Vancouver Documentary Photos | Squamish Day in the Life

Hands full. This expression is applicable to parents of any number of children. "Full" is relative and your tolerance for it simply shifts as more kids get added to the mix. I know my baseline is one and ceiling is two. Any more kids and it tips the scales for me!

Which makes L+ Kim my heroes. 4 kids, 5 and under. And a dog.

Throw in tandem nursings multiple times a day, an afternoon nap (kid, not parent, unfortunately), shift-working on-call parent...that's a whole network of logistics that feel something like - throw all the balls up in the air and see which ones remain juggled, and where the rest fall, they will lay.

When I photographed their wedding last year, and the birth of the twins this past Spring, I don't know that L+K knew what their life would be like with four kids and a dog. I don't know that any of us really do when we make decisions to own a house, start a business, have kids. But what gets them through it is give and take, accepting everyday normal as awesome, and taking time to be present with each other (whenever they can find it!). This is their faith.

 

I have said this before and it is still true. Being a documentary family photographer to families always teaches me about being a parent. L+K have taught me to say "yes" more often, to let the little things roll off easier, and to show love instead of anger and frustration. You two, thanks so much for being my Yoda!

Felicia is a Vancouver Day in the Life Photographer who loves learning from the everyday families that she documents. Contact her to find your family's edition of life story for your visual diary! To follow more of Felicia's work, connect over at @feliciachangphoto on Instagram.