Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Alieda's Challenge

I wasn't as active on Studio Calico when Alieda was so present...
but her legacy in scrapbooking lives on.
She challenged us to not worry so much about how we feel about how we look in pictures and just take pictures of ourselves with our kids.

That is a tough one for women. Let's be 100% honest.
But it is important.
And so while at the zoo with my kiddos, she made me think to plop my purse down, and do what I could to make it work to get a picture with them this day.

Each picture I have with my grandma I treasure. There are not enough.
Each picture with my father. A treasure also.
I love my children.
For them, I need to leave proof.
Life is too fragile.
Period.

Do it.
Take a picture with your kids today.
Hold the camera out and take a picture.
Set it on your car and take it.
Set it on a table and run on over!!


This picture isn't perfect... but it's us, and THAT is perfect.

10 comments:

meganklauer said...

What an awesome message Penny and it IS a perfect picture! Thanks for reminding us all!

Michele said...

I totally agree!!! I started taking pictures with my son from day one, whenever I could. I know I hate looking at all my flaws (and that's all I see when I look at pictures of me). But in the end, it's mostly my family that sees these pictures and they just see pictures of someone they love, not the flaws.

I have looked at my pictures of me as a child and I have almost none of me and my mother. She was behind the camera most of the time. That makes me sad.

kate blue said...

I was just saying that to a friend of mine on Sunday...forget about how much weight I need to lose-am gonna do a photo shoot tomorrow kinda like a photo booth if I can figure it out!! Thanks for the inspiring words-if I may borrow some of them for my blog and credit you of course???

kate

Candi Ladwig said...

Not perfect???!! This is awesome! I love this pic... I'll take one tomorrow!

Christine said...

very well said....and i will be doing this starting tomorrow. you're right! to us it may be "ugh" but to them it is a treasure. :) Thank you!

Patt said...

Oh Penny, I have tears running down my cheek... that was said so true... Love ya firlfriend!!!!!

Patt said...

I knew I should have previewed it...ms...

Marion said...

I love this picture and you are so right. I HATE seeing myself and we have very few pictures of me. I do need to get over it. My kids are grown now, but I need some of me and my DH so they don't think they imagined that they had parents.

Alicia said...

Can't agree with you more! Reality is, that life if fragile. I could have 90 years, I could have only 45! Our kids look at us everyday and love us just the way we are. They see past the messy hair, no makeup and mis-matched pajamas. Yet, they still hug and kiss you and say, they love us! Of course, I choose to have my hair brushed for a photo, but omethings it's truly the memory of the photo that has the treasure. What you were doing at the time, the feelings you had in the moment! You can laugh about the hair later.:) That's what I love about photography! So much is left behind in a photograph. And don't forget about dad too. Get plenty of pictures of your kids with dad. For those of you with more the one kid. Remember to take shots with only you and one child often. Not always that collective group kind. Group shots are great, but the pics I love best of my mom are just me and my mom. I honestly don't have enough of those or even with my dad. Especially now that I am grown up. I need to get on that. And my last tip, don't forget to get plenty of pictures of you with your husband and no kids. Every year, I have a favorite pic with just my husband, so that someday, my children will have a book filled with pictures of their parents as they grew old together. No gaps. Again, life isn't worth missing. Happy picture taking! SMILE!

Ashleigh Sandrock said...

Love the last words of this post...priceless....great scrapbook journal/title...hmmm maybe theme for TSM?