I do not like moving.  I was going to write that I hate moving, but that seemed a bit harsh.  But just a little bit.  There are some cool parts to moving — the excitement of a new place, the adventure of meeting new people, the joy of a new house.  But after all the newness has worn off, I find myself longing for the comforts of my old home, my old friends… familiarity.  Maybe its just me, because I’m slow, but it seems to take me atleast 3 years to start feeling like a new area is anywhere near being “home” to me.  That’s when we usually start feeling like we actually have some close friends and things are really getting settled in.  But, fun for us, that is also the time we move again, if not before!!  Our record since we have been married is 3 1/2 years in one place.  For comfort-seeking, love-to-stay-at-home me, that is no good!!  Its not that we are always looking to move… it has just worked out that way with my husband’s jobs.  Throw in the fact that we have moved every time we have had a newborn baby in our home, and you have the makings for an emotional interstate pile-up!  I also don’t enjoy the fact that this last move has taken us over 1500 miles from family.  I miss going to my nieces and nephews birthday parties, miss having the grandparents dancing around the living room with our kids, miss huge holiday meals with kids running through the kitchen and adults hollering at them to quiet down.  But God has us on a different path, different timing, and I trust that, because I know He sees the bigger picture, and He loves me!  He has been stretching me… I know I would not be the woman I am today without all of these experiences!   “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  (Jeremiah 29:11)  We talk about family a lot to our kids since they don’t get to see them very much right now, and it makes the time we do get to spend with them all the more precious. 

I got the pleasure of photographing a gorgeous family that was able to get together and celebrate a couple of weekends ago.  I had such a blast with them… it was great to meet talented photographers Brian and Erica – so fun to have so many creative juices going in one place!!  You can imagine what it might be like getting several children to stay in one place happily… and stay warm — it was a strangely cold April day in the Central Valley!  Some of the laughter shared was at the expense of me getting my shoes a bit dirty…  more about that later…  But we got some great shots, including some of all the grandchildren!  Here is one for now… but be sure to come back to see the rest soon!