somehow this dear child is five. he is lots of things...articulate, emotional, intelligent, feisty, affectionate, thoughtful, inquisitive, loud, and hilarious. he loves deeply, feels deeply and is learning each day to sort out all the intensity that comes with who he is.
five whole years of loving you, Cree! such a gift!
just so glad we took the call...❤
such a fun place!
Joelle finds these fun adventures. in this case, however, a large Canadian retailer (known for its outdoor gear and apparel) found her. this recent adventure was a photoshoot with MEC (Mountain Equipment Company) for their website. so crazy to head right over to mec.ca and see her beautiful curls right there on the home page.
sounds like they gave her a great day, she met some awesome people and certainly made some memories along the way. MEC found a good one! ❤
a special request for two very specific paintings.
Layla delivered. in an extraordinary way. i captured a picture before she dropped them off. two paintings that weren't for me, but i still want to remember them.
beautiful.
a week with sweet baby J. it wrecked me, if i'm being totally honest. what a divine privilege it was to love this dear boy for seven amazing days. love is messy, it's hard, it's often amidst and intertwined with the broken pieces that surround all of it, isn't it? but it's entirely worth it.
i'll never forget him. he'll always have a piece of my heart.
God, please restore, redeem, protect, and guide all the parts of this little boy's life...may baby J. know warmth and consistent nurturing love, may he feel safe and carried by your gentle hands, all through his days.
i read this recently. it struck a chord with me. thought i'd share it as we come up to Mother's Day. thanks to my amazing mom, for loving me so well for all these years. because of you, (and Dad), i knew warmth and stability (and buttertarts:)) in our home. thanks to my mother-in-law too (and my father-in-law), for loving my dear Jeffrey in such a way that he grew to be such an exceptional human.
so, i ran across this little piece...i do not know who penned the words, but maybe it will resonate with you...
"Mother's Day is beautiful. But it can also be heavy to many. It's not always filled with flowers and breakfasts in bed. Sometimes, it's filled with grief. With longing. With what could have been. With what isn't.
So this Mother's Day, let's hold space for more than just celebration.
For the moms in the thick of it, unsure if they're getting it right. For the ones who have lost a piece of their heart in the form of a child. For those holding a positive test and a thousand emotions. For the women who ache for a baby they've never held or one they had to say goodbye to too soon. For those who have lost their moms and feel the weight of that absence a little more today. For the stepmoms, the chosen moms, the second moms, and the mother figures who love just as deeply. For the ones in between, wondering if they fit into any of these boxes.
You are not forgotten. You matter. You are so deeply loved.
No matter what your Mother's Day looks like this year, I see you. I'm thinking of you. And I'm wrapping you in love."
beautiful words, aren't they? a message i'd like to leave with the many i know who fit in the categories above.
to be sure, motherhood is not for the faint of heart. in fact, it's completely heart-splitting in thousands of different ways. it's also an indescribable privilege. still, the gravity of the task of raising a child sits heavy on most. it's daunting and sometimes crushing and often difficult to quiet the voices that remind you of how you've fallen short.
so on this Mother's Day, hugs to all those feeling the weight of the holiday, or the losses, or the unspoken parts that sometimes feel like a lot to carry.
and Happy Mother's Day as well to all who will capture the full and pure joy of the day. that's a gift to be cherished too!
❤❤❤
