Show up.

A few things on my mind lately.

"You DO have something to say, we do have something to contribute and if we don't because of fear, we're letting people down who are counting on us to show up."
                                     Seth Godin

And the other.

We all have something to give.  We're all meant to show up.  As we are.  As ourselves.

I can do it.  You can do it.  Just keep showing up.

Summer Bucket List 2014

Each summer we sit down as a family and plan out what we'd like to do for the summer.  My kids contribute and then Mike and I fill in.  

I try to balance summer between work and play.  It's nice to have a little extra time to teach them new chores and have them help a little more around the house.  Last week Jaida said "summer just means we have to do more chores."  And I added "it also means we get to have a lot more fun".  But yes, I do expect them to help more around the house.  It's good for them.

We also try to use summer as a time to challenge them a little.  Get them to do more things that scare them (stuff behind the boat) or they think are too hard (hiking).  Say Yes to adventure!  And spend as much time as possible together as a family.  

I print off the summer bucket list and hang it up where we can all see it.  My kids keep me accountable to make sure we do the things on our list.  There are usually a few stragglers on the list we never get to (like food fight--they keep adding this every year and we've never done it).  But we do our best to fit in what we can.

Here's this years list if anyone needs some ideas.

If you need a little extra motivation, you can join the Summer Bucket List challenge that my friend does and win prizes for completing your list.

"We create to find out what's true"

Let it be known, writing articles for this blog is not always easy for me.  Sometimes, it's actually quite hard.  And super uncomfortable.  

I grew up not sharing many emotions.  So doing that on this blog doesn't come naturally or easy for me.

But I'm trying to embrace being intentionally uncomfortable.  Because apparently it's good for growth.  At least that's what people keep telling me.

Writing in a space like this can be risky.  People seem to think that commenting on facebook, or a blog post doesn't hurt people when they say something mean.  Or maybe they do know it hurts people and they do it anyway.  Regardless, writing, especially about things of the heart, is a vulnerable adventure.  

I fully recognize I may not always be right.  But I write to find truth.  And in the moment I write something, that IS my truth.  In that moment.

Each day, sometimes each moment, I change.  And become someone new.  And writing helps me grow.  Writing helps EVERYONE grow.  Whether you share it with the world, or keep it to yourself.  Writing seems to make things more clear.  It helps me find truth.

I read the following quote about writing and it was a perfect nudge to keep on doing what I'm doing.  Because I believe in building a community of people around this blog who want to live intentional lives and create better life stories.

"Don't waste your time, energy, and heart defending yourself.  Not because your're not wrong, but because of course you're wrong.  Anybody who doesn't know that we are most certainly all wrong is a little scary to me.  

Luckily, art is not about right and wrong.  We don't create to find out what's right, we create to find out what's true.  Right now.  Not forever, right exactly now.  And what's true is whatever was born inside your moment of creativity.  Create your true thing and then let it loose into the world to do what it will....

Every moment I'm someone new.  This is why we writers never stop writing.  Not because there is new material--but because WE are new material"
                                                          Glennon Doyle Melton

Everyone's a writer.  And everyone is a "creative".  Whether you know it or not.  So if you've considered it, give it a whirl.  It may just change your life.

Create a better story for your family. And photograph it.

I've been working crazy hard on the content of the "Tell My Story" intensive two part course.  I believe in the message.  And I believe in the importance of the message.

The first time I taught a photography class, it was because someone asked me to.  Now that I have found the real message of the class, I teach because I feel compelled to share something that directly impacts the course of my family story.


The next "Tell My Story" photography class will be on THURSDAY, MAY 15th.  It will begin at 9:45 am and will be over around 2:15 pm (depending on the amount of questions).

The course has TWO parts.   The first portion of the course will be completed online where you can work at your own pace before the live portion of the class on May 15th.  The theory behind this goes along with the Khan Academy where we're essentially flipping the traditional classroom model and you will do your "lecture" at home, and then come to class to do the "homework".  (You can see Khan's TED talk here)


The online portion of the course will cover all things related to "better" photos.  Both technical and emotional.  We will also talk about CREATING a story for your family.  Ways to be an intentional parent.  And then how to photograph that story so it is documented and continues to fuel our memory and hearts.


After completing the online portion of the class, we will meet together and use that foundation of knowledge in an interactive, hands on class where you will learn how to be in control of your camera, get consistently "better" photos, and intentionally create and document your family story.

You can read more about what you'll learn at the "Tell My Story" course HERE.  

And as always, e-mail me with any questions!  ltross17@yahoo.com

You deserve this!  And so does your family.

"Photography fuels memory....

and memory fuels the heart and soul"

Mitchell's Journey

Picture Display Movement. Step 2. Load and Back up.

{Click here for Step 1 of Project Picture Display}

After I am focused on taking more photos, the next step is to get them on my computer.

I'm really good about doing this with my dSLR, but horrible about doing it with my phone.  Some pictures sit on my phone for months before I ever put them on my computer.  And a lot of the pictures I take these days are with my camera phone for convenience/logistical issues.  (I'm still busy just trying to keep track of the four little humans I usually have around me and all the "stuff" that seems to accompany them).  And without that handy camera phone, I'd miss pictures like this.  Of my kid hugging a mannequin.  Not weird at all.

Here's the key to the rest of The Picture Display Movement.  There HAS to be a system and it has to be SIMPLE or it will never get done.  So find a system.  Schedule a consistent time to do it.  And keep it simple!!  We schedule time to clean.  Time to do laundry.  Time to exercise.  We should DEFINITELY schedule time to organize, print, and display our photos.

Here's the system that works for me.  This will have to be tweaked for each family just like chore charts have to be tweaked for each family (still working on fine tuning our chore/money system), but find something, anything, that works for you and stick to it.

I load my photos directly into iphoto.  When I plug in my camera or phone to my computer, iphoto automatically pops up and the pictures go straight in there.  The pictures automatically sort by date.

Once the pictures are loaded, I make sure they are backed up onto an external hard drive.  You can get those at Costco.  I just bought a 3TB external drive for about $120.  Worth every penny if my computer hard drive crashes.  This is a step that should never be skipped.  It's not hard and only takes a few extra minutes.

I also back up my computer on an online site.  I researched several online storage companies and finally settled with Backblaze because it is unlimited storage for a really affordable price ($5 per month) and it allows me to back up all my external hard drives as well (as long as I plug them in every 30 days).  I have 7 full external hard drives and a nearly full computer hard drive.  I see the "your startup disc is almost full" message more times than I care to keep track of.  I need a lot of storage space.  I have also heard good things about Carbonite and Mozy.

Step 2.  Load 'em and BACK THEM UP!!!

Click here for Step 3.  ORGANIZE those Photos.

(Subscribe to the blog--in the right margin--for updates on new posts!!)

Rainbow Loom for a reason.

My girls are among the masses of kids obsessed with making Rainbow Loom bracelets.  They got theirs for Christmas and have already spent considerable amounts of time creating those bracelets and rings.  I have also been known to whip up a bracelet or two for my two boys who want to be a part of whatever is going on in our house.  There was maaaaybe a small learning curve for me.  And a few bracelets that spontaneously combusted when I pulled them off the loom.  But I caught on.  Eventually. 

I'm determined like that.

Recently my girls have tried selling their creations to other kids in the neighborhood even though those kids have looms also.  I can't squash their entrepreneurial spirits.  Unless they want to do a lemonade stand.  And then I'll squash.  I hate lemonade stands.  But (almost) anything else, I'll encourage.

(They crafted their own organizing system out of a cereal box)

Thankfully, I just found out about a GREAT solution for all those bracelets I seem to keep picking up all.over.my.house.

Jen at Upcycled Education is teaming up with AHOPE, an organization that helps HIV+ orphans in Ethiopia, and sending Rainbow loom bracelets to these orphans.  Along with a monetary donation (of any size) to help support them.

I'm always eager to participate in things that also involve my kids.  Things that help them see outside their little world and become more aware of the needs of people around them, near and far.  
I told my girls about this last night and they were already eager to start making bracelets for kids in Africa.  My parents served a medical mission in Africa so we're already very attached to that continent.  

My guess is, if your kids have a Rainbow Loom, you have a few extra of these laying around as well.  Get your kids involved.  Slip them in an envelope with a little money and let your kids see the beauty of GIVING to other kids.  The bracelets will be hand delivered by Julie from AHOPE in April.

Love doesn't just talk about doing things.  Love DOES things.

If you want to read more information about this project, click here for more details.

The Road Home

"We envision a community that recognizes the inherent dignity of those who live in poverty and homelessness"

My brother was homeless a few different times in his life.  Our family will forever be grateful to the Road Home for helping keep him alive during a period in his life where we (his family) were trying out that whole "tough love" thing with an addict.

The Road Home saves lives.  And I'm not being dramatic.  It saved my brothers life on more than one occasion.  And though he may not have a lot of nice things to say about his experience there (which is understandable) I personally am thankful he had a warm place to stay when I was unable to provide him with one.  One of the hardest experiences of my life.

Whenever I go outside in Utah winters, I always think of homeless people.

Over the past 3 years, there has been a 300% increase in families needing help from the Road home.
Right now there are close to 1000 people being assisted by the Road Home.  And that's just the people who go there to stay.  There are many homeless people who find other solutions.

(pulled this image off the Internet.  Not the Road Home, but gives you an idea)

I know there is a lot of judgement attached to a homeless person.  But the truth is, it could be any of us. If you didn't have family to help you out, and you lost your job and couldn't find another one (which is a reality), where would you go?  What would you do?

OR (and this seems to be the bigger issue) if there is a mental health issue and no insurance for treatment.  A HUGE problem in our society which I have witnessed first hand when trying to find resources for my brother.  Which often leads to self-medicating (thus the rampant problem of drugs and alcohol among homeless people).

 (image from the Internet)

There are a lot of good people at the homeless shelter.  There are a lot of KIDS at the homeless shelter. Victims of consequences that came from choices that weren't their choices.

So when I have a chance to give, or donate, I always choose the Road Home.  And I'm hoping to be able to get more involved as a volunteer as my kids get older.

(image from Internet)

A few years ago, not long after my brother had stayed there, my family did a clothing drive for the Road Home in an effort to give back to them.

We posted something on Facebook to family and friends.  That was it.  My front room was overtaken by donations.

First we filled up a trailer.  We ended up needing to rent a UHaul to get all of the donations down to the Homeless shelter.

Every time I came home from errands, my porch would be filled with donations.  Turns out I know a lot of amazingly generous people!

The truth is, most people want to give.  And many of us have the resources to give.  We just need to know WHERE to give.

If you are interested in learning more about the Road Home, please visit their website.  There are a lot of great opportunities for giving.

**You can donate money.  It only takes $9 to shelter one person for one night.  You can do a one time donation (for any amount) or you can have money deducted monthly.

**You can donate "in-kind" things.  On the website, they list what the urgent needs currently are.  Right now this is the list:

Urgent Needs

• Towels & Pillows
• Coats & Jackets (all sizes)
• Jeans & Warm clothing (all sizes)
• Boots & Shoes (all sizes)
• Socks (all sizes)
• Underwear (new, all sizes)
• Blankets (twin, full, & queen)
• Diapers (sizes 3-5)
• Baby Bottles & Formula

**You can also donate to help people who have been moved to the Palmer Court Apartments, a supportive housing development that helps formerly chronically homeless family's or individuals.  They have different "kits" needed for the apartments.  You can find the list here or through the Road Home website.

There are also many opportunities to volunteer. 

You can find a list of ongoing opportunities here or group opportunities here.

When I was a youth, my church youth group used to drive to the homeless shelter once a year and pick up a bunch of kids.  We brought them back to our community pool and let them swim for a few hours, fed them dinner, and sent each kid home with a backpack full of school supplies.  Now that I'm an adult, I realize what a HUGE logistical task this would have been.  But it was an amazing, and VERY memorable experience for me as a youth.  So grateful for my leaders who organized that event.

It kills me that we live in a world where there a millions of people without a home.  I hope to be actively involved throughout my life in finding solutions to that unacceptable problem.

We Belong To Each Other.

"To me, Jesus sounded like an ordinary guy who was utterly amazing. He helped people. He figured out what they really needed and tried to point them toward that. He healed people who were hurting. He spent time with the kinds of people most of us spend our lives avoiding. It didn’t seem to matter to Jesus who these people were because He was all about engagement."  Bob Goff, Love Does

And because words mean little without action, here are some action steps each of us can take:

1.  Donate the excess things you have in your home and take them to the homeless shelter.  If you need some motivation to gather your things, I highly recommend reading "More or Less" or "Margin".  

2.  Get a group together and do one of the group volunteer opportunities

3.  If your kids are older, consider volunteering AT the Road Home

4.  If you are able to provide food, consider doing a dinner at the Road Home (details on their website)

5.  Donate money to help shelter an individual or family at the Road Home

6.  Do a clothing drive in your neighborhood to take to the Road Home.  This was AWESOME for our kids to be a part of.  They brought in the things from the porch, helped load the trailer, and went with us to drop it off at the Road Home.  Plus we spent a LOT of time during the week we did the drive to discuss homelessness and the importance of taking care of each other.

Why we have to get those pictures off our computers!!!

One of the greatest technological advancements and pure gifts in my generation is digital photography.  Because it is accessible to everyone and allows us to document our lives and the lives of our families in an affordable and easy way.

Here's the thing though.  We take pictures.  If you're like me, you take a LOT of pictures.  And then what happens?  They sit.  On our phones.  On our card readers.  On our computer.

And how crappy would it be if this gem just stayed on my computer where no one could see it and enjoy?!

I am guilty of this as much as anyone.  But that's changing.  Right now.  And forever.

Because truly, the photographs I take are among the most cherished things I have.  Right up there with my husband, my kids, my boat, and my bed.  :)  If there was only one material thing I could keep in this world, it would be my pictures.  Because my pictures are the story of my life.  Of my family's life.  It's what we do.  It's who we are.

But my husband and kids have probably only seen about 7% of the pictures I've taken.  Because they're sitting on my computer.  That my kids aren't allowed to touch for fear of death.  Or a broken leg.  (I'm kidding.  You can read here how he scored that cute little cast)

This is the year I have committed to stop thinking about things and start doing things. Starting with the things that are most important.  Like photographs.  And how to get all four of my kids to sleep through the night.  Sigh.

So join me in this quest to get the pictures OFF the computer and OUT where they can make a difference!

Click here for STEP 1.

"Reality is my problem"

I am in no way a Russell Brand fan.  But this article is an honest look into the mind of an addict.  Honest and haunting.  Well written.  Thoughtful.  And painful.

If you know someone who is an addict, and even more, if you love someone who is an addict (Brother, Sister, Wife, Husband, Father, Son, Daughter, etc.), you "get" this.  You understand this world.

"Drugs and alcohol are not my problem, reality is my problem, drugs and alcohol are my solution."

REALITY is my problem.  Addicts are merely people in pain.  People trying to dull the pain for whatever reason.  People who chose a pretty damaging coping mechanism to deal with their pain.  OR, people with mental illness who don't have any resources but to "self-medicate".

But they're just like everyone else.  Trying to navigate their way through life.

"I cannot accurately convey to you the efficiency of heroin in neutralising pain. It transforms a tight, white fist into a gentle, brown wave. From my first inhalation 15 years ago, it fumigated my private hell and lay me down in its hazy pastures and a bathroom floor in Hackney embraced me like a womb."

The truth is, reality is ALL of our problems.  And we all have different ways of coping.  Some people use drugs and alcohol to dull the pain.  Some people use food.  I see no difference in the addictions (which will probably get me in trouble with some people).  One chooses drugs, one chooses food.  Both can lead to some pretty awful consequences including death.
Yet the drug addict (or alcoholic) is often seen as "bad" or "scum" or "worthless" while the food addict may be seen as "lazy" "un-disciplined" or have a "lack of self-control".
The truth is, both groups are just trying to dull pain.

The part that stuck out to me the most:

"It is difficult to feel sympathy for these people. It is difficult to regard some bawdy drunk and see them as sick and powerless. It is difficult to suffer the selfishness of a drug addict who will lie to you and steal from you and forgive them and offer them help. Can there be any other disease that renders its victims so unappealing?.....my belief that if you regard alcoholics and drug addicts not as bad people but as sick people then we can help them to get better. By we, I mean other people who have the same problem but have found a way to live drug-and-alcohol-free lives."

Alcoholics/Addicts are NOT bad people.  They're sick people.  They have worth.  God loves them, just as much as he loves anyone.  That is truth.

"if you regard alcoholics and drug addicts not as bad people but as sick people then we can help them to get better"

Well said, Russell.  Well said.

Best spinach protein shake!!

I am not a "juicer".  And I have never been able to jump on the "green smoothie" bandwagon.  Every one of those I have tried have NOT tasted good to me.

But this one.  This one is good.  And I don't own a Vitamix or a Blendtec (is that what it's called).  I just use a regular old blender and it works fine.

This is what I drink after a good workout.
It's an adapted recipe from the book "Fit2Fat2Fit" (which is a really interesting book by the way).

Spinach Protein Shake

2-3 cups of spinach (I just grab a few handfuls and shove them on the bottom of the blender)
3/4 C almond milk (or you could use regular milk)
1 scoop vanilla whey protein (I get a big bag of this at Costco)
1/2 banana
1 Tbsp peanut butter (I use Skippy natural)
1-2 cups of ice (this makes it cold, obviously, and thicker)

Mix it all up!

Looks nasty.  Tastes gooooood!!!  (Like, good good, not "healthy" good.  Trust me)

It's not always easy

Sometimes I move my computer up into my room and hide.
So I can get things done.