We’re back!! First off I want to apologize for the delayed responses you will be receiving to your messages and calls. As I mentioned before we were out of the office all last week as we had a travel birth session in the works. Everything went just as planned, but more on that tomorrow and later on this week. We decided to make a road trip out it since it had been a while that D, the kids and I had taken any vacation for ourselves. Friends, I am so happy we did. Sure we could of boarded a plane and gotten there two hours later, but this little trip was so special. On the way there I was the designated driver since D had Lasik surgery the week before and was still recovering. Those fourteen hours helped me clear my mind and organize my thoughts as to what I want to do these next couple of weeks now that the busy season is about to start. I enjoyed the peace that always comes along with leaving a desk full of to-dos in order to escape with my three boys far away. I’ll be a hundred percent honest and let you know that unless it was Kristin messaging me, that phone was put away, on silent, in the depths of my bag, deep deep away. We disconnected. AND IT WAS SO NEEDED.
There’s so much going on in our house, our families and our jobs ( D as well ) that for the past couple of months we have been walking around like little porcupines ready to flinch out needles and stab anyone that rubs off the wrong way. STRESS… its a killer for the sleep deprived and the over achievers. One minute I was so tired I was falling asleep sitting up, the next I was ready to cry a river and short after I was packing my bags to head to a session. The daily routine I had set for myself was slowly sinking me down. I lost the balance between motherhood, managing a home and a photography business. Being a mother of two on its own is demanding enough for some of us to go hide in the closet for a time out. One day I caught myself looking at the boys play and just crying at how fast its all passing me by. I wish I could sit here and tell you all that the trip fixed it all. That would be some kind of miracle right? But the truth is that now I have even more work to do. More sessions to shoot, more pictures to edit. But those two little munchkins of mine helped me somehow see the light and figure out what needs to change.
Momma can’t do it all perfectly.
I wish I could! but we all know one can’t. Taking it slow and giving myself grace to rest and run out there with William and Matthew is all I needed. Of course taking time off meant there were calls unanswered, emails still not read, messages ignored and sessions now delayed but it gave me the kind of breather that brings life back. Now I am ready to tackle it all again, with energy, strength and desire to. Funny how just stepping away can help tremendously. The kind of person I am needs to step away. I can’t be tied to a desk or every day at home for long. I long to be out there exploring and being outdoors. That’s one of the reasons photography has always been such a therapy for me, I get to explore with this camera of mine and see things in a new way. So as a rule every other week I need to get out there and have a work-free, away from home day. One that will charge up my batteries and refresh my brain to take on the next two weeks. Might sound silly to you all that I am here venting and writing about this, but I know I am not alone. I know other working moms go through this as well. I know other women without children feel this way too. And friends, if anything I ever mention helps in the slightest of ways, this blog has served it’s purpose.
On our second day of the road trip we made our pit stop at one of the state parks on my MUST SEE list. Fontainebleau State Park – I was in love. I must go there again with a family or couple to shoot because every where I would stand I was already imagining a shot I would like to do. So so beautiful and relaxing. Amongst those old Spanish moss covered trees the kids and I ran in circles and plopped together until the wanted no more. Almost four years of living in Louisiana and I had never visited this hidden jewel. These are a few favorites from our afternoon spent there.
In love with this next sweet one of Matthew and I.
Will gives the best hugs ever. Even Matthew loves them.
I was in awe with the size of these beauties.
As the sun was setting we headed towards “the beach” for more pictures and to watch the sky glow.
It was the perfect end to our afternoon and our arrival to Louisiana. I felt inspired and uplifted and ready to witness what I had driven all that way for… the arrival of Lorelei.
