A Collage of Photos © Alyice Edrich, 2008

Over the next four years, I would use my camera for personal pleasure, to accentuate my blog, to help illustrate articles, and to create beautiful greeting cards—but not to photograph people for pay.

As time passed, I would discover a style of photography that naturally gravitates towards me. I would find a style, that should I ever want to go into the photography business, would be a natural for me—LIFESTYLE photography.

A Visitor © Alyice Edrich, 2007

To me, lifestyle photography is all about shooting ordinary people doing ordinary stuff. It’s about capturing the real world, and the real person—the one actively involved in the moment. It’s about facial expressions and natural landscapes and living creatures. It’s about capturing the realism of the moment; a movement, an expression, a feeling.

It’s a style of photography that makes you feel complete-and-utter appreciation for your life and the little moments that led up to that captured moment.

It’s about being able to grab hold of a part of history—a play date with your child, a romantic picnic with your better half, chasing butterflies with your toddler, helping your tween cook his first meal, playing cards with grandma—and still be able to share in those emotions years later.

A Sweet Child’s Innocence © Alyice Edrich, 2010

It’s all about the people, the places, the things, and the events that fill our lives with purpose, and joy, and happiness.

Family Bonding © Alyice Edrich, 2007

So today, I am grateful for the person who invented the very first camera. And I am grateful for all the technological advances that have occured since then; especially since I recently discovered how truly blessed I am to have a digital camera.

Give thanks…

While I thoroughly enjoyed our trip, I have to admit that the best part about my vacation had absolutely nothing to do with the destination, the area attractions, or the food. The best part of my vacation had EVERYTHING to do with the quality time my family and I spent together.

My hubs feeling rested © Alyice Edrich, 2010

I have always, ALWAYS, loved getting away from the house, getting away from the worries and stress of everyday living, getting away from distractions and chores, to fully engage myself in the lives of my children and my husband. I am a HUGE fan of leaving the house to spend time with the family—whether it’s a barbecue at the local park, a canoeing trip on a nearby river, or a mini-vacation five hours away, I believed families need to get away from the everydayness of things to truly engage in each other’s lives.

This particular vacation, my children and I were able to spend some much needed quality time with their dad—my husband. And for that, I am very grateful.

My son being silly © Alyice Edrich, 2010

My husband has been working so hard at work, and so much overtime, that it was finally starting to take its toll on our marriage and our family. I know that it’s a huge blessing in this economy and it’s allowing us to get our finances in order from his layoff and cut hours at the onset of our economic crisis; especially since things have been ridiculously slow in my own business, but it’s still hard on the family at times. And his body!

My husband works so hard that he often comes home too exhausted to do anything more than shower, eat, and sleep. If we’re lucky, we’ll get an hour of interaction with him before his body shuts down. Then Sunday rolls around, his only day off, and he’s essentially dead to the world. He tries, bless his heart, to give himself to us, but the man’s just beat so we often try to keep things on the down low.

My daughter’s genuine smile © Alyice Edrich, 2010

That’s why this vacation was so important to us. It wasn’t that we were financially ready to take this vacation, because we weren’t. A financially savvy person would’ve waited, but we needed this time to remind us that there is more to life than work and stress, to have a little fun in life, to experience an adventure. And most importantly to reconnect.

In the end, my husband went back to work well-rested and invigorated. My children got to spend some much needed time laughing with their dad, and getting his undivided attention. And on some level, my husband and I got to work out a few issues that were developing because of all his overtime.

The peace and tranquility we left with © Alyice Edrich, 2010

So my word of advice, for what it’s worth, is that if your family is feeling the stress of this economic downturn and you can find a way to get away—if even for a weekend—take it! Your marriage, your relationship with your kids, and your overall well-being will thank you for it!

Until next time…

20 Years Later © Alyice Edrich, 2010

My husband is the ONE person in all the world that I can be myself with and know that being me IS enough.

With him, I feel safe. With him, I feel complete. With him, I feel as though the entire world is full of possibilities—possibilities just waiting for us to explore and conquer, together.

Today, as I think back over the past 20 years of my life, I can’t help but THANK God for bringing my husband into my life—for making him the father of my children, for showing me what it means to have someone “not” give up on me, for giving my life purpose.

Give thanks…