Photo Journal - Josie Boettcher

Day 118 of my 365 Photo Journal Another day with no camera cord. 😭 Very sad. BUT, on the bright side, we got lots of snow last night! Ben and the kids have been itching to go sledding all winter and we finally got the chance! The way I'm writing this makes it sound like I wanted to go, but since this is my  journal I should be honest. I did not want to go. At all. I kept trying to find reasons for me to stay home: 'I don't think the baby will do very well with sledding', 'remember what a disaster it was two years ago?? Clemi cried the entire time', 'Clem said she had a headache this morning. Maybe she's sick? If so, she definitely should not be out in the cold', 'look, babe. It's raining! Who goes sledding in the rain??'. After all of my attempts at getting out of it, I still got all of the kids ready (it was awful), into the car, and we went. It wasn't terrible. 🤷 I took some pictures with Ben's iPhone and we'll see what ki...

Day 117 of my 365 Photo Journal Unfortunately, I lost the cord that connects my camera with my computer today. And apparently, I have no other cords like that in my entire house. I am super upset and annoyed about it, because this (almost) daily time of uploading pictures, editing them, and writing my blog has become my "me" time. I look forward to it all day and I won't really be able to do it again until my new cord comes from Amazon on TUESDAY. Tuesday feels like forever away right now.  Our family took a hike with the Popescos today, although it was less of a hike and more of the kids playing at the playground, along with a short walk. Ollie cried for most of the time, but it was otherwise ok...other than losing my cord somewhere along the way. 😑 Hoping for some good photos when I finally get them uploaded.  (Got some great ones!!!)  

Day 116 of my 365 Photo Journal I had this fun idea for photos today and I don't think they met my expectations exactly, but still pretty cute!  I had this moment of panic today when I looked around me and couldn't find a single clean surface. I seriously just wanted to curl up under my blankets and cry. INSTEAD, I snapped at Ben about how stressed I was and like the hero he is, he stepped in and handled lunches and all kid related stuff until I ate and got less angry. Thankful for my husband! I spent most of the rest of the day cleaning and can now find lots of clean surfaces, thank God. 😆

Day 115 of my 365 Photo Journal All of the kids were home today and I didn't do much. I didn't get outside, I didn't work out, I didn't cook. Pretty slow day for all of us! Other than Ben. It was a terribly hectic, awful day for him with work. The only pictures I took were of these two cuties relaxing together on the couch. Their relationship is complex. Ruby claims that she's terrified of Murphy, but he often chooses her to snuggle with during his daytime naps and she LOVES it. 

Day 114 of my 365 Photo Journal Jenny and I took our kids on a hike at Prairie Oaks Metro Park today, which was beautiful, but kind of ended up being disastrous because...kids. I took a bunch of pictures of the babes and just ONE landscape shot. Nearly every photo I took of the kids had some kind of snack container in it, which kind of ruins it for me, but this one was perfect. I know that not everyone appreciates the browns and grays of winter, but I love it. I love the cloudy skies and the crisp, still, icy lake. I love the dead grasses and bare trees. The park was gorgeous! I'm thankful that we got out and did this today, even if the kids aren't. 😂

Day 113 of my 365 Photo Journal Are there even distinct, separate days anymore? I'm not sure. I think this month has just been one looooong day. I DID finish my library photo!!! I'm super happy with how it turned out, but decided to go with some pictures from today anyway, because I'm sure I'll have a day in the future when I didn't take a picture and I can fill that in then. Doctor Ollie was on call today and boy, she takes her job seriously.  Also, here's this picture of our family (minus me). Ben had like two seconds of free time this afternoon, so he ran out to play with us. Ollie is fearfully looking over her shoulder for "drive" (cars), because she is terrified of them now and can't stand to be anywhere near the street anymore. Ruby is bawling her eyes out because she purposely smeared her clean sneakers through the mud and I got pissed. Clemi found a super tall stick and Jonas was just glad to have someone to play basketball with for a coupl...

Day 112 of my 365 Photo Journal And another one from our walk to the waterfall! I'm STILL working on the library photo. Brit helped me with a bunch of the photoshopping today, but I'm still trying to figure out how to get that magical, sparkly, feel to it. It looks like I might need to create my own overlay?? I really have no clue. I'm searching for answers! Personally, I'm doing a little better today. I got enough sleep last night and I feel enough energy to want to do things again. I worked out this morning, which was good/bad, and even took Ruby and Ollie to Home Depot to pick out paint colors and a new ceiling fan. I'm just really thankful for the decent days right now. 

Day 111 of my 365 Photo Journal I've been working on this photo of the kids in the library today, but it's not finished, so I'm digging into some old ones that were edited but not shared yet! I love this one of my two littlest girls at the waterfall. Plus, it's been a few days since I've posted a picture of anyone's back. 😅

Day 110 of my 365 Photo Journal Thank the Lord (and my husband 😊), today was a better day. There was still a cloud, but it didn't paralyze me or keep me from living life normally today. I went for a walk with a neighborhood friend this morning, visited with Dennis, which was really nice for the kids especially, made a big meatloaf dinner, chatted with a photographer friend who has provided me with tons of inspiration over the years, and didn't feel half-dead with exhaustion and overwhelm. I'm so thankful for the day that today was.  I'm still thinking about my library/study photo shoot. The more I think about it, the more I feel like I need more 'things' to make it just right. I'm thinking about lighting, specifically, because that room isn't very well lit and a pair of fake glasses for whichever kid I choose to be the main subject of the photo. 😆🤓I have a vision though! And I'm pretty excited about it.  

Day 109 of my 365 Photo Journal...Again I don't want to, like, negate the photo/post below, but I totally forgot that I actually had taken photos on this day and was reminded when I uploaded what was on my camera to my computer! I took some pictures while the girls were snacking on apple slices.  Day 109 of my 365 Photo Journal First off, excuse the terrible photography. I took this picture a couple of days ago and sent it to a friend (another shoutout to you, Brit!) to show her that I DO NOT have it all together. I could probably even say that everything is falling apart? Depression is hanging over me, I'm anxious lately about things that I shouldn't be worrying about, and I absolutely cannot keep up with the mess that my house is. And that is today's post. A picture of my messy house that I took days ago. 

Day 108 of my 365 Photo Journal This picture is kind of hilarious to me, because Ruby is WAY too big to be riding this little trike, she has no pants on (in FREEZING cold weather), and she's got this badass posture going on, like she doesn't care what anybody thinks. I'm thankful I dragged my butt outside with them, even if I didn't make the effort to put on a bra or change out of my frumpy sweatpants. I've been having some really low days lately and I have to admit that getting out in the fresh air and sunshine actually brightens my mood just a little, tiny, teensy bit.  On a more exciting note, I'm planning an actual photo shoot for the kids! I don't have a fully formulated plan yet, but it will involve lots of Photoshopping (get ready, Brittany!) and our bookshelf wall in our study........... I'm still trying to think and plan, but hopefully tomorrow or over the weekend I can start working on it. 

Day 107 of my 365 Photo Journal I attempted to do a photo shoot on my bed, because I always see these adorable photos of little ones bouncing on fluffy beds and looking all perfect and boho and comfy and amazing. Mine did not turn out this way at all. I don't know if it was the subject (Ollie), the setting, or the photographer. 😬 I only got two shots that were even acceptable and this is one of them...and the cropping is super weird. 

Day 106 of my 365 Photo Journal I'm having another one of those absolutely awful mood days. I have no idea why! Just so much overwhelm, considering everything in my life is normal and not crazy at all. I mean, as normal and not crazy as life gets when you have four kids running around.  Anyway, I took pictures at two separate times today. My first attempt was with me outside and Ollie and the cat standing at the front door. The concept was super cute and I've seen SO many adorable photos like that on Instagram and whatnot, but mine didn't turn out well at all. The glass door got foggy pretty quickly, so I cleared off a spot around her head...but then she moved. So all you can really see is a foggy image of a little girl and her kitten and, of course, a perfect reflect of a huge person holding her arms up standing out in the snow (ME!!). It did not turn out how I wanted. Better luck next time!  The second set of photos I took was taken in the backyard while the kids were pla...

Day 105 of my 365 Photo Journal Very slow day today! I literally spent HOURS reading this morning, just totally neglecting my children. 🤦 I did not break out my camera at all and did not step foot outside. I'm digging into pictures I took last week of Ollie playing peek-a-boo! 

Day 104 of my 365 Photo Journal We went outside while it was snowing today, but it doesn't look like it is snowing in my photos. It would be a great time to have some overlays on hand. Womp womp. Also, while taking the splashy picture below, I was so, so, very unhappy that Ollie was stomping in mud puddles, but let it happen anyway because I'm such a cool and easy going mom. I ran in and washed her shoes as soon as we came inside. 😂 Also, I know it's not like me to post three pictures in one day, but I have to. So...that's that. 

Day 103 of my 365 Photo Journal Cheers to the freakin' weekend! I'll drink to that! hahaha NOT. Ben is spending the majority of the day working and I'm just relying on hot tea and a good book (The Way of Kings) to get me through. We DID get everyone dressed and in the car (it was a freaking NIGHTMARE, trust me) to run some errands and give everyone some fresh air at the park in the snow and slush. We had to have one redeeming experience for today! It was very cold. ❆ And, despite taking over 50 pictures, I really didn't get many good ones. But the few that were good were so fun! I just love the joy on Clem's face in this one. I think I'll post my other favorites over on Insta and Facebook so that I can feel super sad and judged when hardly anyone likes them. 😂 Such fun! 

Day 102 of my 365 Photo Journal I'm struggling to find the words to put down for today. As always, I had highs and lows, ups and downs. I did not, however, go outside at all today, which made me really sad. I also didn't take any pictures until the evening, which also made me sad! The kids were home for school and those days are just so exhausting. I'm needed so much and I hear "mommy" so many times that I just feel like I'm going to explode by the end of the day. I feel like that is one of my biggest failings. Like, why can I not even handle the children that I chose to have?? Should I really feel THIS upset, just from parenting the people that I love most in the world? It's so confusing.  Anyway, I always love bath time pictures. The kids ALL love baths, although Jonas and Clementine rarely take them anymore. These girls will stay in the tub for an hour and climb out shivering (since the water turned cold forever ago), with wrinkled hands and feet, but h...

Day 101 of my 365 Photo Journal We have had a short string of warmer days here, like 45 degrees, and I have been loving it. I think I could live in 45 degree weather all year round. That being said, we got together with my love, Brit, today, along with Anna. It was wonderful to see them, as always, and I took the opportunity to take lots of pictures of the kids at the waterfall we went to (Hayden Run Falls). Also, I just have to say, for the millionth time, I truly hate taking all four of my kids out. They act like buttheads and I have no patience for all of that when I'm trying to get them out the door. They behave well once we're out, but getting them ready to go out is SO painful.  I took a few photos that I really like, but this one was by far my favorite, although I do realize that I've posted two faceless photos in a row now. 😂

Day 100!!!! of my 365 Photo Journal We went on a little hike/walk with Jenny, Millie, and Andrei today and it was so nice to see those kiddos! It has been forever since my kids have seen hers. Ruby and Millie were basically attached at the hip from the time we started our visit until we were heading back to the car.  Also, I can't believe I've done 100 DAYS of this photo journal! I don't stick to hardly anything, so this is really exciting for me. 

Day 99 of my 365 Photo Journal Ollie REALLY wants to get herself dressed. She's not quite there yet! 😅 I couldn't decide between these two photos, so I'm just posting them both.                                        

Day 98 of my 365 Photo Journal Today was a blah one. I had two glasses of wine last night and today I feel hung over, which is absolutely ridiculous. 😂 I functioned. I cooked, I cleaned, I mopped, I dropped kids off and picked kids up, I replaced my broken teapot, I put kids in bed and read books.  This morning, while dropping Ruby off at her fancy preschool, I noticed that the other moms seem to chat with each other during drop off and pick up...but nobody talks to me. I know it's pathetic, but this is not because of lack of trying on my part. I have attempted to strike up conversations with every single parent there at some point over the last 5 months. My rational mind knows that these things happen. This is not some personal ostracization, they just happened to be moms chatting with each other while they drop their kids off. However, the insecure part of my mind says that they can tell that I'm trashy, that I don't belong, so they exclude me and don't want their ch...

Day 97 of my 365 Photo Journal I woke up with a plan to do a yoga workout with the kids today and photograph it (with my tripod set up and Ben pressing the shutter for me...since I don't have a remote). All of the kids were really excited and it went pretty well! Of course, kids are kids and there was a bit of chaos, but I think we'll do it again. Not surprisingly, their interest/ability to follow along seemed to be based on age. 😁 Jonas was able to do everything almost perfectly, Clemi also did great. Ruby kind of just threw her body around most of the time, and Ollie tried one or two poses, but wandered around or sat on me the rest of the time. The cat did a great job looking regal and napping in the sun. 😂 Quick update on Ben's health: He's been doing much better the last few days. He only had a few of the sharp pains yesterday and had that dull ache for a few hours. Definitely seeing improvement, thank God!!!

Day 96 of my 365 Photo Journal I was seriously so bored today. There is plenty to do around here, don't get me wrong, I just didn't feel like doing ANY of it. I have this home renovation itch, but I don't have the budget to do anything to scratch it! I DID, however, make sure I got the kids outside today (YES. THAT IS 9 WHOLE DAYS OF STICKING TO ALL OF MY RESOLUTIONS. WOOHOO!!! hahaha) and got a million pictures of them doing the same things they always do. 😂 Some of the photos are really cute though. A couple might be framers! Speaking of, I really need to print out some recent photos for our frames. The most recent ones are from when I was still pregnant with Ollie. 😳  How hilarious is Ollie's expression in this one???

Day 95 of my 365 Photo Journal Just another day in paradise over here at the Boettcher house. Cooking, cleaning, getting naked randomly. Yes, we are in the naked phase of toddlerhood. 😆 Every day, Ollie takes off what she's wearing (diaper included) and starts bugging me to get "dressed". AND, if that isn't enough, she insists on choosing her dress from her closet every day! It's honestly adorable and not too much trouble, but I know the nakedness will one day lead to a pee puddle on my floor. These photos at the top are a fun before and after and the one below is my actual favorite of Ollie today. 

Day 94 of my 365 Photo Journal I have always kind of felt like Thursdays are the start of the weekend and then I totally check out on Fridays. 😂 ALSO, I tend to eat really badly on Thursdays because it's weigh in day and I'm ready for it to be the weekend so...I'm not sure how I feel about it! I kind of love it, because it keeps me excited and less sad, but I also hate it, because it always throws me off track motivation and eating-wise.  ANYWAY, Clemi got her ears pierced today! She handled it really well, although she did cry for a minute after the first one. It's crazy how different piercing is at a Claire's versus an actual piercing shop! They used a hollow needle and kind of threaded a metal rod through that, then attached the front of the earring onto it. It was a good experience. The photos are from my iPhone and aren't very good. I had this whole idea in mind that I was going to shoot with my actual camera, but the piercing staff weren't happy about...

Day 93 of my 365 Photo Journal We went on a winter walk with Brit and Anna today. I was a little nervous that it would be too cold or too tough, somehow, but it was great! We went to Kiwanis River Walkway (I think it's called) in Dublin, which just has really pretty scenery...although it's just all brown and gray right now. 😅 Also, it's so funny to see how little kids react to one another. I got lots and lots of blah faces, some downright no faces, and just a very few that show some expression. 😂 Nevertheless, I love opportunities like this...so rare during COVID days. 

Day 92 of my 365 Photo Journal Today is one of those days where I woke up perfectly happy, well-rested, and optimistic, but by the time I got downstairs and started dealing with the kid's breakfasts, I was like seething with anger. 😑 WHY does this happen to me?? Anyway, it has been a struggle to pull myself back from the ledge and try and enjoy my day at home with the kids. I was supposed to take them on a walk with Brittany and Anna, but then it snowed and we stayed home and did nothing instead. I forced some fun jumping on the bed time for photography's sake. 😆 And I got this sweet shot of Ollie looking out the window. Honestly, I like so many of them that I'll probably have to come back and pull from these another day!

Day 91 of my 365 Photo Journal This is the first day in a long time that I haven't taken a photo with my actual camera. This was shot on Ben's iPhone by Ben and I like it. This is me in "mom's seat" (as all of my kids call this spot on the couch), sitting with my babies. Ollie still gets mad when Murphy is in my lap and vice versa. I appreciated the snuggle time with both of them though, while all of the big kids were in school...which explains why I'm dressed. 😅 To my right is my phone and my books and planner (not pictured). To my left is my computer, my camera bag and camera, and my tea, sitting on my new mug warmer, which is a truly amazing invention! Oh, and wipies. An essential to have on hand in this household! This is my throne. ♛ Queen Mommy: Servant/Ruler of the House.  I started to edit this photo and then I was just like, whatever. It's fine the way it is. It's easier to not be picky when it's not your picture!

Day 90 of my 365 Photo Journal Poppop and Grandma came over today for a couple of hours to do our Christmas celebration together. It was great to see them, but also made me sad being reminded how much we all need and miss these kinds of family gatherings. Anyway, besides all of my over-the-top emotions, it was a wonderful visit. The kids were suuupppper excited to be with them, we had a really nice time catching up, and did our traditional meal of Chinese takeout for dinner. Couldn't have been better! Grandma hit the nail on the head, present-wise, too. Every single person was thrilled with what they got, but a slide for Ollie to use indoors was the biggest hit! She is so enamored with this thing and I know it will get a ton of use.  As for Ben, he is still doing terrible. He went to the ER this morning, and while it was a quick, painless (other than the pain he's experiencing haha) visit, he was basically told to wait it out and got no good news as far as reducing pain. We...

Day 89 of my 365 Photo Journal It was a slow day. Ben has been having these crazy neck/head pains (seems to be neurological), so he's been taking it really easy the last couple of days. I started to take decorations down and cleaned. And before you know it, it's bed time for the kids and almost for me too.  While we were outside (YES! TWO WHOLE DAYS OF FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH MY RESOLUTION!!! I KNOW!!! AMAZING!), Clementine and Ollie picked leaves to make a squirrel nest (?). Who knows why. Squirrels suck. These are the only two kids that actually like to go outside right now and they're always ready to jump up as soon as I make the suggestion. I put Olive in her adorable fur lined hat that she got for Christmas and her modern-looking puffer coat for just the right combination of je ne sais quoi. It actually makes me cringe a little, but I haven't been able to find her a pea coat that fits right. Anyway, her little tongue sticking out in concentration made this photo tod...

Day 88 of my 365 Photo Journal So...the photos I took last night turned out terrible. 😬 I'm using these ones instead, which kind of illustrate one of my New Year's Resolutions for 2021. I've thought long and hard about these an I think I'm ready to get them written down. My main focus for 2021 is JOY, which leads into my first one... 1. Spiritual: I've really let myself back off from daily studying and prayer. There is nothing as important in my life as my relationship with God, but I can't seem to spare a minute to spend with Him regularly. Therefore, my first resolution is to start my days with God, by reading the Bible or a Bible study and spending some devoted prayer time with Him . I know that this will be difficult for me. My days (especially mornings) can be really crazy, dealing with meals, school stuff, and cranky little ones. But I feel like it needs to be my first priority.  2. Marriage: My relationship with Ben is good. Great, even. I'm so happy...