Fireworks.

Dear Gavin,

Fireworks are way more fun with you than without you.

Love,

Sis

An All American Boy

I married an all American Boy.
Once upon a time, he was in a band.
He wooed me with songs about America. . .
songs like this one.

Enjoy.

Be sure to click the link to hear the full song.

land that I love. . .

and the winner is. . .

A big congratulations to Rylin Photography
for winning this week's giveaway.

She will receive three lovely 5x5 photographs.

Yay for Rylin Photography!

Thank you so much to Tea Photography for
sponsoring this week's giveaway.

Be sure to check out Tea Photography's Etsy page
for other lovely prints and a heavy dose of inspiration.

Pierce Family: Oahu Family Portrait Photographer.

I was so happy to have the opportunity to photography our dear dear friends Chris and Taylor before they ditched us for medical school. We really will miss you guys so much. Taylor, you know how much I love you. You are one of the dearest friends I could ever have hoped for.

Enjoy.










Joke's over. Come back.

how do I love thee?

How do I love thee?
I could never even begin to count the ways.

xo.

Mom

Giveaway from Tea Photography!

This week's giveaway is sponsored by Tea Photography.

The winner will receive these (yes all 3) beautiful 5x5 prints.

They would be absolutely lovely hung as a triptych.

Sensitive Green

Beaten by the Wind


Sweet Blossom

To Enter:

1. Leave a comment in the comment section below.
2. Entries must be received by Thursday night at 12am HST (July 2).
3. Tell your friends about the giveaway by posting on your blog, facebook page or twitter account, come back and tell me you've done it by commenting a second time and POOF you're entered again!
4. Go check out Tea Photography's other awesome prints at their etsy shop!!
5. Good luck!
   

Baby Gideon: Hawaii Children's Photographer.

I had a great morning photographing baby G for our friends Marc and Echo. So many congratulations guys. He is absolutely perfect. Enjoy.

this is how I'll remember you.

Giveaway Winner!

A big congrats to Tamera Eagar!
She's the lucky winner of this week's giveaway from Simply Embellish.

Tamera will receive a set of customized labels:
text, font and color
or
a completely custom label using her own logo!

Congrats Tamera!

Thank you so much to Simply Embellish Designs for sponsoring this week's giveaway. Make sure to check out Simply Embellish Designs on Etsy as well as over on 1000Markets to see all the fun design projects they offer!

Awkward Family Photos.

My friend Molly introduced me to a fun piece of the blogsphere today. . .
www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com.

For example,
I give you Creepy Santa:

All the photos are incredibly awkward
and some are downright hilarious.
You do have to dig through the archives a bit to find the good stuff,
but I can promise you a hearty laugh.

Enjoy.

Your Most Inspiring Movies.

Yesterday I started a conversation on twitter (follow me there)
that started like this:

In case you're interested, here's the list of movies I received (in alphabetical order) via twitter, facebook and email. I was not discriminative. Any movie that was mentioned is listed. . . Except for Mean Girls which I was informed was intended as a joke.

* Amelie
* August Rush
* Australia
* Beaches
* Benjamin Button
* Benny and June
* Big Fish
* Charlie
* Chocolat
* Dances With Wolves
* Dead Poet's Society
* Dear Zachary
* Defiance
* ET
* Edward Scissorhands
* Elf
* Forest Gump
* Forever Strong
* Gattaca
* Ghandi
* Gladiator
* Gone With the Wind
* High School Musical 3 (I know)
* Hotel Rwanda
* I am Sam
* It's a Wonderful Life
* Life is Beautiful
* Little Man Tate
* Love Actually
* Mall Cop
* Mary Poppins
* Mr Magoriums Wonder Emporium
* My Girl
* Newsies
* Now and Then
* On Golden Pond
* Patch Adams
* Phenomenon
* Pride
* Radio
* Remember the Titans
* Roots
* Rudy
* Saving Private Ryan
* Schindler's List
* Secret Life of Bees
* Shawshank Redemption
* Shindlers List
* Shine
* Slumdog Millionaire
* Star Wars
* Steel Magnolias
* Stranger than Fiction
* The Color Purple
* The Diary of Anne Frank
* The King of Kong
* The Miracle Worker
* The Notebook
* The Pursuit of Happyness
* The Sound of Music
* The Unsinkable Molly Brown
* Twilight
* UP
* Under the Tuscan Sun
* Unstrung Heroes
* Whale Rider
* Whats Eating Gilbert Grape
* Wild Hearts Can't be Broken
* Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
* Xanadu

I'd add: Castaway, The Truman Show, Remember the Titans and Narnia.

Anything you'd add?

My Favorite Book.

My Dad is allergic to fiction,
but addicted to great literature.

Thus I grew up reading amazing books,
and this one is my very favorite of the "non-religious" sort.

Flip through this copy and you'll notice my progression of age
through the progression of my insights coupled by the "grown-upness" of my handwriting.

If you haven't read this,
today is the day.

I can say without reservation that, no matter who you are,
this book will add meaning to your life.

Have a Lovely Day.

Giveaway: Custom Labels from Simply Embellish!

This week's giveaway is sponsored by Karen at Simply Embellish Designs. One lucky winner will receive a set of customized labels: text, font and color! I've highlighted a few below but be sure to check out Simply Embellish Designs on Etsy as well as her shop over on 1000Markets to see other label designs you can choose from!

**You can also give Karen your own logo and she'll create a custom sticker for you out of that! The possibilities are endless.**

Be sure to scroll down and check out the entry process!
We're trying something new this week.

This Belongs To Whale Sticker

Pool Party Gift Tag

Modern Initials Address Sticker

New House Address Sticker

To Enter:

1. To simply enter the giveaway once, just leave a comment below.
2. To increase your chances of winning let all your friends know about the giveaway via facebook, myspace, twitter (follow me there), shout it from the rooftops, whatever! If one of your peeps come back and enter- AND MENTION YOUR NAME when they do- you'll be entered again. . . and again. . . and again. . . up to infinity if you've got that many friends crediting you! :)
3. If your comment isn't linked with a link back, please be sure to leave your email address so I know how to find you if you win.
4. Go check out Simply Embellish Designs other fun products here or here.
5. Enter by Thursday night at 12pm, winner will be announced Friday morning (6/26).

I love you.
Have a great Monday.

Dear Richie.

Dear Richie,

Thank you.

Thank you for 3 perfect boys
and for the one squirming around inside.

Thank you for your insatiable optimism.

Thank you for believing that nothing is impossible
and for setting out to prove it.

Thank you for being kind to everyone
and for treating everyone like your very best friend.

Thank you for being honest
and for being worthy of such great trust.

Thank you for being hilarious.

Thank you for loving my family so much.

Thank you for working so hard.

Thank you for playing so hard.

Thank you for always being there for the boys;
you are 100% accessible and I can't think of a single thing that matters more.

Thank you for being so brave.

Thank you for being so generous.

Thank you for teaching me to RELAX.

Thank you for never being afraid to stand for what's right
no matter the consequences.

Thank you for being so loyal.

Thank you for loving me.

I couldn't have dreamed of more.

I love you!!

xo.

N

I honestly don't know who to credit for this image. We modeled at the Film is Not Dead workshop for Jon and so many people were taking pics that I don't know who took this specific one. . . I think it may have been Mark Wienberg???

Dear Dad.

Dear Dad,

You are magic.

Thank you for teaching me to be strong and just get over it.

Thank you for also empathizing with me
so compassionately when life wasn't going my way.

Thank you for teaching me to be honest
even when it wasn't going to win me friends, money or popularity.

Thank you for being an example of humility
and true love.

Thank you for loving my mom so perfectly.

Thank you for teaching me to be loyal,
but not to be a doormat.

Thank you for working so hard
and being so amazingly generous.

Thank you for teaching me to forgive and forget.

Thank you for never dwelling on my mistakes.

Thank you for always having complete confidence in me.

Thank you for being humble
and always admitting your mistakes.

Thank you for being so tender
and never hiding your tears from us.

Thank you for being the perfect dad.

If Gavin were here, I know he'd add a big, fat, ditto
and a whopper of an I love you.

xo.

N

We Have a Winner!

Ding, ding, ding, ding!

Nearly 450 entries later we have a winner of our Wicked Stitch Designs camera bag giveaway this week! Thank you so much to all who entered!

Drum roll . . . .

And the winner is:

Chrystal Chick
of Memphis Tennessee!!

Chrystal will receive her choice between 3 camera bag designs: Milly, Knox, or Meridian. She also gets to select her own fabric at eQuilter.com (anything $10/yrd or under is fair game)!!

Chrystal, shoot me an email and we'll get you in touch with Alida so you can get your bag STAT.

Stay tuned for next week's fun giveaway!
Have a fun and safe weekend all y'all!

xo.

PS. be sure to check out Wicked Stitch Design's new Messenger Bag which is in the works. I saw it on the Wicked Stitch Design blog today and I love it!

2 Years Ago Today.

Two years ago today I got up just like any regular Sunday Morning. I got the kids ready for church as usual. We arrived at church (probably about 5-10 minutes late) as was the norm. I taught the primary children something wonderful (I'm sure) and we returned home. Nothing fantastic. Nothing unusual. Nothing that deviated from any normal Sunday activity in the Norton home.

When we pulled into the driveway my parents rental car was parked there. Still, not surprising, as they were visiting our family for the week. We all filed out of the van and headed in to get our post church snacks. Normal. It was at this point that I noticed the look on their faces and I felt the sudden urge to throw up. I had NO CLUE what was going on.

Nothing could EVER have prepared me for what happened next.

Once we got the kids all settled, they sat Richie and I down on the couch. At this point my stomach was really churning. The only thing I could think of was that they were going to tell me that they were getting divorced (if you know my parents you know what an absurd thought that was; I just couldn't think of another single thing that would have caused them to look at me the way they did).

I don't remember much of what happened next.

The only words I remember came from my Dad.

" . . .passed away."

It's ironic that I'm actually sitting here typing this in the same place he was sitting when he gave me the news. Looking back, I don't know how he ever found the strength to say those words out loud. He knew he was going to break my heart, but there was no way around it. Dad, I've never recognized you for being so brave that day. I love you.

I remember not feeling anything. It was like down to my very soul I didn't know how to respond. It was all just completely and totally surreal. I remember putting my hand over my mouth and just sitting there in silence for a really long time. Finally I started asking questions. First about how, then about pain. . . I was really anxious to know if he'd suffered at all. I still praise God every day for taking him so peacefully.

Then I remember trying to stand. I felt like my knees were going to buckle beneath me. I was dizzy. My stomach was really churning now. I just walked around the coffee table and took my mom in my arms. The first emotion I remember feeling was compassion for this woman who had just lost her baby. All I wanted to do was take the pain away from her. At this point, I cried a little bit for the first time.

Raleigh came walking into the room. Raleigh. Raleigh. Raleigh. In the instant that I had to decide what to do, a million thoughts raced through my mind. I remembered the love that those two shared. In that moment I could literally feel it coursing through my veins. I remembered how no one had influenced Gavin's life the way his little nephew had. Ever. I remembered how Raleigh didn't love a soul on this Earth the way he loved his Unkie. Without hesitation I knelt down, looked him in the eyes, those beautiful brown eyes, and told him the truth. I think both our souls were broken in that instant.

In that moment, I watched my little boy become a man. . . he was faced for the first time (at 4 years of age) with a huge reality. Bigger than anything any of us had ever been faced with in our entire lives.

I took him in my arms and walked out of the house. We went to Richie's office were we poured over pictures of Gavin on the computer. I didn't cry.

My eyes remained almost completely dry for days. It was terrible. I wanted to cry. I wanted to let some of the absolute disgust OUT and I knew that tears were the only way to do that, but I did not cry.

Then the whirlwind began. There were calls to be made. Arrangements to attend to. Life went on.

And life goes on still. And that's ok.

I finally cried a few days later. And when I did I swear to you that it was as if the gates to Heaven had opened and I could have reached right in and touched the hand of a loving Father in Heaven. God is good.

That is the singular lesson I have learned over the mountain we've climbed this past two years: God is good.

God is there, and he is good.

Me On The Web: How to Become a Confident Photographer.

Illustration Credit: Create Out Loud Design

Forgot to tell you that my most recent post just went up over on DPS:

7 Steps to Becoming a More Confident Photographer.