Thank You For…
Here’s how most evenings go at my house - After the late afternoon scramble of logging off work for the day, firing up the TV for my toddler, and making dinner - I finally have a moment to catch my breath (literally - hello 3rd trimester!) and settle in to my seat at the dinner table. After coaxing/bribing our son into the booster seat and making sure everyone’s water cups are full, the bib goes on, and we finally eat. But first — grace. As our son listens (or doesn’t!) to my husband and I recite the prayer, we end with the prompt “Thank You For…” This is usually when he perks up in his chair and starts to rattle off everything in sight - “Mommy, Dada, peas, wawa, chicky, mac cheese, spoon” - the list goes on and on and varies greatly each night. Without fail, my husband and I laugh and smile at each other, wondering how we are so blessed to have this little boy to call our own. That sweet moment of prayer and thanksgiving usually comes crashing down (literally) 2-3 minutes later with food flying, forks banging on the table, sippy cups being thrown to the floor, and without fail - me needing to get up to get someone something or, my least favorite task, whip up an entirely new entree because somehow I managed to raise the world’s pickiest eater. The night goes on, the kitchen gets returned back to it’s pre-disaster state (thank you, hunny!), baths are drawn, and before I know it, I’m in bed, making my to-do list for the next day.
…Behind the scenes: the making of a Christmas card
It’s easy to get stuck on the hamster wheel of life - particularly if you are in a season of survival, like I sometimes feel that I am. But taking a moment each day to give thanks is so important. The days are long, the years are short, and life, in general, goes by in a blink. As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, we’re often reminded of all we are thankful for. I’m writing this blog post from the Lake West Hospital Lab, where I’m passing the time as I take the dreaded 3-hour glucose tolerance test. I spent the last 2 weeks sulking at the prospect that I may have gestational diabetes, and worse - wrapping my head around the idea of 12 hours of fasting and no caffeine (kidding…kinda). In true fashion, I made a to-do list of all the things I wanted to accomplish with a rare 4-hours of alone time. First on my list - updating this website. My portfolio has grown so much over the past 6-months and I couldn’t wait to give this space a little refresh. As I updated the gallery on my homepage and scrolled through the photos, I was overcome with gratitude. Suddenly my caffeine withdrawal-induced headache, my empty stomach, and pending test results didn’t weigh so heavily on me. I was just so thankful for the countless families who invited me into their home or their lives, to capture portraits that I hope they will love for years to come. The smiling faces, the giggles, the little details in each photo - all gentle reminders of how beautiful this life is, and why I’m so grateful for this calling to photography. Being here at the hospital is also reminding me that in 8 short weeks, I will be back in this very same place, bringing our baby boy into the world. For many many reasons, that I hope to share in a future post, this pregnancy has been the most amazing gift. My gratitude for this child who I haven’t even met yet, is more than I can put into words.
A year ago, this was all a tiny dream, a seed. Just saying “I’m going to start a photography business” out loud made me want to crawl under a rock and hide. But here I am, a year later - living the life I dreamed about. And I’m just so thankful. So - thank you! For reading this post, following along on instagram, or booking me for your family photos. Let us all take a moment each day, but definitely this season, to reflect on our many blessings. Focus on the good, and watch your life begin to change.
