It's crazy to think another year has passed by. I started 2014 with grand plans to attack life and live big. I felt so bold that I chose "Legendary" to be my word for 2014, representing my desire to really live my life. To be active rather than passively let life pass me by. I was filled with excitement for my 40th birthday in March. But then I lost my dad unexpectedly in April. Life suddenly changed. I spent much of the year on a roller coaster of varying emotions. So much emotion that I couldn't really handle it all without retreating and shutting down from life. It's been a tough year to say the least. But I'm back here on my blog today, choosing a word for 2015, because I am hopeful for the new year. I didn't spend a lot of time choosing my word. My word crossed my path when I wasn't searching. It seemed to choose me. My word for 2015 is "Open." It is time to be open. Open to life and to living. Open to possibility. Open to change. ...

Recently, I've started taking brave steps towards living the life of my dreams. Now when I say that, it almost implies I'm unhappy with my life right now. But that couldn't be further from the truth. I'm blessed beyond belief. I have a family I love, friends I cherish, good health, a beautiful home, etc.. It just means there's still more my heart wants to share and there's still more I want to do as I live a life that honors my values. So I'd like to share a few of my first brave steps.... A couple weeks ago, in the early morning, I was checking email and noticed an email from my previous life coach, Tiffany Han . I really loved working with her, so I continue to follow all the amazing and inspiring stuff that she does. This email was announcing the launch of her new program, 100 rejection letters . It's a year long program that encourages action despite the possibility of rejection and in the face of fear. It seemed like just the right thing a...

For the past couple weeks, I've found myself reconnecting with my interest in photography and it's been nice. I've revisited resources I had been collecting and I've found a few new ones. Last week in a random fashion I discovered Rebecca Cooper 's Capture Life Workshop at Big Picture Classes just days before it started, so I jumped at the opportunity. We're now in week two and I'm really enjoying the class. She's shared good photo tips, but also a lot of encouragement to take more everyday moment photos. What better way to notice and appreciate the stuff that makes up our lives. I've also been reading a couple photography books, like Shooting with Soul by Alessandra Cave and Art of Everyday Photography  by Susan Tuttle. Alessandra Cave's book is filled with fun exercises that I hope to try someday, but right now I'm really soaking in all the information that Susan Tuttle has shared in her most recent book. I've been highlighting ...

Our new front room As I mentioned last post, I've been finding some comfort in taking care of creative projects around the house. Art can be quite therapeutic. I know that home decor projects don't typically come to mind when thinking of art, but it's been a great creative outlet for me. It's brought me much satisfaction in the past several months. I hope to eventually share all of our projects, so today I'll start with our most recent completion--our front room makeover.  Our fireplace mantle makeover Our new leather sofa bed and fun throw pillows You might remember that we built a tee pee in our front room over a year ago. We worked on it as a family and it showed all of our personalities. It was made with pink and blue fabric that the girls chose (Becca being my blue girl and Kat being into pink). We hung twinkle lights and threw huge bean bags inside for reading. And it was magical.  The tee pee we built in May 2013 Well, the tee pee...

Yesterday I started writing a blog post about how I've coped with the loss of my dad in numerous ways, one of them being emotional eating. I've used other tools to cope, like retreating from the world or binge watching TV shows (like Gilmore Girls or Mad Men) or completing various creative house projects (I hope to share in future posts), but emotional eating has been a big one. Taking comfort in food seemed to numb the pain a bit. My intention with the blog post was to share how I've recently noticed that emotional eating not only dulled the pain, but also the joy.  An interesting juxtaposition. The idea had been introduced to me in the past with Guidepost #3 in Brené Brown 's book, The Gifts of Imperfection , but I didn't truly understand or appreciate it until now.  As I've begun to focus on my health again ( I have an extra 15lbs to lose due to my emotional eating) , I noticed that I've felt much happier like the emotion itself was stronger. But ...

It's unbelievable how fast the summer has flown by. I realize that Fall hasn't truly began, but my daughter's July 26th birthday almost marks the beginning of the anticipation for me. Shortly after her birthday the stores launch into Back-to-school mode and I get excited (like my favorite Staples commercial .... It's the most wonderful time of the year). It marks the start to my favorite time of year, i.e. the last half. Christmas is my absolute favorite, but I also love all the fun leading up to it. I'm a sucker for Fall and all the pumpkin decor and pumpkin spice flavored foods. I love football season, even though I rarely sit long enough to watch an entire game. I just enjoy those crisp, fall days when all the windows can be open and the sound of football on TV can be heard in the background. I love Halloween, especially because it's my first daughter's actual birthday. And thanksgiving, with all the yummy food and time spent feeling grateful with f...

Today is as good as any to start doing the things that I want to do, the things that make me happy and healthy. This message seems to be all around me, especially this morning.  For instance, several weeks ago I decided to go back to using By Jen for my blog, because it feel like it encompasses all of me whereas Running on Inspiration is really just a portion of who I am. So in prep to go back to my By Jen identity, I contacted Etsy and Facebook about changing. After a little bit of processing, today is the day that my Facebook page officially changed from Running on Inspiration to By Jen. And this morning is also my usual Weight Watchers meeting morning. But I hadn't been to meetings for several weeks partially because my leader, Teresa , had gone on vacation, but partially because I had managed to return to meetings all summer, yet still gain weight. So I thought maybe it wasn't the right thing for me now. But something made me check the meeting topic online this...

Magic outside the comfort zone     f/6.3, 1/160 sec, ISO 200 When I chose "Magic" for my next theme, I did it with intention of sharing this photo of my husband. He was about to push outside his comfort zone and participate in his first triathlon (that's his assigned race number written on his arm) and if I've learned anything, magic happens as you push yourself outside your comfort zone. My marathon gave me the chance to experience that kind of magic firsthand. And it was inspiring to witness my husbands own magic moment. I'm so very proud of him. With the theme, "magic" I also intended to share a photo of my girls, especially the magic in their smiles. They are just the most amazing girls and I am grateful everyday that I have the privilege of being their mom. I was also going to share my husband's and my motto, "Believe in the magic," which we even have engraved in our wedding bands. Our motto came out of our love story (b...

A couple weeks ago, my friend Kelly invited me to participate in an ongoing blog tour and I accepted her invitation thinking it would be good for me. I thought it might help get me going again with my blog and photo project. But life has been busy, so I'm not as caught up or prepared as I was hoping. But I'm trying. So here goes. The tour comes with several questions: What am I working on? This is where I should be sharing my creative projects, like my 40 in 40 photo project , but if I'm truly being honest, what I'm really working on right now is taking life one day at a time. My dad recently passed away and needless to say, it's been hard. Each day comes with new challenges. The first couple weeks, I took time off, I cried, I talked, I reflected, I grieved, etc.. I slowed down and paused. But then somehow life started rushing by again and it's been difficult. The world is carrying on around me at a fast and busy pace, yet I'm still standing still, ...

 Silliness   f/9.0, 1/320 sec, ISO 100 Making memories     f/3.5, 1/100 sec, ISO 3200 We enjoyed another fun-filled weekend, this time celebrating friendship. Friends make everything better. Week Eleven's theme, Magic

My rock and my inspiration     f/4.2, 1/320 sec, ISO 400 Nikon Selfie     f/3.5, 1/125 sec, ISO 560 My family and I spent some much needed time together this past Memorial Day weekend. We made tons of wonderful memories. I am forever grateful for my family. Week Ten's theme, Friends

Our speedy Kat running a mile race    f/8.0, 1/250 sec, ISO 100 Finshing Rebecca's first 10K     f/9.0, 1/320 sec, ISO 100    Me and my runner girls   f/9.0, 1/400 sec, ISO 100 On Sunday, May 18th my family and I participated in a local race. Rebecca ran her first 10K with me and a friend--Amazing! And Kat ran the one mile, faster than ever--Spectacular!! My husband cheered us on, saving himself for his first triathlon on June 8th. We haven't always been active, but I am so proud of us for changing that. Week Nine's theme, Family

Mother & daughter   taken with iPhone When I chose this theme, I envisioned a scavenger hunt armed with my camera and the search for everyday magic, but I had difficulty finding the time to actively do this. But Rebecca and I did find these heart- shaped leaves on our way home from one of our training runs together.... extraordinary for so many reasons. Week Eight's theme, Active

Seeking comfort  f/4.0, 1/30 sec, ISO 1800  As I grieve the loss of my dad, I have been struggling to find peace and comfort. The emotions I am feeling are strong and painful, so my natural inclination is to protect myself from them. I find myself trying to numb the pain in various ways, including a few too many desserts here and there. And this is not really bringing me the comfort I need. I just end up frustrated and angry with myself each time I overdo it with the sweets. "True comfort never results in a shame spiral." ~Brené Brown More than ever, I need to remember that I find my true comfort in other places: Being creative Making art Photography Cooking for my family Running Writing Time with friends and family Taking action Sharing Listening to music Practicing yoga A warm cup of tea or coffee Organizing/cleaning my home A deep breath A good night's sleep Week Seven's theme, {Extra}ordinary

Honor f/8.0,  1/250 sec, ISO 200 With the recent death of my dad, it has been challenging to continue on with life as usual. With the stress of things, I had considered walking away from my 40 in 40 photo project, but after some consideration I think that would be a mistake.  My recent rediscovery of photography had been giving me a new outlet for expressing my feelings and I can use that more than ever right now.  In the one single month that I've had both my new camera and my dad, photography was also strengthening my connection to him. My dad had been an avid photographer for years and getting the new camera for my birthday brought photography back into the forefront. It was fun and exciting to share my photos and discoveries with him. So even though it's difficult and bittersweet, I am going to push myself to continue my photo project. Last week I never decided on a theme, since I had no idea what to expect from the week. But then the theme picked me: Honor. ...

Breathe f/5.6, 1/500 sec, ISO 1100 Relaxation has not come easy this past week. My dad passed away unexpectedly, so just the simple act of breathing has been something to remember and cherish. My dad's funeral service is next week, so I don't know what the week will bring. But I do know that I need to remember..... He is Gone by David Harkins You can shed tears that he is gone Or you can smile because he has lived  You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back   Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left  Your heart can be empty because you can't see him   Or you can be full of the love that you shared  You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday  You can remember him and only that he is gone Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on   You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back Or you can do ...

Swinging crazy f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO 100 This week's theme was Fun . My girls have been on spring break, along with my husband, so I was able to capture lots of fun activities this past week, like going to the zoo, to the movies, staying up late for the lunar eclipse, etc.. But it was our trip to a special park that provided me with this photo that just stood out from the rest. It just doesn't get more fun than this. I will say this week has been lots of fun, but in the middle of all this spring break fun I've been at work as usual. This has me feeling pretty exhausted. So for next week's theme I've decided on Relax . I thought this might be a good way for me to look for and enjoy the quiet moments in my life. And it might help me make room for a little more peace and quiet. And who couldn't use a little more of that? Week Four's theme, Relax

My sunny art studio: f/3.5, 1/50 sec, ISO 800 Family game time: f/3.5, 1/80 sec, ISO 5000 Legos as far as the eye can see: f/3.5, 1/30 sec, ISO 1100 A room full of forts, when a tee pee just isn't enough: f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO 800 Here's a few photos that represent "home" for me. The theme and challenge have been helpful at getting me to take photos on a more routine basis. This week I also discovered the sports mode on the camera and can I say how amazed I am at how many quick photos the camera can take in a row. Crazy! Maybe I'll be able to work in a few examples next week since Week Three's theme: Fun .

As I've written before, I turned 40 last month. And with this momentous birthday has come celebration and reflection. One way I had been considering celebrating was with a special race, even another marathon. But as I searched, I began to realize I needed something different. The special race I really need to concentrate on is life. Now when I'm comparing life to a race, I don't mean it's about speed or winning. That's never been what races are about for me. Races are about finding the courage to start something. Something you might have thought impossible. It's about dedicating time and effort to obtaining a goal. It's about getting out there and trying. And it's about pushing on, even when things get tough. I have set and achieved some really special goals these past couple years, but there's still so much more I want to do. I still have unanswered dreams. Dreams worth chasing. And that takes time and dedication, much like training for a mar...

My girls: f/5.6, 1/15 sec, ISO 4000 Hearts and twinkle lights: f/5.6, 1/60 sec, ISO 1600 Creating: f/3.5, 1/1000 sec, ISO 1600 Imagination and childhood: f/3.5, 1/10 sec, ISO 400 Light and nature: f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO 400 So earlier this week, I started my own  weekly photography challenge , and here are my photos from Week One's theme, Inspiration. Each photo includes my inspiration and the exposure details since I am in learning mode. The top photo is my girls peeking out of a tee pee we made the girls last summer. When I was first taking this photo, I was frustrated that I couldn't get them both peeking out the same way. But looking back at the photo, I now see that it really expresses their different personalities. Rebecca is very open, whereas Katherine can often be more guarded. The second photo is a couple of heart ornaments hanging from the ceiling fan in my art studio. I absolutely love hearts and I was experimenting with blurring the twi...