Field of Gold |Kaiserslautern Family Photographer|

Scouting out new photography locations made us all a little giddy today. #ibribemykidswithskittles 

Waldkindergarten, Germany

“It’s harder to talk about, but what I really, really, really want for Christmas is just this: I want to be 5 years old again for an hour...I want my childhood back.” 

― Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

I have been thinking a lot about this year- this year when my oldest would go off to Kindergarten and that piece of me who had hardly ever left my side would be off experiencing new and exciting things...all on his own.  Would he suddenly lose his childhood and be forced to grow up too quickly? Would he remember to be kind, even when he's picked on?  Would he easily make new friends, or would he struggle at times to feel confident and likable?  Would he remember when he's having a hard day that he is loved so much it makes his mother's heart ache?  Not to mention....Would he be alright in a class where everyone speaks German?  Would he feel embarrassed and frustrated, or would he be excited about making new friends and experiencing new things?  

The past few weeks have been a bit bumpy.  There are certainly good days and bad days- for all of us. It's hard to be in a situation where you can't express what you'd like to say because you don't know the language. It's hard to get used to doing things differently. It's just hard. But one of the most positive things I have seen come out of this transition, is the love he has for his younger brother, who also attends the Waldkindergarten (Forest Kindergarten). They are inseparable. Of course they still fight and wrestle....all the time. But they have each other.  And that makes it easier to tackle their 4 and 5 year-old challenges each day.   Today when I was trying to separate them from a fight and make them sit on separate couches, the younger cried out: "But I love my brother. I always want to be with my brother." 

I heart Stone Harbor

Life has been such a crazy blur these past few months.  With all the stress of moving, I haven't had any time to photograph, or blog, or do any of my FUN creative things.  I've missed it so very much.  We always have such a great time at Stone Harbor, NJ.  It's the one week every year that we can all just relax, be together with loved ones, eat ice-cream every night, take time for puzzles, and catch-up on family pictures. :)  Some of my favorite memories EVER are the memories we have at Stone Harbor.

Bloom and Grow forever

Back in May, I had the opportunity to fly with my daughter to Utah to visit family.  It was such a wonderful trip, and it reminded me of everything I miss about Utah- my family, my friends, BYU games, the cool, dry air, the wild flowers, that wonderful thing called fry sauce, and those Utah mountains.... My mom knitted this adorable outfit for Cora, and we couldn't leave Utah without documenting it. :)