try and stay busy. and he doesn't argue with any of my senseless doings. i think he feels guilty. and sad. he doesn't want to go. he has to go. this is what he was trained to do.
+++++++
the other day, i had to leave the house for a 6 AM shoot. steve got the kids ready and off to school. when i got home, in the afternoon, sky was so proud to show me the braids that daddy did. and he was too. i laughed a little.
what's so funny, steve says. it's not funny. it's adorable, i said with a smile. i have to get my camera.
these little things. these little things that my husband does each and every day--i will miss them. i will remember them. i will remember the small things and the big things that steve does for the kids and i. i will cherish the memories and hold them tight, until new memories can once again be created. i will draw strength from the memories. steve will not be here by my side, but he will be with me, and he will help keep me strong. soon, a new countdown will begin...the countdown until steve returns home and our family is once again complete.
i'm going to be photographing the december cover photo for military spouse magazine and i'm looking for the spouse!
age: 23-35 years old
must be a military spouse
date and time: to be determined (within the next few weeks)
application deadline: friday, october 10th
if interested, please email me (deb@debsphotographs.com) your name, age and a recent photo. please put 'MSM cover' in the subject line. also, if not selected for the cover, you might be selected to participate in a photo session for the inside article. i will be forwarding all photos that I receive to the military spouse magazine art director this friday.
the december issue is going to be the first issue that will be available for purchase in every military commissary.
age: 23-35 years old
must be a military spouse
date and time: to be determined (within the next few weeks)
application deadline: friday, october 10th
if interested, please email me (deb@debsphotographs.com) your name, age and a recent photo. please put 'MSM cover' in the subject line. also, if not selected for the cover, you might be selected to participate in a photo session for the inside article. i will be forwarding all photos that I receive to the military spouse magazine art director this friday.
the december issue is going to be the first issue that will be available for purchase in every military commissary.
make sure you're registered to vote (the deadline is approaching) and then vote!
there are images i need to complete my own reality.
- jim morrison
and this was one of them. i was just in the mood. it worked. i get like that sometimes. lots of times, actually. people often ask about my editing. and truly, i just edit what feels right, what i think works for the image. and it's always a bit different.
i feel like i've been a bad blogger lately. :-( not very chatty, i guess. but i have lots of excuses...
kids are back in school and homework is kicking *my* butt.
i started working out (running), which cuts into my free time (to work and post).
i've had lots of sessions this week.
steve leaves in less than two weeks.
i could go on, but i won't.
+++++++++
and today, i had the most awesome opportunity to photograph the military spouse of the year, chelle brewer, for USAA. i photographed chelle as she prepared for and rode on a L-39 jet, with the patriots jet demonstration team. it really was an amazing opportunity and i'm so thankful. i'm hoping to edit and post a couple of the photos tomorrow.
- jim morrison
and this was one of them. i was just in the mood. it worked. i get like that sometimes. lots of times, actually. people often ask about my editing. and truly, i just edit what feels right, what i think works for the image. and it's always a bit different.
i feel like i've been a bad blogger lately. :-( not very chatty, i guess. but i have lots of excuses...
kids are back in school and homework is kicking *my* butt.
i started working out (running), which cuts into my free time (to work and post).
i've had lots of sessions this week.
steve leaves in less than two weeks.
i could go on, but i won't.
+++++++++
and today, i had the most awesome opportunity to photograph the military spouse of the year, chelle brewer, for USAA. i photographed chelle as she prepared for and rode on a L-39 jet, with the patriots jet demonstration team. it really was an amazing opportunity and i'm so thankful. i'm hoping to edit and post a couple of the photos tomorrow.