Week 6 | 52: Happy!

Hi there! This week's prompt is fun. So many ways this could go. Happy. There area a lot of things that make me happy. Yes, yes, coffee is one of them!! Then there are my kids. My husband. My dog. My hobbies. My books. OH so many things. But I wanted this prompt to be about something kinda silly that makes me happy...

I chose something that makes me happy and smile every single day. There's a reason this little guy sits on my kitchen counter, where I spend a TON of time throughout the day. How can Baby Groot NOT make you smile?! And if you bump or wiggle him, he dances. I. LOVE. IT. And if you don't know who Baby Groot is, well, my friends, you NEED some Guardians of the Galaxy in your life. Like right now. 

Thank you for checking out my photo this week for the My Four Hens Project 52 challenge. Make sure you follow my blog via email (sign up right on my page) to receive all updates!

New Leaf Photography | www.newleafphotography.net

Week 5 | 52: Small

I know, I'm late again with this one. I struggled too with this prompt, but I think that's the purpose of these projects is to really push you and make you think!! Well, I'm on overload then ;)


For this one, I decided to use something that is always a huge part of play time around here for my oldest - Legos. I think most people with boys can say it's a huge part of their kids lives, too. I'm always amazed at how quickly he can build a Lego set, by himself, with just reading the instructions and then he comes out of his room with this. I'm amazed. He's 9 and what I'd call a "master builder." (Come on, you have to have seen the Lego Movie by now?!)

Something so small is such a huge part of who he is. And so is Star Wars. This is DEFINITELY a Star Wars household!!

Thank you for checking out my photo this week for the My Four Hens Project 52 challenge. Make sure you follow my blog via email (sign up right on my page) to receive all updates!

New Leaf Photography | www.newleafphotography.net

Week 4 | Project 52: A Part of Me

Hi there! I know I'm late posting this for this challenge, but for a good reason. You see, I struggled big time with this prompt this time. I think when you go a project like this, you want this amazing image to be so striking and glorious and it's full of pressure. Sounds silly since this is for fun and learning to shoot less but more (yes, that makes total sense) in a year. As any type of creative individual, there is immense pressure to create something amazing each and every time you pick up your camera, paintbrush, pen, "insert-tool-of-choice-here" that it it sometimes too much!

I had the perfect image I had wanted to capture for this prompt because it would have been true for something that is a part of me. But I didn't. Why? I simply ran out of time to capture it for this week. And why didn't I have time to take just this ONE simple photo? You see, because I was preparing to spend the weekend with someone important. My oldest. We don't get much alone time just he and I, to do fun things and connect with each other. Life is a constant hustle. School. Housework. Day-to-day tasks. Sibling. Pets. Spouse. Cub Scouts.

We had a weekend camping trip to a cabin with his fellow Webelos (1 and 2) and their parents. My husband and I decided that I would go on the next camping trip, and I went. :)

So what I did this past weekend was my spend time with him. A. PART. OF. ME. And I did something that took a LOT out of me...I brought my camera with us, but I didn't pick it up. I wanted to be THERE in the moment. Not behind the camera. I captured some images with my iPhone, nothing to be noted as amazing or great photography, but it was in the moment, quick snapshots of our weekend. But I was there.

Here we are on our hike that we took with the group. I don't typically post photos
of myself, let alone sans makeup, but it wasn't about me. It was about him. About us.

We took a hike.

We made a knife pouch together.

I watched him help his fellow Scouts made the parents breakfast Saturday morning. Seeing the proud look on his face was enough joy for the entire day.

He taught me (along with about 5 other people!) how to play chess. And I won.

We played Scrabble.

We bonded.

And I realized, he was my prompt. He is a part of me. A BIG part of me.

I was the only mom there, and while I felt a bit out of place at first, I realized I was right where I should be - with him.