A Campbell Christmas {outtakes}

In an attempt to get us all in one photo on Christmas morning we propped the camera up and set it for automatic shoot and did the best we could to corral the two critters. Brilliant, right? Should be easy, right? Avery missed the concept, Everett tried to escape, and well...you can see what happened. It's fairly hilarious when your camera recognizes your dog's butt as a face to focus on and blurs you and Husband in the background. Enjoy our outtakes!

There she is folks, in all her glory: the backside of Avery.

Avery chose to finally sit, right in front so she was totally blocking Andrew and Everett.  Basically, our world tends to revolve around her. (and she knows it!!)

Yes, we're in our jammies, yes, we have bed head, but, we are together, healthy and happy. Besides Everett, I don't think he was too thrilled with the situation ;)

Happy New Year! 

Love,

Caitlin and Campbell (Avery and Everett too!)

p52 Kick-Off: Week One

I was browsing the internets looking for something to keep me motivated to take pictures all through the year. I wanted something that would push me to get my camera out more and more, to stretch, to learn. I knew that Project 365 was far to large a commitment. Somedays I sleep all day and spend all night at the hospital, nothing much comes out of those days aside from work, I knew that I would be setting myself up for failure if I tried to take one picture per day. However, I found this, Project 52 Photo Challenge, much more do-able for this girl!

This picture is not anything special. It's not edited, it's not cropped, it's not touched up, at all. This is how I took the picture one night this week. What this picture is however, is us, right in the moment of this day-to-day life we are living. This is Everett's most favorite thing right now. This picture captures him, doing his cat thing, just as he is in normal, unedited life. And that, to me, is the point of p52, to capture our everyday memories.

. a break .

Vacation starts, now.

I am so excited to have a solid chunk of time off from work, from life, from daily responsibility (yes, I'll still feed Avery and Everett, not to worry), to just focus on living. 

As I worked my last few hours of work I realized how much I love what I do. How much I love being with my patients each night and how while I love it more than I ever imagined loving a career, I have been at it since last February, running hard, the learning curve has been steep and I need a break. That being said, as I walked out of the hospital I knew that I will be glad to return when my next shift rolls around. 

But for now, I'm looking forward to fun conversations with Husband, staying up late, getting up early, running, and getting away. I think that is one of the things I like most about our trips to Orlando to see the mouse: it's so far removed from our daily life that I am able to detach and really, truly, get away!

And now, a look back at memories from our last trip. I'm looking forward to more of this!

More of this: caitlin and campbell.

More of this: watching Mom and Dad be as excited as kids, and in love, and holding hands, mush mush mush. 

More of this: making memories like these. Omehgersh.

More of this: Campbell doing what he loves.

More of this: time alone with her, read, "shopping!"

{HOPE}

One little word.

I kept seeing this idea popping up on several of the blogs that I read. And then, I realized that one of my favorite bloggers and authors (and a woman who has a huge heart for Christ) also used "one little word" to name her years. See more about her words here. Maybe while scouring her blog you'll decide to name 1000 Gifts along with me too, but that is a different post, more on that later.

When moving into the new year, the fresh, shiny, pregnant with opportunity 2013, I knew that I wanted a word from which to base my perspective. I wanted a ground zero with which to calibrate my thoughts for one entire year. I thought my word would be TRUST, I also knew that I wanted my word to be something that was not just a true north for my perspective, but also a word that was constantly refocusing me on Christ and His will for my year in 2013. I am all for a method that will will keep me focused on the positive and seeing the good, however, if it is not ultimately pointing me to Jesus then is not the positivity in vain? For only my own "feel good"?

As I prayed about the coming year in the familiar, weary, short, dark days of 2012 I realized that God wanted more from me for this coming year than just TRUST. I was already trusting, but more in an obligatory way and with an admittedly skeptical heart at times. Instead of just trusting, I realized that He wanted me to be trusting with enthusiasm, excitement and assurance that what He promises will come to be, that He really is working out the very best path for my life. So, HOPE was born. 

This verse was laid on my heart twice in a 24 hour period while I was praying and preparing for 2013. Often I feel like God must laugh at how blunt He has to be with me. 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a HOPE and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV, (emphasis mine)

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