and tons of adoration, right? I've noticed that sometimes the desire to please can prompt stress over elaborate meals, fancy clothes, the most expensive gift and proper "staged" snapshots to please someone... so it looks painfully perfect on the outside. Possibly to show respect for the queen matriarch, right? It looks SO proper... but who is she REALLY when no one is looking, what would touch her heart?
a Spa treatment... what every mom deserves... a lil pampering, quiet time, JUST for her
(it doesn't have to be expensive either... put a sound machine, candles & rose petals in YOUR clean bathroom... even if you only have one... and tell mom to enjoy a bath as long as she wants... no interruptions!) or there's these awesome massage places for $25-$30 for an hour!
Flowers and candy are lovely too... but they perish
Nordstrom boxes are fancy... but you can't take 'em with you to heaven
breakfast is nourishing ... an important part of everyday... but if it involves kids waiting in a crowd and sitting still in a restaurant or a homecooked feast while dirtying every dish in the kitchen... either option can STILL can be stressful for mom... well intentioned hubbies... clean up the mess OR what about a lovely hike or picnic in the park with takeout instead?
It's a HUGE part of the mothering role... striving for selfless... seeking, pursuing and continually keeping the peace. I mean there are some amazing selfless women in this world that we all look up to... how do they do it day in and day out... bringing so much love and grace. EVEN on Mother's Day the role plays on... sadly, sometimes to the point of self sacrifice or disappointment to convey an expectation that falls drastically short... yes, it's one day out of the year... so HOW do we treat mother's in our life the other 364 or 365 days?
I mean diapers (which for those of you who haven't thought about it... are ALL about feces and urine) and the reality of changing them for 3+ years... really isn't this delightful for MOST parents that I've surveyed... especially when they fingerpaint their poop or embarrass you by dropping their pants to urinate in public like the family dog marking every tree... can you relate? Does this image help you live in reality? Is this REALLY how you feel about feces, urine & diapers?
There is nothing MORE defeating than comparing other people's "outsides" to my "insides". If I am honest: the days and especially the nights ARE long and the years somehow snowball when it's about persevering day by day during these seasons of growth... newborn, toddler, 2's, 3's, adjusting to a sibling, 4's, 5's, school days, sports, emotions, gender differences and I've only been a parent for close to 7 years. Please DON'T overwhelm me with what's to come... I'm still navigating TODAY and don't want to fret the teen years!
All those emotions can become scrambled or pushed aside when life with urgent demands, massive consumption and efficient yet hollow busyness just keep pushing us forward.... while envisioning that day "when" I will be more patient, thinner, more organized, more secure and more transformed and more confident in what I'm doing.
When WILL the dichotomy of my emotions that are trying to catch up with me being a grown up FINALLY "look" like they should? Only recently have I come to believe it really is about embracing the joy in life exactly in the season where I am... being STILL in the middle of it... allowing my soul to catch up and re align with my heart, head and the holy spirit has changed how I see everything. It's still a mess, but blessed nonetheless and I will seek joy in it... even potty training.
a little bit of quality time to just BE together.
This is a favorite of mine that Steph has captured because it represents each of our personalities SO well and it warms my heart... energetic, curious and definately determined... BONK (our middle child) confidently climbs on Dad like that's what he is MADE for and SNOGURT (our gregarious relational oldest child) is in the center sneaking the spotlight with his spunk. My hubs & I have eyes which are cast away from the lens... I would interpret our inner thoughts as... "oh BOY! what are they gonna do next?" BUT we are smiling, almost joyful in the midst of it!
These two convey to me HOW much OUR kids adore each other...
they care about one another deeply... which is ALL we have ever hoped for and we adore who God envisions them to be, our hope is to be good stewards of all He has given!
Chances are you don't have many pictures of your WHOLE family doing the day to day things that you love doing together. Mom's usually behind the camera or with all that "being together" day in and day out, who has the camera ready to capture fleeting moments or thinks about taking photos of meals, nightly snuggles or storytime. Partnering with Stephanie to capture photos this last year... really has gotten me more mindful about our alters of togetherness... and I realized there are some VERY special places that come to mind that have been the backdrop for documenting what we value in our family.
Our front porch, our kitchen, the bedroom floor, the yard,
the baseball field and even the morning walk to school.
the baseball field and even the morning walk to school.
These tell a STORY found in my heart... I love the closeness... the true emotion found in the expressions, hand placement, the leaning in and walking close to one another, these images more accurately SHOW how we spend our time journeying together.
You might feel anxious allowing someone to take YOUR picture... we ALL have our fair share of experience with photos... does the thought bring out ALL your insecurities... like it does for us? Do you close your eyes like I do? Do you get a double chin like my Dad & I if we don't hold our head up just right? Are your kids TOO wiggly to even bother to try to get a family photo? After all we are human... right?
But this is SO different... it's YOUR story...and it's worth overcoming the doubts...
NO fancy clothes that make you stiff, no cheesy camera operators demanding you twist and turn while looking like you are having a good time and definately no matchy, matchy holiday sweaters that make you itch at the thought with tremendous sweat and discomfort.WE live in "the hood"... haha!
On this day of our family lifestyle shoot we had a few things transpire behind the scenes... it's part of the TRUE story... REAL LIFE.
If you do this... I'm sure someone will have a SILLY idea... why not look like we live in "the hood" of Los Angeles? That's what mom or grammy want on their mantle! hehe...
What IF a mess happens? Well our lil "sweetpea" who is almost one year... grabbed my coffee and it spilled ALL over... cause she wants to explore and touch EVERYTHING.
On the right pic there is a towel by my foot that "mopped" it up... then we laughed in the midst of it ALL... and Dahlia (our doggie) shows OFF her backside for the photo.
Sweetpea shown here with me... also got a goose egg-- just as Steph arrived---
HUGE mama guilt--- and added anxiety for me on the day of family photos
(but hardly noticeable in MOST of the pics). You can see if you look closely a golf ball size bump on the right front of her forehead, in this pic... documenting my BEST moments of mothering... hehe
Stephanie captures TRUE joy even in the midst of every day life... with authentic
life style photos (noun) a manner of living that reflects the person's values and attitudes.
What is it about mom that blesses you? Is it her pancakes or does she grow amazing flowers or vegetables? How about her laugh or what about showing how her hands have gently held yours for years? No matter her age or yours... it's the BEST gift you could ever give. After all, didn't she give YOU the BEST she could?
Happy Mother's Day... to EVERY mother I've ever known...
I admire YOU for WHO you are and ALL you do.
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