‘It won’t be like this forever.’: Mom creates ‘time capsule’ of her boys’ childhood

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“Raising kids, whether they are boys or girls, is constantly about balancing the chaos and the quiet. My boys are loud, they are adventurous, they can be rough. I feel like that’s captured in a lot of the photos of our daily life. If left to their own devices, they will decide to pull the Little Tyke car behind a bike while wearing catchers gear.

Brother riding bike pulls his brother who is sitting on toy car while youngest brother rides scooter shirtless in driveway
Sara Liz Photography

They will find the biggest, grossest mud puddles to play in.

View of little boy from shoulder down covered in mud
Sara Liz Photography
Little boy in mohawk helmet jumping in a puddle where his bike is lying
Sara Liz Photography

They will push the limits. However, they are just as likely to find a way to help or comfort someone, or do something creative with their energy. I think that’s just kids. I think the value of documenting all the crazy is that it won’t be like this forever.

Boys in halloween aisle of store wearing a panda, cat, and unicorn mascot head
Sara Liz Photography
Little boy going to the bathroom in the woods beside a port-a-potty
Sara Liz Photography

I photograph a lot of families and specialize in documentary family photography. I’ve always been drawn to candid, real, authentic moments in photos and naturally wanted to try and capture my three boys in the same way I capture other families. For me, there is so much beauty in documenting what real life looks like… the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Little boy sitting on dock with fishing pole in hand looking out at body of water
Sara Liz Photography
Father hugging young son after baseball game
Sara Liz Photography

My goal is to create something that my kids can look back on in 30 years and recognize as their childhood. I want them to have something to share with their kids and grandkids that really depicts what life was like for them growing up. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good portrait, and we get them taken as a family yearly, but those don’t necessarily capture what our life is like on a day-to-day basis. The day-to-day is a big part of what is important for me to preserve, because that is the stuff that memories are actually made of.

Young boy holding on to the side of the pool looking to his side in black and white
Sara Liz Photography
Boy in the middle of falling on his back in shallow body of water
Sara Liz Photography
Young boy squatting on neon carpeted bench at roller rink while another lays on his side next to him
Sara Liz Photography

I strive to capture not only what my kids are doing, but who they are. With kids, things change so fast. That front tooth may be gone tomorrow, that favorite stuffed animal forgotten, and that shirt they want to wear every dang day outgrown.

Boy riding his bike in a large puddle while two brothers stand in the puddle waiting to be splashed
Sara Liz Photography
little boy sits in bedroom playing piano while older brother stands behind playing guitar
Sara Liz Photography

If I can capture some of that stuff in my photos, I feel like it is my way of documenting it and creating a kind of time capsule for my boys. As with all photos, they will hopefully outlive me, so in that way they are my gift to my kids. I want them to not only be able to look back at our lives when they were young, but to see how much I love them in these photos.”

Little boy crouches on ground while brother stands shirtless on his back leaning on garage
Sara Liz Photography
Close up of shirtless little boy covered in mud
Sara Liz Photography
Boy standing against wall with measurements on it while older man makes a mark with sharpie above his head
Sara Liz Photography
Little boy sits in dark room with blanker wrapped around him looking at his reflection in the window
Sara Liz Photography
Two brothers stand side by side in yard in front of sprinkler while younger brother runs towards them
Sara Liz Photography

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Sara Easter of Sara Liz Photography. Submit your story here.

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