“Sometimes I do get to places

 just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter.”

Ansel Adams

I love to photograph the sunrise at the beach.  It is such a peaceful and serene moment.  It feels as if  you are stealing a breath of God with each picture as the sun breaks over the horizon....it is that powerful.  They are energizing and inspiring and can really set the tone for the day.  I miss them,  as they occur only from fall to spring....the sun shifts and comes back.  I think I have taken over 5,000 pictures of sunrises in the past three years. I have never seen two the same, although some seem more spectacular than others.  And as beautiful as they are, I am glad that they are only there for a certain time, making them even more special.  Even anticipating when they will return and make there way past the pier and nestle back into the ocean's arms. 

Now when I venture out in the morning on the beach....my camera and I explore and capture other moments that are missed if one was looking at only the sunrise.  It is that way with life at times, we get so caught up in things that we think are important or focus so much on things that we miss the little things.  Things like the broken shell on the shore, the bird's reflection in the water, the sound of the water not when it crashes in the wave but when it gently rolls up on the shore.  We get caught up in life and lose the moments.  One thing is certain...the sunrises, the sunsets....what is really important are the moments we capture inbetween!

In a world filled with photoshopped pictures that are retouched to make a photograph altered in hopes of creating a masterpiece....no one would have ever suggested to alter Picasso's work.....it is nice to look at and appreciate true art in a natural sense.....that a photo when when taken needs no touch ups and can stand on its own and becomes timeless......

You don't take a photograph. You ask, quietly, to borrow it. And if you are really lucky, the photo takes you ~ Author Unknown

Above all, I craved to seize the whole essence, in the confines of one single photograph, of some situation that was in the process of unrolling itself before my eyes. Henri Cartier-Bresson

There are times I get so tickled at Elliott...tonight he is playing foosball right behind me (by himself) and he keeps saying "are you laughing at me....are you laughing at me....the red team is winning...I am the fastest spinner in the game...you give yourself a point...hahaha" oh my stars my sides are aching!! He often laughs at dinner (usually about something his friend Javion has said earlier that day) and he cannot get it under control. He just laughs and gets himself tickled in the process. It is an infectious kind of laugh. There are many nights where I wish it was the silly kind of laughter filled kind....but often it is in tears and frustration. I envy his carefree spirit and finding a way to laugh even when he doesn't know what else to do or feel. He gets into each moment so intensely, whether it is humorous or heartbreaking. When he is upset and angry he has such a hard time expressing emotions that leads to him being somewhat inconsolable. He sometimes will say when he gets in trouble, it isn't me mom...it is my autism. He is way smarter than he is given credit for. I know I expect more from him than most, I push him hard to keep trying and not give up. Can't is not a word he will know. I do not his diagnosis define him or our family. I know he can do anything that he sets his mind to, we just have to sometimes go around our elbow to get to our thumb. I don't give him a pass for being Autistic (sure we pick our battles some nights when there are things that set him off). Society will not give him a pass, even though more and more are empathetic towards individuals with Autism. It would be ideally to live in a world that sees Elliott as I see him. But after a night like tonight...it would be something to see the world the way Elliott sees it~

Today was our 5K Run/Walk for Autism....it was a wonderful day...Elliott wore his police costume and Cooper wore his Army helmet and vest. Sandee and I joked that we should have worn a construction helmet and a Native American headdress. We said that some say it takes a village to raise a child, we'll we are the Village People! We began the race at the very back of the line (as all the runners were to be in front, walkers and strollers were to be in the back) We were the last team with only the police car behind us. We met up with a group of walkers before reaching mile marker one. Soon after, Elliott wanted to run because he said his "brain was telling him to run"...so we did (jogging). We left Sandee to push Cooper and off we went! We passed several people and Elliott saw two girls up in front. He said mom, we are team number two, if we can pass them we will win the race! And once we passed the girls, Elliott shouted over and over again to everyone he saw "WE ARE TEAM NUMBER ONE!" all the way to the finish line. It was such an overwhelming experience...each person that gave us support....made that moment possible ♥ It was priceless, and I was glad that everyone ahead of the girls had already finished so that we didn't have anymore to pass. We only planned on walking and not running so I was wearing flip flops...so picture my ... little policeman running full steam and me trying to keep up in flipflops behind....With him yelling all the way...what a pair we were!!! It still makes me smile big just thinking about it!! Next year I will wear tennis shoes and be prepared to RUN!! My camera was back in the stroller with Sandee and Cooper. I so wanted to take a picture of him crossing the line with his hands up in the air and his heart filled with pride thinking he was the first one to finish. It was a keepsake kind of moment, where there was no need for a picture, we were in the moment. I could feel it...and it was a moment I'll remember forever, crossing the finish line with him! We spent the afternoon listening to a Rock the Spectrum concert and Elliott enjoyed spinning to the hard rock bands! Cooper did his Lord of the Dance interpretation with his leg kicking moves! Our team the WonderTwinz raised the second highest amount for the day and we won a wonderful gift basket with Karate lessons, shirts and some gift certificates. It was truly and honor to raise the money. I had so many friends and family members on facebook donate, it was truly touching. I literally was in tears at each donation made. I shared with some how moving the donations were to me, we have lost all state funded services and are blessed to have insurance and school supports in place...but so many are not as fortunate and the services that are lost are so desperately needed. So many that gave, were under financial stress themselves (lost jobs, homes, etc) and they gave in such a big way! We give a BIG THANKS to my FB family that have honored Elliott and supported our family: Anji, Ron, Michelle, Missy B, Lynda, Andrea, Mary, Sherri, Liz, Leanne,Misty, Denise and Jim, Joy and Kevin, Dave and Heidi, Wendy W, Karen, Laura, Beth K, Donna Lea, Kinga, Kimberly, Pierre, Pam, Mary Jean, John S., Ricky M., Luke and Christine, cousin Homer, Jerry H., Jasmine, Yvonne and Yvette, Raymond and my mom, special thanks to Mike Zitz, Jenn and Bucky who have donated and posted our link on their FB pages....And to Sandee who came down and walked with us! We walked because you ROCKED ♥ We Love you!!!