I hope you all had a good weekend. It rained a lot here in Guam and I spent most of my time cleaning! I have a few things to take care of before  we get to our usual Macro Monday!

1. Thanks for voting for the top 5 photos selected from December’s Friday’s Photo. I’m absolutely thrilled to see what other people are photographing and I hope that more join in on Friday’s Photo!   I’ll publish the winner this coming Friday.

2. I am delighted to say that I am now a contributing photographer for Raisin Toast! What you don’t know about Raisin Toast? She’s only the best new blog around- in fact The 2008 Weblog Awards think so too and selected her as a finalist for Best New Blog.  I’m totally honored and still in shock. I said yes before she changed her mind! You can see my latest article on Composition in Photography right here.

3. Speaking of The 2008 Weblog Awards- It’s time to vote!! So before you do anything  go right over and vote for me! Just click on the badge to the left, or select this link to The 2008 Weblog Awards it should take you directly to the polls where you can select DrCason.org- A Doctor’s Life. And then come back

Go now.

Now.

Welcome back! Did it work?

Thank you so much! You’re so sweet…Seriously I thank you so much.

OK.. now on to some usual Monday Macro Fun!!

For Lisa’s

I had to choose these of my little boy. There will be plenty of days to get other macros, but these sweet baby days will be gone soon. Already my girls are getting bigger, lankier and a whole lot more independent. I look at my boy and weep for the time that is slipping by.

I love the way his lower lip pooches out. Oh I could just kiss him.

Each Friday you get to post a photo that corresponds to the theme of the month. On the first Friday of each month instead of playing with Mr Linky you’ll vote on the top 5 selections from the previous month.

December’s theme was “All about the Holidays” and we had quite a few entries. They were so great but I had to pick 5 that really stood out.

You might wonder why I chose these. It’s really because of the feelings they evoked. They aren’t traditional lights and Santa pics, but more about the outside and weather. There a little bit of quiet in them that I really liked.

And for next week- January’s Fridays Photo Challenge will be - “A New Beginning”.  Remember try to capture feeling. That’s what it’s all about right?

And on one last note- Thank you all for the heart felt congratulations on being selected a finalist in the 2008 Weblog Awards! Woooo!! Hoooo!!

All those incredibly long hours squinting through my lens has been rewarded. LOL. Voting for the Best Photo Blog begins Monday! I will have the badge up on my site as soon as they release it.

Without further ado- Here are my top 5 picks from December. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite. The polls close on Sunday January 4th at Midnight.

Gail at From the Back Deck

Cabe at The Daily Focal Point

Kristin at The Goat

Brian at Broken Filter

Monstergirlee at Monstergirlee’s Photo of the Day

Yesterday I spent some time organizing my photos and I discovered some that I hadn’t posted before. Here are a few - as promised I am honoring my memories.

Happy New Year Everyone- May you have health and happiness!

Here it is:

Isn’t she cute? I love capturing these quiet moments - when a father sits with his girl and shows her how to play the guitar. Her shirt says- Everyone loves a Blue Eyed Girl. I agree.

and now on to my other exciting news….

I was selected as one of 10 finalists in the Best Photo Blog Category in

I know! I’m still in shock and feeling extremely humbled to be included with such amazing company! I can’t wait to go visit the other sites! Voting starts January 5th so I have a little time to do a little house (er…blog) cleaning. I’ll keep you updated with all the little details.

ps- Thank You Kathleen again for nominating me.

challenge I chose what happened to be in front of me at breakfast. Yep I was out with my husband stealing some quiet time and…eating eggs- the forbidden delicacy in our house due to those pesky allergies.

And now that I am looking at the photo I realize I forgot to add Tabasco.

It could have been even better.

Welcome back to Friday’s Photo Challenge with Sheila@DrCason.org

For now-The rules are: Take any photo, post it on your blog (or Flickr account) starting from Friday and through the weekend. Then come back here and sign Mr. Linky. It’s that easy. The first Friday of each month I’ll post the top 5 entries from the previous month’s entries. You then get to vote for your favorite. You may enter more than once.

December’s theme is “All about the Holidays” and in case you are thinking ahead January’s theme is “A New Beginning”.

Next Friday I’ll have the top 5 entries in December and the Friday’s photo challenge as usual.

Have fun everyone! Don’t forget to say hi to some of your fellow players. I’ll see everyone this weekend and be back on Monday for Macro Monday!

p.s.  I am still working on how the best way to do this challenge. What do you think? Am I giving you enough time? Should we do a once a week challenge or once a month? If once a week should we vote weekly or monthly? Do you like specific directions on what to shoot or a general category?

OK enough talking already! Here’s my pics. I really like black and white and have been playing with mood lately but my husband really thought the color made a warmer Christmasy photo. So I caved and put up both.

Also here’s a tip for free. When you do a black and white save the color version first otherwise when you change your mind you have to open up the file and fiddle trying to make the cropping fit the black and white!

Here’s the color  version- which my husband prefers!

My faithful friend.

Somehow some of the frantic parenting, yelling, cajoling and just plain, “Cause I said so!” has up and floated away. Patience has drifted down and settled across our home like the snow I wish were here right now.  There is a sense of relief. After first I thought it was because I was under the weather and I was letting a little more roll off my back. But I’ve recovered and it’s continued. The pressure really isn’t completely gone but it doesn’t seem to matter as much any more.

It’s still busy though and sometimes I wish it would slow down.

I’d like to sit on a nice porch swing with my red and orange wool blanket around my shoulders. I would like to smell the burning fires as it fills the cool air and I then could loll my head back and look out into the night air. And rest. And think.

They say this time will pass so quickly. I should be ashamed of myself- for wanting the peace and quiet.

Am I selfish? Sometimes I start to relax as the kids get older and more independent, but then clinic gets busier and I still hold my breath moving from room to room. It’s a constant struggle. Just. To. Slow. Down.

“Only 5 more days of clinic and then I’m off to be a medical administrator. ” That’s what he told me. And I was floored. So I asked him, “Will you double book your appointments or linger with each patient?”

Because if it were me? If it were me..and I had only 5 more days of clinical medicine then I’d linger and chat. If I had only 5 more days, I’d cry.

Which makes me think of the kids. If I had only 5 more days with the kids and then they be grown, I’d sob.

So amidst the business of raising children, I must be grateful.  I must smell their wet hair, bath their dirty bodies, read them I spy and giggle over the snowman in the corner. (He told me he couldn’t find it. And I agreed and then he got it and I hugged him to me.)

One year ago they were a little chubbier. Their stature petite.

Some of is now gone. But thank goodness the innocence is still there.