One Little Word|Captured|Week 12

I was able to have Saturday to myself and decided to go swimsuit shopping. Ummmm. Yeah... not fun. Please tell me why anything that looks half way decent has to cost $100 or more? Wow. Anyway, after the torture session was over, I headed downtown to walk around and enjoy the beautiful day. My word for 2011 is JOURNEY and one thing I want to make sure is that I am PRESENT. That I am actively participating in my JOURNEY and not just the destination. I really allowed my self to slow down and enjoy the walk, the sights, the sounds - all of it. It was a beautiful day at the Mission Inn and it's surroundings.

You can join Jill and many others over at her blog and share your One Little Word Captured each week. Just click on the button below.

One Little Word|Captured|Week 11

Anytime I am out with my boy, you can bet that he'll be saying "Mama, look! Mommy! Mom! Look!" I am going to confess that I don't always look. A lot of times I just nod my head and say, "Mmm hmm..." as I continue to read or shop or do whatever it is that I am doing. Well, one of my big things about looking at my JOURNEY differently is learning to pay attention to the little things. To not be so pre-occupied by where I'm going, but also what's going on around me.

I love to watch the Inspiration Wednesday videos on Donna Downey's blog and there is one thing that really resonates with me. When creating in her art journal, she says that it's not about the end result, but more about the PROCESS. I LOVE that.

So on this particular day, I had gone to the park with my little guy and we played for a while. He was more interested in finding "treasure" and everything he found merited a "Look, Mom!" After looking at every twig, rock and flower in the park, I began to just give him a courtesy nod and "Mmm hmm". He suddenly got very excited and kept calling out for me to look. I was busy trying to capture some pictures and was about to brush him off. At his insistance, I came over to where he was and was surprised to see this red-bodied jumping spider. He looked at it with such wonder that it made me pause. We enjoyed watching this spider for a while when my son looks at the spider and says, "Are you going to change me into Spiderman?" I wanted to laugh, but he was so serious. I told him that if the spider bit him, it would really hurt and he would not really turn into Spiderman. He was disappointed, but not enough to give up on the spider. We watched it for a little longer before it got far enough away from us.

I learned a lesson today about paying attention and about innocent wonder. I feel like I advanced just a few more beautiful steps on my JOURNEY that day. It took a spider and a three year old to teach me. ... Nothing wrong with that.

You can join Jill and many others over at her blog and share your One Little Word Captured each week. Just click on the button below.

One Little Word|Captured|Week 10

A big part of this JOURNEY is being honest and realistic about this object. I can not be afraid of it. It is just a tool - a guide - but it does not own me. Lately, it has been showing me good news...haha...and that always makes the JOURNEY sweeter.

You can join Jill and many others in sharing your one little word captured at her site by clicking on the button.

One Little Word|Captured|Week 8

"Too often we are so preoccupied with the destination, we forget the JOURNEY."

Left side

Right side with boost.

Join Jill and many others at her blog to participate in One Little Word Captured. It has really helped me stay in tune with my word this year.

One Little Word|Captured|Week 7

We call this "Helloooo Toeeee" and for some reason I have to say it with a Seinfeld type voice...like when he says, "Helloooooooo".

Anyway, what does this have to do with JOURNEY?? Part of the reason I chose the word Journey for 2011 was to remind me to ENJOY the JOURNEY. I don't want to rush past even the smallest detail. My son LOVES these socks. Do your kids ever do that with something so simple? These were Buzz Lightyear socks. They are so faded that you can hardly tell now. lol He wore them to bed with his p.j's the other night and when he woke up, he could tell something just wasn't right. His big toe found it's way through a hole that had started the night before. Oh, my! It really made me laugh and I kept saying, "Hellooooo Toe!!" At first he laughed too, but I must've really caught him off guard with the laughing and he said, "It's fake!" I asked him what was fake and he said, "My toe!" Okay...I don't know what that means, but it made me laugh some more - much to his dismay.

Capture your little word once a week. Click on the button below and join Jill at her blog for more information.

One Little Word|Captured|Week 6

One of the reasons I chose the word JOURNEY for my OLW for 2011 is that I wanted to be reminded to take notice of the little things...the details along the journey. I'm not talking about the technical details of a day or special event - that's the thing I'm trying to get away from! I obsess over making sure that everything is okay and that everyone is in their place and that everything is .... perfect. Well, of course you can hardly ever have things completely "perfect", but I'd let the whole day go by and totally miss the "magic" of the moment because I was so worried about everything else. Seriously. My wedding, graduations, my children's birthday parties, special events at school or church that I was in charge of...

Anyway, when my husband and I went downtown, I decided I wanted to enjoy it and take it all in. I took all kinds of pictures of the great architecture, a building that was two different colors because they had started painting it and many other fun things that I normally would've rushed by - then I saw these trees. They lined the walk near the spot where we parked. I didn't notice them at all when we first got out of the car. Had they bloomed after I arrived? That would've been crazy. Nope, they were there. Marco said he noticed them when he pulled up. Oh, that's right...I was checking my camera and checking the time on my phone...

They were so beautiful. I thought about the terrible weather a lot of my friends were dealing with and how they'd probably love to see a beautiful tree like this. I really took them in and took time to think about my friends and family out east. I'm going to be a different person at the end of this JOURNEY and I can't wait to see who that's going to be.

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One Little Word|Captured|Week 5

This photo is SOOC. As part of my JOURNEY this year, I have decided that I really need to be more aware of my hometown. I live in the beautiful city of Riverside. There is so much history, cultural diversity and beauty and I want to capture it.

I have lived all over the world. Seriously. I've lived in Korea, Germany, 10 different states and I've visited tons more. I really wish that I could go back to some of those places and appreciate what I had around me. I lived near the beautiful city of Chicago, I was an hour drive from Seattle, I visited France, Spain, Greece...what do I have to show for it? Vague memories. Seriously. I honestly think that I rush through everything so much trying to hurry and get this done, get that done, help this person, do that job for so and so... *sigh* Not anymore. I HAVE to slow down. I want to look around and enjoy...and learn...and appreciate...and live this journey.

Capture your word in a weekly photo...just click on the button and join Jill and the others like me who need the weekly reminder to focus on our One Little Word.

One Little Word|Captured|Week 4

Photo taken by my daughter, Hannah Joy, while we were in downtown Riverside near the Mission Inn.

This week the JOURNEY that I've been on took a definite Spiritual tone. I got news of a friend my age that had to have a double masectomy recently due to breast cancer and then just this week, another friend was told that she had to have her kidney removed due to cancer. She is two years younger than me. Very sobering to hear news of illness and it makes any of my "problems" seem so small and irrelevant.

I am embracing this JOURNEY that I am on. I want my real self to shine through. I want to observe and enjoy this journey, but most of all I want to grow spiritually.

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One Little Word|Captured|Week 3

To represent my One Little Word this week, I chose this self-portrait. My word for the year is JOURNEY. I decided to go ahead and try taking some self-portraits for my 12of12 photos and it was not an easy task. Not only did I not know what I was doing, but I didn't like ANY of the pictures. Me posting the one in my 12 of 12 post and then this one here - is me accepting my journey and trying to love myself...

I am always behind the camera and I like it that way. If I am in a photograph with friends or family, I am more worried about what I am going to look like rather than the memory that is being made. I know you might be thinking that's normal for just about anyone, but I've gone through my photos and deleted pictures of me even if it's the only one from an event because I don't like it. Well, no more. I still will hope and pray that others will be kind and choose more flattering angles and such - hahaha - to take my photo, but I want to be in my family album and on this JOURNEY - I'm going to start thinking differently about myself. I want to, I have to - I will.

Click on the tab in the right side bar to participate in OLW Captured - it's not too late to join!

One Little Word|Captured|Week 2

In my 3 in 30 post, I posted a picture of the work in progress in my craft room. Well, I am definitely enjoying my JOURNEY this week. I finally got my craft space to where I feel like I am very happy and things are at my fingertips and I can create without clutter and craziness. Creating is a necessity for me. Now, I can really appreciate my happy place. I got a couple gift cards to Michael's for my birthday and I just held on to them because I wanted to use them on something special. I could've blown them on scrapping supplies, more paint or ink, more paper...but why? I already have so much stuff. The problem was that I didn't have proper storage and things were always hidden away and I'd forget about it.
I waited until their storage sets were 40% off and I got all of the shelves and drawer sets with my gift cards!! Thank you to my loving friends that gave toward the gift cards for my birthday! This is what you got me. =)
So far, I am making the most of my JOURNEY in 2011. I was sick on and off during the first week, but I am feeling better and ready to tackle the challenges and goals that I've set.
Click on the sidebar to visit Jill who is hosting the OLW Captured so that you can join in too! It's not too late.

One Little Word|Captured|Week 1

I am so excited about this challenge set forth by Jill Conyers at Life As I See It. This explains the One Little Word Captured project. I will try to post a picture every Saturday to represent my JOURNEY this year:
"What is One Little Word Captured?
Join me beginning in January for 52 weeks of a photographic interpretation of your word for 2011. A goal or intention. A deliberate approach. A way to share and encourage each other throught the year."
You can participate too! Just click on the link above or the button in my sidebar that says One Little Word Captured.

It is my hope that I can learn to RELAX on my JOURNEY this year. As I mentioned in my last post, I usually worry more about the destination and details. I find myself constantly tense, worried about everybody else. Is everyone else happy? Are they entertained? Do they need something? I wonder how they feel?

I know these are good things, but I'm also learning that I need to enjoy life. I find myself missing out on a lot. I have a hard time remembering the details about special events in my life and I know it's because I am not allowing myself to really enjoy the moment. Everything from my graduations and wedding, to the births of my children... It may be a control issue or it may be me trying to make sure that things are perfect. Whatever it is - it's hindered me from really loving life. I hope that this picture will remind me that I want to relax and enjoy each moment.