Sweet Pea Crew

I have these little girls...amazing creatures they are. Not that my boys aren't amazing, but they are boys...old enough to not need to capture my attention with their boy-ness. But my girls...there's just something about them that melts me. Whatever the charm is can make me forget about any trouble or trial I might be facing. It's like therapy. It might only be a smile as big as the world from Bella; an "I love you" for no reason at all from my mini me Carleigh; or the beautiful eyes of Bri that let me know just how much she adores me. To them, I am something really great...and the sweet moments I get to witness daily from them make me feel as if I am everything they believe I am. God has gently nudged me for months now to slow down and drink in the little moments like these. At first, I was defiant...not deliberately so, but disobedient all the same. He showed me little by little what I have been missing by being so caught up in the J-O-B of motherhood that I was missing the blessing that motherhood truly is. As a result of my new journey, I embrace the quirks that once upset my routine...and it has given me great determination to capture some of the sweet memories I am making by camera. So...here are my girls.

This is Bri. I took a series of pictures of her as she was drifting off to sleep in the swing. This was the final one. Her little lips were moving in a sucking motion...made me want to pick her up and just squeeze her!

Bella...what do you say about a Bella? She's the coolest almost-two-year-old I know. This was her...just waking up for the day and being so sweet. She likes to play with me before she gets out of her bed everyday. I used to not take the time...I would just leave her in her bed until she was ready to get out. But now, I play. We had just played peek-a-boo with her blanket that she has to have (along with her thumb in her mouth) before she can go to sleep. She even thanks me when I give it to her! Peek-a-boo is her favorite game to play in the morning...and we have lovingly nicknamed her "Boo" as a result. I'm not sure we even call her Bella at home anymore. Even the other kids have started calling her Boo.

This is my first "Sweet Pea" Carleigh, for whom I named my photography business. Of course, there I am...can you see the resemblance? HA! Carleigh is spunky for sure. My word to describe her is sparkly. But only if it said the way she says it..."Spark-a-lee"! She likes all things sparkly...but sparkly to her can be a beautiful new haircut, which is what she thought of my new cut a few weeks back. Her response..."I want that, too!" So, I gave it to her. She doesn't know this, but if this was how she asked me, I would give her anything in the world. Carleigh challenges me in ways I never thought I would be. But at the core of all that mischief is a girl who asks me every night to sing Baby Mine to her. There was a period I didn't have time. Now, I dare not refuse her. The day just isn't complete without that song. I imagine one day she will sing that to her own sweet baby girl.

How rich am I?