Our Photo Journal – Volume 1

Happy Tuesday friends! I hope you had a fantastic 4th of July weekend! With Friday off, I thought we were going to have the opportunity to do so much! On the itinerary – exploring a state park, a visit to a local North Shore beach and a planned BBQ with friends! Did that happen?

Absolutely not! We accomplished 1/3 of our planned activities. We nixed our 4th of July plans to stay at home because the girls have not been behaving. Justin and I were seriously bummed. From talking back, to hitting and being disrespectful… our girls were firing on all cylinders (for a long time), and we had to send a big message.

Unfortunately, it was at the cost of visiting with friends we haven’t seen in months. I swear sometimes, okay most of the time, I feel like I am failing at this parenting thing. I am a huge softy and the girls know it. How do you discipline your kids, earn respect and lessen the probability of temper tantrums? Let’s just say we are a work in progress over here…

A Photo Challenge

So, if you catch our journey on Instagram, you might know that I challenged myself to take a picture every day with my DSLR camera. Seriously, I have had this camera for a couple years and barely used it before quarantine kicked in. So, how have I been doing?

Well, I have been taking more pictures but every day? Ehhh, that hasn’t really happened. However, my goal is not out of reach! I love the idea of documenting our life in photos. The challenge is finding beauty/inspiration in the lazy days. I know I will come up with something, and when I do, I will be sure to share my strategy right here with you!

Memories.

So, now that I am using my DSLR, I have found myself with tons of pictures! Which is great because more often then not, Nora asks to see pictures of herself “when she was a baby”. You’re still a baby to me little miss Nora!

I am still working on creating photo books for our family. With over 10,000 photos to sift through, I want to make sure I don’t miss a thing. So, it could be some time before we can actually hold a photo album in our hands.

But, for now, I think sharing our family adventures right here will be a great way not only to sift through our photos in real time but, to give you an exclusive look at our journey…

Our Life in Pictures – May – June 2020

In case you missed it, Sadie’s absolute favorite color is PINK. 🙂 She loves exploring our neighborhood beaches – throwing mussels back into the sound, finding crabbies on the rocky shores, and dipping her toes in the water – she is getting very comfortable with Long Island life now that we have been back for a year.

Bonus read: Check out this post for more on where we were before we came home to Long Island.

These guys come out in droves on the north shore! It is amazing to see them scurry across the beach at low tide. We often run into another young family on the beach, and their boys run around with beach pails filled with these little guys. Don’t worry they always release them back onto the sand. But, boy are they brave to go after them, I mean look at that one huge claw!

Since quarantine became the new norm, we have spent A LOT of time taking walks to our neighborhood beach. I actually got Nora to take a break from making her potions on the sand to take a picture with me. Another challenge, I gave myself?

Take at least one picture a week with my girls. How often do you find yourself in the frame? For me, its hard to remember because I am the unofficial family photographer. But, I purchased a tripod that I hope will make that a little bit easier!

Say hello to Lola! This pretty kitty came into our lives in early June. We adopted her from Last Chance Animal Rescue. A great organization helping thousands of animals here at home and across the country.

This is our first experience with a cat. And, I have to say she fits in very well. She is mellow, playful and great with the girls! We are very happy to have her.

So, how did we decide to get a cat? Well, Nora has been working hard this year to earn her. After 10 long months, through her kindness and good deeds around the house she finally was rewarded. And, what better time to get a new pet then when everyone is at home?

This photo cracks me up! This is Justin around week 12 of quarantine. I’d like to say things have gotten better for him. But, that wouldn’t be the truth, lol.

Let’s just say some days are better than others. But, it can be hard to spend all day every day with a house full of women. How has your significant other been handling the isolation of quarantine?

Well, I think Volume 1 is a pretty good start to a behind the scenes look at what’s going on around here! I do, plan on exploring and taking more photos. How have you been making/documenting your memories during this unique time?