Project Life 2012 | Week Twenty-Five

I am skipping over Week 24, as I still have tons of photos to sort through from my time in Aspen, CO for the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen. So instead let's jump to Week 25: Monday, June 18th through Sunday, June 24th. The week started off on a rough patch, as exhaustion kicked in for both Mike and me after a grueling past few months. Such things can be difficult to properly capture in a project like this - do you ignore it, skimming over something that really had an impact on the week, or bluntly record that you had a disagreement? I found myself naturally drawn to the middle, including a quote from a song that perfectly summed up the situation and including lyrics to my favorite song that played randomly, exactly when I needed it, on my commute to work.

I am loving so many parts of this project, especially the organization of photos and thoughts that would normally be lost over time, and I have found myself looking at things from a much more creative perspective, trying to really absorb and appreciate the small things around me each day. For instance: the photo behind my Week #25 circle is from a Serena & Lily catalog, which I normally would have flipped through and tossed, but colors and patterns really caught my eye, so I decided to incorporate it into the colorfulness of the week.

Most of my weeks tend to be very photo heavy, but I incorporated a few more journaling elements this week. I loved the treatment Ali Edwards used on a recent journaling card, so I replicated it to write a few words about our really fun date night.

I also try to incorporate things from Mike’s perspective as often as possible. This is his photo of the lake from a bachelor weekend spent at a lodge. I just added the graphic of a compass and some words about the location.

This photo is also from the date night we enjoyed – I bet you can’t tell it is almost 100 degrees! I purchased Ali Edwards' Memory Circles to use as an overlay on the photo.

Happy 20 Years Mom & Dad!

Today my parents celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary. Twenty years! It doesn't seem so long ago that I was standing with my sister, in our pink floral dresses and braided hair, listening as they took their vows on a beautiful summer day; taking our own vows to accept our new family as a whole.

Shortly after their wedding, our family of four plus Missy, our sweet golden retriever, piled into a moving van, and drove south towards the life we would all make together in Virginia. Despite being sleepy and hungry, I remember insisting on returning the moving van with my new stepfather. It was dark and quiet, one of those perfectly still Virgina summer nights I would soon grow to love. Despite not having slept in days, he already knew the ride was entirely too quiet for the usual chatterbox of a six year old that I was, hungry or not. He said very quietly, "You know, you don't have to call me Dad until you are ready. And if you are never ready, that's okay too."

He may have been expecting a simple "Thanks" but he soon found me sobbing - long, exasperated wails - as all the anger and fear I could possibly contain in my tiny body escaped as thick, hot tears running down my face and neck.  He did his best to soothingly ask what was the matter - let’s not forget the man had been a bachelor less than a year ago and now found himself living with three females - probably desperately trying to figure out how to deal with a little girl's breakdown with no Mom around. “I just don’t want you to leave us too,” I managed to say between sobs, so calmly it still surprises me to this day.

“Look at me,” he said comfortingly, but in a tone I already knew not to ignore. “I will never leave you. We are a family. I need you to know that if your mother and I disagree, no one is walking away. There might be times when we don’t get along, but I’m not leaving.” I started calling him “Daddy” that very same night as he tucked me into bed.

That promise has stayed very close to my heart these last twenty years. There have been highs and lows, milestones and disagreements. But together, my mom and dad have set the example for my sister and me of a solid marriage, incredible parenting, and what it truly means to be a family. They have celebrated our accomplishments, encouraged us when we needed it, and comforted us in moments of sadness and desparation.

I wish you both bundles of happiness in the years ahead. I know you sometimes still wish Val and I were young again, racing outside to catch lightning bugs after dinner, but I hope you also enjoy the time together, making up for the moments you sacrificed to ensure we started life on the right path. I love you Mommy and Daddy.

Saturday Snapshot | Flatiron Building

Project Life 2012 | Week Twenty-Three

I'm playing a bit of catch-up here as I have been out of town and away from this project for the last week. Week twenty-three (Monday, June 4th through Sunday, June 10th) was filled with numbers, work, and horses. And in between all of that - Mike celebrated his 28th birthday!

In addition to my typical two page layout for the week, I added a 6x12 page protector - one side holds the picture of Mike's birthday cake and my thoughts about it, the other side holds a sweet note from my mom. I also added a 12x12 envelope page to hold all of Mike's birthday cards.

I included a few random things that made me smile during a tough week: dinosaur cartoons, a funny text message from Mike, confetti from our Classic team meeting.

The last page holds some photos, my pass, and some (losing) betting tickets from the Belmont Stakes. I also included some photos and coasters from a Sunday enjoyed with Mike and Tom.

Off to Aspen, Colorado!

The sky over New York City is still black and thick rain drops are falling from the clouds, but I will soon be hailing a cab to catch my flight for the 30th Anniversary of the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen. It is sure to be an exciting, exhausting, and inspiring weekend working behind the scenes! Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram for updates!  You can also see daily updates of my photography on the F&W Classic in Aspen Facebook page!