Changes

Not being the technical wizard that most of you are, I have to rely on what Blogger gives me in terms of template choices to make this space look appealing.

So, I thought adding photos of my kids (and dog) in the sidebar would be a way to customize and make this blank slate my own.

Never did I think that one day I'd look over there to the left and see that those faces, the faces of my babies, would be outdated and need to be switched out with more current ones. Just like the places on my wall that hold the yearly photos of each child, this blog space grows along with them. And nothing I say or do will change the fact that the kids in the sidebar are getting older and growing each and every day.

So it is with a little mother's remorse that I remove the old pictures and replace them with new, shiny models. It is with a heavy sigh that I must choose from the bazillion digital choices I have on my computer, which ones best represent who they are now - at this very minute.

Because in a few months, they'll be completely different and I'll have to change the photos again.

At least when I have their professional portraits taken, I know what kind of look I want. Something traditional, no silly props or crazy backgrounds that will detract from the subject, my kids. I can make goofy faces at them and tell them jokes until they're about to fall off the podium they're sitting on. I can embarrass them in front of the photographer. And when I get the proofs back and make my selections, I can hang them with pride in the hallway knowing that each time I pass them and look at them, sitting there trying to "act natural", I will remember what was going on behind the scenes.

But our family candids tell a different story.

The pieces of life that are present in each photo are not found in a portrait studio. They are the real us, doing the things we love and putting up with mom and her camera every step of the way. They are the shots taken when nobody was looking. They are the ones that may not be perfectly posed, but are perfect just the same.

I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.