When some people look at a picture like this one, they think about how it could be better. Maybe if everyone was facing the camera. Or smiling. Or if the girls weren’t sticking their tongues out. Or if the baby was up off the floor somehow.
When I look at it, I see each child’s treasures expressed! Their personalities really come out well in this picture for all but ONE child. Do you know which one without reading on??
Starting in the top left corner… Kristopher is the guardian! He’s always watching out for everyone, though he certainly has his moments of causing the trouble. He’s “flying over Delaina” in this picture, or so it looks. He’s a in a place right now where he’s tall and thin and somewhat uncomfortable in his own skin, but wants to let loose and have fun and is trying to figure out what that looks like. We just keep reminding him that it looks like whatever he wants to, because God made him from the inside out just how He wanted him!
Next is Aleksa. Yep, her tongue is out. It may be a stereotypical thing to have a child with Down syndrome with their tongue hanging out like that in a huge grin but guess what? That’s what Aleksa does. Her tongue has barely any tone, and when stretched out it almost reaches her eyes. Seriously. And Aleksa is a “no rules” kind of girl. You say “have fun” or “jump” or “let’s dance” and she has NONE of the insecurities that another almost-10-year-old would have. She is just FREE. That certainly shows Aleksa’s “real self”!
Next to Aleksa is Emma. She’s looking toward the floor. She’s not jumping or putting her arms in the air like the other kids. She’s looking away, looking for a balance. She doesn’t join in with their activities a lot of the time. The lights overwhelm her a bit. Everyone saying “LOOK!!” make her turn “inward” not look at the camera. Her individual pictures show her smile and light that she has in there—but not in this setting. In a group, or a lot of noise, this is Emma. In her own quiet hidden place.
Wesley, though he’s not looking at the camera, is sitting tall and HAPPY in his wheelchair! He loves to be in the middle of what’s going on. He can’t SEE the camera, so saying “look at me!” when standing more than 3’ away from him isn’t very helpful. The lights and sounds can overwhelm him too if he doesn’t understand what’s going on, but he’s gotten MUCH better about it as he understands our explanations for what’s happening. In this picture, he’s just smiling, enjoying the kids around him, and loving life. That’s pretty typical of our Wesley!
Back on the left again, is baby Delaina. She’s still pretty much just hanging out. I was disappointed not to get a smiling picture of her during any of the photos, but really, she is just an easy going baby who enjoys the hustle and bustle of the kids and activity. A lot of babies would probably be screaming. Delaina’s just chilling. Hey, she even has her arms in the air 
Brianna has such a huge personality, but we often don’t catch it in pictures! She plays shy, gives us a gentle little smile, and we go with it. But when we get up and jumping and dancing, you can see her with ALL her joy coming out! She’s also positioned as close to Delaina as she can get without being told “hey, move out from in front of the baby!” She is a little “mommy” to Delaina.
Lynae is toward the front. She is the one that wants to say “LOOK AT ME!!” and stand on one foot and pat her head and rub her tummy, and show off for the crowd or camera 
James, well, we mostly see his back! However those that know James know that this really shows his personality! LOL I actually chose this one because it showed the MOST of his face out of a few that were good pictures! My second favorite has his total back to the camera, but I did want to see SOME of James! He is an active, WILD child! And I love him for it. But this picture surely captures it!
And right in the middle, in front of the wheelchair, is what looks like a quiet and shy little Micah. He’s definitely the misrepresented one here! His individual pictures show his mischievous side, but he’s usually got the biggest grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye!
Ah, well, 8 for 9… not so bad
This is a wonderful picture Meredith, and I guessed it was Micah who wasn't showing right off! Not sure why, just thought it had to be him. :) You have a BEAUTIFUL family!!
ReplyDeleteIt's a perfect picture. We get to see each of their personalities, which is so great. I would love to photograph your kids; it would be a fun project. You might think about finding someone near you. I've done it with a family where they get files of all the pics I shot and I can use the watermarked images in my art.
ReplyDeleteIt's a perfect picture. We get to see each of their personalities, which is so great. I would love to photograph your kids; it would be a fun project. You might think about finding someone near you. I've done it with a family where they get files of all the pics I shot and I can use the watermarked images in my art.
ReplyDelete