Full House and Polaroid Moments

 

Full-House and Polaroid Moments

 

One by one…they made their way “home” for Christmas. As parents of children in literally every stage, I am learning many lessons, every day. My husband and I are blessed with four, remarkable, unique children. Our oldest son, Trice, will turn 24 years old this March. Our youngest, Chace, is an energetic, literally bouncing 2 year old boy. Our 12 year old Garyn is making his way through pre-teen adolescent years. And, our only girl, Lillian, will celebrate her 19^th Birthday this month; navigating through her freshman year of college.

Yes. You read this correctly. The numbers 24, 19, 12, 2 represent the vastly different ages of our offspring. This Christmas, we also added a beautiful young lady to our family traditions. Trice’s girlfriend, Sam. We live in a small home, which was running over with activity and memory making this year. I learned a valuable lesson, closed doors work as beautiful concealers of a host of outfit changes and new toys. For the Mom who enjoys order, Christmas always ushers in the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and choose to ponder the “moments” over the “mess”. Cooking, baking, lots of family traditions and togetherness filled our days. Add to this a toddler on a sugar high, and you have our own version of the 1980’s-1990’s sitcom, Full House. 

Recently, our Lillian received the gift of a Polaroid camera. I love how certain fashions and trends make their way back around. Digital photos are quickly being replaced by memorable Polaroid snapshots. Physical photos, printed instantly and developed over the course of a few minutes. To be held in our hands and hung with the best DIY Pintrest has to offer! The opportunity to freeze moments in time, and instantly see them, hold them, and ponder them. I found myself living many of those moments over the past week. I couldn’t help but wonder, what polaroid moments would Mary have captured on the first Christmas? What are the moments that make us stop everything to notice? The moments worth printing and hanging in our hearts forever.

Just as with my very full house, life can quickly become very busy. Sometimes chaotic, cluttered and filled to the brim with the things that need done. We must make a conscious decision to look past the clutter and see the person. To look past the mess and see the gift of relationships and family and even different personalities. Each one of my children are uniquely different. Each one brings my heart a different type of joy. I am often tested and asked, “Mom, which one of us is your favorite?” I honestly answer, each one is my favorite for different reasons. Reasons I choose to celebrate, to ponder and to capture.

Like Mary, I want to choose to ponder the Polaroid moments and the Full House over to host of other distractions that hold no true value.

Whether within the walls of our own homes or within the course of our days. There is a very full house of people who need us to look past the clutter and notice them. To cherish them, to celebrate them. And if the opportunity arises, take a Polaroid snapshot of a memory or two along the way!