Letters To Our Sons - January

One of my goals for the year is to be a more intentional parent, photographer and blogger. This year i have the honor to participate in a couple of groups monthly, where we write and share letters to our sons and daughters. You can view the letter to my daughter here. Below you will find the first letter to my son. Please be sure to follow the link at the end to read the letter the wonderful Bonnie has written to her son and then follow through the circle to read all the other letters these wonderful ladies have written to their sons.

  Dear Man Child,

It is hard for me to write this letter to you, my first born.  I love you fiercely, yet it sometimes seems the battles we face are fierce.  You have rocked my world since the moment I found out I was expecting you.   Suddenly, I was no longer living just for myself.  You've been everything I'm not.  You love schedule and routine;  I love flexibility and spontaneity.  You love quiet and staying home;  I love noise and being gone.  You are decisive;  I am indecisive.  We couldn't be more opposite, yet the same.  I see you give up before you try for fear of failure, driven by that same perfectionist instinct that freezes me.  While you yearn for schedule, you struggle with discipline and prefer to take the easy way out, but you press on and do what you know is good and right.  

It seems that just yesterday you were that tiny baby, demanding my time and attention, yet I long to turn back the time and spend my days holding you and playing with you.  I was so concerned with doing everything right as a first time mother, that I didn't enjoy you and drink in every moment like I have with the other children.  I know now how quickly you grow up and I savour every moment we have now, even the moments of heated discussion.  I appreciate your kind, generous and forgiving heart.  You are always so quick to forgive when I make the many mistakes I make in parenting you.  It's been a journey for us both and I'm sure you've suffered from my lack of skills but your love has never faltered.

Even now I worry as I watch you becoming a man.  It scares me to know that in just a few short years you will leave the nest and launch out into the life God has called you to.  I see you struggling trying to determine what that is. I struggle as well as I attempt to over direct you in that path and help you along too much. I don't want you to fail, but I must let you try even if that means bumps, bruises and perhaps even failure. If I pad your way too much the reality of life will be even harder on you. I also recognize the battle in your soul as you want so much to be a man one moment and a child the next. At times you feel like you can conquer the world and then there are the moments you escape into that childhood world of make believe where you really do rule and conquer. No matter how much your grow or how far you roam, you will always be my son, my firstborn, the one who taught me so much about love and sacrifice. My heart fills with pride as I see the man you are becoming and know that you know the One who created you. I can rest in knowing that you are seeking Him and He has much greater plans for you than I could ever dream. Although, I love you more than you could even imagine, He loves you more than I and you are under His careful watch and care. I love you and are so proud of the boy you are the man you are becoming.

Next up is the lovelyBonnie, click on over to visit her and read her wonderful letter to her son and then be sure to continue on through the circle.

Letters To Our Daughters - January

As a mother, blogger and photographer I have enjoyed reading through the Letters to Our Daughters circle posts that several CM Pro's participate in each month.  I am beyond excited that they welcomed other bloggers to start their own circles and join in blogging to our daughters.  This year I am joining with an amazing group of ladies, as I share with you the letters I write to my precious daughters.  At the end of this post you will find a link to the fabulous Kelly and her letter, from there you can continue through our group.  To see more of the original letters to our daughters project you can start here by reading the lovely Sara Tegman's post. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy this journey with us.


"My Princess, for as long as I can remember I wanted a daughter.  We were so thrilled when we found out that the precious life I was carrying within was you, a little princess. Sugar and spice and everything nice, not to mention pink and bows were such a welcome addition after all the snips and snails and puppy dog tails your older brothers filled our days with.   Now as I sit here, writing you and reminiscing over all the years of tea parties and frilly dresses, I can hardly believe how quickly the time has passed by.  Here you are blooming into a young woman right before my eyes.  How did that happen in the blink of an eye?  I have loved every moment and every stage and along our journey I've learned to savor it all, for children grow up so quickly, too quickly sometimes.  

At this moment I love how you flit between being a little girl and a young women.  You still play dolls with your sisters, tea parties with your friends, but you are also beginning to love clothes and make up and contemplate what the future holds.  You are strong and spunky, you have to be when you are sandwiched between boys.  Your heart is so beautiful, full of compassion and the innate desire and ability to nurture.  I love your confidence and joy.  You give of yourself so freely and passionately, yet you also feel pain intensely, because of how sensitive you are.  It is those sensitivities that draw you to those that so many would consider unlovely.   You don't notice their unloveliness, instead you see their heart and you extend your warm smile and offer them some of your joy.   Your life is full of friends because no one can really resist your warm smile and gracious personality.   Most of all I love that you love God and have a strong desire to follow Him, even to the furtherts continent and darkest corner.  I see the special touch He has given you and know without a doubt that He has a special purpose and plan for you.  I see how even now He uses you to share His love and joy with all who cross your path.  As a mother that brings me such joy and hope.  

While there is no need to remind you of  your imperfections, for you are hard enough on yourself.  I do thank you for the grace and forgiveness you offer me on the days when we just don't see eye to eye and I forget that you are just a little girl, trying to grow up.  I thank you for the grace you have for my imperfections as a mother.  As your mother, no matter how imperfect either of us may be, One thing remains true and that is my love for you.  A love that grows with each passing day and looks back with fondness on what has been and peers into a future filled with hope and expectation as you my precious Princess, grow into the one you were created to be.  
 

To continue in our circle click over and read the letter the wonderful  Kelly Smith | Real Life Photography of Tampa | Tampa Portrait Photographer wrote to her beautiful daughter.

Time keeps on passing...

We are back to reality around here after a couple of weeks off from the daily routine. I loved the time we had as a family over the holidays! I took many, many shots with my iphone, some of which I've shared on instagram. I'm mamasparrowphotog if you want to follow me there. I am also trying to get my camera out every day and take photos of the daily. Some days seem mundane and messy, other days are a bit more photogenic. Today I'm sharing a capture from last week. I found my daughter in my bathroom applying blush to here entire face with a cotton ball. I remarked that she looked like to clown, to which she giggled and said, "I want to be a clown, Paul likes clowns, him won't laugh at me." Paul is a friend at church. They have a love/hate relationship. When I told her that Paul would laugh because well, um clowns are funny she snickered and said, "Oh, yeah!" Seriously, she is only 4 and already trying to impress the boys. NO!!!!! I've got some work cut out for me in the years ahead. Really, why do they want to grow up so fast? My 12 year old is begging to wear make up and the 7 and 4 year olds always want to follow in her foot steps. I just want time to slow down, but is only seems to race on.

I'm looking forward to all this year has to offer and will be involved in several blog circles this year. Be sure to check back often to see what we are up too.