Jen Russum

We visited Seattle last month for a family wedding. It worked out perfectly because the wedding coincided with Micah's mom's 60th birthday, so all her kids and grandkids got to celebrate with her in person. Micah's little sister had the idea to do a family photo shoot for her, as we are rarely all in the same place. On a cloudy Monday morning, the day after the wedding, we loaded up all the kids and headed to Greenlake for family portraits.




When our photographer sent the pictures, my initial reaction was to zoom in on all the flaws...

Micah and I look so tired... like we've been sleeping on an air mattress in the same room as our kids all week.

Micah and I are wearing the SAME EXACT outfits we wore in our last family photo shoot in November. Why didn't I pack better so we had more options?

My hair is dirty. I should have washed and straightened it.

Why does my two year old never smile or look at the camera?






But then I shifted my focus. I zoomed out and this is what I see now...

A bunch of tired parents raising young babies in an exhausting and joyful season of life.

A loving oldest daughter who traveled halfway across the world with only a backpack to visit her family and bless her mom in the midst of a year-long mission trip.

A devoted mom and grandma who is thriving in her work, in her health, and in her faith.

A bunch of beautiful, healthy kids who can't look at the camera because they are too busy running, playing, and laughing.

My husband and me. Married almost six years. Not looking quite as polished as we did in our wedding photos, but with a life more abundant than we ever could have imagined.