Week In The Life™ 2023 | Ali's Sunday

Welcome to Sunday in Week In The Life™ 2023. 

As I sit her and look back through the photos I did take on Sunday, I'm reminded that this is "my" Sunday story. I want to say things like "not all Sunday's look like this" but I could probably say that every Sunday even when I'm at home. Ebbs and flows and seasons and the stuff of life just keeps happening all around us. 

This is what it is. And I'm documenting + celebrating it for simply being that. 

Also, thank you for joining me on this adventure this year. I hope you enjoyed your experience of documenting your week! I'll be taking a couple days off and then start the process of bringing my photos and words in my album. I'll share more on that here once I get started. If you'd like a deeper dive into the processes related to Week In The Life™ make sure to check out our Storytelling With Week In The Life™ workshop here

Here's a look at my Sunday: 

Sunday started with an early wake up in our hotel room for Day Two of the volleyball tournament.

Club volleyball around here starts with try outs in November/December and then runs from January to May. It's a big commitment for kids + families and the higher level that you play the more commitment is required. It takes time for teams to gel together and it's been really cool watching Anna's team coming together. 

This tournament for her was similar to others this year: some awesome wins and some tough losses. 

The thing I loved the most watching Anna this weekend is simply how much she's improved her strength and stamina over the last year. It's a combination of getting older, hard work, and training. 

It's also a lot. 

A lot of noise. A lot of energy. A lot of emotions. A lot of expectations (self-imposed and whatever you think other's are expecting of you). A lot of fun. A lot of laughter. A lot of sitting around and waiting for the next match. There are 25 volleyball matches happening simultaneously in two giant rooms in an expo center. 

Audrey's team played in the afternoon wave so she and her Mom (who took this photo) came over to catch one of Anna's last matches. I braided her hair similar to how I did Anna's with half French braids.  

This photo is us: a blended family that all shows up for the kids when we can. Continually thankful for our relationships with one another. 

The girls are our only kids playing a competitive sport. I tend to get really into it. I love watching them play. I love seeing them make connections between their bodies and their mental fitness. I love seeing them cheer each other on through the highs + lows. 

I had so much fun bringing my Canon 6D with me. Most of the time recently I've just been taking photos with my phone for almost everything. I loved getting to play with my camera this past week and weekend, especially using the burst mode with these sports photos. 

I'm pretty sure I want to start using this camera again more for everyday life photos. 

So many thoughts about competition. So many thoughts about relationships. So many thoughts about the mental game that co-exists right alongside the physical game.

If you interact with teens in any way I'd love to invite you to take time to look them in the eye + tell them what you see they are good at in their life right now. Let them know, out loud, that you see them. You see them doing the thing. You see them showing up. You see them working hard. You see their creativity. You see how they are learning. You see them being a good friend. You see them saying a kindness. You see them put that dish in the dishwasher. You see them making a good choice. You see them not getting to do what they might want to do + still having a good attitude. You see them picking themself up and trying again. 

There's a lot of corrections in this season of life for these kids: some necessary + some that really needs to be said alongside things that build them up and acknowledge the pieces that are positive. Constantly correcting without acknowledging the good stuff (verbally telling them you see them doing the things) can easily lead to the creation of stories that don't reflect the totality of each individual person. We are all more than the mistakes we make or the things/skills we simply haven't learned yet. 

Let's help them write internal stories (the stories they tell themselves about themselves) that include that the things they do "right" and not just the things they might need to work on. 

My Mom was always really good at this. 

Everyone wants to be seen for the totality of who they are. 

I seriously feel so lucky that I get to overlap chapters of life with these two.

Anna and I hit the road after her team completed their matches. We were both pretty exhausted and ready to get home. 

THE PHOTOS I DIDN'T TAKE

  • Me being the hype person for Anna's team. 14 year old girls can be really hard on themselves and I'm on a mission to pump them up + remind them that they are out there because they actually like volleyball. 
  • Audrey got her first ace (her Mom got it on video) which we all celebrated. 
  • Pulling over on to get a coffee at 4pm on the drive home from Portland because I was getting so tired. 
  • Coming home and basically getting straight into the tub and then straight into bed (I did do a quick walk around the yard with Betty to see what was happening out there while I was away). I was exhausted with a raging sore throat (could be the cheering + could be the cold that the kids have started passing around). We watched the newest episode of Succession and then I was out. 

It's likely I'll fill in a few holes for Sunday with some general shots around the house. We'll see how I feel once I get to Sunday in my album. 

OTHER VOICES

Anna:

Simon: 

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4 thoughts

  1. cjdragonfly says…
    05/01/2023

    I almost started bawling when I read the part about interacting with teens. Well said.

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. deniseweatherby says…
    05/02/2023

    aaaaah the volleyball days, I miss them so much, and yet, I don't!

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. delia says…
    05/04/2023

    Fabulous photos & emotions. One of my favourite posts of Day In The Life photos. Said after following you for decades. Thanks for sharing, honesty & inspiration.

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. kbledsoe says…
    05/12/2023

    Thanks for being real and acknowledging all the parts. Love this project!

    Reply 0 Replies