This winter has been rough. Health issues and stress for many in my family. A winter that wouldn’t end. But this week we had a couple days of reprieve.  The sun came out and I had a day of some energy and a clear head, which I haven’t had in a very long time. I picked up my camera and it felt like home. I just photographed my son in the backyard and our time on our porch.

It was such a beautiful, warm day yesterday my son even asked if he could take his shirt off while we were outside — of course I obliged.

(My child has no hips…..he can never keep his pants up…even with a belt!)

Next up on the circle is Kate Suzanne at www.katesuzannephotography.com/blog/10-on-10-april-lifestyle-photography-arkansas-photographer/

These are a few photos of my son and our dog exploring my parents’ farm in rural Pennsylvania.

Please keep the circle going by visiting Carrie Hyche of Heart of the West Photography. http://www.heartofthewestphotography.com/2013/03/ignite.html

We took advantage of the warm weather by going out to lunch, taking the dog for a walk, and then just  enjoying the chance to play outside (even if it was a bit muddy). This is part of a 10 on 10 group with The Bloom Forum. We choose one day and take 10 photos to represent the day. This is a circle of blogs so please be sure to see the next blog post linked at the bottom of this post.

He loves to watch the fish in the little pond at the local Chinese buffet.

He’s drawing a city for his Legos.

For more images please hop over to Denean Melcher’s site at http://www.deneanmelcher.com/2013/03/10/10-on-10-march-2/

She wrote about bath time with her son the other day and it struck a chord in me. I’d already been photographing my kid in the bath that week and many, many times before. I am always sure to keep the images artistic so someday, when he’s a teenager, he won’t sink into the couch in embarrassment because Mom has a photo of his tush in a family photo book. I don’t have any of those photos, preferring to concentrate on his long eyelashes and the way he likes to spit water like a fountain.

I don’t have the ability to weave words together as eloquently as Amy, but my feelings are very similar. Time with my son is a blessing and a gift. Sometimes I’m not as present in those moments as I should be. I’m a worrier, as I’ve said before, and sometimes I worry when I should be enjoying. Sometimes I daydream when I should be focused on his amazing personality and character.

Because someday I won’t have those special moments when it’s just him and me, a handful of superheroes and a bubble monster.

Despite wishing for nicer weather I have found some images to capture the past month or so — and of course most of them have been inside and of my six year old.

I started this project on my 35th birthday, which was in September. My goal is to take at least one photo a day for a full year.

In the last three months I’ve had to let go and trust God a lot.

My son was diagnosed with asthma. Then a friend reminded me he’d once had reflux and maybe that persistent cough he was getting wasn’t asthma, or only asthma. The doctor listened to me and put him on Prevacid. The coughing has gotten better but there are still days I worry. I worry at the small rash on his cheek, that was probably caused by the cold; then I worry about the circles under his eyes, probably caused by allergies.

I worry and I don’t let God take care of him and me and of it all.

I lay it down. I pick it back up. I lay it down. I pick it up.

You may know the routine.

I’m finding it easier  to lay it down, one day at a time, but not effortless . I don’t always listen to what I know is true: that God has us in His hand, but I will keep trying to hear it and comprehend it.

 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26