Happy Father's Day!

 

My littles are blessed beyond the feeble words which so inadequately try to express all they have. A Daddy who is fully present for them, who laughs and listens, who has always been there and always will, unconditionally loving and supporting them and cheering them on. A daddy who is not afraid to show his emotions, who is setting an example of how to live and love, fully and unabashedly. For me to know that we are a team in this parenting journey, that we are partners in this life we are so fortunate to be living together is truly an honor and a gift. I could not have asked for more of the father of my children. Happy Father's Day James Cannan and thank you for who you are and all that you do, you are truly amazing!

52 Weeks of 2014 - Week 13

As I look back on our last few years, there are many things I could focus on. We made the choice after our first child, our son was born, for me to stop my job outside the home and be with our children. To be honest, I didn't really feel like it was a choice to be made, I couldn't handle the thought of leaving them. I know people do; some feel they have no other option, some absolutely love their jobs and have worked hard to get where they are and I do not judge them, but I wanted, more than anything to be there for my kids.

I had some pretty great jobs, that I really enjoyed with people that I looked forward to seeing every day, but this...this job of being a mother has and is, by far the most important. We could financially be in a much stronger position if I had kept working, but we have three amazing, beautiful children, who deserved to be loved and taught by us. Who needed to know they were important and they were worth spending time with and being with.

There is school now and there are friends and they are starting to experience life, but I hope that basic values we have instilled, foundations we helped to build will remain strong. We will continue to sow into them as much as we can and encourage and inspire, but it is no longer just us influencing them.

I do not regret for one moment the sacrifices we have made. I would go back and do it all over again. This is the most important job in the whole world.

52 Weeks of 2014 - Week 12

Sure the photographs of a happy smiling family are often the ones that end up on the walls, but these...these moments are the ones that I will look back on with a full heart. These candid moments, snippets of real life, not posed, will bring the memories flooding back.

52 Weeks of 2014 - Week 11

It was a glorious weekend, really quite hot for March. The girls had changed into swimsuits and headed outside to drench each other, then returned for towels and snacks. When I glanced out of the window, this was the sight I saw; two best friends sharing snacks and secrets. Does it get any better than that?

52 Weeks of 2014 - Week 8

The best beaches have sand and rocks. A kid can play and dig and clamber and climb and run from the waves, or just sit and think, for a few moments. Oh what I would give to know the thoughts that run through his mind. He is a thinker.

Can't beat California, sun and the beach in February. It may be colder again today, but these random gorgeous days are such a gift.

52 Weeks of 2014 - Week 7

Ah my sweet girls. I love to watch their relationship; they love each other to death and are best friends, but of course they know each others 'buttons' like nobody else.

I have recently been learning to crochet and made them each a cute hat last week, which they actually like and are wearing(!), they were so cute together that I had to take a photograph. Any excuse right?

52 Weeks of 2014 - Week 6

And then the rain came and it wasn't just a soft rain, it poured! The kind of weather that most definitely made me want to be indoors, wrapped up warm (wishing I had a fireplace). When you're a kid though, what could be more fun than to splash in puddles?

Ten

Ten years ago we welcomed the most amazing baby boy into our life. A decade...how is that even possible? I could not know how much I would love this little guy and how much he would change me. I had no idea what to really expect, how to be a mother...but we learned together. Such a sweet, sweet time.

He is truly beautiful, inside and out. He has a sensitivity, that I know at times must seem like both a blessing and a curse, but I know he will grow into that and will always bless others.

Like me, he sees things very literally and can be an over analyzer and like his daddy he is free with his emotions and wears his heart on his sleeve. He is creative, an amazing artist with a crazy imagination. Although they bug him at times and he craves alone time, he adores his little sisters and I know he would do anything for them.

He is on that cusp now, he is still very much a little boy, but growing all the time; intellectually, emotionally and physically. The small child is standing in the doorway, one foot in childhood still, but peering across into adulthood, he's not quite ready to cross that threshold but it is just a matter of time. It makes me catch my breath...

52 Weeks of 2014 - Week 5

They grow up so quickly, but watching them sleep takes me back in time. I can see them, once again, as they looked as babies. It is an amazing thing.

This one is, of course, way past needing naps, but after a couple of very late nights last weekend, when forced to be quiet and still she actually fell asleep. I know she needed it. I watched her as she snoozed, so pretty and peaceful and I marveled at the girl she was and is becoming.

Such hopes and dreams we have for our children, that they will be children for as long as possible, that they will grow into confident and strong adults.  The years we fully have with them are so short and precious. I hope we grow to be great friends, moving beyond the parent daughter roles we have today. I hope she will always know she is loved and beautiful. I hope she will speak her mind, even when she disagrees with others and not be afraid to be different. I hope she will take risks and laugh at her mistakes and try again.

I know that she truly has the ability to move mountains, not only in her life but in the lives of others and I hope that she will believe that for herself and be an encouragement to others.

I love this sweet (and spicy) girl!

52 Weeks of 2014 - Week 4

Meet my nephew and niece. Great kids. The thing I love about family is that there is no pretense, you see the good and the bad and you love through it all. I have watched these children grow up, the cuddles, the tantrums (fortunately not directed at me), highs and lows and I love that I get to see them developing into the people they will become.

If you have children, or grew up not as an only child, you know that they can be the best of friends and the worst of enemies. They love each other, yet they can bicker and quarrel and torment each other. At the end of the day though, they will have each others backs. The shared history, the mutual grievances with parents, the secrets they share, or keep from each other. There is nothing like the bond you have with your siblings.

It's true, over and over again in relationships, from marriages, to parent and child and of course with siblings, no matter how mad each may be with the other, if they can laugh together, all can be right in their world.

52 Weeks of 2013 - Week 45

Childhood is so fleeting. Before we know it, those helpless babies are crawling, walking, then all too quickly running. The cries become words then sentences and all of a sudden there are full, two-way conversations. Time speeds by and we cannot stop it, try as we might.

A little girl was feeling sad this day. Her older brother and sister and cousins had taken off without her, up a steep, loose gravel hill and try as hard as she could, she was unable to follow them. She sat forlornly, fighting back the tears and I felt a little helpless. Had I not been wearing flip flops, or had two dogs in tow, I may have attempted to make the treacherous climb with her, but given those circumstances, it was not an option. I know she loves me, but in that moment she would rather have been exploring with the big kids, than hanging out with her Mom.

She didn't want consoling, she was trying to be strong! I know these instances are growing further apart and happening with lesser frequency. All too soon they'll all be off having their own fun, as I watch (and cheer) from the sidelines. That moment, was one more for me to just be with her, to turn the sad into a smile, to create something special, for just the two of us. So we went on a little treasure hunt, searching for conkers. It was our own little adventure and she was so proud. I guess 'conkers' isn't really played over here, but she knew exactly what I was talking about, she'd seen it on a Kipper episode. She was excited and happy...and so was I.

As mothers, our role is constantly changing. We go from being the be all and end all, to a helper, a teacher, an encourager, having finally to release, to be a cheerleader and supporter and hopefully in the end a friend. Each stage so far has been so sweet and as I see my role needing to change it continues to be bittersweet, but I hope to cherish each one and to keep depositing into those memory banks.

52 Weeks of 2013 - Week 41

I am currently in England for a week, for my brother's wedding and boy do I miss my family. They couldn't come with me and are at home in California. Those sweet smiles brighten my day, every day and the hugs and the kisses and the little hands. I miss them all. I know they miss me too, but I am only one person to miss and I am missing four (counting my husband too). Sigh.

I am happy to be here but so wish they were with me. Can't wait to be home with them again.

52 Weeks of 2013 - Week 39

He loves his daddy so much. It was particularly sweet yesterday as he chose to wear a cap, just so he could look him him. Of course you know I had to capture that!

And one more, just because he's my sweet boy and growing up way too quickly.

Family

These two sisters have eight children between them, all aged 6 1/2 and under, (the youngest is only a couple of weeks old) and they still managed to look this good! Seems a little unfair to me :P

All of these children were stunning. In my family, I am surrounded by blue eyes, so I find brown eyes absolutely mesmerizing.

Sometimes I like what might be considered outtakes the best. True personalities shine through.

 So much love from the old baby to the new one.

And even if it's only a few moments, got to get a couple of Mom and Dad together. Life is crazy and hectic with kids and especially a newborn, but that relationship is so important and beautiful.

Thank you for the chance to work with your beautiful family Christine.

If you are interested in family photographs, email me at juanita@juanitacannanphotgraphy.com to find out more or schedule a session.

52 Weeks of 2013 - Week 33

When my wonderful husband moved me to America, 15 years ago this October, I knew nobody other than he. That first weekend we met an engaged couple at church, who invited us over for lunch and thus began a lifelong friendship. We would spend weekends together, roaming San Francisco for parking and some new place to eat, driving aimlessly for hours on our little adventures. We helped to decorate at their wedding, years later we bought houses walking distance from each other, we went through pregnancies and had children together...and that is the fun part because now our children are best friends too.

We aren't neighbors anymore and they have accepted a new position at a new church so things will undoubtedly change, but they will always be people we can count on in our lives. We will just have to be more intentional with our plans. I know from experience that true friends can always pick up where they left off, no matter the distance or time between them. Here's to friendships that last forever, for us AND our kids.

(My sweet boy is missing from these pictures, as he has been hobbling around on crutches, but he is very much a part of the gang too).

52 Weeks of 2013 - Week 31

Ah my boy, growing up so quickly. Not yet a man, but certainly not the little boy he once was. He still has an innocence about him, things he has not been exposed to and a simple view of the world. He still knows how to play games full of imagination and pretense, how to build Lego for hours and get lost in a book. He is kind and compassionate and cares deeply about right and wrong. He likes to help and LOVES to cook. He takes great delight in making others laugh.

His foundations are good and I know that he will be a wonderful man and an amazing father some day. It boggles my mind to think of all the changes there have been since he was born, yet alone the changes to come in the years ahead.

52 Weeks of 2013 - Week 28

This child brings so much joy to my life and her smile truly is a gift, even in all it's gummy, missing teeth glory. She is kind and affectionate and thoughtful and sweet and she loves to sing and make others laugh. My days are going to seem a little longer when she starts school and is no longer by my side. She makes me smile, she makes me happy.

Then there are her eyes. She's just an amazing child.