Reflecting on 2019 Intentions (Part 1)

Now that November is upon us it's  time to  reflect on the intentions we set way back at the beginning of the year.  I had to go back to the original post, here, to see what I truly had intended to accomplish this year.  Most of the items I was pretty conscious of but it's always good to re-read and see how things changed over the course of a year.  Here we go.

Word of the Year:  PAUSE
Well I started off strong.  I really kept it at the forefront until I completely lost it.  When did I lose it?  I would say August and the anxiety of starting a new job started to take it's toll on the ability to just be in the moment, and then the job and school began and it was lost in the depths of darkness.  I'll be honest, just the last couple of weeks am I even being able to remember to think of the concept of PAUSE.  The sad thing is that I needed to remember it more than ever the last two months, when I felt both elated and exhausted by my new position and pace of life.  I feel like I am getting it back.  I am returning to making it a priority most of the days and am feeling hopeful that I can remember not only self-care but gratitude in the little things, like right now I am at a coffee shop, on a Sunday afternoon, by myself, and my heart rate is slow and my breathing is relaxed.

The lake is where I feel the most at peace.  

Family Time
This I feel is actually going relatively well.  The family unit is still doing many of the things we enjoy such as hanging out and watching a movies, eating supper together most evenings, exploring the outdoors with our pups, hosting friends and enjoying seasonal activities.  Mr. and I are also still going strong with our 2-3 nights a week walk with the pups.  

Learn Something New: PhotographyWell like PAUSE I was doing well until it completely went off of my radar in mid-August.  You guys I  haven't even opened up the lessons since school began, but I've kind of made peace with it.  I just can't do it all.  But not all is lost, because A) I have the lessons forever and B) I gained a lot of skills that I didn't have prior to taking this course.  I've used my camera in manual mode for months now and am super happy with the lessons I've learned.  My one regret is that I didn't take advantage of the FB group that can give you advice and inspiration as you go along, and I know I would have both enjoyed it and benefited from it. Here are just a few of the shots that I took but there are SO MANY.

Dance pictures 2019.

Action shot. I've learned that you need to have shutter speed high when shooting action shots, which does lower your light source.  You need to find the sweet spot between ISO not being too high to avoid that grainy look, but also having shutter speed be able to capture the fast pace.

Pure joy.

I took this with the remote in my hand, which you can't see. 

What is better than grandkids and grandparents.

Artistic photography.  

Hosting:  I was hoping to host more often but you know what I discovered is that I already host a ton.  I enjoy having friends and family on a large scale and on a less grandiose way.  This summer along we hosted 11 + types of visitors in a mere 7 week span.  We just hosted a pizza, veggie, trick or treating evening for our kids and their friends.  It wasn't anything fancy but it got everyone together for a good time.  What I really want is more time, which I don't know how to make.  

Reading: Well, I am going to do a part two and update you on what I've been reading.  Stay tuned and I'll update you at the end of this month.  

How are you doing with your intentions for 2019?