I had a photo shoot planned for my own children. I decided to be realistic and not venture out too far considering the stress of getting them dressed and settled for their moment in the spotlight. We decided to go to our Mimi and Pawpaw's horse haven and seek out texture in the form of hay bales and tattered fences.
We arrived and I should have considered it an omen when before we even start our shoot Natalie's diaper is full. Lucky for us, we have a Mimi willing to change it for the sake of my sanity and the sake of everyone else's sense of smell.
Outside we go. Ethan, under the threat of losing his30 minutes of Xbox time, compliantly stands where I tell him and dons on his face the smile that's every photographer's worst nightmare. It's the smile that says, “come on with it.” It's the smile that's working hard to cover up that oh-so-crooked loose tooth (which incidentally fell just a few hours later). It's the smile that does little for my momma-heart as it is so forced and posed. Whatever. I'll take it. At least he's standing still.
Natalie on the other hand is the child the yells “NO!” every time my lens points her way. She runs and yells and wants anything, but me in her face with a big, black box. She knows my silly voices and faces all too well and is generally unimpressed.
So with little to show for it I leave feeling a bit defeated, unable to capture my own children's personalities through my camera the way I've done for so many other families this year. I arrive home anxious to view my pitiful footage and stumble across this picture.
This picture, completely unprompted, completely natural, completely complete, is the picture that made the afternoon stress so worthwhile.
This is the picture that catapulted my momma-heart into the heavens.