Helen Joy’s Photography Blog

Helen Joy George 3/8/15 Helen Joy George 3/8/15

the gillespie family | asheville, north carolina

Nothing feels as lovely as having someone truly believe in your vision and what spills out of your heart and into your art.

Elizabeth is a friend like that. We’ve been friends for 10 years and as I’ve grown and found my voice she has been there for me cheering me on and telling me that what I have to say is important and needed.

Elizabeth and Jeramy moved a year and a half ago to Colorado with their son Max and pretty much immediately they got pregnant with their twin girls.

With a move and two new additions, they were running on very little sleep and pretty much never having space or time for themselves (I know a lot how that feels).

They came back “home” to visit last month and I was able to make that space for them. To allow the chaos to be translated clearly to the beautiful, intentional family that they are.

These images are some of my favorite I've ever taken. There is breath and movement and so very much love infused into each shot.

I hope you enjoy!

And here are our six children before we went to dinner.

Oh sweet friends, what a priveldge to capture this time of your lives for you. Keep on keeping on!

www.helenjoy.com

Helen Joy George 2/18/15 Helen Joy George 2/18/15

finding the beauty in a hard life

I’m having a love hate relationship with my phone lately. It’s about 50/50 on the good/bad chart.

I cannot stand how often I look at it. Literally hundreds of times a day, leaving almost no time for just being still.

I’m learning how much that lack of being still and quiet is killing me slowly from the inside out. I realize how dissatisfied I have become with my life NOT because of what I am viewing on my phone but because of what I am missing because of it.

Real beautiful life. Moments with my children. Nature. Thoughts. Inklings in my heart.

But I also want to embrace the beauty of social media. I mean, in a way I think social media has saved my sanity. Deep connections in a lonely time of life when the daily grind of staying home with constant needs from little ones has saved me.

Not only that, but it has spurred me on to find beauty in whatever life gives me.

The most common complaint I hear from all my friends regarding social media is that it makes them feel not enough or jealous of the seemingly perfect life that many people portray through Facebook or instagram.

Here’s what I have to say about that. Yes. You could view it that way...

“Oh look at so and so doing a craft with their kid while I’m over here drowning in laundry and depression”.

Or you could view it like this.

“Wow. I know having a child is NOT EASY. I bet she has laundry waiting all around here but she chose to set things aside and do something for her child.”

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I have seen women with nearly NO earthly possessions find beauty in a simple twig in a simple vase.

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I’ve seen women I know who struggle with depression choosing to see beauty in the shadows that the sun brings in.

I see people who I know who’s hearts are breaking, finding joy in simple things. Who simply choose to keep on keeping on.

It makes me want to keep trying, keep finding beauty in my own life.

And on hard days when I feel like I will royally screw up my children, I glance through the images on my Instagram feed. I don’t see fake happiness. I see real moments throughout a hard and painful life that I chose to see the beauty.

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This post has been brewing in my heart for a few weeks now. And last night my

blossom friend Joy

, posted

the most eloquently written words

regarding something similar.

I love how she describes it as looking for the breadcrumbs.

So friends, if looking through social media makes you feel worse about yourself, you are either following the wrong people, or you are choosing to not celebrate with them that they are able to find the beauty.

It is there. Sometimes it is hard to see but it. is. there.

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And I just want to thank those around me for not being fake but for celebrating the tiny moments of joy and perseverance that you show me every day.

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www.helenjoy.com

Helen Joy George 2/14/15 Helen Joy George 2/14/15

to my sullivan love on his fourth birthday

Oh my funny valentine... You are (sigh)...You are like the warmest sweet breeze on my cold heart.

You are the absolute picture of tenderness.

View More: http://wildflowersphotos.pass.us/george

Your heart spills out love on all around you.

Pictures above by Joy Prouty

Pretty much every single time I tell someone about you, I tear up. Because you, my dear, you nearly weren't with us.

I don't look back on your birthwith fuzzy feelings but instead feel a panic in my heart as I remember when they took your limp body to the side to get you to breathe. I don't remember much until early the next morning when I was finally mentally able to get it together to hold you and nurse you and look at you.

And then we fell in love...

Following 2 pictures by Joy Prouty

You were born after the hardest year of our lives. Deaths and miscarriage and illness and just pure sadness. And you were our breath of warm air and as I often refer to you, the balm of my broken heart.

You are my snuggler and every single day, you need it...just like I do.

Waking up to, "Oh mama, you're so warm (pronounced waaaa-ymmmmm). Let's snuggle" is kind of the best.

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This year, you wore you bike helmet everywhere and I just ate it up.

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You dote on your big brother to a fault. I honestly can't believe how willing you are to share and give to him when he is so mean to you sometimes! But you are. You regularly give your very best "things" to him.

You are FUNNY. Like naturally hilarious and you don't even try.

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I've love love loved seeing you be a big brother to LM this year. Barclay is in school most of the day and you are really stepping up to the plate. You are so gentle with her and have actually started playing with her. It melts my heart!

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Your favorite activity IN THE WORLD is to light and relight a candle to blow out.

Your best buddy is Jude and ya'll just crack me up together. You pretty much never fight.

Actually come to think of it, you pretty much never fight with anyone (other than Barclay).

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You're a lover. A valentine in the flesh.

You are painfully handsome and your big brown eyes are like bottomless inkwells. And you can basically get away with anything if you slow blink your thick lashes at me.

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Your new thing this year is helping me cook. You are very helpful with anything I ask you for and I think you'll make someone a pretty rad husband one day!

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Sullivan, your heart is one of the most beautiful hearts. You allow me to feel things with you,emotionally, that my other babies don't. You have that deep, slow passion inside of you like I do. I think you are a work of art and I cannot wait to see you grow this next year.

Thank you for never denying me a tender hug or ever letting me go a day without hearing your contagious giggle.

I'm so glad I'm your mama.