New Camera CLICK

Weeeeeeeewooooohoooooo!!Even near-freezing temps and a cold can't put a damper on this excitement. My new camera came today, along with all the fun accessories and lenses. I'm stoked, folks. After sprinting out to meet the UPS guy (yes, I did!) and signing for my package, I did my happy dance all the way back in. Poor dude probably thought I was having a seizure.

I'll be honest. This was a tough decision for me. As much as I love all things art, which certainly includes photography, spending the money on a new camera was not easy. I'm not a spender. But, at the urging of my uber-supportive-(spender) husband, I bought it. He had to bug me about it for two weeks before I placed the order. Not even kidding. And now I'm determined to earn the money back, so we can actually have a savings account.

I'm okay with it now. I prayed about it until I felt at peace with my "shopping cart" ...and now I've been given some new wings to take off with.

My plan? Naturally, I'll take thousands upon thousands of pictures of crooked grins

sun-kissed faces

and blue-green dancing eyes

(my fourth kiddo was at a neighbor's during my photo frenzy!)

and my every day blessings, like quilted pot holders

tiny wooden signs

...my kitties nestled in warm patches of sunlight, fresh baked bread taken from the oven, barefoot feet running through puddles, muddy hands reaching out to grab me, my vegetables riping in the steaming summer air...

and my etsy stuff...
but I also plan to use it for groups. Such as the NWA Mommies Group. And the Harvesters' Group. And my Cooking Club. My church. My son's gymnastics and daughter's horseback riding. And Homeschool group. (Did I join too many things?!)
And I have an idea... that maybe... I don't know... maybe I can offer pictures to mommies who come to the pregnancy center? Maybe they'll see what an amazing, precious blessing they have coming? Maybe we can have some newborn portraits up in the ultrasound room? Something to remind these precious women that there are ten tiny toes and ten tiny fingers that need to be kissed and loved. And the children at the shelter.... maybe it would help if they had hanging pictures of themselves, smiling, up in the halls? A place like home...but safe.

A place to belong, if only for awhile.

That's when I felt peace. Everything we have, in some way, can be poured out.
I love the lyrics "every blessing You pour out, I'll turn back to praise."

Ah. Just a little ecstatic and thoughtful tonight. Hope your day has been full of many blessings, great and small.