Welcome Arms... Your Story through Imagery & Connection - My Life in 52 - 2018

Weeks 9-10 - February 25th - March 10th, 2018

3/15/2018

For all of those who document their family life day-to-day, week-to-week, it is more challenging than you would think! I am still aiming to post weekly and to take more images of our daily life. It is crazy how fast time goes.

This project is a bit of a reminder to me to take a breath and value all of the little moments :)

What do the kids love these days, favorite games, toys? Where do we explore? Likes, dislikes, activities?

Family, love, discovery, emotions... Life is precious

Sharing some of our recent adventures :)

A beautiful morning exploring the Pugwash Estuary Trail with Nanny and Poppy :)

The Icy Northumberland :)
Our favorite summer swimming spot has her own beauty in both summer and winter :)

Remember to take that breathe, reflect and enjoy the moment

He stood at the window, not realizing that his dad and grandfather had started clearing some brush... I hear his little voice "where are my boots, I need to go outside"
...
We are visiting my parents and there is outdoor gear everywhere... Some still soaking wet from the last adventure, most splattered with mud. We find the most dry things we can and off he goes across the yard. Right away, he wants to saw "all by myself". My dad starts the cut for him and you see his delight as he works on that branch.
❤️ Pure childhood joy ❤️

We haven't had much snow this winter, but when we do get a snowfall, we get out and enjoy it! :)

Every snowy day adventure needs some snow people :)

Happy adventuring, exploring and discovering!

Weeks 7 & 8 - February 11th - 24th

3/1/2018

Trying to break the ice with sticks and rocks

My first 2 week post :) LOL ... My goal is to get a post up each week but as we all know, life happens! The past weekend was a snowy one and, I have to say with this strange, warm winter, we took full advantage of the snow and were outside for the largest portions of each day. I barely touched my computer that weekend! I've been busy with shoots, and realized that this translated into not documenting my own family as much as I would like. This is part of the whole reason that I took on this 2018 Life in 52 Project, so it is a good reminder to keep my camera available and close. Quite a few of these images are phone pics, as it is kind of sad, but yes, we usually have our phones nearby.

I cannot believe that my next post will include the first days of March. We will be welcoming Spring before we know it! Time is a crazy thing...

Life is a wild journey and we are growing and learning every day of it, even in those moments when you do not want to move from you bed and just be fed coffee all day! LOL

My goal... connect with each other as much as we can!

Hemlock Ravine Park

The forest fills our hearts with happiness

Enjoying some quiet creative time with the Lite Brite :)

February 12th was "dress as your favorite story-book character" at school...
so we had a Hermione and mini Harry Potter for the day :)
The wand making was really fun... hot glue, paint, chop sticks and a little glitter of course!

Look OUT! LOL

Our little guy insisted on building his snowman in the little boggy area. He wanted to see what would happen.
Gotta love the 3-yr-old mind.
He was so intrigued to watch the water "move up the snowman" and turn him to slush. The final missing photo is of him completely obliterating the remains with lots of jumping! :)
The progression was as follows :)

Live, love, play, cry, sigh, run, dance, scream, sing, BE.

Always crafting :)
Below is a drum set made from pistachio shells :)

Snowy weekend adventures with family and
friends is truly the best :)

They were excited to find a nature fort and more than happy to play there for a while and add their own special touches :)

They often drive each other crazy, but there is so much love there! My little guys words, in his 3-year-old wisdom ... "Even when sad or frustrated, I still love you... love is the strongest."

So true little guy. So very true.

Week 6 - February 4th-11th, 2018

2/14/2018

Another chill week of work and play. I didn't pick up my camera as much as usual this week.
We've had weird weather, one day mild like Spring, the next night snow is falling, then it is freezing, and then it's like Spring again with rain!
With a couple of rainy weekends and a little guy still trying to shake his cough and cold, we didn't get outside as much as we would have liked, but lots of games, crafting and reading.
Our daughter finished the 4th Harry Potter novel so she was very excited to watch the next movie and promptly moved onto book #5!
Looking forward to her school Spirit Week next week and Valentines Day :)

When your car breaks down and it is the only day during the whole week that it snows! Oh, well... at least it was the fluffy snowflake type and hubby got the car up and going again :) Someone was more than happy to help out!

Our little mechanic & our little reader :)

Every dollhouse needs a rainbow rug :)

Week 5 - January 28th-February 3rd, 2018

2/5/2018

It was a pretty chill week at our place.
School, work, play, eat, sleep... the basics, which in many ways are the most important moments to be cherished, documented and remembered.
These are life, our day-to-day :)

Our Harry Potter fan... always creating her own spells and potions :)

Nanny & Poppy visit. Story-time by the fireplace :)

Snack time calls for silly faces! lol

Week 4 - January 21-27, 2018

1/30/2018

This week was one of those long weeks where your child has an annoying cough that keeps them up all through the night, which ultimately means no one sleeps well! Then the other child gets the cough also and it's double whammy... so this week was full of quiet time, naps, cuddles, cartoons and stories... mixed in with fatigue, frustration, a little bit too much "us" time, and melt-downs... but this is the natural rhythm of life right :)

The weekend brought better nights and come Monday, I was actually wishing for a bit more weekend. We had some wonderful outings, getting some fresh air and exploring. We had lost most of our snow with mild weather, so the kids actually got to get out on their bicycles which was wonderful and they thoroughly enjoyed working on some snow and ice-riding skills :)

Looks like the snow is returning this week :) Have a great week, stay healthy and hug your loved ones lots!
xox
Mandy

Our son loves magnetic toys. Two of his current favs are seen here, the @magformers and the @imaginets :) They offer him so much opportunity for creativity and feed his innate interest in building and inventing. Each toy comes with booklets offering ideas, but he will often say he doesn't want to use it... "I am going to build with my imagination" he says :)
Since he was a tired little boy this week, without much appetite and interrupted nights, these toys were perfect to sit in the warm sun on my bed and hang out together.

We are so fortunate to be surrounded by so many great parks and walking trails. @shubiepark

Playtime campfires & nature sharing her love #heartrock

The beauty and wonder of nature is all around us, sometimes big, sometimes small. Take a moment to really look and be amazed by what you see :) How beautiful is this ice formation on a couple reeds. The kids found so many as they explored and my heart was happy with their excited voices... "look I found another one!"

Have a wonderful final few days of January! Looking forward to a love-filled February ahead :)

Week 3 - January 14-20, 2018

1/23/2018

Mommy... what is that bump bump noise inside of me?
That is your heart beating because you are such a great helper and working so hard.
Oh, great, he says :)

We spent some belated Christmas family time as my parents were away for the holidays with my sister and family :) The last few Christmas pieces have been finally packed away and we enjoyed some lovely quality time with Nanny and Poppy.

Family time is the best time

These days, we are immersed in the world of Harry Potter! Once she finishes a book, we all watch the movie. Usually this involves pizza and treats! So much fun creating memories together :)

"Working hard is important, but there is something that matters even more... Believing in Yourself" ~quote from Harry Potter

To kids, the snow is such a wonder... to taste its cold wetness, to dig and create. Winter is not always joy, but seeing the sparkle in their eyes, we are reminded to enjoy the little moments :)

We got our first real snowfall of the year... and when this would usually mean outdoor adventures exploring and some magical forest walks... this was not the case, as the second half of the week, our little guy has a bad cough, so instead much time has been filled with lots of snuggles in the warm sunlight streaming in the windows, cozied up reading books, watching cartoons, and quality quiet play.

"he snuggled right into her heart"

Week 2 - January 7-13th, 2018

1/12/2018

In our house, art is a constant... it provides an outlet, it often brings sanity when I need it most! When the kids get wild and we aren't able to get outside, out comes the art supplies :) Both kids are now pretty independent with their art, which is amazing for so many reasons! I can work or cook a meal while they create and I get to see more of their personal style coming through in their art. To have the freedom to express freely is such an integral part of life.

Dinosaurs... they are kind of a big deal right now :)

Our little chef has some hungry mouths to feed!
What's for lunch? Apparently worms! LOL

Pure joy
Children truly embody nature's natural rhythm
Days are exhausting
And sometimes they aren't the most fun to be around
But if I can support them to be themselves
Truly and Authentically
My heart feels full

Magic runs free in her
My sweet girl wearing her "magic gemstone"
She makes wands and creates spells... I say sweet child... always continue to run wild with the unicorns.
Love you

Week 1: December 31 - January 6th, 2018

1/9/2018

A super chilly hike

Outdoor Free play :) #siblinghoodlove

Family movies, warm pj's & cuddles :)

Author

Welcome Arms is all about holding space for families & individuals to be themselves, to live in a moment, to feel loved and connected, and for me to capture these moments, emotions, experiences with my lens :)

Imagery is powerful. It has the ability to remind and remember, to inspire, to empower, to heal, and so much more... I am so very grateful to every individual who opens their heart, their life, to me.... so I would like to do the same by sharing little bits of my life each week :)

Welcome to My Life in 52!

Much love from Welcome Arms,
Mandy

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