Showing posts with label allison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allison. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
hope fulfilled
i know you're probably surprised to hear from me. after all, as my mom pointed out recently, it has been close to two months since i've written. i've accepted that because of the nature of my business, this little blog will probably have some major peaks and valleys, but as the fall rush is gradually slowing i'm ready to once again overwhelm your eyeballs with photos of my darlings.
but first...
josh and i decided this year to do something "christmas-y" with the kids each day between now and christmas. we've got a handful of things already on the calendar - baking cookies, watching "rudolph", attending christmas concerts - but the first order of business was getting our tree up as soon as we got back home from our thanksgiving travels. so yesterday we pulled the truckload of boxes out of the closet and set to work. we assembled the tree, hung the lights, and started on the slew of ornaments. the little ones excitedly grabbed handfuls of them out of the "kid box" while i gingerly unwrapped the ornaments out of the "super-special-please-don't-break-these" box. i gently picked up one of my very favorites and turned it over to read the back for the 1000th time - for your child known only by god. then like i have every year since 2005, i wept for the child we lost that year.
like she has with every little one that has ever been a part of our family, my mom cross-stitched a special gift particularly for that baby and i hang the ornament in a prominent place on the tree each christmas. but this year, as my mind moved from the loss of our second child all those years ago to judah's death last year, i couldn't help but wipe the tears and smile with joy as i remembered a post i wrote last christmas. the sixth stocking is a story of grief and hope - grief over the tremendous loss our family had just experienced but hope that in the next year the lord would bless us with a child. this is the third year that we've hung six stockings on our mantle but it's the first year that our house has been home to six people. and now, just inches from that first ornament made by my mom is another that she recently gave us...
praising god for his faithfulness!
but first...
josh and i decided this year to do something "christmas-y" with the kids each day between now and christmas. we've got a handful of things already on the calendar - baking cookies, watching "rudolph", attending christmas concerts - but the first order of business was getting our tree up as soon as we got back home from our thanksgiving travels. so yesterday we pulled the truckload of boxes out of the closet and set to work. we assembled the tree, hung the lights, and started on the slew of ornaments. the little ones excitedly grabbed handfuls of them out of the "kid box" while i gingerly unwrapped the ornaments out of the "super-special-please-don't-break-these" box. i gently picked up one of my very favorites and turned it over to read the back for the 1000th time - for your child known only by god. then like i have every year since 2005, i wept for the child we lost that year.
like she has with every little one that has ever been a part of our family, my mom cross-stitched a special gift particularly for that baby and i hang the ornament in a prominent place on the tree each christmas. but this year, as my mind moved from the loss of our second child all those years ago to judah's death last year, i couldn't help but wipe the tears and smile with joy as i remembered a post i wrote last christmas. the sixth stocking is a story of grief and hope - grief over the tremendous loss our family had just experienced but hope that in the next year the lord would bless us with a child. this is the third year that we've hung six stockings on our mantle but it's the first year that our house has been home to six people. and now, just inches from that first ornament made by my mom is another that she recently gave us...
praising god for his faithfulness!
weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
psalm 30:5
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
music appreciation {lewis style}
jack got his red guitar fixed this week, and our ears are all bleeding a little now because of it. we finally decided to take him out in the yard so the whole neighborhood could partake in the joy, and i shot a couple of minutes of concert video. in loading the video into my movies folder, i saw a bit of a theme that i'd like to share with you. please enjoy music appreciation: lewis style.
my favorite moments:
the acrobatic feat at 0:46
the sudden burst of hunger at 0:54
jack's transformation from 1:14 to 1:25
and finally, the lumberjack-esque dance at 1:42.
my favorite moments:
the acrobatic feat at 0:46
the sudden burst of hunger at 0:54
jack's transformation from 1:14 to 1:25
and finally, the lumberjack-esque dance at 1:42.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
birthmarks {the beginning}
i can remember vividly one of the moments that brought me to the point of confession. i was changing micah's clothes a few weeks back, and as i pulled his shirt up over his chunky tummy, i noticed something i hadn't before.
a birthmark. something given to him by the lord that makes him unique, something that makes him who he is.
my first thought was, how in this world has he been home with us for a month now and i'm just now noticing his birthmark? yes, bringing baby #4 home has certainly been unique from our first three experiences. we weren't able to spend those early weeks with micah doing nothing more than rocking, cuddling, and studying his features, which was even more reason to slow down now that he's home. i want to be a mom who notices the freckle on her six-year-old's right pointer finger and the birthmark behind her four-year-old's right ear.
or the tiny mark on her new baby's belly.
so here's what's on my heart: the lord has given me this precious family, and everyday for us holds something unique, something that makes us who we are.
kind of like birthmarks. they're the things i want to notice and the things i want to remember.
a birthmark. something given to him by the lord that makes him unique, something that makes him who he is.
my first thought was, how in this world has he been home with us for a month now and i'm just now noticing his birthmark? yes, bringing baby #4 home has certainly been unique from our first three experiences. we weren't able to spend those early weeks with micah doing nothing more than rocking, cuddling, and studying his features, which was even more reason to slow down now that he's home. i want to be a mom who notices the freckle on her six-year-old's right pointer finger and the birthmark behind her four-year-old's right ear.
or the tiny mark on her new baby's belly.
so here's what's on my heart: the lord has given me this precious family, and everyday for us holds something unique, something that makes us who we are.
kind of like birthmarks. they're the things i want to notice and the things i want to remember.
Friday, June 24, 2011
confessions
somewhere along the road i let things start getting out of control.
this blog became more widely read, we left the country a couple of times, my business close to quadrupled, and we added a baby to our family. in turn, my "mismanagement" of those four situations led to these four issues: i began writing as much (or more) for others as i did for us, i returned to the US exhausted, my clients saw more of me than my family did at times, and i wasn't sure i was investing the time i wanted and needed to into our sweet chunkers.
sooo...under the gentle and loving leadership of my fantabulous husband, a couple of things are changing around here.
1. i'm going to do a lot more photo posting and a lot less writing on the ole blog. yes, there will be times that i'll get all gushy and want to say something, but as a rule this is, in essence, a picture scrapbook of my little people's childhood years. so that's that.
2. i'm reworking my business a bit. allison lewis photography isn't going anywhere, but as you'll see when my new site launches, i'm taking a decidedly "bridal turn" because a) i LOVE LOVE LOVE wedding photography. b) even more importantly, though, that business model fits much more appropriately with where i am in this season of life. i desperately want to return to my roles of wife, mommy, and photographer. in that order. but not to worry - what this does NOT mean is that i'm dropping all of my children and family clientele. in fact, i hope to continue working with my existing clients, but i'll only be taking a very limited number of new clients and will be shooting a limited number of sessions per month. (on a very important side note, THANK YOU to the many, many of you who have supported me so much on this crazy photography journey of mine. i really, seriously, completely adore the time i spend with you, and it's wonderful to be trusted with some of the most precious times in your lives!! i'm not complaining at all about the business boom over this last year - just need to make sure my job doesn't take the place of my Job.)
**vulnerable moment of the night: i'm kind of freaking out about putting this out there for everyone to read. my brain is swimming with thoughts of, "what if you lose all your business? you've got to make something!" but this is an issue i've been prayerfully wrestling with for a while now and after talking with josh, my parents, and a couple of trusted friends, i know this is the right move. i'm stepping out in faith and trusting that the lord will help me to reorder my priorities while continuing to provide for our needs.**
speaking of wedding photography, i'd love for you to take a peek at two of the couples (now sweet friends of mine) that i worked with earlier this month HERE and HERE.
but because i'm moving to "less words/more pics" (not that you'd know it by this post), why don't you cast your eyes on these darlings? you know what they say...a watermelon a day keeps the doctor away!
and because i don't have any pics of him with his face buried in a watermelon, here's a favorite of micah...
and now...GOOD NIGHT! (sleep is part of my new plan as well)
this blog became more widely read, we left the country a couple of times, my business close to quadrupled, and we added a baby to our family. in turn, my "mismanagement" of those four situations led to these four issues: i began writing as much (or more) for others as i did for us, i returned to the US exhausted, my clients saw more of me than my family did at times, and i wasn't sure i was investing the time i wanted and needed to into our sweet chunkers.
sooo...under the gentle and loving leadership of my fantabulous husband, a couple of things are changing around here.
1. i'm going to do a lot more photo posting and a lot less writing on the ole blog. yes, there will be times that i'll get all gushy and want to say something, but as a rule this is, in essence, a picture scrapbook of my little people's childhood years. so that's that.
2. i'm reworking my business a bit. allison lewis photography isn't going anywhere, but as you'll see when my new site launches, i'm taking a decidedly "bridal turn" because a) i LOVE LOVE LOVE wedding photography. b) even more importantly, though, that business model fits much more appropriately with where i am in this season of life. i desperately want to return to my roles of wife, mommy, and photographer. in that order. but not to worry - what this does NOT mean is that i'm dropping all of my children and family clientele. in fact, i hope to continue working with my existing clients, but i'll only be taking a very limited number of new clients and will be shooting a limited number of sessions per month. (on a very important side note, THANK YOU to the many, many of you who have supported me so much on this crazy photography journey of mine. i really, seriously, completely adore the time i spend with you, and it's wonderful to be trusted with some of the most precious times in your lives!! i'm not complaining at all about the business boom over this last year - just need to make sure my job doesn't take the place of my Job.)
**vulnerable moment of the night: i'm kind of freaking out about putting this out there for everyone to read. my brain is swimming with thoughts of, "what if you lose all your business? you've got to make something!" but this is an issue i've been prayerfully wrestling with for a while now and after talking with josh, my parents, and a couple of trusted friends, i know this is the right move. i'm stepping out in faith and trusting that the lord will help me to reorder my priorities while continuing to provide for our needs.**
speaking of wedding photography, i'd love for you to take a peek at two of the couples (now sweet friends of mine) that i worked with earlier this month HERE and HERE.
but because i'm moving to "less words/more pics" (not that you'd know it by this post), why don't you cast your eyes on these darlings? you know what they say...a watermelon a day keeps the doctor away!
and because i don't have any pics of him with his face buried in a watermelon, here's a favorite of micah...
and now...GOOD NIGHT! (sleep is part of my new plan as well)
Friday, June 3, 2011
when "scorching" is the forecast...
our family loves playing outside in beautiful weather. hiking, biking, paddle-boating - we like just about anything outdoorsy. in the spring and fall, that is. 100+ degree temps, on the other hand, are one way to ensure that we keep our feet firmly planted on the floors of our usually air-conditioned house ("usually" because our upstairs unit pulls a once-a-year summer shutdown on us just to make sure we appreciate it).
but a few days ago the kids and i were climbing the walls and josh had developed a tic from spending the whole workweek in his windowless basement office so we waited until the sun dipped down a bit then we treated our lawn and our kids to some sprinkler time.
one thing i've loved most about this past almost three weeks of having micah home is watching him experience almost everything for the very first time. it's all new and novel, and it's encouraging me to see things in a new light as well. i couldn't wait to see what he thought of the sprinkler.
what? he doesn't look impressed?? he certainly had strong feelings about it...just not the kind i had expected.
jack tried to console him...
and while that did stop the crying, what he really needed was some momma and daddy time.
then he was happy to cheer his siblings on from the sidelines.
i didn't notice it at the time i was snapping these photos, but even the older kids' "sprinkler jumping technique" tells of each of their personalities. take abby, for example. abby is a rule-follower, and she loves to make a beautiful production out of almost everything.
izzy, while she can dig up some huge worms in our backyard, is our girly-girl. she's delicate and sensitive, and she does everything with a sweet touch.
then there's jack. i'm not even going to try to explain him...i'll just trust that you fellow mommas-of-boys understand. :-)
but back to micah's "new and novel" time at home. one of the first things we jumped on when we took custody of him was trying to facilitate some communication abilities between each of us. not only were we trying to overcome a 10-month-old's lack of expressive language, but we were also trying to bridge the gap between the amharic and english languages. here's a short video i took of him at lunch time today that just warms my heart. (thankfully i'm a much better photographer than i am videographer)
HAVE A SUPER WEEKEND!!!!
but a few days ago the kids and i were climbing the walls and josh had developed a tic from spending the whole workweek in his windowless basement office so we waited until the sun dipped down a bit then we treated our lawn and our kids to some sprinkler time.
one thing i've loved most about this past almost three weeks of having micah home is watching him experience almost everything for the very first time. it's all new and novel, and it's encouraging me to see things in a new light as well. i couldn't wait to see what he thought of the sprinkler.
what? he doesn't look impressed?? he certainly had strong feelings about it...just not the kind i had expected.
jack tried to console him...
and while that did stop the crying, what he really needed was some momma and daddy time.
then he was happy to cheer his siblings on from the sidelines.
i didn't notice it at the time i was snapping these photos, but even the older kids' "sprinkler jumping technique" tells of each of their personalities. take abby, for example. abby is a rule-follower, and she loves to make a beautiful production out of almost everything.
izzy, while she can dig up some huge worms in our backyard, is our girly-girl. she's delicate and sensitive, and she does everything with a sweet touch.
then there's jack. i'm not even going to try to explain him...i'll just trust that you fellow mommas-of-boys understand. :-)
but back to micah's "new and novel" time at home. one of the first things we jumped on when we took custody of him was trying to facilitate some communication abilities between each of us. not only were we trying to overcome a 10-month-old's lack of expressive language, but we were also trying to bridge the gap between the amharic and english languages. here's a short video i took of him at lunch time today that just warms my heart. (thankfully i'm a much better photographer than i am videographer)
HAVE A SUPER WEEKEND!!!!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
the petri dish known as my house
we apparently brought two things back from africa: the cutest baby boy ever...
and a parasite.
micah's had some, um, "symptoms" since we picked him up last week, and despite my intense efforts at excessive hand-washing and lysoling, the parasite won out and i caught it. (i'd like to think that 32 hours of travel - most of which was spent on a crowded plane with african water that you're not supposed to use - had something to do with that.)
then this is what our afternoon has looked like...
yep, the girls have the northern hemisphere version of the bug (and jack's complaining of belly pain, too). and micah? he can explode a mean diaper, but he's as happy and precious as ever.
here's a little something that was supposed to post last week while we were gone. it didn't show up for some reason, and i thought tonight was a good time to put it up.
because if i don't laugh, i'll cry.
then this is what our afternoon has looked like...
yep, the girls have the northern hemisphere version of the bug (and jack's complaining of belly pain, too). and micah? he can explode a mean diaper, but he's as happy and precious as ever.
here's a little something that was supposed to post last week while we were gone. it didn't show up for some reason, and i thought tonight was a good time to put it up.
because if i don't laugh, i'll cry.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
what was i scared of?
please pardon the enormous amount of dog barking in the background. our neighbors all love dogs.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
rambling thoughts from a momma the day before GO-time
1. is this seriously happening?
2. i'm so thankful to the lord that this is seriously happening. and on mother's day?!? what a gift.
3. i really like how the "brother room" turned out.
4. but i think the "sister room" might be my favorite. it's so girly and sweet.
5. the best part was the cost to completely redo the two rooms: $25 for one can of paint, $20 for a quilt from wal-mart, and some furniture moving sweat.
6. is it weird that i used leftover living room paint to paint the boys' room?
7. micah looks so big in the new pictures we got yesterday.
8. i'm super excited to have an evening out in DC with my hubby tomorrow night.
9. but it's kind of sad that we won't be with any of our munchkins on mother's day.
10. 17+ hours straight on an airplane with an infant is a really long time. especially when it's followed by 9 more hours of travel before we get home.
11. it's a little stressful that we leave early tomorrow morning, and i'm out of town all day today shooting a wedding.
12. i should probably take advantage of my two hours home and wrap up the packing instead of blogging.
13. i'm so thankful to bethany and grandpam for keeping our little ones while we're gone. after keeping them for a week for our first trip in february - and offering to do it AGAIN in may - i've officially inducted them into the "rock star hall of fame".
14. i'm really going to miss abby, jack, and izzy.
15. oh my word, i'm going to be holding micah in 2 1/2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16. we ask that people pray for our safety in traveling, health for us all, peaceful hearts for the little ones here, and that the lord would continue to reveal himself and work in our lives and those around us through micah's adoption and life. all glory be to god!!!
2. i'm so thankful to the lord that this is seriously happening. and on mother's day?!? what a gift.
3. i really like how the "brother room" turned out.
4. but i think the "sister room" might be my favorite. it's so girly and sweet.
5. the best part was the cost to completely redo the two rooms: $25 for one can of paint, $20 for a quilt from wal-mart, and some furniture moving sweat.
6. is it weird that i used leftover living room paint to paint the boys' room?
7. micah looks so big in the new pictures we got yesterday.
8. i'm super excited to have an evening out in DC with my hubby tomorrow night.
9. but it's kind of sad that we won't be with any of our munchkins on mother's day.
10. 17+ hours straight on an airplane with an infant is a really long time. especially when it's followed by 9 more hours of travel before we get home.
11. it's a little stressful that we leave early tomorrow morning, and i'm out of town all day today shooting a wedding.
12. i should probably take advantage of my two hours home and wrap up the packing instead of blogging.
13. i'm so thankful to bethany and grandpam for keeping our little ones while we're gone. after keeping them for a week for our first trip in february - and offering to do it AGAIN in may - i've officially inducted them into the "rock star hall of fame".
14. i'm really going to miss abby, jack, and izzy.
15. oh my word, i'm going to be holding micah in 2 1/2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16. we ask that people pray for our safety in traveling, health for us all, peaceful hearts for the little ones here, and that the lord would continue to reveal himself and work in our lives and those around us through micah's adoption and life. all glory be to god!!!
Monday, April 18, 2011
best. weekend. ever. (part deux)
after the acrobats finished their balleweena performance, some amazing friends of mine took advantage of the family we had in town and planned a donation shower to gather goodies to send to acacia village where micah currently lives in ethiopia. but first, it's impossible for me to share about that shower without telling you about another...
the lord has richly blessed me with a group of women from church who have become dear friends over this last year or two. we all worship together as a part of the same faith family, many of us homeschool together, a handful of us are adopting together, and one of them is stuck with me weekly in our small group. our lives are woven together in many unique ways, and i count it a true joy to live life with these precious gals. shortly after we arrived back home from ethiopia in february, several of them got together to throw me a diaper shower to help us get ready for a new baby in the house. a HUGE thanks to lacey, carrie, amelia, brook...
and jenny (the chic with the camera) for coordinating such a tremendous showing of love and kindness.
oh, and remember how i said that we were walking this adoption journey with others?? lora lynn and sheryl were fresh off an airplane from uganda adopting their collective three children between the two families - and somehow they drug their jet-lagged selves over to brook's house to love on me.
these sweet friends and the others who came spent their time that night showering us with gifts...
writing us letters of encouragement and truth (which i still haven't been allowed to read - although i did, to no avail, try to enlarge this photo so i could see what was written on the cards)... :-)
and most dear to me, covering us in prayer for everything from a successful court date to quick bonding and attachment to health and provision... (in case you're wondering, this is my "hold it together, allison" face. by the time the last amen had been said, i had failed miserably.)
girls, i love you all so dearly, and the lord blessed me beyond measure when he put you each in my life. thank you!!!!!!
the lord has richly blessed me with a group of women from church who have become dear friends over this last year or two. we all worship together as a part of the same faith family, many of us homeschool together, a handful of us are adopting together, and one of them is stuck with me weekly in our small group. our lives are woven together in many unique ways, and i count it a true joy to live life with these precious gals. shortly after we arrived back home from ethiopia in february, several of them got together to throw me a diaper shower to help us get ready for a new baby in the house. a HUGE thanks to lacey, carrie, amelia, brook...
and jenny (the chic with the camera) for coordinating such a tremendous showing of love and kindness.
oh, and remember how i said that we were walking this adoption journey with others?? lora lynn and sheryl were fresh off an airplane from uganda adopting their collective three children between the two families - and somehow they drug their jet-lagged selves over to brook's house to love on me.
these sweet friends and the others who came spent their time that night showering us with gifts...
writing us letters of encouragement and truth (which i still haven't been allowed to read - although i did, to no avail, try to enlarge this photo so i could see what was written on the cards)... :-)
and most dear to me, covering us in prayer for everything from a successful court date to quick bonding and attachment to health and provision... (in case you're wondering, this is my "hold it together, allison" face. by the time the last amen had been said, i had failed miserably.)
girls, i love you all so dearly, and the lord blessed me beyond measure when he put you each in my life. thank you!!!!!!
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