The Hard Seasons of Motherhood (And What 10 Years Taught Me)

Today is my oldest son’s 27th birthday.

I’m still not quite sure how I have a 27-year-old. I could try to comfort myself by saying, “Well, he’s adopted…” — but that doesn’t help much, because the one I gave birth to turns 27 this summer too.

And yesterday marks something else as well.

Ten years ago, all three of my adopted boys moved into our home.

They weren’t babies. They were older. He was the oldest — and he turned 17 the day after he moved in. We threw a big birthday party. Friends filled the house. It was loud and hopeful and full of fresh starts.

And then, a few months later, the honeymoon period ended.

When the Season Feels Impossible

He had carried more responsibility than any teenager should. He had experienced things no child should. He was angry — at the system, at his biological parents, at his childhood, at the world. Sometimes at me.

He was fiercely independent. Charismatic. Strong-willed. Starved for attention but determined not to need it.

There were days I wasn’t sure I would survive the rest of his teenage years.

If you’ve ever been in a season where you felt like you were just barely holding things together — you know exactly what I mean.

The days feel long. The tension feels constant. You wonder if what you’re doing is working at all.

Ten Years Later

Here’s what ten years gives you: perspective.

Today, that same young man lives in another state and is incredibly successful in his career. The family he once pushed against? I can call him day or night, and he shows up.

He checks in multiple times a week just to tell me about his day. I know his highs. I know his lows. He asks for advice. He’s even apologized for how hard those early years were — though none of it was really his fault.

All three of the boys are thriving now.
One in another state with a job he loves.
One married and just a couple hours away.
My youngest just joined the Navy.

And my other three are doing beautifully too.

The hard season did not define the ending.

If You’re in a Hard Season Right Now

Whether your babies are tiny, your toddlers are wild, or your teenagers are testing every boundary — I see you.

I remember those seasons.

They feel endless when you’re in them.

But they are seasons.

And most of the time… they pass.

Keep loving them.
Keep showing up.
Keep being steady.

You are building something you cannot fully see yet.

Why This Is Why I Photograph Families

This is why I do what I do.

Because the seasons change quietly.

The missing teeth.
The baby cheeks.
The long legs and teenage eye rolls.
The way they still reach for your hand — until one day they don’t.

The hard seasons don’t last.

But the photographs do.

Spring Mini Sessions are now booking, and if you’ve been thinking about updating your family photos, I would love to help you preserve this season — exactly as it is.

Not because everything is perfect.
But because it matters.

Click HERE for booking information!

And to my oldest — happy 27th. I couldn’t be more proud.

— Christy