how my father in law passing away affects your pictures.....

This post has been coming together over the past 3 months, it's written with tears streaming down my cheeks. I am probably rambling in some of it and get sidetracked in some of it, but I'm leaving it mistakes and all and posting it. I can't let another day go by with out saying it. I'm sure it's not well written at all and for that I'm sorry!

most of you know my father in law passed away this past December. He was still young. He battled for a year in a half with a stage 4 cancer. It was, is and will be difficult for my family for quite some time I'm sure. I can't imagine how hard this is for my husband to lose his dad...and I can only imagine in a small way what it must be like for my mother in law to lose her best friend. 

As my mother in law, husband and his siblings were preparing for my father in law's celebration of life service they had to pick just 35-40 pictures that would tell the story of his life.

WHAT?

How could they only pick 40 pictures to tell an entire lifetime, birth, childhood, young adult, wedding, honeymoon, life as newlyweds, 1st baby, 2nd,3rd and 4th baby, holidays, regular every days, anniversary's, grand kids. I was so thankful that the family I married did a great job of documenting their life. There were hundreds of pictures to choose from and yet there were still some pictures missing. Some that dad had on his computer that didn't get printed from recent years, some possibly lost and some that were never taken . . . missed opportunity due to the busyness of everyone's lives as we were all grown/married, kids/jobs and lives of our own. How dare we not take the annual family Christmas tree picture. . . Or rearrange our hectic schedules to make time for a generational family picture.

Life is busy. Always.

I am so thankful I found this love of photography. I am so blessed by all the families that choose me to capture their forever memories for them. Whether it's once a year family pictures, a birthday party, a family reunion or they choose to let me capture it all as much as possible through out the year. I am so thankful I have been blessed to just pick up my camera and snap any part of my day or my children. I will forever love all of my pictures. Even the blurry ones.

Life goes so fast. Faster than you think. Please make the time for family pictures at least once a year. Please have your kids pictures taken as they continue to get older and bigger. It's easy to see the change from birth to 1 year. It's harder to see the change from 8 to 9 years old but it's there. I promise. I hate to admit I have missed those pictures in years past. As my bigger kids have grown but I'm with them everyday so I don't see it. When I search through my pictures though. . .oh man do I see it and want to bang my head on the wall for not getting one shot from their 10th year to their 11th. Shame on me. I will do better, I hope you will too. Make sure you have a picture of each kid and yourself and each kid and dad, each kid and grandma, each kid and grandpa. Please. Your kids will cherish those images so very much when they are all grown.

The moments we can't get back.

Once you get those pictures please print those pictures. Put them on your walls, in albums, scrapbook them, document them. This is life, the pictures will be the physical thing you can hold in your hands when you can't hold the person. The thing to bring a particular memory right to the front of your mind like it just happened. I have moms, grandmas and aunts who only see their self perceived flaws, (which aren't there!) and I have everyone who says I just need to lose a little weight. Don't wait until you feel like you are presentable. I have dads that do not like having their pictures taken. I get it. I do. It seems like a lot of work to get together and coordinate outfits and deal with littles who are less than thrilled.
Can i tell you though, how important it is? How much value it holds. It's worth it. I promise, we are never guaranteed tomorrow. Your kids are not even guaranteed a tomorrow.
So take the time. Take the pictures. Print the pictures.




 

my husband and his dad fathers day 2014

(i phone picture) 

 my first born with grandpa

2003

my last born with grandpa

2014

the last family pictures we have

november 2014