Looking through their eyes...

 I LOVE taking pictures of my family from behind.  

My kids think I am pretty silly for doing this, 

but I have ALWAYS done it. 

 I would trail behind them--snap!  

  

When they were little, I took pictures of them getting on the school bus...

 

 On vacations, I would follow them, snapping away, and the kids would say "take a picture of us FACING you!  Well, I did, but I also wanted the other view...the view of them seeing everything.  The view of them looking out over a mountain, into the woods, or even setting off on a new life.

Their vantage point...

 

 

I love to see what they are seeing, looking through their eyes in a way.  

 Dreaming some of their dreams.

 

 

 You see, my dream growing up was to get married, and have children, and live happily ever after.  Although many friends of mine had dreams of careers, and travel, and adventure, for me the grandest dream of all was to have a family--to be a wife and mom; to raise babies that would grow up to be loving, productive, motivated, kind adults, who would love the Lord.  I met and married my husband at 21, had babies at 22, 24, 26 and 27.  God heard my prayers, and showed me the life He had for me-- my dreams came absolutely true!    We raised our children to dream!  We taught them to pray, to ask God to show them what they should do, and to do it.  We told them there was nothing they could not do, with God's help and strength. We taught them to dream BIG, and to discover their true passions...

 

 

As the kids got much older, they used to say things to me like"what do you dream of doing now, Mom" and "Why not go to school, or travel?"  Now, don't get me wrong, those things are wonderful...but they aren't my dream.  I look forward to traveling with my husband, I look forward to learning new things..I look forward to serving the Lord in this quiet time of life....but, these aren't my dreams. My CHILDREN are my dreams. I do not feel like I have missed out on a thing!  I so enjoy seeing their lives unfold, and I so enjoy seeing THEIR dreams come true.  It is thrilling for me!  It is better than I could ever have hoped, and beyond my wildest imaginings. And now their is a grandbaby coming!  This grandbaby is taking my joy to whole new level.  I hope to continue the tradition of taking lots of pictures, but some of them have to be from behind.  I want to see how this little life unfolds, and where his little baby steps will take him (or her!). 

I want to see life through his little baby eyes.  I want to see his view.  

I pray that I am blessed to be there to see his or her dreams coming true too!