Beauty Is ...

The theme for Reflections this year is "Beauty Is ...". Reflections is a PTA sponsered competition for elementary age kids. There are categories like Music, Visual Arts, Dance Choreography, Literature and Photography. This is a voluntary program, but Hunter's teacher decided it would be a good opportunity for the kids in her class to all participate. In other words, it was mandatory. This is a great program for the "artistic" kids. Hunter would rather ride his bike and build stuff out of legos than write a story or make up a song. It's just not really his kind of thing. I have tried to get Michela to participate, because this is right up her alley, but she doesn't want to be bothered.

Well the due date came out of nowhere. I was talking to my neighbor and she was telling me about her son's project and it hit me, they were due tomorrow! Of course we had orthodontist appointments that day so we didn't get home until 5:00. I told Hunter to get in the car, I grabbed my camera and we were off. After a short lesson in photography I handed the camera over to him. We drove around looking for what he found to be beautiful in his eyes. The mountains, Bridal Veil Falls and gorgeous fall leaves. He had just made a leaf collection for scouts so I think he was really drawn to the leaves. In the end, this is what he came up with.

I was totally amazed at this picture. It was so beautiful! I love the focus on the leaves on the right and the brilliant orange in the background. He was so cute and so proud of himself. We had so much fun that day riding around and jumping out of the car into the cold wind whenever we saw a good photo opportunity. I love how Hunter and I can have so much fun when it is just the two of us hanging out. He is the sweetest kid.

One night we laid out in the backyard on a blanket, in our pajamas, as we stargazed for a school assignment. We couldn't see hardly anything but we had so much fun snuggled up together, laughing and talking about random things. He keeps asking when we are going to stargaze again.

The other day after our primary program practice he said to me, "Mom, when we were singing that last song (I Know that My Redeemer Lives) I kind of started to cry." And then he shrugs his shoulders. He is such his Daddy's boy; so tender hearted, so sweet and so sensitive to spiritual things. That kid just melts my heart. He is so beautiful to me.