He said that he felt like they were watching him. As he watched tv, when he walked across the room, while he ate at the breakfast bar. They were always watching him. Erik made me promise that at our next house, I wouldn't put any pictures of people in our living room. He could no longer take the 50 sets of eyes that watched him out of the 25 frames adorning our living room walls. He didn't care if I put up pictures of fruit, abstract art or pretty much anything else... other than people.
That was almost 12 years ago and when I first realized that I had a serious problem. Our Marine Corps family lifestyle had us moving every couple of years and I kept my promise that I would no longer plaster pictures of us in the living room. I resorted to a bazillion frames and lining our hallways, the family room, upstairs hallway, entry way and anywhere else that wasn't technically the "living room" with pictures. With 5 munchkins and wanting to hang every favorite, I had to do something.
I am a serial picture addict. I love pictures of my clients, I love pictures of my kids, I love pictures of Roxy {although Erik may oppose a 30x40 gallery wrap of just her :)}and yesterday I wanted to put up a couple of new framed pictures and didn't have any wall space left... except in the living room. I also had some new pictures to put up from the munchkins Christmas session. As I took the pictures off of the wall in the entry way to change them out, I felt a twinge of sadness. I felt guilty replacing them with the ones that were currently there.
I opened them up and took out the current ones and a slow smile stretched across my face. I left the previous years pictures in behind the ones that graced the front. Memories from days past... Kailyn and Madison's kindergarten graduation, the twins 4th birthday, school pictures through the years.
They were there waiting to greet me.
I have talked before about how bad my memory is, how I can't remember what happened yesterday, a week ago, a year ago, 10 years ago. My pictures are my memory, a little reminder to myself on what we were doing, what they looked like, their sweet faces from times that I was so caught up doing for them and being there, that I forgot to memorize God's day to day grace of being their mommy.
Erik laughs when I talk about needing another frame for the house. His response is always the same, "Are you sure we don't have enough?". Last night he walked in from work and the first thing that he said was, "They're watching me again. I thought you promised?!". Well, clearly I need a bigger house with more wall space, or for him to be okay with my desire to wallpaper random rooms throughout the house with my favorites from each year. Then I wouldn't have resort to invading the living room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To book a Session, Portfolio Shoot, Wedding or for more info
View more of the Blog
HERE
Follow Me on Twitter
HERE
Find Me on Pinterest
HERE
