A Mother's Day Memory

I have many sweet Mother's Day memories.  In fact all 29 previous Mother's Days I have celebrated are sweet memories.  But one Mother's Day always stands out to me as being particularly precious.

  My three children were getting a bit older.  My youngest was 4, my middle child, 6 and my oldest 8.  On this Mother's Day, I was awakened by noises in the kitchen.  Some pleasant, some not so pleasant.  Noises of clanging, doors banging, and voices scolding one another as siblings often do when trying to work together.  I was urged my my husband to stay put, so I did.  These noises seemed to go on for quite some time, and my husband and I lay there snickering, wondering what these six little hands were up to.  Soon, my middle child, Brock, came tip toeing in, assuming all that noise had not awakened me.  He lay a tray next to the bed and tip toed out.  On that tray was a plate with a Pop Tart, and next to it a cold can of Diet Coke.  

I could not have been more loved on in that moment, if they had prepared a six course meal.  The fact that they had planned to get up and do this together FOR ME touched my heart!  It was precious then, and precious now.

I've always felt a little uncomfortable being "celebrated" on Mother's Day.  Every single day I have been a mother has been a celebration in my heart.  I am the one who should be celebrating this wonderful gift I have been given.  I am so thankful God has given me the opportunity to mother my three kids.  I love them and am proud to be their mom.  Thank you Blake, Brock and Bethany!  Love you all so much!

Why did I think I could do this? A young photographer's look at her first family shoot.

I have recently found a new love.  Photography!  Saying I am a beginner to this new hobby is a gross understatement, but I am absolutely obsessed with it.  The more I learn, the more I desire to know.  And on the flip side of that, the more I do it, the more I realize I know NOTHING!  

Recently, I asked some sweet friends of mine if I could practice my photography on them, by taking family pictures at the beach.  Practice, being the operative word here!  Rather naively, they jumped at the chance.  What were they thinking, entrusting me to capture their sweet family in pictures?  What was I thinking, to actually imagine I could do this?  

See, this is where all the hours I spent, peeling over pins of beautiful beach pictures on Pinterest, was actually a very dangerous practice.  I studied them long enough I convinced myself I could actually recreate the beautiful shots that some well seasoned photographer, who has done it countless times, and who, by the way, is more than likely very proficient at Photo Shop, has captured.  Again, what was I thinking?

Let's talk about the variables.  First of all, a family of 5.  Five people, three of which are children, to have pleasant faces all at the same time.  Five people to know exactly where I want them to stand, where to put their hands, and where to look!  Secondly, the beach.  THE BEACH!  Yes, it's lovely, but let's think about this for a moment.  Breeze blowing the hair that has been so carefully fixed, sun in the eyes, shadows, PEOPLE!.  None of those pins I saw had those people at the beach, threatening the background of their shots!  Do these skilled photographers, pinning their portraits, have their own private beach?  A beach that coincidentally also has no breeze blowing the hair and sun that has no harsh light, casts no shadows and causes no squinting?  Apparently so.

Needless to say, these variables were NOT on this inexperienced photographer's radar.  In the 3 photography classes I have taken, I learned about aperture, shutter speed, the exposure triangle, rule of thirds.  But I have no recollection about variables.  Must be in the advanced courses. 

But I will say, because of this sweet family's willing and VERY patient attitude, in spite of this inexperienced photographer, the wind, the sun, and the people, we had a lovely evening.  I learned a LOT.  And hopefully it will grow me and prepare me for the next time.  

Yes, there will be a next time.  I WILL be searching for that illusive private beach though.