moments

"Defining moments are only as good 

as the lifestyles they translate into." 

(N. Ortberg)

that's really good, isn't it? a friend posted it. and when i read it, it did that thing where you can't just skim over it and keep reading. it stopped me. because i want my LIFESTYLE to speak HIM. period. which means my defining moments need to be saturated with HIM. oh, yes...good stuff!

our moments turn into hours turn into days turn into weeks turn into months turn into years turn into...our LIVES.

i was looking through some pictures. working on adding some photos in my home of specific seasons of our life that i couldn't add before (i have issues. this is nothing new. but this screams PROGRESS and healing that i can add these!)

my dear friend, jenn, took these a few months after we had become a family of 8. those were some HARD days. and when i got these pictures back from her, as beautiful as i can see they are now, they weren't to me at the time. not because she isn't an AMAZING photographer, but because of the STORY that was happening in our lives at the time. it was hard and ugly and full of pain and nothing felt peaceful.

{don't we look miserable?!? ha! you can't cover love...and we've got that at least!}

but i am SO SO glad that she took these pictures for us. because they are PRICELESS to me.

even though things were hard, we never stopped clinging to each other..and to the One that we still trust can heal us all.

this one cracks me UP! SO SO telling of our relationship. i don't think any more words need to be said..except, good catch on this one, Jenn!!

 oh, this journey has been more than we thought it would be. but we are walking it. one day, one MOMENT at a time. and we HAVE come so far. looking at these pictures shows me that...and that gives me hope!

and then this. he's still the SAME! a little bigger, yes, but still full of drama and TEARS at the drop of a hat! oh, levi...