I didn’t think I would start my This Day Last Year posts until January, which is when I officially started sessions last year. But then a few images I took with my first DSLR came across my memories on Facebook. They seemed like the perfect opportunity to share! Especially since Christmas is one of my absolute favourite holidays.

As I mentioned, I got my camera at the beginning of November last year. I say camera, and I mean my *first* camera. (Or second, if you count the Canon Rebel given to me Christmas of 2005. I was too young and stupid to ever learn to use it properly .. what might my life have been like if I had!?) By the time Christmas Eve rolled around, my camera was almost two months old. I had taken one night-time photography class. With the Christmas bonus I received from my real-life day job, I purchased a 50mm 1.8 lens. I had received it from Amazon four days before this. I was still learning so much.

There’s a lot wrong with these pictures. Not a one of them is in sharp focus. That took me foreeeever to learn, if I’m honest. The white balance (which I corrected as well as I could) looks terrible. There are horrid shadows on faces. They’re framed all crappy. The room we were in was just slightly too small for a 50mm lens at a lot of angles. But you know what’s right with them? They represent my memories of that Christmas Eve when Grayson was 1 and Ryan was 6. That Christmas Eve will never repeat, but I can see it whenever I want because I took these pictures.

Ryan was cheerful as always, but Grayson was up past his bedtime due to a party we went to and not handling it well. I really wanted jammie pictures, so we kept him up a few extra minutes. What we’re left with there are a few pictures where he’s less than excited about Christmas. But look at that baby face! I can’t handle how adorable it is, even though it’s sad. And the way his older brother is comforting him warms my heart.

The other thing that is great about these pictures is they represent my journey into becoming a photographer. How much I’ve learned, how far I’ve come. It reminds me of when Ryan, my stepson, learned to write. Y’all, he didn’t used to be able to do that. He was as little as Grayson is now when I met him! It’s amazing how much they learn in such a short time. But there he is, in my last year’s pictures, writing a note to Santa. (To which Santa wrote back!) I may not get to see him do that again this year. He may not even do it because it may not be cool to him. But I can look at these pictures of him doing it last year, and it will always make me smile.

This is why I’m so excited to look back as I go through next year. To share memories with you all, and also see how far I’ve come. There’s nothing like it, and I can’t wait to see what I learn from looking back a year.

We’re about to go on vacation to Chicago. I will definitely try to be back in the blog at least once while we’re away. But in case I get swept away in holiday activities and family moments, to every single one of you: have a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate) and an amazing new year. I know I will.