So I'm 1 year and 9 months into Project 365. {Project 365 is where I take a photograph every day and I post them on my Project 365 blog - the site is private so I can post private information, so let me know if you want an invite to view!} Truthfully when I started I never thought I'd make it this far. Figured it would be another project that I start and then let fade over time but I'm incredibly happy that I've stuck with it.

Sticking with it has allowed me to capture life - normal every day life. Not just trips to the zoo or vacations or birthday celebrations but pictures of Colin playing soccer in the backyard or silly lunches or piles of laundry. I am capturing and creating memories that I otherwise am should I'd forget. I'm sure I'd forget a 2 year old Colin sitting in an orange rubbermaid tote watching Curious George with crazy bedhead. The first Colin wrote Elias' name on his chalkboard. I wouldn't remember what his day at daycare looked like on Feb 22, 2011 or that when he was potty training he sat in my parent's bathroom under an umbrella while my mom read him a book. I wouldn't remember what my chubby faced toddler looked like after stealing and eating a warm chocolate chip cookie or my new baby sitting in a grocery cart surrounded by groceries while his big brother looks at the fish tank at Meijer.

Project 365 has forced me to take pictures of the unusual, the mundane, the typically unphotographed. It has forced me to carry my camera almost everywhere I go. It has made me photograph at different angles, different lighting, and different subjects. It has inspired me to want to take more pictures.

But the best part of Project 365 is the enormous collection of images I have at the end of the year. I have a whole snapshot of our year. I ended up creating a photobook and look forward to making another one at the end of this year.

My blog and Project 365 are being updated but randomly.

For instance, I just posted my Year End Review and it was posted under date January 1 although I have newer updates.

For my Project 365 blog, I am just updating as I am able and find the correct pictures. I used several different cameras over the past few weeks and have pictures on a few different computers. As I come across them, I will be adding them.

Please bear with me as I continue to play Catch Up. I hope you are still able to find and review the new content and latest pictures. Email or message me if you have questions on how to find anything!

Just a quick update now that we are half way through the year. Project 365 is {surprisingly} still going strong. I've skipped a day here and there but I doubt I've missed more than a handful of days. Some days pictures are more important, creative or memorable than others but each picture is a true look into our daily lives. I love being able to look back on our year and am so happy that I decided to dive into this project. I'm also happy that I put that blog on private as I feel I can be more real. Since this is an update and nothing last week is considered a security risk, I'll post the past weeks pictures as an example of a typical week.

June 28, 2010
I've been toying with the idea of {trying to} potty train Colin during my vacation. Truthfully I'm not sure he's ready yet so I kept pushing the idea away. I read an article about potty training this morning and figured what the heck. So on came the underwear. I made two signs and had him help me hang them on the back of the bathroom door. Clearly he was excited about his "Colin car" underwear and his signs.

June 27, 2010 First picture with the 5 cousins.

June 26, 2010
I couldn't choose just one picture.
This one is again another camera picture but I love how Colin wanted to join in and help Daddy and Grandpa.
but I also loved this one. While it isn't the greatest picture we took, I love how you can see how wet Colin is. He was much less timid this time at the Splash pad. He had such a great time that he didn't even want to get ice cream with Grandma and Grandpa afterwards. Just wanted to keep playing in the water

June 25, 2010
Mike drove to Detroit to help his Dad move. Here's a quick camera phone picture showing them hard at work.

June 24, 2010
Colin and I enjoyed dinner outdoors while Mike was working late.

June 23, 2010
Colin helped me bake banana muffins. He loved dipping his fingers in the batter just "one more time."

June 22, 2010
I loved seeing Colin's class' bathing suits all lined up outside.

Project 365 is going private. I want to feel comforatble sharing life but for privacy and safety reasons, I feel I can do that better if it wasn't able to everyone. If you are interested in still viewing the blog, please leave a comment below or shoot me an email with your email address. Be sure to leave your email address if I don't know it.

Colin loves getting ready for bed ... well the bathroom portion of it. He loves brushing his teeth, his stool, washing his hands, everything.