Real life

Being a mom to three can pretty much guarantee that everyday things I love will need to take a backseat. Reading books? Forget it. Traveling? Can't even go to the bathroom by myself. So it's no surprise when there are months and months between blog posts--even here on my photography blog. In my dream world, my blog would feature every session from every client. Perhaps I'd write my entries from a little cafe in Rome, sitting next to my well-behaved children as they quietly read from some literary classic, sipping on little glasses of water. But something tells me that's never gonna happen. This mom is just thrilled when the kids take naps and sit still while I read to them before bed!

Sigh. Revamping my dreams might be in order. So bear with me as I set the goal of one blog per week. Right now, that seems a little overwhelming, since we're in the middle of potty training, on the brink of summer vacation, and don't forget there are pictures that won't edit themselves. I'm giving myself the grace to miss a week (or three), or even to schedule some posts ahead of time if I'm really on the ball one day.

So to kick off this little mid-May resolution, I'll invite you to meet the little Beavers who make it so much fun for me to neglect my blogging duties!

Here's my oldest, Trenton.

 

Trenton's a 7 year-old miracle man who still fits into size 3T pants, but has more life experience than every person I know combined into one. He was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, and has had three open heart surgeries, spinal surgery last summer, and so many heart catheterizations we have lost count. Trenton's in Kindergarten, LOVES everything to do with sports, emergency vehicles, and Clifford (thanks to his amazing Kindergarten teacher!). Matt and I sit in awe listening to him read, and rejoice every time he leaps over a new milestone he's worked so hard to achieve. Every day with this little dude is a gift, and we are so thankful for his life. He's a bit on the shy side, so catching these smiles on camera is a great way to see the goofy, fun personality he likes to hide.

Next up is Everett. 

Oh, Everett. Where do I start? This 3 1/2 year-old goofball is a bundle of energy that cannot be contained! Ev is absolutely hilarious, smart as a whip (I'm totally not biased), and pronounces things in ways that I refuse to correct out of sheer love for the way he says them. 'Bessert' after dinner, anyone? Everett is full of love for his brother and sister, and full of questions we're not sure how to answer. If anyone knows whether the world shook when God made it, Ev wants to know. We have visions of him being the life of the party one day, since his laugh can fill a room, along with his grand entrances--"Heeyyyyy guys! I'm here!" His sweet little heart and insane amount of intelligence mixed with stubbornness keeps Matt and I on our toes, that is for sure.  

And finally, Delaney.

Little Miss Delaney is the girly girl Matt and I never knew we needed. She's a two year-old little finger-sucking snuggler who also has a clear vision of which articles of clothing she will be wearing each day. Put her in a room with a pair of shoes and she'll eventually make them fit somehow! Laney can often be found holding one of her babies along with the pair of pajamas she's trying to fit over her pants all on her own. Her independence is so much fun to watch, and don't let her sweetness fool you--she can hold her own against those big brothers! We love to listen to her string new words together and hear how her little girly mind works (What can I say? We've only learned about little boy things til now!).

And there you have it. If my husband would let me take photos of him, you could see the fourth and final piece of what keeps me busy! He's amazing in a whole-'nother-blog-post kinda way. This adorable bunch can create so much chaos and love all in the same moment, our heads feel like they could literally spin right off! So when next week's blog post is MIA, at least now you'll know why.