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Doing the Dream (Embracing the Penelope Sized Dream)

9/21/18

You don’t just one day hop on a horse and gallop off into the sunset despite any scene from my all time favorite movie Princess Bride. I love not just dreaming about the future but also figuring out how to make those dreams happen. Come hang out on my couch or around the counter… let’s talk, let’s dream, let’s get ya a binder to keep all of those plans of the heart. But my most favorite part of dreaming is the doing part. The hard work, build some grit, kind of stuff.

Everyone can build a big dream by embracing Penelope sized steps. What do I mean by that? Keep reading!

I really think this passion for seeing others dream well came from my Pops. As kids he always challenged us to think big. “Figure out what you love to do in life Korina! Then figure out how to turn it into your job so you never have to “work” a day in your life,” he’d say.  And I have always been so thankful for that good stuff. I never thought in a million years my love for scrapbooking could build our business. While my love for all things color, paper and stickers is legit… what drove my love of scrapbooking is the story telling. Telling the stories of other people. The beautiful ones and the hard ones. The ones of the all in heart work. I love people and that is why this photography stuff has never been work. I stinking love this stuff. I love handing back these sweet treasures of images for our clients to hang onto and go back to in the day to day real life stuff.

So as a parent I am learning how much fun it is to stoke the little fire in the heart of our kids. To allow them the practical space to dream a little bit. This is the story of Penelope. She is our new Palomino Paint Mini Pony. Meet our girl Penelope.

It started a few years ago. Our Rhi has always had this love for all things horses. For a long time we worked to encourage her love through books, dolls, and any other horse toy we could find. It became her thing. She saved pennies for that American Girl Pony for her doll and named that toy pony Penelope. I knew that wasn’t going to work for long. And keep in mind y’all that I have been slightly afraid of horses since my little “Mexico beach experience” as a teenager. (you can read that story by clicking here) I knew nothing except that my girl had a heart for horses and that they are a lot of work.

A dear friend of ours connected us with lessons. We kinda thought that if she really wanted to take lessons she would do the work to earn them. And she did the work!

She continued to ask for more lessons and a horse of her own. For Christmas she got her helmet… then for her birthday she got her riding boots… and that stir in her little heart kept growing.

We asked our friend if we could come clean stalls. We really wanted her to connect with the fact that this is hard work. While so many little girls dream of having a horse of their own… the reality is that that horse comes with a lot of picking up poop and moving hay. I want her to dream big… goodness I want to dream with her… but we also want her to know that that dream comes with a lot and a lot and a lot of work. And those big dreams are so worth the work.

I call this part the Dream Doing. The part of the dream when you take the passions inside of your heart and put them to work. Little step… by little step. And as you continue to invest those little pieces of heart and time the “big dream” starts to look like a possibility.

One day we were at a riding lesson and a friend shared this sweet mini palomino pony that she had discovered… She was so beautiful… and about the right size for ME to learn in and around. You can laugh if you want to! But I totally felt like if our girl is going to continue with horses I need to be confident around them. And a mini seemed perfect for me to learn the things a momma needs to learn to keep our crew safe as we grow. I can handle a mini pony… We met her. And fell in love with her. Rhian loves her. And Jax loves her lots too! We knew that with as small as she is Rhian will grow out of her fast as she rides more. But that there is something so therapeutic for Jax when he spends time with her. He loves to walk her. Lay all over her. Brush her. He can’t get enough of her and he is so gentle with her. She has been therapeutic for our crew.

Everyone can build a big dream by taking Penelope sized steps.

First, you have to allow yourself and the people around you to dream.  Think on those dreams.You were created for great things big and small. Make time to listen to those desires in your heart. Sit at a coffee shop. Or shoot if you are a busy momma like me sometimes it’s hiding for a few minutes on the floor of my bathroom with my dream binder writing it all down. (our bathroom is for sure my favorite room in our whole house if I can’t escape to the cottage )

Second friends, DO the work. Show up. Shovel someone else’s poop to see if it’s something you might actually like doing. While sometimes I can be a little too optimistic we wanted to see if it’s something we might actually like doing and not just dreaming about it. Make friends with people who know way more than you do. Make a plan to make it happen.

And lastly… this is really the encouragement I hope everyone walks away with in this story. Embrace the Penelope Sized Steps of the dream. Don’t be discouraged because we didn’t get the full sized horse yet. I say to you reading this… Do not get discouraged because you haven’t “arrived” yet.

Every time you wrestle with the thought of feeling like you haven’t gotten “there” yet I want you to picture the faces of these two girls. Rhi and Penelope. This season is essential to our growth. To learning what we need to learn and gain the confidence for what comes next. Celebrate this season because it means you are dreaming. You are in the game. You are investing in your future. Learn all you can. Soak in it. Let it shape you.

And keep doing the things you need to do to build towards the big dream. Be the dream doer.

 

Two Last things from us…

You’ve asked for them and they are here for the little dreamers… we are offering Mini Sessions with Penelope. We have the option of the mini pony session or the unicorn session!! Email us directly to book your session. koriandjared@gmail.com

and

We love dreamers around here and have some exciting things coming in the next few months. So keep your eyes open for another big announcement coming from us soon. Starting in 2019 we will be offering some incredible stuff for dream doers who want to make their dreams happen! Ahhh I can’t stinking wait!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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