www.juliealley.com

Hello Monday! Hello new Julie Alley Photography website.

Today I launch my brand new photography website and just thought I'd put it on the j train for a little additional self-promotion.

This weekend someone asked me how long I've been taking pictures. I had to do the math and it made me feel old to have to say 17 years! I guess one good thing to come with age is experience.


Here is the link. From the website you can go to my blog and facebook page. Thanks for taking the time to look!

www.juliealley.com

Much love,
Julie


Thanks to:
Jimmy (for numerous reasons)
Tara for the logo/pics of me (sorry for stepping on your counter top)
Gary for the beach photo (sorry I didn't ask if I could use it)
Jeremy/Christopher for website help for many years (and for 3X5 cards)
Everyone in every single one of my photos!

I heart Music

Last night I was driving the van with my two youngest and "Tiny Dancer" (the Ben Folds live version) began to play. The catchy piano melody always evokes emotion. (And reminds me of the scene in Almost Famous.) Anyway, a few lines in I hear a sound behind me and I think I know what it is but I check the rear view mirror to be sure. It is the sound of my baby's hands clapping together. She has a huge smile on her face. No one prompted her to clap or smile or do both at the same time. She's just hanging out in her seat clapping and smiling and feeling good.

I cannot explain how I felt in that moment. The music, the baby, the chubby hands, the 6 toothed smile, the legs bouncing...there are no words. Now this song will forever remind me of my little tiny dancer and her clapping that made me feel good all over.

Music does that. You can close your eyes and hum a melody and you're somewhere else. Of all the things God created music is one of the most amazing. From just a few tones we can make an infinite number of melodies. And they can make you feel things. Even one note played in a certain way can convey a feeling. It is incredible. My cello teacher used to tell me to "make it sing!" And I knew exactly what she meant.

My older kids have been into the Beatles. Tonight the whole family is in the car listening to "Ob La Di Ob La Da" and we're just together. We're in it together. There is no escaping. We're all listening to the same thing. The windows were down, it was loud, it's about a couple of kids running in the yard-- there is laughing in the song for crying out loud-- it just made me love music all over again.

And then "Julia" comes on and everyone gets really quiet. For the entire song. It's never quiet in the van. It was amazing. They were really just listening.

Then we went to our church Fellowship group and talked about the excellencies of Christ. I'm going to proclaim it. Music! Music is excellent. I am truly grateful for it.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above.." James 1:17

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9

Happy Year!

Happy New Year and Happy Birthday Juliet! Not necessarily in that order. Many are confused by the fact that this onesie my sister bought me while I was pregnant was wishful thinking. My due date was December 31, 2010. She was hoping I would not have to carry Juliet beyond my due date and we were all relieved when she popped out at 7:11 p.m. on New Years Eve last year.


So this year New Years Eve was twice the celebration and we could not have brought the new year in any better as we were with friends at a cabin in the mountains of north Georgia. This year I actually stayed up to wince at Dick Clark and kiss my man. Last year Jimmy and I turned out the lights in our hospital room at 11:45 p.m. and went to sleep.



We have been very busy getting back to normal. Today we began school again and I was reminded what home school and normal for me means...Having to call the Dr. because your 4 year old stuck a Q tip too far in her ear and it's been bleeding for 2 days. Having to insert the ear drops. Having your husbands car act weird. Having to deal with mail and papers. Having to do these and many other things simultaneously. We had a successful day and I even took some one year photos of Juliet. (I posted some on my Julie Alley Photography facebook.)


It is definitely bittersweet, the first birthday. My precious angel is getting so big. The end of babyhood forever for me is rearing it's toddler-like head. But to see how much she's grown, how blessed she has been with good health...it is a celebration indeed. Happy Birthday Juliet!