I have been looking forward to a family photo ALL week. I even made sure we sort of matched and everyone had clean faces. We got to church early so we could have our photo before it all turned to chaos.
And we came away with five photos and .... drumroll.....in every photo one of the boys looks like something is wrong with him!
Happy Mother's Day aye? A mother's love is that un-explainable kind that still manages to think her kids are adorable even though they ruin the first family photos they've had taken in about 6 years.
So here are the weekly photos - if I had better photo editing skills I would have superimposed the best ones of the boys from each photo to make one 'perfect'one.
But after all isn't that the point - there is no perfect family. Even behind perfect photos, beautiful clothes, lovely homes, fantastic activities, behind achievements and accolades and 'I love you cards', behind all our beautiful facades and even our genuine love, laughter and natural good looks, ahem, there is still imperfection. We are all found at the end of ourselves from time to time. Cross words and grumpy silences still show us we're not there yet.
And that is the essence of families - imperfect people loving each other with all the love we have to muster, loving each other with passion and laughter, loving each other in failures and tears and car sickness and nightmares and wet beds.... this is what love is, that we love in spite of all good reason to do otherwise. This is the gift of motherhood - knowing that at the end of yourself when you are ready to shout obscenities and crumple into a sobbing heap you will always, always find something in yourself to love your children, to hold them when they fall and to lose your breath at their sleeping perfection.
This is motherhood. This is what being a family is.
love you more than a perfect family photo xxxx