Seizing the moment and letting go...

My kids have something to teach me more often than I seem to be able to learn.  They take the chance and capture moments and use them to the fullest.  Our winter weather has produced a lot of this beautiful, heavy frost this year.  My girls have commented about how it reminds them of Narnia.  Magical.  Mystical.  Enchanting.  You get the idea, I am sure.  Their list is always growing.

Not long ago, they seized the moment and took off on a grand adventure with my new camera.  The pictures they snapped were fun and interesting.

 
Never mind there are snowmobile tracks, that just made easier walking.

Don't mind the dog, she just wanted her share of the spotlight too!

                    Sometimes, the "moment" is as much about the preparation as the final destination. 

  Boy, am I glad we have plenty of dress up clothes!  This formal has been in the girls' stash for a number of years now.  They have sure made the most of it!  I don't think I want to know what the plum trees may have done to the fabric.

                                    What grand adventure lurks on the other side of those trees?

                               A snow princess is never complete without the white gloves, you know!

 When all was said and done, there was no "perfect" shot.  No grand picture with the perfect pose.  No amazing portrait that is worthy of a spot on the wall for the sake of art or beauty in the photographic elements.  What there WAS in all of those pictures was an imagination.  A passion.  A moment, seized by the young ladies of the house with a sense of adventure and enthusiasm to jump in and enjoy what is around them.  A chance to bond and build memories that I can't give them.  The kind they have to find on their own.  Without the barriers of mom's rules to squash their imaginations.  While I could be fussing over the lack of a coat or the use of my camera or the danger to the dress or any of a number of things along the way, I am letting go and enjoying the adventure. 

Look at that amazing place they found in our own back yard!  I wish you could see how brilliant those trees sparkle in the sunshine!  How heavy those branches get with the weight of the frost.  How it feels and looks like it is snowing big, frosty flakes when the wind shakes it all off of the trees.  What a magical place to live in!