arielle elise

Leland is taking a nap, emails are just about caught up, laundry is going…so now I will write a little blog post. I can’t believe it’s been over a week since I’ve written anything! Then again, I guess I can believe it. Things have been busy….last weekend we were out of town for Memorial Day, I had a wedding last Friday (a gorgeous wedding!!) and I have another wedding tomorrow. When we were out of town this weekend, we went up to my grandparent’s house on the lake. Leland learned to swim in the lake- and he loved it!! Everyday he is learning new words…learning new things. For the longest time he would walk around saying “akoo akooooo” and I had no idea what he was saying! I would just reply “yes, two! good job” thinking he was saying “two.” Well, when he was watching his favorite show the other day (Blues Clues) he said “akoo” again and it hit me! He had been saying “A clue!” for weeks and I had no idea. So I drew a blue paw print on paper and sure enough, he said “akoo.” (My heart might have melted.) Everyday is a little adventure with him and I’ve never seen a little toddler who is so happy (though he has his moments!!) and talks 24-7. I guess he’s got Jay’s genes ;)

Anyway, I’m rambling just to ramble…. Here are some random pictures that totally don’t go together but that I’ve taken over the past couple of weeks of daily life, traveling, and all…

…playing with jay’s baseball glove before his softball game :)

…a self portrait, just because.

…exploring a little town.

…doing his model pose- HA!

….exploring another little town!

have a beautiful day, friends! :)

My dream is not photography, it’s not fame nor fortune. My dream is not to make it to the top or be applauded for my accomplishments. Although it is easy to fall into thinking that’s the better way…it’s not my goal, and it shouldn’t be my aim. Don’t get me wrong, I love photography and will continue pursuing it. However, after being a child of God- glorifying Him with my life- and being a good wife (yea, yea….proverbs 31), my next dream and aim is to be the best mom I can be for my little boy.

“But!”…you say. “…It doesn’t make good money..” “It is not seen as ‘important’ in the eyes of man as many other jobs.”  And my response? The Lord sees not as man sees. My photography, my small business, my nightly sessions of working and editing and emailing…all of that will fade away. It means very, very little in the eyes of God. But the way I train Leland…the way I give him my full attention during the day and show him Jesus….now that will last. That will last for generations to come. So today, I am not fixating on my dream of becoming someone but on becoming what God has called me to be. For now, that is to love my husband and child and put most of my energy into that. I believe the Lord will reward that. So if emails don’t get sent today and pictures don’t get edited….it will all be okay. Because it meant I spent that time with my son, who is more important than any email or photo. Today, I lay my dreams in God’s hands, trust Him, and press on toward the goal.