What I learned doing my Project 365 (also known as the longest post in pictures...ever!)

I canNOT believe that I made it through the year, literally taking at least 1 picture, with my "nice" camera, every day.  When I took the challenge at the beginning of 2011, I didn't really know what to expect.  I just knew that I wanted to take a picture every day for a year, and that I wanted to do it with my new 5D so that I could challenge myself to take better & more creative pictures.  Little did I know that was just a small portion of what I took from it!  Here are a few little things I learned about myself through this project:

~ I not only learned how to shoot with my camera in full manual mode sometime in June (I had been shooting AV), but I taught myself how to do it!  This project helped me perfect that and realize I'm capable of figuring things out on my own.  I don't know if you can see a difference in the pictures from the end of the year & the pictures from the beginning, but I can.

~ I was reminded just how really blessed my life is.  I thought my life was a little boring & mundane before this- stay at home mom, helps at church & photographer.  But my life is SO much more than that.  The good times, the bad times, the easy times, the hard times, the happy times, the sad times... they were all documented.  Each a reminder of God's goodness in my life.  What a priceless gift I have been given to remember!

~ I think the biggest thing I took from this is a bit more self-confidence.  I really CAN finish something.  I was telling Dathan I don't know if I have ever done anything every day for a full year (besides the necessities such as breathing & eating & sleeping ;)).  Not reading my Bible, not exercising, not even cleaning.  But I don't have to let that define me, because I proved to myself that I can challenge myself, start the challenge, AND finish it.  I feel as if I have a new excitement for 2012, knowing that I am capable of finishing something when I put my mind to it.  That is priceless.

Yes, I will continue to do this project in 2012... which will be project 366!  I've had to move it around a bit since being sick, but I will still do my project!  And the plan is to put all these photos in a lay flat photo book so we can go through them whenever we want.  Which is way cooler than a scrapbook (or at least a lot easier!)

So here is the Stephens life in 2011. A picture for every day.  Consider this my annual year in review :) Enjoy.