We don't often share anything too personal here but 2011 has been kind of huge for us and it would have felt wrong to end the year without acknowledging that. As some of you might know, at the end of 2010 we had twins (girls, non identical, 5lb8 and 6lb1). And then we proceeded to shoot more weddings than we've ever shot in a single year. We also decided that apart from the weekends when we had weddings we would do it without any additional childcare. I know, crazy.
"I don't know how you made it work" is something that we've heard over and over, from friends, from clients, from other photographers who want to have babies but are scared of what it will do to their business. And the truth is, I don't know either, I just know that with routines that we clung to desperately like life rafts, the supreme kindness of friends and family when we had weddings and blind faith that it would be okay in the end, we did. And that it's been alternately unimaginably hard and unimaginably wonderful.
The thing is that when we started the business and we started working together back in 2008 this was the goal, to be able to have a family and to spend time with that family every day. To share work and parenting equally, for neither of us to have to work full time or to parent single-handedly. There have been times when it really hasn't worked out like that; months over the summer when one of us (Cara) was chained to the desk and the other (Nye) paced the park day in day out with two crying babies and the world's biggest double buggy. Months where we slept in shifts, handing the babies over groggily at 6am and again at midday, and in those months weddings took on a whole new spin: the only time that we got to spend together not being parents. It has been a huge period of readjustment, of figuring out how to make it work, of making mistakes and trying really hard to learn from them. But you have to pay a price for living your dream and that has been ours.
Dreams aren't a walk in the park (except when they are. In the rain. With the world's biggest double buggy) but my goodness, are they worth it.
14 comments:
what a beautiful post! you guys are simply amazing! I can't wait to read more about your work/life adventures in 2012! may it be a fantastic year for you 4! x
Yep, I don't know how either, but YOU DID IT!!! Well done you four, it gets easier from here on in, promise.
There is no such thing as gratuitous baby pictures of these babies. I think that all you have done this year, both business & baby-wise is incredible. Like seriously: incredible. Pat yourselves on the back and cuddle those babies because you guys KILLED it photographically this year while managing to be amazing parents. I for one am blown away.
(Is this what you mean by American enthusiasm? But it's ALL true!)
You guys did GOOD.
Rooting for you all that 2012 is only amazingly better. xx
TWO BABIES.
Inspiring and beautiful - much like the images you take :)
May your dreams continue to come true in 2012 xx
Oh darling lady, I completely and whole heartedly hear ya on this! I wrote a similar feature on my blog a while back. This 'living the dream' lark aint easy, but hell fire it is worth every bit of blood sweat and tears.
You are an amazing individual and I have huge respect for you doing what you do. I really mean it when I say I get it, I may not have twins but having two children of my own and a business of my own to run in the wedding industry - it's very very tough at times.
Your life is only going to keep on getting better from here on, so here's to an amazing 2012 for ALL of you :)
Big love from the Beeforths xXx
ps - I just want to squeeeeeeeeze your beautiful little babbas! ;) xXx
You did it! Babies are incredibly hard and two, that must be exponentially hard. You did it!
You two are seriously amazing that you were able to make this work! You give me hope that my husband and I also will someday be able to make this dream a reality. Can't wait to see what 2012 holds for you guys and to see those two cuties continue to grow! :)
Dear P and gang...Lub you :-)
Thank you for inspiring me living your dreams this year, and the one before that, and the one before that too.
Xxxx
Wishing you & your gorgeous family a very happy 2012!
"Dreams aren't a walk in the park... but my goodness are they worth it". I doubt there's a single person alive who won't be able to relate to that. Congratulations on a most fantastic year. All the loveliest things for 2012. x
babiez!! and I think you two did wonderfully :-)
Post a Comment