tess eats (sort of)

at 7 months, tess is getting very interested in food. And so, now & then, we give her a piece of apple or pear of carrot to suck away on, which she finds all very interesting. This particular apple was a bit more sour than the ones she's had in the past which made me get out my camera! You'll see why...








and, after, a little love from her papa...

tess at 6 months

just as i was going to post these photos last night, i was handed wee tess who was tired but not quite ready to lie down in bed with her papa. So we sat on my exercise ball, listened to snatam kaur's grace, & bounced gently. And, in time, those little eyelids get heavy, looking up at me & then falling away, then looking up again, then falling, until the awakeness takes too much energy & she falls, into sleep, wrapped in my arms, gentle & full of ease. Is there anything quite as precious as that? The gifts she brings me are often unexpected & so abundant as to be staggering. How can i ever pay back all that i get from my children... all the opportunity to open to love, to kindness, to letting go of agendas, plans, ideas, & find instead, the wonder of each moment? I think the best i can do is try & love them, as fully as i'm able, moment to moment, for exactly who they are. I am learning. And grateful to the 3 of them for their patience. And willing hearts...

tess' 1st christmas

i can't believe it's the end of january already! One month of 2010 gone. Where??? When??? I am just posting images from tess' first christmas. Crazy...
well, anyhow, it was a lovely one, christmas i mean. It all started here on hornby with linda & (most) of her 'kids', the 3 of us, & mom & dad. Lots of great food, way too many home baked cookies, gifts, walks, games, laughs & tons of time shared. All good. Then it was off to victoria to do it all again, in it's own way, with tess' big brother & sister & their sweeties. We don't get together nearly often enough for my liking... 2 islands, 2 cities, 2 provinces make family gatherings somewhat challenging... but when it happens, it warms my heart so much that i can feel the glow for weeks. Let's see... yup, still glowing! Here's a snap-shot taste of it all... (in reverse... so starting in victoria & working backwards... hey, i'm still completely sleep deprived!)

ryan, midori & tess (finding a new finger to suck on... yum!)




tess & frannie... oooo, feeling the LOVE... (too sweet!)


& frannie's man, dan...


christmas night... all full up on good food & full on into game playing...


a little afternoon nap...




the kids... :O)

tess

another little session with my very favorite subject...

tess toys

florals

polaroid has been popping up all around me. My 15 year old niece, who's an amazing photographer in her own right, just picked one up at a 2nd hand store. Then i came across my polaroid transfer machine while i was searching for some old prints & that got me thinking about my 2 polaroid cameras, one which has been in our family since i was a kid. Then i was emailing with a photog friend & she'd just bought one as well. So it's in the air. And that inspired this little session...

actually the inspiration really began the day Marc brought me tulips home from the coop. Sweet man (lucky me). And each day, while i was lying around on the day bed with tess, i'd think 'i should get out my camera & photograph those', but didn't. But i did watch them... & thought how beautiful that the closer they get to dying, the more wide open they are, hearts exposed, with loads of space for life to flow by, & wouldn't it be a wonder if we could age like that, too. So i learned that from the tulips. And today, in an afternoon of unexpected sunshine, i took out my camera...

vicki, simon & mason

as we wander into the darkest day of the year, it felt right to celebrate a bit of that gorgeous summer sunlight... vicki, simon & mason were on hornby this summer & on their last day we wandered out to a friend's place to play. Nothing but spontaneity & action with this gang! Mason does not sit still for long (he is his mother's son after all). Enjoy...