Untangling Kitty....

....otherwise known as "wrapping up the loose ends!"

Before the "GREAT INTERNET DEBACLE OF 2010", I was all set to reveal the final two photos in my "kitty project". Obviously, this didn't happen. The project ended on August 31, 2010. Yes...a whole month ago. "How can that be?" Good golly, this month has flown by.

Day 364
(Reflecting on the past year.......WOW....what a year!)




Day 365
(It's the end of the road, Kitty! It has been a GOOD ride!)

I am not sure I have the right words to express what this project has meant to me. When I embarked on this journey, I had no way to predict where it was taking me. I believe with my whole heart that Kitty has made my life better. Each day, I found myself thinking, "is this the kitty moment? is this what I want to define my day?" It made me more aware....more in tuned....and basically an active participant in MY LIFE. Who would have thought that a little wooden kitty could do so much?

You can see all 365 photos of Kitty HERE on Flickr. I am still not certain of what I'm going to "do" with this project, but I'm considering some options. Any advice would be welcome.

Where will I go from here? THAT is the question. I told myself that I would take a month off to evaluate which direction I wanted to go. I can hardly believe this month is over and I still don't know what I want to do. I've considered several different project ideas, but haven't landed on THE ONE, yet. I can say, without hesitation, that whatever I do next will not involve Kitty. While I am NOT relieved to be done with The Kitty Project, I can't say that I'm saddened by it either. I feel completely satisfied, and content with putting Kitty back up on the shelf. I was so pleasantly surprised that there was never a day in which I dreaded taking my "kitty shot". As you might know....I never intended on making this project longer than a month. It just evolved, and became it's own thing. I'm so grateful for that, and look forward to finding a new challenge soon.

For those of you that offered me so much "kitty support", over the past year, I am so thankful. This project consumed a lot of my time, and energy. My blog shifted a bit due to this project, and the folks that stuck around and cheered me on are so very appreciated.

Getting the ball rolling.....again.

Something I didn't realize about not having Internet at home ,for 3 L O N G weeks, is the fact that I would simply get out of the habit of blogging. I've been back online for a few days now....and I just can't seem to get my mind wrapped around this whole blogging thing again. I find myself staring at the screen with nothing to say.....yet so much has happened. It doesn't make sense to me. I have 347 things I COULD blog about....and ZERO things I FEEL like blogging about.

Okay....so that isn't entirely true. I WANT to WANT to blog. I WANT to be organized, and full of energy in the evenings, so I can whip up fantastic posts, but I'm tired.....and feeling so very "boring" by the time I sit down at the end of my day. I have NOTHING......nothing to say. nothing........nothing.....hmmmmm.

So.....how's the weather? (When you can't think of anything to say...always talk about the weather!) We've been having such unusual weather these days. It is hot and muggy....in September. STRANGE. and yet....in July......we had to make last minute changed to our playdate at the park because it was FREEZING and foggy.

We went bowling....and it was AWESOME!

For those of you who have stuck around this old blog while I've been away....and while I've been so incredibly BORING this summer, I am forever grateful. I'm hoping to get the ball rolling again....and do some quality improvement around here. :) Hang in there!

For those of you who have come here the last several weeks looking for "Team-Up Thursday", I'm forever sorry. Berta has been so patient with me and my Internet issues, and while I had hoped to pull it together this week...I yet again....dropped the ball. We are aiming to be back in action next week. Please drop by Berta's and give her some love. She is fabulous!

Wordless Wednesday~ Bowling Fun!

For more Wordless Wednesday, go HERE and HERE and HERE.

Big Steps

Starting Kindergarten~ Author unknown

A, B, C, D, E Kindergarten's where I want to be

F, G, H, I, J Learn to read and write each day

K, L, M, N, O Boys and girls we like to know

P, Q, R, S, T Sharing books with you and me

U, V, W, X, Y Now it's time to say goodbye

Z, Z, Z, Z, Z Kindergarten's where I want to be!

A few weeks back, little Miss Sugar Bear headed off on a dark and gloomy September morning for her first day of Kindergarten. The weather was definitely NOT an indication of her mood. She was bright eyed and bushy tailed......rip-roaring to go!

Being that her school seemed to start MUCH later than any other school I know, I had plenty of time to mentally prepare myself for this BIG day. Never the less....watching her bound up these big steps to the entrance of her school, I couldn't help but feel like I somehow came to this day at warp speed. How on earth was my little honey starting Kindergarten? Wasn't it just yesterday we had baby gates on all the stairs, for fear of her crawling over, and rolling down them?

Wasn't she just taking her very first actual BABY STEPS last week? Now I'm standing here watching her take this really big step towards independence......oh my. While I didn't cry, I did find myself absorbed in thought...in reflection...in memories.

While I struggled to keep in the MOMENT.....I found myself over and over again remembering all the little steps that got us to this very day. She is ready......she is excited....she is thirsting for MORE. I am ready.....i think......I am excited....i think....I am wanting MORE for her....I KNOW.

So off she went, with a constant reminder of mama's love attached to her back pack, and plenty of encouraging words. She started her day, meeting up with old friends, and excited for the possibility of new ones.

Listening to instruction....towing the line......

Reaping the rewards of a nourishing breakfast, with good company.

My little baby is a BIG GIRL now....and I am reminded each day of the wonder that she is. She is, by in large, the very best person I know. She gives things thoughtful consideration, and moves forward with confidence....usually. Sometimes.....things trip her up, and we are finding that the "big School" has more challenges, but watching her confidence blossom each day has been an honor. Such an amazing honor.

Her teacher is a wonderful woman with lots of experience, and I have been please with how welcoming she has been to me as a parent. We are thrilled to have her, and even more excited to have a small class of 18 students. I had spent the summer mentally preparing myself for 25-30 kids, as that has been the norm in the past several years. What a pleasant, and happy surprise it has been.

It has been so fun to hear stories depicting the "goings on" of Sugar's class, and learning about her new friends. I relish seeing their glowing little faces each morning, when I drop off my little learner.

Children can be so eager to learn, and I love an environment that does it's best to encourage their curiosity. It is my hope that Sugar Bear holds on to her thirst for knowledge.

Being the mom that I am.......I simply couldn't miss the opportunity to see Sugar get on and off the bus her very first day. It was such a treat to see her smiling face come back down those BIG STEPS, and load up on her bus. What a girl......my big girl.

I let her bus get on it's way....and I headed on over to her daycare to greet her as she departed from the bus.

Watching her clomp right down those steps made my heart beat fast with admiration for her independence. It had been her first BIG DAY, and she had been successful. No tears.....no worries.....no problems. Success!

Totally awesome success!

We are Blessed!

Wordless Wednesday~ The married couple

For more Wordless Wednesday, go HERE and HERE and HERE.

I am.........

MISSING

all my Internet friends! Oh my....who would of thought I'd STILL not have Internet at home. I guess they do mean business! Ho......HUM! A person never really knows how much they use the Internet until it is taken away from them. It has been 13 days...and it feels like a year. I am forever thinking, "oh....I'll just look that up on the Internet real quick!.....oh wait....I can't!" Man....I am so dependant on it. Can't wait to have it back! So far...no projected outlook in this department.

AFRAID

to open my google reader. Seriously.......13 days.....there will easily be like a bazillion and seven blog posts in there. Maybe even a bazillion and eight. What am I going to do? I hate the whole close your eyes, clutch your chest, and hit "mark all as read" button routine, but there is just no way around it this time. Sorry, friends! :(

BUSY

editing pictures of everything you all are missing out on during the "great Internet debacle of 2010". Seriously, folks, we have been having some good times. Can't wait to share all the pics!

ECSTATIC

to announce that Sugar Bear is doing FABULOUS these days. Kindergarten is going well! Dance class is fun! Back to her regular Daycare in the afternoons...sigh.....routine.....it is GOOD. Really, really, really GOOD!

PROUD

of Miss Sugar Bear. Oh yes.....so very proud! This weekend we put the pedals on her balance bike, and she just took off riding like a pro. It was AMAZING! I purchased this bike for her when she was 3, after reading a bit about the theory behind balance bikes. Unfortunately for Sugar Bear, I then proceeded to give her VERY limited time to ride her balance bike. It just isn't convenient where we live. Our driveway is a long gravel hill, and our road is wet and muddy most of the year. In late August, we dusted her bike off, and started using it a bit on our road. I then sent it to grandma's house for a week, where she has a bit of cement to ride on. Then out of the blue, this past weekend, Sugar Bear jumped on her cousin's regular bike without training wheels and just took off pedaling. I am so shocked and amazed. I am a firm believer in the balance bike. We put her pedals on as soon as we got home on Sunday, and off she went, with no help at all. LOVE IT!


HONORED

to have been trusted, yet again, with capturing all the fabulous moments of a wedding. This past Saturday, I shot for 13 and a half hours at a friend's wedding. It was probably the most challenging thing I have done in my photography journey yet, but by far the most rewarding. I set a VERY high bar for myself, and really had to push myself to perform. I am working like a mad woman on the edits, and can't wait to share the results. It was such a wonderful experience.

BLESSED

just plain ol' blessed. Life is good, oh yes it is!

Wedding......party time!

Just another quick post to share some of the wedding photos I took this summer. My Internet is still down at home, so I'm using this as an opportunity to finally share these photos. Hope you are enjoying them. It's really getting me in the mood for the wedding this weekend.

The Cake:












The Toast:

The Music:

Bride dancing with her uncle:

The Garter:

Father/ Daughter dance:




First Dance:

GOOD TIMES!