This is what I learn by just being around this beautiful mama. Just be. Enjoy it. Laugh at it. And when you can’t make them stop, join them.

Tani is one of those mother’s who is a mother with a capital M. She’s a Mother. I won’t try to paint her as perfect. I can vividly see her laughing at me now if I did. But that’s just the thing. Laughing. She would just laugh.

That’s what I take away from time I spend with her. Laugh when it’s appropriate. And laugh when it’s not too. Since if nothing else, parenting young children is pretty darn funny.

Nothing brings me to tears faster than considering motherhood.

In all it’s vast peaks and valleys, daily I am humbled by it’s uncanny ability to make me both whole and broken. As if my heart cracked the moment they were born, overwhelmed by the intensity of love it now carried.

Yes, this all sounds very dramatic.

Yet it’s true and I hear this sentiment shared in a variety of ways from other mothers. The wholeness comes in the form of hugs, love, joy, I love you’s, goodnight mommy’s, and evenings you realize the kids were great all day! The brokenness comes from bowls of cereal thrown to the floor, diaper blowouts on your way to church, long nights and early mornings, screaming children in line at Target, when they stop napping or better yet, when they learn to crawl out of the crib.

Mostly though brokenness comes from knowing that one day they’ll move on. And it’s then I realize the only thing I need to do is LIVE IN THE MOMENT.

There’s something about the baby of the family. Everyone wants to hold him, toss him, make him laugh and be HIS favorite. Clearly, love will fill this little guy’s world for a lifetime.

It’s only taken four years but finally we are putting “The First Year” into a custom designed 100 page album. The album represents the first series of sessions we did from birth to his first birthday. We have 3 more years of sessions to go! And since he’s expecting his first sibling in just a few weeks I’m sure we’ll have many more.

Here are a few pages.

….to steal the show.

Snowball
by Shel Silverstein

I made myself a snow ball as perfect as could be.
I thought I’d keep it as a pet and let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas and a pillow for it’s head.
Then, last night it ran away.
But first — it wet the bed.