20/52 //2014

Gracie: "They will not bite me, they will bite mommy" (in response to two geese who swam by with several babies).

Daddy: Ha! 

[Photos: Hicks Lake in Sasquatch Provincial Park, May long weekend]

19/52 // 2014

Magic. 

The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. 

{W.B. Yeats} // Making dandelion wishes on Sunday. 

18/52 // 2014

Curls, those lashes - tweed!  

14/52 // 2014

the 52 project: 14/52.

//

Gracie: The solo chalk artist turned princess. 
Monty Pup: Squirrel? 

I'm exhausted after our first week of daycare / work, however, I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself - ahead of schedule for 52 this week! 

10-13/52 // 2014

01. Farmer's market finds (complete with a hopeful onlooker) // 02. Getting cozy with friends // 03-05. Blossoms! // 06-09. Our recent trip to Whistler. 

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember: you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we are apart... I'll always be with you."

- A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Tomorrow, I make my return to work, after almost three years of raising Grace full time. Tomorrow, Grace makes her foray into days spent outside our home, under the care of others - people who are not me, people who are not my husband. She's still so fragile, yet strong. It's alright (I tell myself), I'm filled with joy over the experience we've had as a family thus far; we are undeniably the luckiest parents in the world.

I will not forget this time. I will not forget these days. I will not forget this. 

I will make Gracie's birth story book - celebrating her adoption and the two families that have become one. I will craft a strong family narrative for Grace, her story sitting atop that of her mother and father, of her extended family. And finally, I will now go figure out how to make an almost three year old a healthy lunch that she will actually eat, in an effort to prevent her from snarfing food off of unsuspecting table mates!

9/52 // 2014

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

the 52 project: 09/52.

//

Gracie: Swinging in the wind, with her best friend Bear in the swing alongside her. 

8/52 // 2014

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

the 52 project: 08/52.

//

Gracie: She finds magic in the smallest of places (hello, tiny seeds). 

Each week Grace and I pick a day to attend the drop-in art class at Collage Collage where we are endlessly inspired. Once there, we find a pillow on the floor amongst the other littles and listen to a story that will inspire our subsequent artwork. This week we read If You Hold a Seed by Elly MacKay, which describes the magic that happens if you plant a dream with a seed. We drew worms and rocks, cut leaves, and glued a visiting bird to our page. It's all about the beauty of the changing seasons at our house right now (current snowfall notwithstanding). These snaps depict our recent walk in Queen Elizabeth Park - Gracie put all the seeds she found in her pocket to be planted later with a dream or two...

The work of our budding artist:

If you hold a seed - by Grace Markey, 2.5 years old (with some mama help). 

7/52 // 2014

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

the 52 project: 07/52.

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Gracie : It's rainy outside, I need my brella.
Daddy and Daughter: Singing in the rain! 

5 + 6 / 52 // 2014

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

the 52 project: 05 + 06/52.*

//

Gracie 05: Oh! I need my sunglasses.
Gracie 06: Here you go, Monty. Sit. Sit. Si-it.

//

*So far behind on everything in life right now - hope to keep up with 52 weeks of 2014 with another post tomorrow! 

4/52 // 2014

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

the 52 project: 04/52.

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Gracie: Endless entertainment with a stamp and ink pad.

3/52 //2014

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

the 52 project: 03/52.

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Gracie: Impervious to the cold, digging happily at the beach in Stanley Park.
Daddy & Daughter: Gonna get you! 

///

Got you. 

2/52 // 2014

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

the 52 project: 02/52.

//

Gracie: making mermaid hats during monsoon-style rains this week.
Daddy & Daughter: enjoying post-run treats at a local coffee shop. 

Week two and I find myself thinking about how I might include both my loves in this project. Elusive and camera shy (one, wholly defiant!) I think getting them both each week will present quite a challenge - one that I will rise to!

Enjoying tasty treats after venturing into the rains. 

1/52 // 2014

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

the 52 project: 01/52.

//

New year, new energy, new set of weekly photos! Joining in for a second year with the lovely Jodi of Practising Simplicity. I now need to decide what to do with all of the photos from the first year. I think I will get a book going - a fun way to start the year! 

52/52

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013."

the 52 project: 52/52.

Hope you had a wonderful holiday! Happy New Year from our little family to yours! 

//

The 52 project wraps up with the last photo of 2013! I'm delighted to have participated and am eager to join in 2014, taking inspiration from so many talented people around the globe. It seems that throughout the project participants were motivated to see the charm of life as we are living it and to appreciate the ordinary (even if I sometimes had to remind myself!). I think Jodi's idea of taking more candid photos is an ingenious goal, and I will strive to do the same in the coming year, capturing the texture of the everyday - the magic and the mundane.

Cheers to 2014! 

51/52

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013."

the 52 project: 51/52.

One week to go! Reflecting on fifty-one photos taken thus far fills me with a vast gratitude for this life we are lucky to have. This snap was taken in our courtyard the day before we left for our ski trip to Sun Peaks. Clad in sock-mittens and a crooked sweater, Gracie perfects her moves, watching her shadow as she freestyles into the late day sun.

I have loved this fifty-two project so much - several talented and thoughtful individuals making a contribution to something so lovely... I hope we can keep the momentum going with Jodi at the helm as we approach 2014!