Time on the trails | #Gratituesday

Well, it's about two years overdue, but we are finally trekking the trails together.

Tommy has been on his trail running journey for a while and I am finally dipping my toes into it this year. This past week we have been out on the trails three times as a family. It. is. awesome.

Sunday absolutely LOVES being out there. She is never more content and satisfied as she is when she's on Tommy's back and out in the woods. She inspires me so much. I try to not let the weather dictate our days together. It's been a goal to bundle up and go outside every day - in some way. It definitely doesn't happen every day, but setting the goal has helped make it happen a lot more often than it used to.

And I'm loving it. Fresh air and sunshine is so good for the soul. Uninterrupted family time, with no TV or laptops or work tempting our attention is so good for our family.

Here's to many more hours, days, even weeks spent in the great outdoors with each other!!

Join us for Gratituesday at heavenly homemakers!

Gratituesday: Normalcy

As the events of last Friday swirl around each of us, we are all getting a new perspective and reaching a different level of gratitude for the regular things in life. The worst nightmare of those families has come true and if I'm honest, I have a load of guilt hanging over me because my life is still normal. Sunday still cries out for me too early in the morning and she still nurses herself to sleep. What can I do at this time except stop to appreciate every waking moment I have with my baby girl and pray for those who can no longer experience these moments with their kids?

Today I am grateful for the toys on the living room floor, because they mean I have a happy baby who enjoys playing with them. I am grateful for the dirty dishes in the sink because it means I have a family to eat dinner with. I am grateful for the diaper pail of dirty diapers because it means my girl is healthy. I am grateful for loads of laundry with mixed colors because it means I have a husband who is here to help do laundry. I am grateful for the sound of Christmas carols and sparkly lights because they still carry a happy memory for me, unlike many people.

I am very blessed. I am very, very grateful. And I am praying every day for those families living their worst nightmare right now. I am praying that they know God and will lean on Him in this time. He is bigger and stronger than anything in this world and His comfort can bring peace. <3

Join us for Gratituesday at heavenly homemakers!

Gratituesday: Seasons Changing

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Sorry, couldn't help myself. I get on such a natural high during the changing of the seasons. The newness... the colors... lights... enthusiasm abounds. Plus, it really is the best time of year! I hope you are enjoying the hustle and bustle of it all. This week in particular is one of my favorites because it's right at the beginning of the Christmas season... there's so much wonder and excitement that awaits us! So fun!

We are home from our vacation and my goal today is to unpack our luggage, restock our refrigerator, and start decorating for Christmas around here already! I'm excited to share this Christmas with Sunday now that she will be exploring the wonder of it all. Hopefully I'll get some updated pictures of our holiday decor up here soon. You may have guessed that this picture above isn't the most recent. :) Oh but I do hope we will have some of the pretty white stuff soon as well!

Happy Holiday Season, friends! I've got some goodies in store for you this year as well... stay tuned! :)

Join us for Gratituesday at heavenly homemakers!

Gratituesday: Rainy Days

It's a rare day when I am grateful for rain. But for three weeks in a row now it has rained on the day when I needed a break the most. So this week, I want to share how thankful I am for the rain.This is a crazy time of year with my work and Tommy's schedule as well. We've basically just been taking turns single-parenting these past few weeks between the demands of our careers. We're tired. (And I really miss him!) Rain is the best excuse to postpone a session (or in Tommy's case, a long run) and hang out together, curled up on the couch. It's also a good excuse to cancel all of my plans and spend a day catching up on work! Both of which have happened the past few weeks and on Mondays no less.

So this week was an easy one - I'm grateful for the rain at the most perfect time. I took Sunday out yesterday and captured a few quiet moments between showers. She loves being outside so much and I love a happy baby!

Gratituesday is a weekly blog post (that I try to keep up with) I got involved with over here. You should join, too! If you do, be sure to let me know in the comments as I would love to read what you write about.

Equipment used for these pictures:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens

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Liz Cook is the owner and photographer of sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings, family portrait sessions and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.