It’s the Tuesday Blog Ring!  If you’re a regular, welcome back!  If you have no idea what the Tuesday Blog Ring is, let me introduce it to you.  Every Tuesday(ish), some photographer friends and I all post on a topic we’ve selected for the week.  I’ll link to a different friend each week so you can see their take on the weekly post.
This week’s topic is Freeze Time.

As a mom, pretty much every other moment makes me want to freeze time.  Kids grow up so fast!  One moment they’re little helpless babies, and the next, they’re turning six years old (Alyssa) or they’re becoming potty trained (Emilyn)!  Well, the potty training thing is pretty nice, I’d rather not freeze time a few weeks ago and have to change diapers forever.  But seeing my babies grow up is very bittersweet.

Just this past weekend, we had a super fun trip to Charlotte, NC, for a concert and some family time before my husband leaves to go overseas again.  We rented a hotel room specifically for it’s indoor pool and the kids swam their little butts off.  We were mermaids and fish, swimming away from the mean shark (Daddy) that was trying to eat us.

Someday my girls will keep their little imaginations all to themselves.

We went to see Marc Broussard play at the U.S. National White Water Center, which was a super cool/different venue!  We sat atop a hill where we could see the stage, the white water rapids, and the people going down the ziplines.  The kids found other kids to play tag or frisbee with and we sang the songs we knew and we danced and rolled down the hill.  We watched fireworks in awe.

Someday my girls might think they’re too cool to roll down hills or go to concerts with their parents.

The next day we were again sharks and mermaids for a while before heading to Freedom Park.  Freedom Park was a pleasant surprise, I had no idea it existed or what a good park it would be!  We walked around the pond, climbed trees, listened to a man playing his guitar under the shade of a willow tree, explored a creek, and played on the playground.  We had a great time!

But someday they might be too busy to explore the banks of a creek or climb a tree.

I love this age, when your kids still need you and think the world of you, but are independent enough to entertain themselves.  I already know I’ll miss it when they’re older.

After you check out the photos below, be sure to check out what makes my friend Ally, of Allyson Photography, want to freeze time.

It’s the Tuesday Blog Ring!  If you’re a regular, welcome back!  If you have no idea what the Tuesday Blog Ring is, let me introduce it to you.  Every Tuesday, some photographer friends and I all post on a topic we’ve selected for the week.  I’ll link to a different friend each week so you can see their take on the weekly post.

This week’s topic is Love Letter.

Yesterday, I found myself racking my brain to figure out what I was going to do for this week’s Tuesday Blog Ring post.  I had an idea, but thought it was so generic and un-me, so I decided to try and get some inspiration by doing what I am best at; procrastinating.  I shirked my blog writing duties and decided to peruse Pinterest.  It’s funny how all too often, while I’m busy not doing what I should be, I come up with ideas for the duties I’m avoiding.
I found myself reading random quotes people pinned when I came upon one by John Muir that struck me.  Now, if you don’t know who John Muir is, I’ll tell you.  Basically, he was a nature-loving author (or perhaps I should say a writing-loving naturalist) who chronicled his explorations in some of what are now our nation’s national parks back in the late 1800′s.  He was a big proponent of the U.S. preserving its natural beauty through development of the National Park system.
So how does this relate to “Love Letters” you ask?  Well, John Muir clearly was a person who loved nature, as do I, so I felt it fitting to share with you a quote of his and a picture of mine that showcases our love for nature.  This week seems like a good time for that, seeing as we started this week off with Earth Day!  My apologies for not writing an actual love letter, but I hope you enjoy anyway!

Now go check out my friend Karen’s blog post and see her take on this week’s topic!