a normal day

 

On October 18th, my daughter was born and I became the mother of three children. Hundreds of miles away, on the same day, another baby girl was born and another woman added the third child to her family. We were complete strangers at that time, but our love of photography and family brought us together. We started to have a conversation about motherhood with images, because we tell stories with our cameras. Since some tales are so similar, and some are not, we decided to collaborate and share a photo a week from a normal day as a mother to three.

“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.”         – Mary Jean Irion

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there are times when i feel like i am meant to be in a certain place, in an exact moment with specific people.  this is it.  my destiny.

 

photo by Heather Robinson

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Day two of summer vacation. On the farm. Only just nine a.m. and I can’t imagine how I’ll keep you busy the rest of the day, I’m so exhausted, and you just go, go, go.

 

photo by Olivia Gatti of Click Click Love

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freelensing | june

 

We just took our annual trip to the beach.  It is a long journey but a very important one.  Family members from daddy’s side travel from all over the country to spend this time together in a house that has been in the family for generations.  It truly is a special place.  And for this reason, I thought having a little surprise birthday party there with your aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, us would be so much fun for you.  Boy was I wrong!  Turns out you do not like surprises.  While everyone was enjoying the party, you kept running out of the room in tears commenting on how you didn’t want a party.  You didn’t even want to eat your cupcake.  I felt like the worst mama for putting together a celebration that caused you to be so upset.

So, that afternoon just you, daddy, and I left the house still adorned with pink streamers, balloons, and tinker bell decor and we headed down to the beach for a walk.  The air was a little cool and it was cloudy.  The beach was empty.  We walked and talked.  We played.  It didn’t take long before the worries of earlier that day were gone.  You were back to your normal self.   You were happy, singing, dancing, joking, exploring, even creating art.   The best way to celebrate you was to give you some undivided attention from mama and daddy with the sand, seaweed, shells, and ocean as the party decor.

While we were at the beach that afternoon, I freelensed next to the ocean for the first time.  It is a good thing we live so far from the ocean because this could most definitely be my newest obsession.

 

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Now continue on to see the beauty that my friend Olivia Gatti of Click Click Love has captured for this month’s freelensing blog circle.  

a normal day

 

On October 18th, my daughter was born and I became the mother of three children. Hundreds of miles away, on the same day, another baby girl was born and another woman added the third child to her family. We were complete strangers at that time, but our love of photography and family brought us together. We started to have a conversation about motherhood with images, because we tell stories with our cameras. Since some tales are so similar, and some are not, we decided to collaborate and share a photo a week from a normal day as a mother to three.

“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.”      – Mary Jean Irion

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i wanted to take a photo of us together to show off our pedicures.  we got them on your birthday.  you seemed so grown up sitting there next to me getting your nails done for the first time.  so today in the shower, i planned to take that photo.  but my lens wouldn’t focus because of the steam.  so instead of our feet, i ended up with your belly.  your body is changing.  you are growing taller, thinner.  yet, here by accident, i caught a glimpse of the belly of my baby girl.

photo by Heather Robinson

 

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Tonight, as parents, we had this realization: We have three girls. Yes, we’ve obviously put this together before, but something else, something enormous hit us. Three. Girls. Three moody, wild, happy, talkative, did I mention moody, girls.
It is amazing. It is awesome. It is terrifying.

photo by Olivia Gatti of Click Click Love

website | Facebook

a normal day

On October 18th, my daughter was born and I became the mother of three children. Hundreds of miles away, on the same day, another baby girl was born and another woman added the third child to her family. We were complete strangers at that time, but our love of photography and family brought us together. We started to have a conversation about motherhood with images, because we tell stories with our cameras. Since some tales are so similar, and some are not, we decided to collaborate and share a photo a week from a normal day as a mother to three.

“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.”      – Mary Jean Irion

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despite the mountains of school artwork covering every surface of our home, i never really understood exactly how much art means to you until recently.  now that summer break is here and you are home from school all day every day, i see it.  each morning you take your place at the dining room table ready to create.  you continue through out your day making things.  and in the last light of the day, i find you back at your spot busy on one more project.

photo by Heather Robinson

 

 

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When I say yes, especially when I feel like saying no, you bloom. You exhaust me and test me like no other. Everything inside you bubbles and burns, with deep emotions, hard to handle when you are five. You are young and old all at once. And, honestly, I don’t always know just what to do with you. But when I say yes, when I say go for it, when I say show me . . . you amaze and I feel like we’ll be okay. We’ll be better than that.

 

photo by Olivia Gatti of Click Click Love

website | Facebook