weary + rest

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 

and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

“Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?”Mary Oliver

“Sometimes I need
only to stand
wherever I am
to be blessed."

 Mary Oliver

 

"And only you can see the good
In broken things.
You took my heart of stone
And you made it home
And set this prisoner free." 

Bethany Dillon

 

 

“We sometimes choose the most locked up, dark versions of the story, but what a good friend does is turn on the lights, open the window, and remind us that there are a whole lot of ways to tell the same story.” 

Shauna Niequist  

I am not alone...

 

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."Matthew 11:28-30

Bathtime Boy

October Faces

I love this kid so much. These faces were captured within a few minutes. His personality makes me giggle! 

Big Boppa

We took a family vacation to the East Coast to visit the Leet Grandparents. This was also the first time Jamison met his Big Boppa (Great Grandpa). Also the man who he was named after, along with Jamison's grandpa and daddy. There were some unforgettable moments on this trip. One of my favorites from Big Boppa as he looked at Jamison, "this handsome boy must be a Leet."

The 4 generations of James Oliver Leet 

Jamison Joins a Swim Class

Jamison's first swim! Since he was born, he has loved water. I think the only time he has ever cried was his very first bath in the hospital and one other time when we thought it was a good idea to make the water cool :) All the other times in the bath are spent splashing, giggling, and he usually has a huge grin from ear to ear. I am grateful for this because anytime he is having a fussy day or I just need a little break from whatever, I put him in the tub (supervised of course!) and instantly the mood changes! Well enough about baths...we wanted to expose Jamison early to swimming and he LOVED it. I will let the photos speak for themselves. I think my favorite thing about these photos is the reality that Jamison has a dad that is willing to be present and engaging in his life. I love seeing James with our son. A little secret is that James felt nervous to be in the pool with him.."I felt as if his life was in my hands." I like that he gets unerved at times when it comes to being Jamison's dad. It is a reminder that life is fragile and we must cherish these moments. I cherished watching them and snapping photos as well. 

Shoes!

Half a Year Later

It is a quiet night. James is out playing poker with the guys and lil' buddy is snoozing away in his crib. It has been awhile since I have felt reflective AND by myself to give time to these thoughts. So after gobbling down some peanut butter waffles for dinner, I am able to sit and soak it all in. Well first off, Jamison is 6 months old today. I think I say this everyday but he continues to amaze me with how quickly he is learning things. He now sees something he wants and reaches out to grab it. He has also ventured into the world of food, as he has now tried rice cereal and sweet potatoes. Our favorite game is who can make the silliest sound which ends up in laughter. James has proved himself to be the winner so far. Although Jamison makes some interesting sounds these days...especially out of his rear end :) His latest sound is kind of like a gurgle in the back of his throat. Almost as if he is learning to speak French. Every day is met with new things. I am trying my best to enjoy the adventure. I feel like I spend too much time and energy toward the "perfect" schedule or all the other things that I pretend I have control over but really don't. I am not sure why I think that control=peace or contentment. I think I am on to something about embracing the chaos and COMPLETELY relinquishing this perception of order. I used to think that I had a go with the flow personality. Ever since having a baby, perhaps when I got married, I have been noticing this tendency to want things how I think they should be. What kind of adventure is that? I know I want to continually learn so why am I trying to make things the same. I know that I have been able to be present and enjoy lots in the last 6 months but I also know that there is more that I am to enjoy. I am tired. Tired of putting so much effort in making things "right" or even comfortable. Today I have made a commitment to being more aware of these tendencies and I am looking forward to embracing the chaos, the adventure, the unexpected. There is something beautiful waiting for us when we can let go and just be.

Jamison's first experience in the snow...snowman and sledding!


We got these amazing alphabet cards from our housemate Liane. Jamison loves them!!


First sweet potato experience!! Can you tell if he likes it or not?!!

The next 365 days

I am excited to begin a new photography project. My friend Ashley and I are creating together to document the next 365 days from behind our cameras. Come follow us on our new blog...booyaaa, word to your...never mind :0

http://www.tumblr.com/blog/perspective-onedayatatime

Christmas 2011 snapshots

There are too many to choose from...here are a few favorites. Our holiday in Portland was filled with love, food, and unforgettable moments.

Thanks be to God.

Tradition

Julekake, a Norwegian tradition passed down from my great grandmother. It was this year that the tradition would be passed to me, as my own mother taught me how to make this delicious Christmas bread. I decided to capture what I could with photographs. Enjoy!