Photo Album Magic

The other day the twins pulled out an old photo album and wanted to look at it with me. We looked at all these great photos of Ashton and Isaac when they were younger than the twins and photos of Eliza's birth. The twins were delighted to see their big brothers and sister as babies.

After school, the twins were excited to show this photo album to the big kids as well. As we sat snuggled together on the couch, looking at photo after photo of things like Ashton and Isaac playing super heroes together and laughing with brownies all over their faces and glowing as they met their new baby sister, there was a spirit of love and family togetherness and joy that was so strong. The big kids loved seeing their former selves as such little, cute babies and toddlers. The love and fun that shone through in so many of the photos seemed to seep out into our present life as I told them stories about the things they used to like to do together and how much I loved them back then and how very much I love them now.

After our little photo album session, the tone in our home was different all evening. I overheard Ashton and Isaac (who have been bugging each other and being rather mean to each other entirely too much lately) laughing and talking and playing together so nicely. I saw Eliza walk in on their play and heard them invite her to join in. Everyone seemed to be looking at each other a little differently - and remembering how much they really do enjoy each other's company.

That photo album and that 1/2 hour on the couch turned out to be magic.

Really looking at ourselves - as we were and as we are - can be so powerful in so many ways. I'm so grateful I took all those pictures and I'm going to pull out those photo albums more often!