Photo Blogging Challenge – Give Thanks

The Photo Blogging Challenge prompt for November was “Give Thanks”.

Boy, do I have a lot to be thankful for.

This made me tear up when it came home with my daughter’s art from preschool

Let’s start with my daughter, Elise.

I was having Elise developmentally tested & we got an Autism diagnosis 2 weeks ago.

I’m really happy to have a name for the difference I see between my daughter and her 4 year old peers.

I’m also super lucky to already have a great group of Autistic friends – all thriving as adults. Positive is my only reference point!

I’m thankful for family!

My brother has been overseas for work (Qatar and Greece) so it was wonderful to see him on Thanksgiving.

Elise is obsessed with dinosaurs. Dave flipped each page and asked Elise to tell him the dinosaurs. I have cute video too.

Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary on Cape Cod

I’m thankful for Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuaries and that our family was gifted a membership from Grandma on Dad’s side.

Our family of 3 can often be found exploring Mass Audubon sites on the weekends.

Barry Clifford – treasure hunter & historian

I’m thankful for the kindness of strangers.

A few weeks ago, my family and my in laws visited the Whydah Pirate Museum on Cape Cod. (The museum is very worth it and I recommend it.)

The museum goes over the history of the ship “Whydah” from origin until today – a wreck of Cape Cod that’s actively being searched for historical items.

Barry Clifford is the explorer who found the Whydah wreck.

Barry is also the man in the photo above. He was at the museum the day we visited and noticed my daughter investigating the cannons. While Elise was talking to Grandma, he hid 2 plastic coins in 2 different cannons for my daughter to find!

I cried tears of joy. Here I was worried Elise was getting bored and his kindness made my day.

Finally, I’m thankful for the beauty of New England nature – especially on Cape Cod.

You can find our family on Cape Cod at least 1 weekend a month, if not more. (My in-laws live mid-cape.)

Did you enjoy my photos? Looking forward to seeing what everyone else is thankful for – and their creative photos.

October Photo Blogging Challenge – Get out and play

Posted by Getting Fit In MA

How did October fly by?

My job is nonprofit fundraising and we’re about to head into the busiest season of donations in the whole year. (Good busy!)

The October Photo Blogging Challenge is “Get out and play!“

October with a nearly 4 year old has us appreciating play. I have a wealth of photos to choose from that would fit the theme. The hard part is picking 5.

We celebrated cousin Georgette’s 3rd birthday at a park in Walpole. I was extremely impressed by all the ride on toys at the playground for kids to use. Elise tried out a few.

My daughter finds play everywhere. She loves arranging shells when we visit her grandparents who live on Cape Cod.

On the Cape, the town of Chatham hosts “Pumpkin People in the Park” every October.

The displays are always wonderful, but not usually interactive like 2 were this year.

Above, my daughter attempts a “pumpkin push up”

You don’t need any event to play. Here’s my daughter enjoying running on the beach. Later in the day she pretended she was rescuing sea turtle eggs and some adults turned to look. I whispered “they’re imaginary” and the adults smiled and walked on.

This last picture was in Dorchester at the Pumpkin Parade.

After a fun night of trick or treating and seeing family who were volunteering – Elise and Daddy walk back to the car. I liked her light up shoes and glow bracelet adding to this one.

So there you have my 5 photos.

Looking forward to seeing the other posts from those in the photo blogging challenge.

Photo Blogging Challenge – It’s Your World

Posted by Getting Fit In MA

The theme for September’s photo blogging challenge was “It’s Your World”

September is National Service Dog Month.

Since I work in fundraising for a nonprofit that trains service dogs for the Deaf and Autistic, I hosted a few “Barks and Brews” fundraisers at local breweries.

I walk by this fountain often, about a 5 minute walk from my home.

On Smithsonian Free Museum Day my family visited the Rhode Island Audubon. There’s a nice museum on the natural environment and then miles of beautiful walking trails.

I’m a huge fan of the Quincy Farmers Market & I helped plan their 40th anniversary celebration.

The 40th anniversary celebration for Quincy Farmers Market was on the USS Salem and it was a lobster clambake. The food was amazing and the company quite fun.

So there’s a glimpse into what “my world” looked like in September.

Looking forward to seeing everyone else’s photos.

Photo Blogging Challenge – Adventure

Posted by Getting Fit In MA

I’m late again for the Photo Blogging Challenge, but here’s August’s “Adventure“

I started a new job in August, and that’s an adventure I’m adoring.

I’m the northeast fundraising manager for Dogs for Better Lives. They train service dogs for the Deaf and Autistic.

My family and I went to the first annual Cape Cod Pirate Festival and it was so much fun

I liked this library display about Cape Cod, one of our favorite adventure spots

Space bunny at her first Chatham Band concert

Better late than never! Hope you enjoyed my photos!

Photo Blogging Challenge – Happy

Posted by Getting Fit In MA

The theme for the July photo blogging challenge was “Happy”

Boy do I have a lot of options to choose from with July photos!

In non photo news, I have a new job fundraising for an organization who trains service dogs for Deaf adults and Autistic children. I’m 2 weeks into the job and am loving it, but that delayed blogging. Oops.

Fried clams after walking on Wollaston Beach make me happy!

This is the toy my daughter got for registering for the kids summer reading challenge

Dandy Lion made both me & my daughter happy.

On July 4th weekend we went to the Springfield Museum complex – all 3 of us were happy
Here’s my daughter building in the Dr. Seuss Museum

Street art makes me happy
I discovered this mural in Quincy, MA when I was walking to the farmers market

My family went to the Barnstable County Fair and the only reason I wanted to go was to see the dog show! It made me so happy.

So there are my July submissions with 1 bonus photo.

Looking forward to seeing everyone else’s photo challenge posts & hopefully being more timely in September with my August photo post.

Photo Blogging Challenge – DIY

Posted by Getting Fit In MA

The June photo blogging challenge is “DIY” – which stands for do it yourself.

I may not be the one DIYing in every photo, but someone is.

Photo one:

I absolutely hate making raffle baskets. I’m fine asking for the items to be donated but putting the baskets together is my personal heck.

Despite that aversion, I put together about 45 of the 50 total raffle baskets for Quincy Pride Festival. (And I burnt myself out and quit the board. Oops)

Please ignore my messy background (I couldn’t figure out how to blur). The gift card bouquet is a display I’m most proud of the presentation.

Quincy Pride Festival on June 6th was a success by every measure. I was in charge of everything fundraising related, and the dog show. $24,000 was raised, 90% personally raised by me. Fundraising is my favorite DIY and why my profession is nonprofit fundraising.

Thousands of cranes made by elementary and high school students in Quincy

My family had a wonderful time at the unveiling of the Quincy crane project. I believe every school made 1k to get a school wish. Great DIY students!

Thank you to whoever DIYed this fairy house behind a playground in Dorchester, MA! My daughter and her cousin Hollis adored it.

When my father in law put fruit on the birdhouse, I was concerned all he would catch is ants. He had the last laugh and his DIY impressed me.

Thank you to the crafter who thought of this then DIYed it! My father loved it as part of his Father’s Day present.

So there you go! From LGBT Pride Month in June, on we go to Disability Pride Month in July

4th of July weekend in MA is supposed to be cold and rainy, but I hope you have better weather where you are!

Photo Blogging Challenge Spring Has Sprung

Posted by Getting Fit In MA

The theme for the May photo blogging challenge was “Spring Has Sprung“

I have a bunch of options for this post but let me start with what consumed my May: planning Quincy Pride Festival.

We had one month only from getting city approval to hosting the Quincy Pride Festival (on Sunday last week). The hard work was worth it and it was a wonderful event.

Here’s a rainbow heart Quincy Pride board (myself included) set up in Quincy Center on May 31st

Spring in New England still has rain – so my daughter made the most of it puddle jumping

Quincy, MA is beautiful and I got this photo on a walk downtown – in a historic cemetery.
I just love the blooming tree!

Spring means a bunch of baby goats at this farm in MA

Spring in MA brings some days perfect for patio dining. I enjoyed my mule at Rozafa.

There you go on my photos.

Looking forward to seeing everyone else’s and snapping away for the June theme “DIY”

Photo Blogging Challenge Drink Up

Posted by Getting Fit In MA

The theme for the April photo blogging challenge was “Drink Up“

I had fun with the theme but knew from the second I saw it that I wouldn’t be taking beverage photos.

Here’s my creative take!

It wasn’t intentional but my toddler daughter got featured in all of the photos this month.

My brother is going to Qatar for 9 months for work, and we had a going away party for him.

My mom gave my daughter the cake toppers to play with and she was overjoyed at the additional to her toy collection.

This goat is drinking up attention and getting snacks

My daughter and I went to pre-school storytime at Unity Farm Sanctuary and oh my goodness this goat was using their height to get food and attention. The farm owner gave the lettuce to us to feed the goats, so it’s part of their diet.

My daughter loves books and is just starting to memorize them to “read” to us.

This is from Easter – sitting on my dad, her Grandpa.

My daughter was given an Easter basket with fake grass in it and she had so much fun making a mess. Why not enjoy it and clean up later, right?

My daughter and I got out in nature a lot in April. This is her riding on Grandpa’s shoulders in Sylvan Gardens on Cape Cod.

I hope you enjoyed my photos. I enjoyed taking them.

Photo Blogging Challenge – Eight

Posted by Getting Fit In MA

The March photo blogging challenge was “eight“.

It’s celebrating the 8th anniversary of the photo blogging challenge.

There’s a restaurant called “Old Mill” that has birds in the pond. I lucked into a photo with 8 birds in it.

My 3 year old daughter loves her magna tiles. She made this and I proudly took a photo.

I love this photo from the Franklin Park Zoo. I get 8 from the 3 children watching 5 chickens. My daughter is the one farthest from the camera.

*8 cupcakes with light green jelly beans*

My sister in law baked cupcakes for St. Patrick’s Day

This photo is my favorite that I got for this challenge and it’s actually the first one I took in March. My daughter and I were walking in Quincy and I spotted the rock.