capturing life

I’ve been horrible at capturing life lately here on the blog. But that doesn’t mean it’s not happening.  Life is happening, and I’m actually capturing it, just in different ways. 

I’m big into documenting life.  I’m driven to make the present stick inside of me.  Not sure if it’s the (very real) worry of forgetting that’s driving this or just that it’s been a part of my value system for so long.  But I do believe there is power in keeping records.  Records help us to create our narrative.  To tell ourselves a story about our lives.  To give what we’re doing meaning.  And there is something in the act of documentation that helps me to cherish and savor the present a little more.  In the recording I feel like I live more fully. 

So, since blogging is so darn hard to keep up with, here’s some things I’ve been doing to satiate my need to document:  I’m trying to write in Evernote before checking Instagram…just a little note about the day, what’s been happening, the cute thing Peter said etc.  I’m trying to post enough to Instagram so that my kids and grandparents will have a record of the everyday happenings around here.  I’ve signed up for Chatbooks (google it, it’s awesome) so we get a little printed out Instagram book every six weeks or so.  And, just since my birthday in August I’ve decided to make quick little 2 minute video of our lives month to month.

I’m loving this video thing.  I use two apps to make them: iMovie and Motion Stills.  It takes me about 3 min every couple days to add the newest live photos to the movie and then I grab a song (from our awesomely talented friend Ricky Valadez) to stick with it and boom, it’s done. 

It’s magical to see your life in short little seconds set to music.  All the yuck edited out. Life isn’t always so rosy as it looks through the lens, but I firmly believe that cameras can capture the tiniest bit of life's uncontainable beauty.

The little individual minutes and days and parts aren’t always so nice.  But the whole does glisten.

So, here are the nice bits of our August and September: