Wide Awake and Ready to Roar...

I don't usually take life directions from Katy Perry but sometimes she's right on point! I'm wide awake after falling from cloud nine and crashing from the high. I've hit the hard concrete and it hurt but I'm standing up. "You held me down, but I got up...already brushing off the dust. You hear my voice, you hear that sound..like thunder, gonna shake your ground. You held me down, but I got up...get ready 'cause I've had enough. I see it all, I see it now.."

Yep, that's right - I'm already brushing off the dust. I let someone take my happiness and joy but I'm taking it back. One of the things I pushed aside was my love for taking photos. To sit there and resent a camera because of the crap life throws at you is just stupid! Time to take it off the shelf and fill my life with new memories..because that's what a picture is..a memory. It can be a bad memory or a good one. I choose to make happy memories! That way, I don't have to throw away any pictures when I get mad, sad, or angry ;) 

Always the one with a camera, as of late, I hardly ever have one with me. I went out with friends the other day and I felt like something was missing. I didn't have my camera. I had to rely on their cell phones to capture the fun and excitement of our night. End result of not having my sidekick...blurry pictures :/ Never again!! Even if I don't lug the dslr out with me, I will at least have my point and shoot!

Life's a Beach

I have so many great photos from our trips to Hawaii last summer. I might spend a week blogging some of my favorites! It doesn't matter how many times I look at these photos, I can vividly recall everything that was going on at the time they were taken. I love how photos can instantly transport me. I can hear the waves crashing, smell the saltiness of the water, and feel the sand beneath my toes. I can feel the sun burning my skin, feel the humidity in the air, and hear the laughter of the boys while they play in the ocean.

Why is it so important to document our lives in photos? Time goes by so quickly and before you know it everyone around has grown older. I remember when all of my nieces and nephews were born and now they are adults, young men, teenagers, preteens, grade schoolers, and toddlers! When we capture moments in photographs, we are freezing time. In my pictures, my family and friends will never age or grow old. They will be exactly the way they were when I snapped their picture.
Vacations, holidays, and celebrations are part our daily conversations we have with each other. We can share these stories and adventures and our listeners are only able to grasp a small piece of the moment, but a photo will really capture the essence of what we are saying.

So my advice..never miss an opportunity to SNAP a memory :)