Hello lovelies. Happy July 9th!

I had so much fun celebrating July 4th this year that we've been whooping it up for July 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th, too. And Tuesdays always bring me such joy thanks to some wonderful people who, every week, submit photographs that capture an exact moment in time. And seeing that one image, that glimpse of the ordinary, offers not only a warm entry into their existence, but a deeper realization of the common threads that connect and sometimes even bind us together.

Tuesday is community day around here, and I kinda love it that way. So please, keep joining in and sending nudges to your pals to do the same.

Enjoy this week's moments. 

Lunch ~ Ellen

As seen from my bike ~ Paige

Three ripe heirlooms. I did these as practice for an illustration I'm doing this week. ~ Emily

Another shot from our little backyard fireworks show ~ jenmygatt

~ Brittani

Sunday contests. ~ teddy4775

Sunset walk on the beach ~ Elizabeth

The sweaty-fly-away-aftermath of 5 hrs in the bouncy house. ~ Dani

She just keeps growing. ~ Meagan

2 families, perched and ready ~ M.J.

Last and far from least, I want to leave you this week with some words of consolation and inspiration from one of my favorite writers on the interwebs, Miss Meg. Y'all know I adore her (check out my exclusive interview), and yesterday she shared a beautiful story that you need to go read for yourself. Go check out A Soft Light and then come on back...

Read carefully these sweet drops of poignancy... 

We spend our lives seeking purpose, comfort and happiness. Each time we must leave a space containing any of those things, it feels as if we have left our own homecoming prematurely. “But”, our souls cry, “I just got here. How can you send me out again into a demanding world, a different world, a bigger world? I am content.”

There comes a time when each of us must face the magnificent and terrifying truth that we were not made to be content, we were made to be expansive. And change – big, small, delightful, painful – change, is the surest way to reach the places we were made to go.

Now, there is great hope here amongst all the striving and upheaval. We have the power to alchemize unwanted circumstances by giving them direction. We are given the ability to instigate and pursue the changes we want. And every once awhile, those transitions we so fear….really do turn out for the best.

I'm a gal of awkward transitions. I find myself at times clinging to the past (even when it stinks) or projectiling into the future to run from the present. And I'm learning, slowly, that the feelings of transition, right there in the middle of it all, are good, too, even in all of their gangly, loud, and prickly nature.

In the spirit of embracing adjustments while appreciating what is right now here with us...this week's theme is:

Get snapping, talented people!! And tag those photos with #celebratethenormal so that I can find them come next Monday night.

Thanks for being amazing. It helps. Everyday.

xoxo, MJ

PS. Big congrats to Megan and Ricky who shared news of their first baby with me via the hashtag #celebratethenew !! Thanks for speaking my language and huge congratulations on this very loved baby!