And then some days, I think how silly! My kids will want pictures of me. Moreso when I’m no longer around. They will want to see the way I looked at them – in awe. The way I laughed – with happiness pouring out of me. The moments I hugged them – with oh so much adoration.
I am not perfect to look at. Nor am I perfect to love. But I am perfectly their mother.
Lovelies, we’ll never have the perfect hair. Or the young skin we had as children. We might never be super slim. Or have a different nose…
But I promise you that our children will love looking at our pictures. They will love the crows feet, because it meant we laughed a lot. They will love the sun spots, because it reminded them of our adventures at the beach. They will love our little bit of extra pudge, because it meant that mom did some wonderful baking.
Our babies think we’re beautiful. And really, we are imperfectly beautiful.
So, I’ve added a new challenge to 2013…get in the picture!
Song: Near to You Artist: A Fine Frenzy
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Okay I LOVED This post & the idea behind it.
ReplyDeleteYou really are so lovely & your kids will LOVE having you in pictures when they are older.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, I'm excited to read more & I'm happy to be your newest follower!
-Mikell
thegordongoodlife.blogspot.com
Mikell, you have made my day. I am especially grateful for beautiful souls like you, who make an special effort to lift up others. Thank you for your kind words. XOXO
ReplyDeleteFirst of all...I am SO excited and totally feel accomplished today because I became your 100th FOLLOWER!!!! Yes yes yes yes!!! Haha. Congrats! :) This is such a cute blog! I agree with Mikell--I think you're absolutely beautiful and so is your family. You do NOT look like an older mother, so don't think that and don't be afraid to get in front of the camera more! You're gorgeous! Thanks for visiting my blog & I hope to become blogging buddies!
ReplyDeletexo,
Brani Laine
Brani, thank you for being my 100th! You're too cute! I wish I had had Google follows posted on my blog page long ago. I've probably missed a lot of opportunities to connect with people, as a result of not having had it visually available until last month. I'm still learning!
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, if I could squeeze you, I so totally would. You're like a ray of sunshine -- your written words made me smile. Thanks for reciprocating the visit. I hope you'll be back soon! XOXO
Following ya from Made in a Day! Thanks for joining my hop last week! I am your newest fan!
ReplyDeleteKim
Hi Kim! Thank you for being a fan -- I'm yours, too! So talented! XOXO
DeleteYou have SUCH a beautiful family Mandi! So glad I came by to check out your little space in blog land :) Newest follower!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Those are sweet words, Julia -- thank you! I'm honored that you're here, following this blog. I hope it touches your life in some small way. Hugs to you!
DeleteYour family is adorable! And you lady are gorgeous! New follower.
ReplyDeletehttp://diamondslouboutinsandbaby.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Mariel -- yours are the sweetest words. I could hug your neck! I'm venturing over to Diamonds, Louboutins and Baby...
DeleteYour family is too cute.
ReplyDeleteTranae, thank you for the kind words!
DeleteYou are beautiful and so is your family! Now following! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm shaking my head, "no I'm not," but thanking you anyway! You're a jewel! It's lovely to hear compliments even when you don't feel like you deserve them. Thanks for following!
DeleteI've been working on getting in front of the camera more too, it's tough sometimes. New follower.
ReplyDeleteYou have no reason not to -- you're beautiful! Thank you for following!
DeleteHi Mandi thanks so much for stopping by my blog and becoming a new follower! I'm now following you too! Love these pictures of you and your family, I bet your going to be so happy to have these to look back on. I know this is something that I need to work on too!
ReplyDeleteI'm honored to connect and thank you for your words! It's people like you that make this blogging community so special. XOXO
DeleteYour pictures are so beautiful, as are you and your family!
ReplyDeleteMisfit Librarian
Thank you! XOXO I enjoyed my visit at Misfit Librarian, btw. (I'll tell you a secret...I was a bit of a misfit, too, growing up.)
Deleteyou know... you're perfectly right! I love being behind the camera but i never thought of how much i loved (and still love) looking at my mother's or grannies' pictures, trying to recognize what i have in common, laughing at silly faces or improbable outfits! So... i definetely have to stay more in front of and not only behind the camera!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by my blog! Hope to read again a comment from you! and now that i have discovered your world here, i'm a new GFC follower!
I'm grateful for this sharing - the reflection of your grandmother's photos. Treasure them! My grandmother(s) pictures are few and far between, and so much is missing from her days as a young mother. Days I would love to relish upon, but can't.
DeleteThank you for visiting me and following my blog -- it means the world! XOXO
I LOVE this! You are absolutely right and you are absolutely gorgeous! :) I tend to be snapping away photos of my husband and son behind the camera as well. I should also set this same goal to be in the photos.
ReplyDeleteHappy you stopped by my blog and sent me your blog URL. I adore it!
Your newest follower,
Kayla from Love Sparkle Pretty
Absolutely you should -- you're beautiful, Kayla! Thank you for the kinds words -- though I don't feel deserving of such compliments, I am grateful nonetheless. XOXO
DeleteHey there, I am a new follower from the GFC blog hop. Happy to be following you here on the blog and look forward to see what you got coming up. :) I have an awesome giveaway going on right now. Have you ever heard of Firmoo? It is an online optical store, but they have some super cute glasses & sunglasses, prescription & non-prescription, and they are giveaway away some specs on my blog! Love for you to swing by and check it out. You can enter the giveaway here http://dalaynadillon.blogspot.com/2013/02/firmoo-is-best.html. Talk with ya soon!
ReplyDeleteDalayna
www.dalaynadillon.blogspot.com
Dalayna, I'm honored that you're following AMHE! I will be hosting my first giveaway on March 2, and I'm super excited. This blog started off strictly personal -- my audience for the past few years has been only family and friends. It's morphed into a bigger message, due to my own personal transformation(s). It's exciting to have small businesses contact me for giveaways and prodict reviews. I'm going to venture over to your blog and learn more about Firmoo -- thank you!
DeleteYou're gorgeous! As is your family. I hope I look as great as you do when I have children. Definitely no reason to be camera shy. I'm following you now. :)
ReplyDeleteAlex[andra]
letlifebelikemusic.blogspot.ca
You made my eyes well up with tears -- the sweetest of written words. I'm so thankful for your compliments. Thrilled that you are following me. XOXO
DeleteMandi you're beautiful! I totally get it, I'm always the one wanting to take the pictures :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog, so glad you did!
Love,
Your Newest Follower ☺
Stephanie, thank you for visiting and commenting -- I treasure you! Do yourself a favor and be in the picture. Be a part of it!
DeleteThis post is just beautiful! :) So very true.
ReplyDeleteLove you, Heather -- thank you for visiting!
DeleteMandi, You are a noreply commentor. You need to fix this asap. make sense?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mommyiscoocoo.com/2011/11/hey-all-you-coocoo-commenters.html
Let me know if I can help you with this. You will start to get so many more replies to your comments.
Amanda, thank you -- I had no idea. I Google'd how to change that, and I'm hopeful it's fixed. I am grateful you're looking out for me. Truly a jewel!
DeleteSuch a cute little family you have! I found your blog through the GFC hop. Excited to read more. :)
ReplyDelete-Sara @ The Hinton Hook-Up
Sara, I'm elated for your visit -- hope you'll be back often. Thank you!
DeleteLOVE THIS! Werk it ;) You are GORGEOUS! And it's so true... we are perfect in our imperfections.
ReplyDeleteFound you via the blog hop and so happy I did! xx
Aw, thank you -- gorgeous I am not, but grateful for the compliment. You sure have made my day!
DeleteHello! Such a cute blog. Now following via GFC and Twitter from the GFC Blog Hop.
ReplyDeleteVisit my blog on Thursday's if you'd like to join our Bloglovin' blog hop.
Take care,
http://www.happykidsinc.blogspot.com
Thank you, Meg! On my way to visit with you...
DeleteMandi ... you look perfect! Maybe I say that because I am older but someday you will look back and think that you should have been THANKFUL when you looked like that! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat pics of Lake Woodlands! pippa
Hi Pippa! I told my daughter all about your blog. She sorta turns her nose up at my thrifting habits. When I told her how much your daughters love their unique style, and how cute they are dressed, her eyes widened. Finger crossed I can get her to come to our side of the street. :)
DeleteYou know I always think you're crazy when you say you don't photograph well! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't, but thank you for the sweet words of encouragement. Always thankful for you, my friend!
DeleteThis was such a great post for me to read....I too prefer to stay behind the camera and I never thought about the lack of pictures my son will have of me, thank you for sharing! And you have such a a gorgeous family!
ReplyDeleteSam
Hangingwithahousewife.blogspot.com
Sam, I love these types of comments -- where my words somehow touch my visitor. That's exactly what I'm striving for here...a place where we can connect on a deeper level. A place where we can be our real selves. A place where we feel we fit in. Thank you. And I encourage you to get in the picture. Photo bomb them if you have to. :) XOXO
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