I have been in contact with Emily, who is the mother of five children, for a few months now. The family has recently moved here from across the country and wanted to document this chapter of their lives. The birth of their fifth child and their oldest being cured from aplastic anemia after receiving a transplant from his brother, who it 13 months younger than him, are just small parts of the puzzle that has led them to where they are today.
There is something so special to me about being invited into a home right after everyone wakes up. There are always a million and one things going on, and being there kind of feels like I am in the eye of the storm. It is my job to observe and document the routine going on around me; interactions between family members, emotions, humor, and everyday tasks are just some of the things I am looking for. In a family of seven, there is no shortage of any of these things, and when there are four boys in the house, “humor” is at the top of the list. I laughed until I cried more times than I can count, Emily and I came up with a podcast idea, I witnessed a few timeouts, there were sibling altercations, lots of hugs, a few tears, and one happy puppy who got lots of scraps. The kids invited me back to come hang out too, so I left with a happy heart. 
