I had all the same concerns...

I'll be honest though, when I first really started seeing images of families who were photographed in their own home, I felt like they were really out of my reach. All of these families looked so perfect. Their houses were clean and decorated. The activities they did during the session were intricate and Pinterest worthy.

None of that, looked like me.

The truth is, the perfect houses were cleaned top to bottom right before the session, activities were set up intentionally, and families were posed to get photos that looked like real life, even though they were engineered. These sessions are called lifestyle sessions, and while I love them, and they are one of my favorite ways to document newborns in their home, these lifestyle sessions made a Day In The Life session seem completely out of my reach.

I'd think about getting one and talk myself out of it. "My house will never be that clean, or decorated. Actually, oh man, we've lived here for five years and I only have one photo wall.... maybe I should hang some decor."

It always ended the same way. I am not thin enough or perfect enough, nor is my house clean enough to have someone follow me around all day with a camera. I just... can't.

Here's what I learned...

Over time, I found that there was another kind of session, one that documented life exactly as it was.

One that was truly "documentary".

I saw houses that were not what I would not define as "Pinterest worthy", kids who were throwing temper tantrums, and moms who looked like me.

And it was amazing.

I fell in love with every single real life moment I saw. Every hug and kiss, every laugh and tear, and oh my gosh, even the angry babies. I loved it all. After my sixth child was born, I decided it was finally time to have one of my own. I wasn't thin enough. My kids weren't the best listeners on the planet. And my house still wasn't decorated, and it certainly wasn't clean enough.

But I did it anyway, because the moments meant more to me than perfection.

I was beyond excited when my sweet friend Alexa (with Alexa DeLisle Photography), came over to document my day.

After the zoo, we came home for lunch, naps and general kid craziness. My kids took full advantage of me hanging back so Alexa could document them being kids. I kept an eye on them for safety, but from a distance so that they really allowed their true personalities to come through for the camera.

You'll even spot a moment where I decided to chill on my phone because I just needed a minute.

Hey guys- this is real life.

I love these images so much. I am so grateful for them, especially since my kids are older now and they don't really look like this anymore. When I look at these I am reminded of how my son went through his dinosaur phase. My other son's NURF gun phase. My daughter's love of all things anime which eventually replaced her France themed bedroom decor.

It happened so fast.

It happens fast for all of us.

Thank you Alexa - this is a gift.

If you love these like I do, I would love to preserve these moments for you, before your kids get any bigger.

Until next time my friends,

Kaci