A letter to myself: 6 years later

As I was getting all sentimental and thoughtful tonight, I decided to write a letter to my 13 year old self. Boy, have times changed. Boy have I changed. So many wonderful, scary, cool, silly, and beautiful things have happened in the past 6 years.

1. You are so loved. Though you don’t have as many close friends as you would like, you don’t realize right now how many people truly love you for who you are. First off, your mom, though you fight with her a lot, truly does love and care about you. And though she doesn’t always show it in the way you understand, she is always there for you. Those friends you have? They love you for who you are. No mantter how much you try to fit in, you will still be you. And if they want to change that, they don’t deserve to be around you. Stop trying to change yourself.

2. There are some friends that are worth keeping. Specifically Rebekah G. Thought you may not believe it right now, Rebekah ends up going on your senior trip with you. And some day you guys will probably be in each others weddings.
3. Stop crushing on guys and treasure this time period you have when all your friends are single. It seems like the stupidest thing to be single, and it will continue to seem that way, until your 18 ½. Then your world will suddenly change in a day, and you will miss those single moments so much.
4. Keep pursing those passions. They will really lead you somewhere. That babysitting that you do everyday? That will not only result in you getting a lot of great money to spend on cool things, that will result in you traveling the WORLD.

And that photography? You will go on to take many, many family pictures for people. And love every moment of it.

5. Your move to Washington DC next year is going to be a shock, and maybe seem hard at first, but you will become a city girl. I promise.
6. Read a little more. Stop acting like you hate books. You will actually come to love them in the next few years, and you will wish you had read more.
7. Look around the table at family dinners, and take a mental picture. Because in just a few years, family dinners will be a once a month thing. And you will miss that crazy, stilly, deafening tradition that happens every night.
8. Keep those daily hour long bike rides up. You will miss them one day.
9. Kiss you some babies. Beacause 5 years from now, those babies you are kissing are going to be 5 years old and you will miss those sleeping angels. So much.
10. Smile a little more. You have a pretty smile :)

Love, yourself, 6 years the wiser. 

I heart Faces- Love

I have not done an I heart faces in over a year, but I could not resist this theme! I was looking through my portfolio recently, and came across this photo. I love everything about it. The off centeredness of the photo. The joy. Their expressions. And the fact that, when I asked the little girl to smile for a photo, and she wouldn't, her big brother came in, swooped her up, and swung her around and around until I caught this. 

He loves his little sister more then anything.

(What's makes it even more wonderful, she is number 9 in a family of 12!)

~RebekahJean