Yesterday we arrived to the river over an hour early so that Thomas and B could mountain bike together in the woods. We spent the day repairing flat tires and tuning up gears. But when we got to Salmon River, they realized they forgot their helmets.
Thomas was so mad and it seriously broke my heart. They were SO excited and had been talking about this Father's Day ride for months. So, I grabbed my camera and said, "Well, I have a camera and we don't have enough photos of one another at the river, so let's go for a walk."
We all hadn't showered in a few days. There was mustard on my face from the sandwich I ate for supper, and I wore a sweatshirt to hide my overgrown armpits. Lily's hair is tangled bedhead and she has mud on her lips because she kept pretending to put on makeup by dipping a stick in the water and rubbing it all over her face.
And that is exactly why these images needed to be captured. This is us, camping. This is us at our absolute best. These are the days I never, ever, not even for one second want to forget. Skinned summer knees, and all. My mama heart is so grateful we had this time to make these pictures. I know I will treasure them as long as I live.
Images by Thomas, Braedon and me.
