everyday, messy life

We had the opportunity to have our life documented for 48 hours through Wirken Photography's photo journalism workshops. Our photographer, Joel (or Josh as Henry preferred to call him), was with us from early morning until bedtime.

When I got the pictures yesterday, I first saw the clutter in our house. I'd found out that morning he was coming due to a cancellation from another family 

so there was no time to pick up the papers littering our dining room table, the remnants of Henry's forts, and yesterday's dishes in our non-dishwasher kitchen.

I saw the double chin of eight months of pregnancy, the lumpiness of maternity clothes and the dark circles of tiredness. The glass tables smudged with fingerprints, the overflowing baskets of laundry and the random piles of stick and acorn "treasures" 

that make it into the house during moments of weakness.

But the more I looked, the more I saw a life I love, including all those messy details.

The morning moments of hiding under the covers from tigers. 

The cries over oatmeal that wasn't cooling off fast enough.

The hugs at daycare pickup.

The waiting at the slowest elevators in the Midwest for an OB appointment 

where a healthy heartbeat is heard.

The spaceship that flies to the moon with alien noises and Superman as the captain.

The love between two people that started this crazy mess and
steal sweet moments in the middle of chaos.

The fries and milkshakes to celebrate new milestones.

The non-graceful juggling of work, marriage, chores and parenting. Always finding time for play.

The dirty hands and feet.

The exhaustion and quiet moments at the end of the day.