Dear September..

Dear September. 

You came and went so fast, as time seems to always do.

It was summer when you started and we leave you in the fall.

We sent our oldest to Grade 1 which has been a growing process for us all.

Our youngest turned 2 which brings this momma to tears.

Our middle spends his last few days of his third year as you come to an end since his 4th birthday is October 1st.

You have been a month of growth and change. I look forward to meeting again although I wouldn't mind if you take your time next time 'round..

Love,

Brandy Jane Mabel

Yep, I'm that mom..

We are just getting home from siennas parent night at the school (which,by the way, I still feel too young to have to be at). I have been laughing almost constantly since leaving there. Even throughout our romantic kid-free time following the meeting, which was spent buying diapers at Walmart of course, I couldnt help but chuckle every few minutes.. See, I experienced tonight one of those "yep, I'm THAT mom" moments. In the meeting they were discussing the need for parent volunteers at the casino night which is ran to raise funds for the school. Quickly following this request they went over how the funds recieved through this would be spent. They stated that some of the money would be used to make a substantial donation to a charity for gambling addiction recovery. Well I, finding this completely ironic, burst out laughing assuming that others would also see the humor in this. It turns out, however, that aside from one of my 'mom friends' and my husband, no one else did. Instead, I received multiple disapproving looks from around the room.. Oops. Yep, I am THAT mom.. This isn't the first time I've had one of these moments, and I am certain that it won't be the last!

*****Please don't get me wrong.. I do not find gambling addictions or the effect they have on peoples lives funny.*****

Beauty in Potential

I got to pick up this sweet little girl in the middle of the night last night! She is my friends daughter. She is waiting eagerly today because she knows that a huge gift is coming for her any time now! A baby brother.. We had a sweet talk at 2am while driving back to my place. She told me of how she is going to hold her baby and kiss him "very gently."

I have said it before, but I will say it again.. I love new life! Such a gift. A blessing straight from the hands of God. The beauty comes in the potential that lies within the full life that lay ahead.. It is the perfect display in the natural of what Christ bestows upon us in the spiritual. New life.. full of hope and promise! A clean slate. Glorious.

So, we wait!!

Dear Sticks and Stones..

Dear Camera. I know I have seriously been neglecting you (again).. I have found that since I have slowly been moving forward with starting a photography business I have stopped using my camera in my day-to-day life. Why? I'm not sure. I need to pick you up again. Capture my kids, my life, with more than just my Iphone. Although I sure do love me some Instagram! (you can follow my addiction if you like. Username is @brandyjanemabel)
Dear Husband. You make life so much greater..
Dear Readers. If you haven't noticed there have been a few slight changes around here. I made the mistake of playing around a bit without actually having the time to make it all good. Anyways, bear with me. I am hoping for a complete overhaul sometime soon. I shall soon be blind from staring at code for hours and hours..
Dear 2 Boys from Sienna's Grade 1 Class. It wasn't very kind of you to call Coen's new haircut "gross" and "dirty." Didn't your parents teach you any manners?
Dear Coen. I am so proud of you for how you handled yourself with these boys. Your soft little heart just shrugged it off and you just smiled and them kindly and went on your way. I know you aren't perfect either. I know that someday you will probably say something hurtful to someone else, but I pray that you would remain soft and forgiving and that you would remember that words can sometimes cause more hurt more than sticks and stones ever could..
I'm so in love with this kid..

Santa Monica Pier

Way back in July my husband and I spent a week at the L.A Dreamcenter. It was an amazing experience. I have finally finished sorting through all of my pictures from the trip! While I do plan to share more on our experience with the ministry we did there, today I wanted to share some of my favorite photos from our trip to the Santa Monica Pier. We had an evening off before flying home, and I am so glad we chose to spend it here. It was beautiful! I found it hard to believe that the Pier was just a short drive from Los Angeles. These places are so drastically different!!

Need Strength?

In His presence there is strength!

Go ahead  and download this image jpg!  Print it, frame it! Whatever you like!
Just go HERE..

A gift from the Lord {it's my birthday}

It's my birthday. The thought of getting older makes me physically ill. Seriously, it's something I need to get over. Today, however, I feel blessed. I woke up to my beautiful children and my wonderful husband. We enjoyed cake for breakfast after my children sang to me with their perfectly out-of-tune voices. Also, yesterday my beautiful friend Lisa (who happens to have a BLOG) gave me a card with a message in it that is so timely for me right now. It was like a gift for my heart straight from the Lord. It read..

"Praise the Lord... who satisfies your desires with good things..." Ps 103:5

So simple, but sometimes so simply forgetten in certain seasons of life..

Dear words..

Dear words.. You seem to rush through my mind all day, but as soon as I sit to write you down you fade away. Stick around a while.
Dear Greek Pizza. You were uh-mazing.
Dear Sienna. I love how when I told you that calling someone a 'slow-poke' could hurt their feelings you said you would call them a 'fast-poke' instead. You are brilliant.
Dear Grade 1. We are getting the hang of you.
Dear Weekend. Please try not to fly by to quickly. My birthday is Monday, and I would like to feel young younger for a few more days.
Dear Coen. I'm pretty impressed. As I was browsing through pictures from our vacation I found this one that you had taken. We will have to work on not cutting people off seeing as that is a HUGE pet peeve of mine, but not bad for a 3 year old!

The gift of seasons..

Well, friends. I walked out my door this morning, put my kids in the van, and I walked right back into my house to put on a warmer jacket. There it goes.. That is it.. Summer that is. Another summer gone. I used to mourn that passing of seasons. Now though, as season after season pass through time and I along with them, I am discovering the gifts that they all bring and leave behind. Summer's gifts are rather extravagant! This is my favorite picture from this summer. Yes, it was taken and edited on my phone, but it is still my favorite. It is everything I love about this season called summer..

What gifts did summer leave you with?

Dear Dandelion

Dear Friday's Letters. It has been much to long. How I've missed you!
Dear Husband. You are the best. 'Nuf said.
Dear Grade 1. Sienna is going to love you, I know it. Take it easy on her for now though, okay?
Dear Photography Business. Thanks for growing yourself. Sorry I am not doing my part so well. Next goal: Get a website already.. Well, I've got the website {www.janemabelphotography.com}.. I just need to design it..
Dear Friends. I am feeling so grateful to be surrounded by some pretty amazing people in my life. God has been good to me.
Dear Dandelion. Epic.. Biggest one I've ever seen. Found it during my shoot last night. I had to stop taking pictures of the people to appreciate its awesomeness. They thought it was pretty awesome too so they weren't offended, don't worry..

Have a good weekend everyone!

Love,

Brandy Jane Mabel

Grade 1

Ok ya'll, I am aware that my "little" blog break turned into somewhat of a big one. I'm kind of sad about it though because we did so many things this summer that would have been worth documenting. Please bear with me as I play a little catch up 'round here..

First things first though.. My Sienna lost her first tooth and started grade 1 in the same week! I have to devote an entire post to her tooth story because it is just too funny not to share so be sure to check back soon for that one!

So, she is off to grade 1! We are on our 3rd day today and I still have mixed emotions about the whole thing. The thought of being away from Sienna all day, everyday, was excruciating for me. I figured that once she started and I saw how much she loved it my heart would change and it would be tolerable. Unfortunately, that has not been the case so far. Sienna loves people. She loves being occupied and busy. She loves being given things to accomplish. She LOVED kindergarten. She would come home everyday excited and beaming over all the activities she got to participate in that day.. For some reason though this week she has come home and has had very little to say about her days in grade 1. She has cried a few times asking if she can go back to kindergarten.  Perhaps it is a result of the long days and different schedule, but whatever the cause it is breaking this mommy's heart.

I am praying that God would keep her heart soft and sustain her as she adjusts to this new season of life. I am also praying that God would give me the right words of encouragement to help her.. I just love her so much..

Sorry to be kind of a downer.. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

2 Years

My baby turned 2 on Sunday. I find it hard to put into words how much he has changed me.

He has taught me to love stronger..
..
to live slower
..
to laugh louder
..
to breath deeper
..
to fight harder
..

Not just for him.. For my family as a whole. I would not be the mom that I have become without him. While I often say he has challenged me more as a person and a mother than my other 2, I am so grateful that he has! I want my mothering heart to be stretched to it's limits. I want it to be tested and tried. It is in those places that I can grow. In those places the unimportant is weeded out of me, and in those places the things that are truly to be cherished are magnified..

I am so grateful he is mine..

***

P.S..

I'm back!