picking our tree...

in
© Summer Murdock 365

I had high hopes for a fun family outing picking out our tree, cutting it down, laughing, enjoying one another and getting some great photos along the way. Well, we got to the farm and it was practically barren compared to past years so no pretty rows of trees to photograph. My 12 year old kept saying "Just hurry up and pick one. I want to go home." My four year old screamed and cried the whole time as she didn't like any trees we picked. So as my husband cut it, she bawled and screamed."Noooo, I hate this tree. It's too small". Sigh. Thats real life though isn't it? It's not picture perfect and doesn't always go like we might like. If you look really hard at my youngest, you can see her hilarious fit throwing, screaming face.  Of course once we got the tree in our house she was jumping for joy and couldn't contain her excitement over how big the tree was... #keepingitreal

think less do more...

in
© Summer Murdock 365

Think less and do more...I need to remind myself that lately. Think less of my lists and more of what makes me happy. I have been lazy. I love life most when I slow down and pull off the side of the road to run around. It was almost SIXTY degrees today. That is just unheard of this time of year. My kids practially had summer clohtes on and on the way home from picking up my nephew I saw the pretty sunset beginning over the lake. I knew it would only be 10 minutes out of my way so we went for it. I raced to the lake and we missed the actual sunset but caught this...and the kids and me got to run around outside. Nothing better than that right? I have to remember to slow down and take 10 extra minutes more often...keeps me feeling alive.

me and my firstborn

in
© Summer Murdock 365

I have been getting in the frame once a month with one of my kids for the past year in a project called "wherever I am with you" and i did it the year before too in a different project. This is the first time I could convince him to play along. I got two shots and he was done....I'll take what i can get, treasure it, and be thankful for it. This project requires lots of letting go to make it successful.

same girls, same shot but one year later...

in
© Summer Murdock 365

At her birthday party last year we went the whole night without taking a group shot so as I was taking the girls home, I turned on the radio and blasted a song and let them dance in my headlights. Last night the same girls came over for another birthday party A WHOLE YEAR LATER and by their request we had another dancing in the street end to the night....with  a photo of course!