As we come to an end of the very first month of summer, I am reminded that summer is a time of rest, not only for my kids, but also for me. This is where I get out of my “blogger, working mom” groove and settle into my “I have the kids all the freaking time and I’m just trying to get my chores done” groove. I always have these grandiose ideas of keeping a schedule where I blog consistently, continue to post on social media, and hope that I have a lot of clients. The reality is that I am mainly focused on keeping the kids occupied, getting in my morning meditation, trying to get some form of exercise, and keep my house clean. I know that it will not always be this way, and honestly, because of that, I am letting go of this idea that I need to have a thriving business. I stayed at home with my kids for a reason and I’d like to be present for them.

 

As you read in my last post, I am doing a #100daysofsummerchallenge. The goal is to take a picture every day for 100 days. It doesn’t always have to be with my big camera, which is good because I’ve already missed a few with that. The purpose of this project is to capture these days with my kids in a fun way that they can see as they get older. I’ve already printed the pictures I’ve taken from the first quarter of this year, which I plan on doing all year long. At the end of the year, I make a photo book of my favorites and print them for each child to put in their “memory boxes”. Those boxes are just plastic target bins but in them, I keep any craft that I really like, pictures, pieces of clothing, papers from school, etc. I hope that it’s full of things that help give them a glimpse of what their childhood was like. This is why I got into photography in the first place. I wanted to capture the daily life of my kids in a beautiful way. I never knew that it would become a source of creative expression, of personal growth, and of connection with some amazing women all over the country. For that, I am so grateful and urge anyone to pick up a camera if they feel inclined. It sometimes feels cliché to tell my story of picking up a camera when my kid was born. And honestly, there is a stigma about that story, especially from male photographers who want to dismiss this “momtog” trend. But eff that because if picking up a camera helps you through the loneliness of motherhood, helps you to capture the beauty of your child’s life, helps you to connect with others, and/pr helps you to examine your beliefs about beauty and the world around you, then pick up that damn camera, girl. Okay, rant over.

 

For today’s post, I simply wanted to post some of the pictures from my challenge and to share a bit about what we’ve been doing. We’ve been to the Children’s Museum of the Upstate here in Greenville, SC. It’s a fun place with 3 levels and entertainment for all ages. We’ve been to the Hands On Museum in Hendersonville, NC which is also a lot of fun, but on a smaller scale (which is actually nice when you have two or more small ones to watch). We’ve been to the beach, to the pool, and to the doctor. We’ve had 3 illnesses so far but I’m hoping that we’re on our last one and we can continue on with all of the summer plans. I hope to share some of the activities we do throughout the summer in case y’all ever need inspiration. Lastly, summer is a time to buckle down on self care because I have to be intentional about breaks. I have babysitters lined up, a couple of workshops, and purposeful moments where I can get some me time. I can so easily brush that time off as unimportant but I will have a harder time staying calm with the kids if I don’t recharge. And the same for the kids, they have to have some time to chill as well. With all of that said, here is a glimpse into our summer so far.

We had a fun trip to Myrtle Beach. Myrtle beach really isn’t what it used to be, but I have such fond memories of going there with my family, on church trips, with friends, and riding the rides at the Pavilion. The old Pavilion is gone now, but they have a new area at Broadway at the beach with rides for the kids. Mine absolutely loved them so we’ll definitely being going there again. 

After the beach, we’ve been playing in the yard most of the time. We have a pool membership but all the illnesses have mainly kept us playing here at the house

And of course, we couldn’t forget about trips to the children’s museum. We actually have gone to both the Children’s Museum of the Upstate as well as the Hands On museum, but I am going to share the hands on museum pictures in another post. 

It’s been a great summer so far and I am hoping I can stay consistent with the daily pictures. I tend to lose motivation so easily and I have a hard time staying committed, but I am definitely going to try. If this is something you’d like to do, please feel free to join. And if you’re wanting to document your family in a more professional way, I do offer sessions called A Day in the Life sessions. They are purely documentary and will resemble these types of photos. I follow you around for around 4-5 hours, just capturing your family in your daily lives. I think it’s a beautiful way to celebrate the summer and give your kids a glimpse of what it’s like in their daily lives, unscripted. I will include my contact form below.