First and foremost I want to wish my mother a wonderful Mothers Day! I'm so blessed to be your daughter.
I'm so glad you opened up your life to me at a time when life would totally change for you by having a baby. I'm so glad you decided after a day of preschool that you couldn't bear to be apart from me and you decided to take up the challenge to homeschool me. I'm so glad you gave me the gift of brothers and sisters.... and lots of them. I'm so glad you always were willing to let me follow my crazy ideas like painting the youth room or calling a piano teacher every day for weeks until she let me be her student or going to cosmetology school 4 thousand miles away from home. I"m so glad you lived a life of a pastors wife fairly open to us children...I learned so much from you that has been and will be invaluable as we prepare for ministry. I'm so glad you sought out my heart and embraced my love for Dan and were very open and honest to be about the joys and struggles of marriage. I'm so glad you were so excited to share your wealth of knowledge about pregnancy and child bearing. I'm so glad you came and stayed with me those weeks after losing Asher. I'm so glad you've been my biggest fan in our adventure in adoption and fostering. I'm so glad you're my mother!!!
uncanny how much I looked like Asher isn't it. (see pic of him on left side)
Many people ask me when I started to learn photography and I normally tell them that I can't remember it was so early. Because I was learning and watching my mom and her love for photography and her passion for documenting our lives. My mom LOVED to take our photos. She took tons of them. And one of my most favorites were ones she took in the bluebonnets.
That, my friend, is a Texas tradition. Taking photos of your children in the fields of bluebonnets as they line the highways come springtime in Texas. So, being the good Texan Mommy that I am. (I was born here so I can claim that) I took my children and took their photos in the bluebonnets!!
I also have the wonderful blessing of having the most wonderful gift in my mother-in-law! I can't tell you how blessed I feel to have her in my life. I joke often that she fell in love with me even before my husband did. She is an amazing homemaker and a servant through and through. She too was by my side in some of the best weeks of my life and some of the darkest days of my life. I tell Dan all the time that I feel guilty for how much she serves me. But he laughs and says, Casey, she loves doing it and it brings her joy! I do believe him because it shows. She's not only the mother of my amazing husband but one of my closest friends. I love you Judy!
I definitely see the resemblance! Your mother and mother in law sound amazing and the pictures in the blue bonnets are stunning. Bluebonnets in the spring were one of my favorite things about Texas!
Posted by: Cecilia | May 29, 2010 at 06:22 PM
I love the pics in the bluebonnets! You are a beautiful woman and mother and I'm so glad you had a wonderful Mother's Day!
Posted by: Liz | May 11, 2010 at 07:00 AM
You are such an amazing mother to all 3 of your babies. I LOVE LOVE LOVE all of your photo. Your talent is a gift from God. It's a blessing to look into your life and see the beauty of what God has done in the past two years. I love you sweet sister and wish you a Happy Mother's Day.
Posted by: Angela Gilbreath | May 10, 2010 at 02:08 PM
I love this post and everything about it!!! Those first two pics of Zoe just melted my heart... then it was beyond recovery as I looked at the rest. Love you so much!!
Posted by: Angey Price | May 10, 2010 at 06:40 AM
WOW those photos are just breath taking!!! I love every single one.. and you and asher def. favored! so sweet to have those photos... Happy mothers day!!
Posted by: Drea | May 09, 2010 at 10:11 PM
Casey, you have a way with words. I love your artsy side, in writing, in pictures, in making women beautiful by creating beautiful hairstyles. Love you Casey! You're an AMAZING Mom. :)
Posted by: Hollie | May 09, 2010 at 10:11 PM
love this! and, as soon as I saw the first pic, I did a double take because I thought it was a pic of Asher! :) Happy Mother's Day, Casey! Miss you!!!!!
Posted by: Sam | May 09, 2010 at 09:20 PM
Tears in my eyes as usual...
Posted by: Mary Ewing | May 09, 2010 at 08:41 PM
I love everything about this post. I have an itty bitty computer screen so before I could scroll down and see your comment about how much your baby photo looks like Asher, I was already thinking it! Uncanny indeed. If we ever make it to TX you will take photos of my girls in those beautiful bluebonnets. :o)
Posted by: Cheryl | May 09, 2010 at 08:17 PM
Casey Happy Mother's Day friend!! Love the sweet tributes to the Moms in your life!
Love Love the pics of the babies in the Blue Bonnets!!!! Priceless!!
Posted by: Carrie Armstrong | May 09, 2010 at 08:09 PM