Why?

People ask me why I take so many pictures of the kids.  Well, moreso, why I photograph the random moments in our lives.  This is always said with an air of inquisitiveness, without judgement.  Most days, I take pictures of my kids to remember the important days in our lives.  The everyday moments that we will never get back but that define us.  

Other days, I take pictures to remind me of why I do this all.  Friday was a rough day.  I was tired and irritable and Lil G was very much a four-year-old.  Everything I said was questioned, all day long.  Priveledges were lost, due to disrespect (one of my big buttons).  There were tears throughout the day, from him and from me.  There was yelling (from me).  Every time I was asked for snuggles, I did so begrudgingly.  There were also apologies from both sides and promises to try and do better.  It was a hard day.  A day where I questioned why I stay at home at all, a day where I thought that the kids would be better off at a daycare during the day. 

Then, in the middle of all this, God offered me a blessing.  A reprieve. A reminder of the wonderful blessings in my life and the fleeting moments that will soon be gone, as my children continue to age and change.  I tried to snap a photo of Smunchie.  A random photo to capture her sweet nature, as she was trying to stand.  Lil G gleefully said, "Take a picture of me and my little girlie!".  And so, I did.  And through the camera lens, I saw--that he is just a little boy, trying to grow in God, trying to learn to behave, trying to be the best person he can be. 

It didn't last forever.  But in that moment, I remembered that this life is the best life for me.  And so, I snapped a photo of it.