Motherhood :: Covington Georgia Family Photography

Being a mother is hard. Especially when your child is SO much like you in so many ways and not in so many others. My poor boy talks too much just like I did (and do) and has my stomach issues and says the most random unexplainable things out of the blue that makes you wonder just how his mind works and struggles with math. Ask my mom and dad, just like me at his age. . .and sometimes even now.

One way that he is not like me is his timidity in standing up for his religion. This is his first year being the only one of Jehovah's Witnesses in his class. It's a new experience for him and I didn't realize that.

He was telling us about how on the first day of school each student had to tell the others some unique things about themselves. He told his name and that his favorite book was "How to Train Your Dragon" and a few other things. Innocently, I asked him if he told them he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses since that is pretty unique.

"NO! I didn't just want to blurt that out."

"Well, honey, it wouldn't have been blurting it out since you were telling them things about yourself."

"Oh."

After a few more minutes of talking, I realized something.

"Liam, are you scared of telling them?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm the only one out of 23 students in the class!"

That's when I really thought about it and realized that this is a whole new experience for him. And it scares him. And that's how he's not like me. I was bold from a very early age about my religion. One of my friends from childhood's favorite memory of me is when she first met me in first grade and she was new in the area and also one of Jehovah's Witnesses. We were in the same class and sitting in a group discussing birthdays and I stood right up and said, "Heidi and I don't do that! We're Jehovah's Witnesses."

That same boldness carried on as I progressed in school. I argued...ahem...debated evolution with my atheist biology substitute teacher and brought my Bible to school as some classmates and I would have lengthy discussions in the school cafeteria. When kids teased me, I took it in stride and never really let it bother me.

Every day Liam talks to me about how awesome Jehovah is for creating the bugs and the flowers and everything so I never thought he would be timid in school. Now, I am just going to have to focus on helping him understand that if he truly believes in what we teach him from the Bible that courage is needed to tell others the things he is learning. That it's okay to be afraid but it's even more important to rely on Jehovah to conquer that fear.

Below is a picture that I found on one of my recent visits home of my friend from childhood whom Facebook has reconnected me with. We stayed close growing up even when we moved physically apart and I was in her wedding but then, as it often goes in life, we drifted apart. Facebook is good for some things. ;)

Since this last week was my last week before I get braces on for the next two years, I had a last-minute hair-brained scheme and was bound and determined to get some images of me with my loved ones. This started with setting up the tripod at the beach for a few family shots (which I will show you guys soon although they aren't the best) and then the Wednesday before I got them on, Spencer and I took Liam to a local park to practice riding his bike and to also get some fun shots of him and me as mother and son. Not to mention, let Spencer get some practice in. ;)

We started out goofy. . .

. . .then got really sweet.

I do believe I am in love with this shot.

These next two as well, but the top one especially, I absolutely love.

I think it's pretty safe to say that Spencer did a pretty durn good job, at least in my estimation.

I couldn't let things go without a little tickle action. :D

I absolutely love this location, however, it turned out to have quite a number of ants and we found the longer we stayed in a particular spot the more ants gravitated towards us. Very much NOT cool. I still have war wounds.

Spencer couldn't let things go without getting a few shots of

me by myself so I obliged. . .for once.

The second shot here is completely unposed.

I was stretching out as I like to do and Spencer still shot.

I think I look kinda funny, but it's one of Spencer's favorites so I included it on here.

At this point, Liam was very much tired of looking out for and avoiding ants and was ready to be done with the impromptu photo session.

For family pictures of your own, contact me or visit online to see more family pictures I've shot. . .

Red Nail Polish and Being an Adult

My dad would never let me wear red fingernail polish as a kid. He always said that it was too adult of a color for a little girl. Sometime in the last few months, I purchased a bottle of red nail polish and as I painted my nails red for the first time in forever, his words rang in my head, I somehow felt like an adult and wasn't sure how I felt about that.

From about February until now, there have been alternating periods of extreme busyness. . .or the opposite thereof. In the course of those months, I have been privileged to attend a HUGE photography conference that happens once a year in Vegas given by WPPI. Immediately following that I attended a photo/business/life workshop hosted by Dane Sanders. I have also gotten to enjoy several online informational seminars. {{deeeeeep breath}} PLUS I am attempting to read Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover" as well as keep up my personal Bible study so that, above all else, I maintain a strong relationship with Jehovah including attending the wonderful three-day convention in Duluth designed to strengthen and encourage. Needless to say, I have been having a hard time assimilating this plethora of information in my life and into the thinkings of my mind.

And they call all of this being an adult. . . {{SIGH}}

That is looking on the downside of things though. Sprinkled in these months have been photo sessions with beautiful loving people getting ready to bring new life into the world, or just celebrating life just how it is. I know I sound like a million other photographers out there by saying this but I truly do love what I do professionally. In today's economy, many would say that what I offer is a luxury. I agree. It is a luxury I don't think many should do without. As my husband and I fill in the Dave Ramsey budget sheet, I am planning on adding a savings column for pictures to be taken of myself and my family (preferably before I have to get braces, but that's a whole other story) so that I can have some of the beautiful images that I take of others all the time. My walls are lonely.

I'll leave you with the cutest little video of Liam I came across while going through my hard drive tonight. It seems fitting as the epitome of what sweetness and innocence are and also the joy that being an adult can actually bring.

Untitled from Abra Morris on Vimeo.

contact me or view my online portfolio. . .

Intertwined

One of the talks on the assembly program Sunday was about the example parents should set for their children in the truth. One interviewee mentioned how his parents always talked fondly of their time spent in the full time ministry and that helped spur him on. My parents were always like that also. The brightest best times in their married lives were when they were serving in Bethel or special pioneering in North Carolina right after they got married. My mom always recalls fondly the time when she worked unassigned territory in Kentucky. I always complain that my dad is impossible to get gifts for because his only hobby is the Truth. :D I think all of this is the basis for my (so far) unfulfilled desire to pioneer and I thank them for that.

I love how they are attempting to interlace their fingers but not quite succeeding. My mom has the tiniest little hands that it is impossible for her to interlace her little fingers with my dad’s big paws.

That is why I love this picture of my parents holding hands at the assembly with my dad’s personal bound Bible in the foreground. They have stuck through the hard times with the help of Jehovah and they have been such a wonderful example for me. They have handed down to me a priceless spiritual heritage.