this family photo session meant so much to me. one of my dearest best friends came to take these incredible pictures for me, on our new property, and i couldn’t be more grateful. we haven’t had family pictures taken since i was 8 weeks pregnant (and super sick!) with ben! jeremy doesn’t love pictures. the boys weren’t thrilled. the girls were excited to coordinate the outfits of course haha honestly, i just hoped for at least 1 picture with everyone smiling realish smiles! oh and to not stress before pictures so that i had happy thoughts and memories looking at the pictures. mom life right?
well let’s start with picture day. it was a great day. we got some work done on the property together. kids were happy. jeremy didn’t stress. kids wore outfits that they loved from their closets. and i even had a good hair day y’all! but what i loved most?? as i did my makeup, all the kids sat on the floor drawing and talking and that time together is my favorite. listening to them talk and be together is my favorite. these kids really are best friends and i love watching them be together. i just hoped as we headed into taking pictures that we could all be happy and just have fun. 1 picture was all i really was hoping for honestly!
but taking pictures turned out to be fun too- the kids all stood happy where teryn wanted them, smiled, had fun, were happy. ben got embarrassed one time and ran off but it wasn’t anything a little spooky oreo promise couldn’t fix- because oreo’s make everything better!
well i just got all our pictures back and they’re so much more than i could’ve hoped for. real smiles. happy memories. our creek. they make my heart so happy. i have looked through each one over and over, zooming in and dying at ben’s smile, laughing at the mischief in lissa’s eyes, melting over logan’s sweet smile, crying a little at how old our baby girl madilyn is getting. these kids are such good kids and i just can’t get over these pictures. i can’t wait until our home is done and i can hang these up on our walls.
and the pictures of jeremy and i- wow that is the real jeremy face right there haha he keeps me laughing through life and i couldn’t be more grateful for him by my side through it all. oh i love him. y’all, i definitely got more than just the 1 good family picture i was hoping for.
my favorite pictures though are the candid photos that teryn took. these are more than i ever would’ve hoped for. as i have looked through these, my heart has paused, taking them in, thinking about these photos. as a mom to these incredible children, i pray that i can always guide in love, teach them of god’s love, show them through example to explore, to study, question and search and read and pray. to get in the scriptures, to know the book of mormon and find answers and journal what i found. to look for the good around me, write down and express my gratitude for the little things everyday.
right now these sweet kids look to me for guidance as they’re learning and navigating their world and growing. learning how to count, the colors, math, how to share, brush their hair, their teeth, math, to read, etc. but as they grow, i pray to lead them to truth, to god. to know his love for them. i pray that i can share my testimony of the scriptures, my relationship with god, his love for me and for them. i thank god everyday for these sweet babes jeremy and i have been given care of and pray to do my best everyday, to let them know how incredibly loved they are by us and by god.
all these incredible pictures are taken by teryn rae photography. @teryn_rae_photograph, www.terynraephotography.com