Embrace the Camera {{Family Photos}}

Lets be honest for awhile. It 11:50 at night, just rocked the baby to bed again. I just got the link to our most recent family photo shoot. I am in tears, both for good and bad reasons.

First off, they are beautiful. We chose to do a lifestyle session in our home. I had planned to have sunshine streaming through the windows. That was not to be. The morning dawned rainy and just ugly. We trucked on however and really did have a good time. Haddie fell asleep as the photographer (a good friend of mine, the very talented Jennifer) walked through the door. Hunter had other plans. He was a wild man. Rarely looking at the camera and althogh he is normally all over his sister, he refused to even touch her. Whatever. Moving on.

One week later and Jenn sends me the link. They are beautiful. They really do capture how in love with Hadley and life as a family of four we are. The reason for the sad tears is a silly one. I have never been happy with the way I look for one reason. It doesn't have anything to do with my weight, or how my hair looks, or whether or not my outfit is perfect. It's something that has scars that run way deeper. My smile.

I have always hated my smile. I hate my teeth, I hate how my smile makes my eyes look. I just hate it.

It may be the reason I picked up a camera and started shooting other people. Since getting married I have consistantly turned the camera around on Brock and Hunter, and now Hadley, rather than getting in the pictures myself. When looking through photos I am then saddened that I am not in any of them! & it's really all my fault.

However, do I really want my insecurities to keep me out of these precious photographs? No. Not a chance. One day I want to be sitting with the kids, poring over boxes of photographs and laughing or crying at them. Definately not crying because my kids can't find a picture of Mommy. && are they going to care how I was smiling? Nope. They will only see that I was. Pretty sure that is all that matters.

So.

How fitting that while taking a bath the other night I ran across this lovely blog on Bloglovin'. Emily has launched an initiative to {embrace the camera}! How wonderful is that? Won't you head on over and check her out as well as join in the mission to embrace the camera yourselves? I think I will work on it myself! 

& now for the photos