Happy Mother’s Day

Usually you have to gain a few pounds, wait 40 weeks, give birth, go through however long of sleepless nights and change a few diapers to get to the point that your child appreciates your hard work and parenting. Turns out I lucked out and skipped all of that, for this round! 

Today was my first mother’s day as a step-mom. Kirk and James greeted me with breakfast in bed and sweet handmade things over the weekend. The extra love and gratitude for the new mom roles I have embraced and am figuring out along the way of our new family, was all warm fuzzies.

James is my radical eight-year-old step-son. When Kirk and I met two and a half years ago Kirk was a full custody single dad. Much of our time getting to know each other consisted of the three of us doing things together. So when Kirk and I got married this March and I became full time step-mom, we had a pretty solid foundation in place.

Nonetheless, parenting is tough. It has been a big transition with lots of firsts along the way thus far figuring out how to balance and manage time and energy between my professional life and new roles in our sweet insta-family. Being honored as a mom today gave me pause on all the awesome ways my life has changed, and how much I love my new family and life as wife and step-mom.

Much of my personal photography day in and day out has turned to the boys. This is James in the backyard, emerging throughout the day with additional accessories between ducks in and out of bushes and hiding spots.

Happy Mother’s Day to my amazing mom, mother-in-law and allll the moms out there. Now, back to work tomorrow to get the first installment of my 2011 self promotion print campaign in the mail ASAP!