There’s a sense of formality that comes with posting family portraits online. I want to do it right. And yet it took everything in my power not to title this post “My Big Brudder’s Family.” Yeah, so that would’ve been baby talk, but I truthfully think of Adam as my big brudder—and I love him for always being the guy I can look up to.
Shooting Adam, Kristin, Madeleine and Noah last fall was a particularly fun thing for me to do. It felt like I was pushing the pause button to take stock of their lives. Setting it up as a true photo shoot allowed me to tell them where to stand and how to move, etc.—all the photographer commands I hold back when shooting in an informal setting over birthday cake or Thanksgiving dinner. When I step back from the images and take it all in, I’m struck by how awesome it is that Adam has such a cool family. I love my sister-in-law and my niece and nephew. We really live a full and rich existence.
I like Valentine’s Day. I like the sentiment behind it, the gifts and special occasions it gives rise to, and the unabashedly cheesy nature of it. You don’t have to use the finest ingredients or finest materials in order to express your affection. And that suits me just fine.
That being said, I received a phenomenal bouquet of roses last Friday. They are amazing and I’ve enjoyed them every day. My Valentine further melted my heart by sending our daughter a bouquet, too. (Note to Livia’s future husband: you have your work cut out for you!)
Livia’s class will exchange Valentine cards at the end of the school day. Around 90% of our elementary school comes from impoverished families, so I admire how teachers handle V-Day celebrations. They send out a class list and encourage all children to make their own valentines with teacher-provided construction paper if needed. The kids will exchange cards and then take them home to open them. It’s a win-win and fun for everyone regardless of family income.
I really enjoy making cards with Livia each year. I like including a non-sugary treat, which then allows me to feel a bit better when I send along sweets like the cupcakes below. It’s fun to see Livia grow in ability from year-to-year. This year she was super-focused on writing the recipients’ names and checking off the class list. I even left the house for a Walgreens run and returned to my child studiously working! Those of you who know Liv know what a feat that was for her.
Our special Valentine cupcakes were simple to prepare: box mix with sprinkles, Wilton’s easy buttercream frosting, and a strawberry heart marshmallow for the top. The time that Livia and I spent together, making memories right alongside cupcakes, was extra sweet.
We are not guaranteed easy lives, friends. In fact, the older we get, the tougher life is going to be. We will see friends and family become ill, get divorced, deal with death and suffer through all kinds of other trials. But God in his grace lavishes us with great love—the joys I see and hear and taste and smell today are from him. I can open my eyes to see this beauty and I can be thankful for it.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Me: What are you doing?
Livia: I’m sunbathing. I’m a vampire and I need to stay in the shade. Because you’re the mommy and you don’t want your little girl to turn into dust.
Just another Saturday morning in the Tredway household.
Who, I think, looks a lot like my Dad. Thanks to Aunt Carol for snapping the shot! It was fun to actually get in on a few pictures with my camera.
Going to evening church has its perks. Our Sunday mornings start out slow and easy, with cartoons and cereal and cuddles. We spend the day as a family and then head to worship in the evening. Here are a few shots of our day so far, including a moment where Livia said, “Yeah, I got the butt end.” I bet you can figure out when she stated that fact.
Cutting Daddy’s hair required lots of concentration. Most of the time his face was quite zen-like as his girls buzzed around his head and, well, pretty much buzzed his head.
Only once did things get a bit hairy. Pun intended.
Tonight we celebrated the 40th anniversary of my folks with a lovely dinner and dessert. Happy 40th, Mom and Dad! I love you!
I was the recipient of a fabulous birthday present from my friend Maralee. Today we got pedicures. And boy are our feet happy. Maralee is a only a few days away from her due date with a little boy we affectionately call Baby Bean. It seemed extra appropriate that her feet get rubbed and scrubbed and treated so kindly as they so faithfully carry this baby, who is a bean size no longer. Tonight I tried to impress Livia, who refers to my feet as elephant feet, with the incredible softness of my heels. She claims they were only a little better than normal. First graders—not easily impressed!
There’s nothing like taking a phone call while your daughter is snapping your picture. Thanks for ignoring me, Dad. I realize that being ignored is precisely what I want my subjects to do for me. Now, how to make that happen? Gotta think those photog-ninja thoughts again.
The last few days have been chilly and rainy. The snow on the ground has almost melted entirely and some mornings feel almost springlike outside. The darkness and general dreariness make me want to hole up inside with hot beverages and good books. However, work calls to me and even when I ignore it, the internet and DPP are always calling my name. Taking shots of people every day is indeed a challenge. Some of my energy and drive has ebbed away with the daylight and I feel I’m getting to the hard part of the December Photo Project! Yet, I know that pushing myself is really healthy and that sometimes it exposes creative thoughts and energies I didn’t know I had.
Here’s to tomorrow and the days beyond! Press on, fellow DPPers. We can do this!
