Dear parents,
Before you had kids, your love started with just the two of you. Your kids added a whole new kind of love that you are experiencing together, and there’s nothing quite like it. In fact, you probably love each other more because of it. Yet, at the same time, you focus on the kids and can easily lose sight of one another. But, when you’re kids grow up, it will just be the two of you again. So, remembering to love one another is important. Are you growing together? Are you making time for one another? Are you on the same team?
As parents, we all know it’s hard to make time for ourselves let alone our spouse. Our kids constantly need our attention and love. Those adorable little buggers demand so much, as they should. It’s our jobs to raise these tiny humans. Yet, it’s worth the effort to make your spouse a priority and date each other even throughout the crazy child-raising days of life.
It’s not going to be perfect, and you may not have very much time to focus on just the two of you, but there are little things you can do to stay connected… a date night once a month, a couples trip once every few years, a photograph without the kids.
I recently met Alanna who goes by Lainy and has her own photography business called Lainy Jean Photography. If you scroll her Instagram feed you’ll find airy natural photographs that capture sweet moments of love. She specializes in couples photography, whether that be engagements, weddings, anniversaries, or just because. We started brainstorming in the fall about a “just because” photography session for me and my husband. We landed on a winter wonderland idea and waited for the right winter moment to capture it.
Lainy is filled with so many fun ideas, I got excited just thinking about it. She told me about her passion for capturing not only the beginning of a couples love story through engagements and weddings, but also anniversary or yearly photos to show a couples lives as they grow together. We all grow up reading a fairy tale or watching a movie depicting a love story. Each scenario seems to begin with dating and end with marriage… or happily ever after. But, I’ve come to realize that the marriage is just the beginning of our love stories. It’s where the book or movie just starts to get interesting. So, why stop capturing those moments on your wedding day?
Of course, our kids are a huge part of our love story, so Lainy captured a few sweet moments with our little loves before we sent them home with grandpa and focused on just the two of us. It was absolutely freezing the day of the photo shoot. In fact, it was well below zero. Yet, the snow sparkled, and every tiny little branch glistened with ice. The sun was low in the early winter morning and was just beginning to peak through the trees, making everything sparkle.
We held each other close in an effort to stay warm and held hands while walking through the snow. We laughed and kissed and made time for one another. The photography session itself felt like a date and the photos I have to show for it will be enjoyed for years to come. Our kids will learn how to love through our example. And, when they are grown and out of the house, and it’s just me and my husband, I hope we have grown together, so we can continue sharing our love story.
If you live in Wisconsin, I highly recommend Lainy Jean Photography. She is a joy to be around, filled with wonderful ideas, is great at giving direction, and captures beautiful moments through her lens. She even does high school senior portraits! Check out her Facebook page here and her Instagram account here. You will love her work!
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