the weekend. family. and Photoshop.

I'm not exactly sure what happened this weekend because the only day I remember vividly is Saturday.

Saturday was full to the brim with fun, Starbucks, family togetherness, and sports.

The way a Saturday should be.

The day started early for a Saturday due to the fact that most Saturdays in our home start around 9/11ish.

But, this one rang the bell at a bright and early 7 a.m.

At which point, we rolled out of bed, dragged ourselves to the showers, and were on the road by 8:13.

Starbucks was the first and possibly the most important destination of the day, seeing that the entire rest of the day could very well hinge on its success.

After Starbucks, we headed West to my niece's cheer exhibition where little girls ranging in age from kindergarten to sixth grade were waiting their turn to strut their stuff.

And apparently "shake it" as we were repeatedly reminded.

The smallest cheerleaders seemed to take immense pleasure in shouting "shake it!" to various friends, classmates, and sisters in the older squads.

And shake it they did.

I'm still taking ibuprofen and all I did was watch

and sway back and forth a time or two.

But enough about me and my aging bones, here is my lovely niece waiting for the music to start.

To say she is completely in her element and blissfully happy would be the understatement of her life up to this point but I will say it anyway.

She is completely in her element and blissfully happy.

As is the little girl in front of her, so it seems. :)

And here is my niece, immediately following her ah-may-zing performance

receiving way more hugs than I could chase down.

However, I did manage to shout a few orders and snag a few shots without too much complaining from the subjects.

I realize you may not know these people and sometimes not knowing someone makes the picture seem less important.

But if you will pause for just a second and look closely.

You won't see fabulous photography because I need a few more lenses and more than a few lessons.

Another thing you won't see is amazing Photoshop skills.

That would be because I am in my first semester of Photoshop and despite what I thought before I signed up....

it aint no cake walk.

What you will see, however, is a beautiful thing.

A girl with the blessing of being able to do what she loves...

surrounded by the people who love her more than she will ever understand...

supported by a foundation that won't let her down even when the world does.

And it will.

Because the world overlooks true beauty.

It expects filters, and editing, and lighting, and perfect angles.

While often missing out on love, and relationships, and stories, and real smiles.

Not always. But often.

And this is sad.

Because while my photo and Photoshop skills are bound to improve, it doesn't change the fact that true beauty was there all along.

In the creases and laugh lines of family.

The gray hairs and wisdom of those we have cherished all our lives.

And the stories we tell at Monday night dinners, around holiday tables, and in the many other ways we stay connected.

The key is...

staying connected.

Because family is a beautiful thing.

Even without Photoshop.

xoxoxo

Christa