It’s Christmas Card Season!!!
I may have blogged about this before (after so many blog posts I tend to forget what I have written) but even so here I go.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE photo Christmas cards.
For so many us, the Christmas cards we send out and/or receive are from those we haven’t seen all year or even years. I have many friends in other states and half my family is in Canada. As much as I love getting any type of Christmas cards, I adore those that come as photos.
I pause here in
my tale of Christmas card joy to reflect on a recent event.
my tale of Christmas card joy to reflect on a recent event.
The realization
of how important a family photo is came screaming out to me two weeks ago. Many
of you may not know but we almost lost our baby Kingston. I found him face down
on the ground, blue and cold. Was it a heart attack? Did he fall and hit his
head? Panic filled me like I had never known before. I tried to remember what I
had learned in a CPR class 15 years ago (more to come on this in later posts) but
nothing I did was bringing him back.
of how important a family photo is came screaming out to me two weeks ago. Many
of you may not know but we almost lost our baby Kingston. I found him face down
on the ground, blue and cold. Was it a heart attack? Did he fall and hit his
head? Panic filled me like I had never known before. I tried to remember what I
had learned in a CPR class 15 years ago (more to come on this in later posts) but
nothing I did was bringing him back.
Thankfully a
neighbor heard my screams and was able to save him by giving him the Heimlich.
A piece of peach had been lodged in his throat.
neighbor heard my screams and was able to save him by giving him the Heimlich.
A piece of peach had been lodged in his throat.
Sitting in the
ambulance ride to the hospital, cradling my baby in my arms a
thought came to me. “I don’t have a family picture with all of us! I don’t
have a FAMILY photo”. This may seem a strange thought to have in the midst
of this type of trauma, but one cannot control
the thoughts that come to you at such moments. I was so busy taking photos of
others I had neglected my own family photo.
ambulance ride to the hospital, cradling my baby in my arms a
thought came to me. “I don’t have a family picture with all of us! I don’t
have a FAMILY photo”. This may seem a strange thought to have in the midst
of this type of trauma, but one cannot control
the thoughts that come to you at such moments. I was so busy taking photos of
others I had neglected my own family photo.
And
Kingston……..he is 100% fine. No brain damage or physical damage.
Kingston……..he is 100% fine. No brain damage or physical damage.
In fact my oldest
Kaleb said the other day, “Mama I think they made Kingston too new, new at
the hospital
because he has more energy and more words now.”
Kaleb said the other day, “Mama I think they made Kingston too new, new at
the hospital
because he has more energy and more words now.”
A photograph is worth a 1000 words.
Many of us, including me, like to include a Christmas letter that updates everyone on our years events. I can describe in detail how much my boys have grown and changed, but this can’t hold a candle to having a photograph of them. Even before I took up photography professionally I always made sure our Christmas cards were a photo card.
I take great pleasure every season hanging up all the cards we recieve. I hang a special ribbon from the wall and use clothespins to attach each card.
I love seeing all the smiling faces of our friends and family looking back at us. The beautiful deorative Christmas cards with winter season and words of joy, intermix with the photo cards to create a feeling of warmth and love in our home.
I explain to my boys who each one of these cards are from and why they are important to our lives. I teach them the importance of wonderful friends and of course FAMILY.
Photo Christmas cards give us a wonderful visual record of the growth of our family.
As Kaleb is now 7 years old, I decided to look back over our past photo Christmas cards from the time Kaleb was born. Those images quickly bring a smile to my face and I am floaded with memories. Memories of those early years and how quickly they are slipping through my fingers.
I treasure those cards.
I treasure those images.
I treasure my family.
I love helping you treasure yours.
Thank you to my dear friend Jennifer for taking this family photo for us below! Thank you for allowing me to have a family photo.
I treasure this above all else I own!
