The Good

 I've heard people say bloggers and Instagram feeds portray a sugar-coated, fake life. They say people only post pictures of happy well-dressed kids, picturesque landscapes, clean houses in the background, and us moms, well we only appear in the pictures when we're having a good hair day and make up is on, and of course no yoga pants pictures! That (some) blogs are discouraging to the everyday, average, ordinary woman who is just trying to keep it together everyday; whose kids throw tantrums and whose sinks are full of dishes. They say, "Don't look at those blogs and compare yourself! Bloggers lie and paint a pretty picture of a falsely beautiful life!"   And I used to agree. Perfect blogs annoyed me, but I've changed my opinion and here's why. I personally try to be honest about the struggles I'm facing, BUT, this is a spot for creativity. For art, for expressing my feelings and opinions and convictions, and for sharing a bit of our lives with others. That said, it's up to each blogger which bits they want to share. Some share only pictures, others share struggles, and others share encouragement. Some preach, others tell stories. But we all share something in common...we love our little spaces, much more than any reader could. We put something of ourselves out there on the chopping block, vulnerable for people to judge or critique if they so choose. We are passionate about different things, but have chosen one similar thing: to write, to share. And that can be scary. Most of what I share via pictures might paint a picture of a pretty easy going life. You might think my kids are always happy, that we just sit around eating peaches under shade trees and lounging at the lake. That I cook three Pinterest meals per day and plate them the way a restaurant does. That the baby just coos and smiles at the camera and then plays happily, never crying or waking up five times in the middle of the night. That I'm never tired (from the baby that never wakes up) or grumpy or sick, but sit along side my well behaved children watching the birds and the butterflies. But let's stop and think here a minute.   Bloggers are everyday Janes. We struggle along with the hard things, and savor the good things. Savor the good things. Isn't that what humans do? Few people go around with their camera waiting to snap that perfect picture of the two-year-old kicking the wall, face covered in tears and snot, screaming for more ice in her water (What? I'm not talking about my kid...) I don't know too many people who take pictures of the laundry on the bed or the dishes piled up or the garden that needs tended to. Or pictures of them arguing with a spouse or of dinner that consists of box macaroni and cheese and a can of tuna. Those moments matter and certainly make up a part of life, and in fact make the sweet moments all the sweeter. We learn from the hard, but then we move on, changed, and remember the beautiful moments. However simple or however fancy...we are wired to love beauty. And pictures help preserve those precious moments that fade all too quickly with the busyness of passing days.   I want my blog to be a real, honest place, and I think it is. But I guess I'm just defending the bloggers out there who maybe post lots of beautiful pictures...more professional than mine with kids more well dressed than mine. With better looking hair than I will ever have in this life. Because it is their precious space that they have created. Because it's art, it's something they've created, and like me, they are choosing to hone in on the positive things. To create an online place of memories for safe keeping, a place to look back and reminisce on the good times, lest they start to forget. We have this. This story we keep of life we are living, stories and pictures we want our babies to look back at someday.   I hadn't planned on writing much on this post, just a few sentences, but I guess this was on my heart. I've read other blogs and for a moment thought, "Wow, what a faker!" But I realize now that we are just grabbing on to the good times. This is our way of savoring life a second longer...lingering in the blessings and choosing to remember the good things. And so with that, here are pictures from the good times we've had in the midst of a really, really hard summer:)