Capturing the Everyday....

I would by no means say I take great photos, but I've managed a few good ones in my time. AND, that's O.K. Photography is not a passion of mine, BUT I do definitely want pics to remind me of important things in life. And, pics of my husband and my kids are the ones I cherish most. SO, I do take photos. And, I do like to share them. So, this post simply has some randomness to it from the last two days. These pics have already been shared on Facebook, but since I realize I have a few readers whom I'm not on Facebook with, I figured I'd share them too.

The pic above best illustrates Luke's latest mechanical fascination...the furnace. And, as one of my Instagram followers put it, "he's hardcore." SO, in the previous pic, Luke is lying on the floor next to the door to our basement. He is listening to the furnace run. If Luke's not an engineer or something like that someday, I'll be surprised.

Kate now ROLLS all over our family/dining room area. She does quite well until she gets stuck. This "rolling around the room" is a new phenomenon to Marc and me. While Luke certainly rolled (to prove he could pass a developmental milestone), as a baby, Luke NEVER rolled around the room. Like a typical first-born rule follower, Luke stayed on a blanket until he learned to crawl (and that was late). When Luke was Kate's age (6 months), I could still put him down on a blanket with a few toys and go and take a shower. He'd be there when I got out. Kate -- not so much!!!! SO, that pic I just posted above, that's "Happy Rolling Kate."

After snapping that pic of "Rolling Kate," I stepped out of the room for a bit. When I returned, Luke was on the floor with Kate. I quickly said to Luke, "FREEZE -- DON'T MOVE!" He obeyed (thankfully), and I was able to take my new favorite pic of our kiddos (above). THEN, Luke wanted a pic with him laughing. So, here it is....

With what I believe to be a "Sense of Entitlement" culture we live in today, I all too frequently hear the word "deserve." I personally don't like that word because it simply adds to the "Sense of Entitlement" culture. When I look at those pics of my kiddos, three words come to mind (and I did put these words on Facebook)...."I am grateful." A Facebook friend (and a friend in "real" life) added "You are blessed." I don't deserve these kiddos. Truly, we don't deserve anything. God chooses to bestow His blessings on us -- in this case, the blessings I'm talking about are my kiddos. God didn't have to give those kids to Marc and me. God chose to. God is SO full of grace....grace that we don't deserve. For that, I want to, more and more, express my deepest and sincerest gratitude to God. He blesses us each day! And, He's already given us the greatest blessing -- His Son, Jesus....the Son whose birthday we celebrate on December 25. My prayer is that Marc and I NEVER take our kids for granted. When I look at these pics of Luke and Kate, I'm overwhelmed...overwhelmed with what God has given Marc and me and completely overwhelmed of the responsibility we've been given in raising them. Fortunately, I always will have the Perfect Heavenly Father for guidance...because I know that Marc and I will need as much guidance as He's willing to give out.