Another Photo a Day

Happy Friday! Not only is it the end of the week...we are halfway through August!?!?! I really have no idea where the months of 2013 are going...but they are going quickly.

I had been thinking all spring that I wanted to do another photo-a-month sometime this summer. I followed along with one in August of 2011 and came up with my own in July of 2012. 

This year, I decided on August. I had planned on making my own list of photo prompts again, but a later move-in than expected plus a last-minute long trip to the beach helped me decide to just follow along again.  

So this month, via instagram, I've been playing along with The Idea Room. Here are the photo prompts for this month:

And here are my photos from the first half:

1. Borrowing my mom's hat since I left mine at home.
2. Our family in the ocean. (Wish I'd noticed Hadleigh was wearing her goggles!)

3. The water of the beautiful Atlantic.
4. My favorite earbuds made technology more comfortable. (I have a hard time finding ones that fit well!)

5. Clean laundry upon returning from vacation.
6. My B&W typewriter...more conveniently located in this house!

7. Missing my brother, who is far away in South Korea.
8. Outdoors in our backyard. I love this corner...

  9. A favorite room in our new home. I love the wall color and lighting of our dining room.
10. These three keep us entertained, for sure!

11. I love standing on the hardwood floors of this house.
12. A peek into my stationery drawer, full of pretty notecards and paper.

13. This corner of my desk makes me smile.
14. My culinary torch is a most useful kitchen tool when you love creme brûlée!

15. My colorful collection of seam binding, from Paper Crown in Oklahoma City. I miss that store!
16. The kids schoolwork will start on the 26th. Mine has already started, as I gather, organize, and continue to plan! (Hadleigh is SO excited about a pink math book. I hope that lasts!)

Capturing December, take two...

Here are the latest pictures, via instagram.

 Day 8: Ornament

 Day 9: Something you're reading

Day 10: Wrapping Paper

Day 11: Green

Day 12: A Beautiful Sight 

Day 13: Family (hike) 

Day 14: Christmas Tree

Day 15: Favorite Holiday Song, 

via Lindsay Letters

Day 16: Outside Christmas Lights

Day 17: Presents

Day 18: Stockings

 Day 19: Candy Canes

Day 20: Tree Topper

December Photo Challenge: Week one

Here's my week one! 

If you'd like, you can follow along daily via my instagram: kimberleighd!

 Day 1: My view

Tree hunting at a local (and pretty!) tree lot!

Day 2: Favorite Christmas movie

I don't know if it's the music or the romance or the Vermont setting...

but I love this one every year!

Day 3: Red

We have a random assortment of ornaments...

but a strong red theme unites the tree!

 Day 4: Joyous

A project I made last year...trying to figure out

the right place to put it in our new house!

Day 5: Temperature 

We had some warmer days this week;

but hoping that after this weekend, it stays cold!

(No more 70 degree temps in December, please!)

 Day 6: Shopping

Mostly online...but a bit of traditional shopping too.

(I love Christmas packaging!)

Day 7: Bright (and sparkly!) 

As a CookingLight Tastemaker, I received this lovely necklace this week!

They have some gorgeous jewelry right now!

Thanks Coldwater Creek & Cooking Light!

Farewell November.

This month passed entirely too quickly for me. I love October, November, and December...and wish that I could somehow stretch this time of year out just a bit longer. 

I love the coziness of the fall season...the gathering of friends and family with grateful hearts...and the  season of advent, anticipating our Savior.

I think I am the most organized about family activities and meals and crafts during the month of December. This year my friend Missy suggested another photo a day challenge...and since I'm continuing with my scrapbooking tradition of the December Daily project, I figured this would tie in nicely!

I'll be using these photo prompts from acontenthousewife.com. I'm not sure if I'll share daily this month on the blog or every few days...we will see!

But I'm looking forward to sharing some favorite December traditions...some new projects...and some delicious recipes in this space this month!

What are you looking forward to in December?

Summer Blessing

Day 31.

Summer blessing.  

This man.

I am so blessed to know and love and share my life with this man.

This summer, he has blessed me with time. Quiet time to myself. Time for things I enjoy. Time together. Time with friends. Time to be.

He is currently at the pool with the kiddos, letting me spend some hours alone at home (such a rare thing) to think and write and read or clean and plan and prepare.  They've been doing this several afternoons a week, and it has been a blessing.

We are tweaking some homeschool stuff...as you see above, he's working with Hadleigh on math. His schedule this year should be a bit more predictable, as he will be a student again, beginning tomorrow, in a year-long military course. And so, he's going to take over the reins in Hadleigh's math course...and maybe Nathanael too. He is excited and so willing to participate more directly in the schooling process which is such a blessing to me.

His creativity and enthusiasm and discipline and tenderness and study inspire me.

Tremendous blessing.
Thankful heart.

Day 30: Summer Space

During the summer, this space hasn't been getting the use it soon will.  

Our homeschool space.  Probably my favorite spot in our house.

It's beginning to resemble the image in my mind of what I hoped we would one day have for a homeschool room.

There are still posters to hang up and books to reorganize (because what kind of bookshelf is not kid-friendly and thus always a mess?)

There are still random objects from unpacking around the perimeter, looking for a permanent home to spend this next year.

There are still books needing to be ordered before the new school year begins.

There are still planners to fill and guides to print and supplies to purchase.

But I'm excited about this space.

Excited to have a spot where we can focus on learning and reading and adding and crafting sentences and playing with art supplies.  Writing letters and listening to composers and subtracting and storytime snuggling. (Excited about our reading corner!)

I'm excited about what this next year will hold academically for my three. Ready for those lightbulb moments.  Aware that self-control is a fruit that we all learn in the classroom.  Eager to incorporate lots of historical field trips while we study early American history. Mindful of our desire to foster a love for learning and not just correct answers. Prayerful.

I'm hoping to share a bit more about our homeschooling journey in this space over the next year with you...so if you have any questions or something you'd love to hear my take on, please leave a comment or email me!

Nearing the end...

Just a few more days until the end of the challenge...

Day 27: Summer Craft(ing) 

I had planned on some fun summer crafts with the kids this day, but a stomach bug for Madeleine changed our plans. (Thankfully it was short-lived & only affected her.) So here's a shot of what my crafting space looks like right now. A stack of instagrams for a mini-album I hope to begin this week, a surprise project for someone dear to me, memorabilia to add to Project Life, and some new stamps I'm excited to try out!

Day 28: Summer Joy

These three. Life with children is never only all smiles and sunshine. But this moment, when they each read a portion (really read) of Psalm 117 on their own, well. It filled my heart with joy. For seeing something for which we've worked so hard (reading) becoming applicable to them. For seeing their excitement in knowing they were reading the Bible by themselves. (Brent had printed out the words all together and then enlarged their part to read. Love that he thought of that.) For seeing them willing & eager to contribute to our family worship time. Joy.

Day 29: Summer Discovery

One of the first plants I noticed in our yard when we moved in were these three tiny grapevines, growing in a somewhat strange spot along the ground, just a couple of leaves and a short branch of a stem.  They're not supported by any structure; I wondered how they would grow. But grow they have.  The branches are strong and heavy and have spread a lot more than I imagined they would.  The kids and I were delighted to discover that they are actually producing grapes...and we're looking forward to the moment they're ripe!

July flies...

...but I'm back with the last week in photos:

Day 19: Summer Reading

Each of the kiddos has been doing a great job reading daily to one of us (usually Brent). I'm excited at their progress!

Day 20: Summer Treat

Brown sugar walnut tart from Starbucks...on the road to Rochester, NY!

Day 21: Summer love

Traveling to visit new places! Our first trip to see my sister Katy since she & Alex moved to NY! Loved this beautiful day visiting the gardens at the Eastman House!

Day 22: Summer style

I am all about skirts & dresses in the summer. Photo taken after church, today included an old favorite long skirt from Loft (a violet-blue to match the necklace), a 3/4 length white shirt , and these sandals.

Day 23: Summer shadow

I do appreciate the shade of trees on our property!

Day 24: Summer chores

Laundry day, after traveling, always seems endless...but for some reason, today, I got it all done & put away! (Might have something to do with our company expected at the end of the day!)

Day 25: Summer splash

Brent has been taking the kids to the pool in the afternoons after work...giving me some quiet time here at home.  He sends me pictures, and it is SO fun to see all three of them loving the water.  There were some summers past when I thought they would never enjoy learning to swim...but it's official.  We have three little fishes!

Day 26: Summer refreshment

Iced hazelnut latte.  It's my go-to summer coffee drink & even better when I can make it at home:

 Pour milk over ice in a cup. Flavor with syrup according to taste. Brew espresso and pour over milk. Admire how pretty it looks unstirred.  Then stir. Sip.  Enjoy. 

(I love the Starbucks insulated cups for cold drinks...use mine all the time!)