Here’s a little bit of a break from our regularly schedule programming for a little something personal. But, mostly, just pictures of real cute kids. Hang with me for a paragraph or so until you skip ahead to the little babies.
I was exhausted this summer. You know in movies when you see the heroine sitting in their car, in the middle of traffic, in the pouring rain just crying their eyes out? Well I definitely hit that point this summer. Minus the rain thankfully. It was the end of July and I felt like I’d been running a nonstop marathon (which was kind of the case as far as traveling goes), and I just finally hit that point where I knew that I was tired. So in need of refreshing and so in need of rest. I couldn’t fathom the fact that my job with Cru was starting up again in two weeks, right before my wedding season even finished up. Sometimes you need those sad moments though, moments where you feel as if you’ve come to the edge of what you can do on your own, because it illuminates your need. At least that’s how I felt. In that moment, sitting in my car in Northern Virginia, I knew that I wasn’t doing as well as I thought I was. I was working too hard, taking no breaks, and just so so tired. As David pointed out to me recently, if you saw one of your girls living this way, you would’ve identified the problem already. You need to slow down.
I was functioning at full capacity all summer, but I was not functioning at full joy.
And by capacity I mean, I was doing all that I am capable of doing, working hard and well. But oh man, that joy was missing a lot of the time. That was one reason I was so thankful to be at weddings almost every weekend. It is impossible not to feel real joy in the midst of joyful celebrators.
One thing I love about working with Cru is that they understand rest so well. They want to take care of you as people, they care about your heart more than your duty. And that’s why, right before my last wedding of the summer, I got to spend a couple days with my staff team in a house that seemed to exist outside of civilization. We spent time resting and eating together and getting to know each other better and it was so needed and so good. Purely good.
As I watching some of my costaff’s children run around with my camera in hand, I wished that I could live the way they were jumping on the trampoline. Not a care in the world. So sure they’d be taken care of. Trusting. And with abundant and uninhibited joy.
So here’s some (too many) pictures of that childlike joy. I hope it puts a smile on your face like it did mine :] (ps: david and i both had the camera, no idea who took which images!)
Just because I love playing cards :]
My new favorite picture of Ivy Kate.
And at this point I wanted to shout, “I’VE DONE IT! I’VE CAPTURED IVY IN AN IMAGE!”
Like father like son :]
Coco’s mini photoshoot. What a little ham.
