Our first few weeks as a family of five were beautiful, loving, chaotic, busy + messy: food + toys + kids, always equals a mess! Kathleen Peachey captured photos of our family in our first few days after Bridger's birth. They are beautiful. They are truthful. They are graceful. And, the photos captured some of our mess, too!

Let me love you a little more before you're not little anymore. -Michelle Thevenot. Kathleen captured beautiful moments with our brand new baby, Bridger Lee. She also captured some 'behind the scenes' photos when the big brothers decided to create some mischief while Bridger was having precious photos taken.

Well, big brothers Breck + Bowan are completely obsessed with garbage trucks. And, their imagination was sparked when they decided Bridger's crib was a garbage truck. They decided everything in the nursery was 'trash' that had to be dumped into the hopper of the garbage truck. I mean everything. They are hard workers, they did not want to overlook any trash. They surely did not want to create any pollution. Every book, diaper, decoration + each piece of clothing that was neatly folded + arranged on the shelf by size for our little newborn.... It was all dumped into the crib...

Bridger's swaddle blankets were displayed on a blanket ladder in the nursery. But, those blankets were added to the garbage truck hopper. And, that ladder sure was an important part of the garbage truck operation. Sigh...

One of the blessings of having a third child, is that I know I must enjoy the moment + treasure it for what it is. Things sure aren't easier with three kids. There's more to do, more to clean, more to remember. But, so much more to love + treasure because I know for sure how fleeting these moments are.

The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things. -Henry Ward Beecher.

So this is love.

When I found out I was pregnant with a third baby, especially a third baby boy, I couldn't help but think... How will I manage? Can things actually get more chaotic?! Well, yes, yes they can. But, Bridger has been an incredible blessing to our family. He is loved beyond measure + his sweet little soul already shines so brightly.

Back to reality here. It was like the Grinch that Stole Christmas. Breck + Bowan made sure not to leave one little thing behind. They even took the hanging toys off of the baby gym. Just like how the Grinch even took the Christmas ornaments. They sure are detail-oriented trash guys in training.

Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be + embracing who we are. -Brene Brown. Back five years ago, when Breck was a newborn baby, I had expectations of what I thought motherhood would feel like. I had expectations about what I thought I would be like as a mother + how I could 'balance' everything. Well, balance is kind of elusive + the more I embrace the reality of my day to day + the limits of what is true in our life, the happier I am. The happier all 5 of us are. We try to have it all together, but honestly this is what our life is really like most days.

In raising my children, I have lost my mind but found my soul. -Lisa T. Sherperd

We chose this photo for our Christmas card this year because this so beautifully displayed our family. A little messy, a little chaotic, really tired parents + big smiles. Oh, and can you see the wheels turning in their little heads on the next mischevious thing that they are planning?!

I love printing our special moments with Minted. Minted is the ultimate source for unique holiday card designs + birth announcements from independent artists. The gold foil brings a special touch to every piece. The unique designs are so memorable. I love printing ornament cards for our family + friends because they are so much fun to hang on the tree. I love it when our family lets us know that they got our ornament out again from last year. One of our little cousins even hangs our cards on her bed so she can see her cousins + it's just the sweetest thing. It warms my heart so much that the cousins are connected even though we are separated by a thousand miles. You can see our previous cards with Minted here. And, our Valentine's ideas with Minted here.

These wild kids sure know how to make anything an adventure. Whether it's an empty nursery or an empty bedroom. There is always an adventure to be had. I'm also convinced that they can't wait to train their youngest little brother. I will surely be outnumbered then. I sure hope my coffee will always be stronger than the will of my toddler.

Motherhood is a choice you make everyday to put someone else's happiness + well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is... and to forgive yourself, over + over again, for doing everything wrong. -Donna Ball

If you're looking for a photographer in the Denver area or worldwide, Kathleen Peachey aims to capture grace + I sure think she captured grace so well for my family. Mention Lee when you contact her for your photo session for 10% off. You can see our Maternity session with Kathleen here.

Photography by: // Kathleen Peachy Denver + Worldwide Photographer

Destroyed Crib + Nursery Photography by: // Lindsey Lee & Co.

Printed Cards: // Minted