I've seen many people post about 365 projects over the last few years but thought that's something I likely wouldn't be able to keep up with. However, this year I am making it a goal to complete one. A 365 project is simply posting a photo a day for a year. Along with this I have decided to add an extra challenge of a 52 project, which as you likely guessed it is posting a photo a week for a year. So while I will post a photo of my family every day, once a week I will be turning the camera and including myself in someway in the photo. Whether its all of me or just my hand or foot I want to be included in my family's photos. As a photographer I'm always behind the camera, but I want to start making it a point to get in front of it so that my children will have photos of me to look back on when I'm no longer here.
My hair won't be perfect, in fact it will most definitely be a hot mess in my classic mom bun, and I'll likely be in yoga pants with fresh, child sized orange Cheetoo hand prints across them (because I'm apparently a walking napkin!), but I'll be in the photo. All the extra pounds I've been waiting to lose to be in nice photos with my family will also be joining me. It's not going anywhere fast (though it is something I will also be working on this year!) and if I waited until I felt thin enough or good enough to be in the photos it would never happen. I know that my husband and children love me just the way I am, and I hope that through this journey that I will also learn to love and appreciate myself a little more too.
I will be posting the photos on Instagram every day with the hashtag #TheShawFamily2017 (<Click here) if you would like to follow along with my projects.
Here are my photos from Day 1 and 2.
{1/365} "A day without laughter is a day wasted." - Charlie Chaplin
{2/365} & {1/52 - Self portraits} "Let me love you a little more before you're not little anymore" - Unknown
Carter is my wild child and like me in so many ways. He has a fiery spirit that can't be tamed. While this can be challenging somedays, I know that this same spirit in myself has helped me tremendously in life and I wouldn't change him for the world. He's always on the go, but once in a while I am able to sneak in a quick snuggle before he's off again. I cherish these brief moments because before I know it he will be too big to snuggle me.
