I keep checking my blog for new posts, but alas, all signs of “new life” and new projects are notably absent. I guess I should give in and write some posts to freshen up the place. 😉

Truth is, I started out 2014 with a lot of ambition and energy, and once my precious new baby arrived in the spring the blog took a back seat and I took some personal time to focus on family. I’ve relished my time snuggling my precious baby and playing with my big kids. I’ve also enjoyed creating art with and for my kids- so my creativity has been put to good use. I scaled back my photography sessions to a bare minimum for all of 2014- this was difficult for me but also necessary. I also spent a large portion of the year caring for my father when he was diagnosed with lymphoma last summer. He passed away at the end of August.

I enjoy a reasonable amount of privacy and personal (family) space, but yet there is so much I want to share! I am excited to blog a little more frequently and have committed to some fun goals for 2015. This list includes:

• Finish scanning and labeling hundreds of family photographs (I actually have a significant portion of this completed!)
• Compile a photographic/ written biography about my father.
• Create a “family yearbook” for 2014- hubby and the kids have been helping to remember the highlights and memorable experiences. I also want to document 2015’s yearbook content “as we go.”
• Finish remodeling our “fixer upper” 1930s bungalow house in Sanpete County and get it sold! (Our primary residence will remain the same-we’re not moving any time soon!)
• Read the Book of Mormon.
• Interview my mother and mother-in-law … (I recently interviewed and recorded stories about my father-in-law). This is a big one on my list!
• More art projects with my little ones–they absolutely love anything that has to do with paper, paint, wood, fabric, wool and photography. I can always count on an artist companion any time I start up a new creation.
• Date my hubby . . . his new year’s resolution was to take me on 24 dates this year! I am happy to support this, as the past 14 years have been heavily devoted to our babies and not having many opportunities to go out on a regular basis. Our first date for 2015 was a bowling night- we bought each other bowling shoes for our anniversary and christened them last week!
• I want to learn how to compost and keep up our garden this year. We have a nice garden space, and a good sized yard, but my hubby usually does the majority of gardening. I want to involve the kids and I more. Also, I want to plant more herbs and learn how to harvest them.
• Improve my sewing skills- zippers still frighten me, but I think I can take this one on. I plan to make a birthday dress for baby and surely another quilt or two.
• Take pictures- I look forward to booking some clients this year, but it will continue to be a scaled back version of what I used to do in previous years.
• Ride my bicycle (get some exercise!)
• Soak up every precious minute with my little ones who are somehow growing bigger  even though I squeeze them tightly! Our baby girl will be ten months old soon. She thinks it is acceptable to grow up right before my very eyes. The nerve!

Our 2014- from left (January) to right (December) was dotted with many happy memories along the way.