Blog - Shannon Von Eschen Photography

Fatherhood. Yours.

“With freedom, flowers, books, and the moon, who could not be perfectly happy?” –Oscar Wilde

Agreed. Except I’d like to also add: Good Men. Good Fathers.

How beautiful though, really, would the world look filled to the brim with good men? How much happier could our world be with more GOOD fathers? I feel so lucky to have been raised by one. But also: to have chosen wisely and married one. And yet, you’re not just “good.” Sometimes I think that applies to quite a few people, who, as Eli so plainly put it today, are “classic.” That word alone is of comfort to me as much of what I cherish in this life boils down to being classic. There is nothing wrong with it… Much like cars and appliances these days, I want little more than a true classic.

But Eli, our only child, says you’re more than that. You’re beyond. You’re the BEST. Eli is filled to the brim of my sappiness and love for you, but he’s got your dry humor and smarts alike. In your card today, he wrote that being a “Classic Dad,” as the card suggested, wasn’t good enough for you. He said you were abnormally unique and amazing in all the best ways. He listed out the roles of a “Classic Dad” and then compared them to all your roles in our life. Your list (for who he says you are) so wonderfully showed what separates you from most: Your integrity. Your work/life balance. And the way you shoulder responsibility. How many others can say these things about their Father? Or the Father of their children? And how did E and I become the luckiest?

This last year was full of so many of our “normal” days. So many of those “classic” fatherhood moments, I suppose. And though we’ve lived a similar life each year by design and choice, these photos show your love for Eli being so much more than the standard.

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Eggs, Easter, + my Teenage E

† Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! -Luke 24:5-6 †

† HALLELUJAH! He is Risen Indeed! †

Winter escaped us entirely this year. Truly. It just never came after the leaves fell in October and on most days over the last few weeks, we’ve found ourselves still waiting for it. But Spring is here either way. Without apology. And, sometimes, I think that’s exactly how life is. The fullness or absence of seasons, that is. While there are times we wait and wait and wait, there are other times when we’re not ready just yet…but it’s here. Ready or not. Those words so familiar to you and I who have spent your entire life playing some version of hide-n-seek. When you were so very little it was mostly me saying those words…and your tiny voice from behind the trees of our field saying “Reyydy Mama” as you’d try to run with your too-big-for-you basket trying to spot those eggs.

It’s hard to believe you and I have done this for fourteen years together. So hard. On the way to church this morning, Dad asked if you were going to drive us there yourself next year…and I blinked back the visceral response I felt when he said that. But it’s incredibly likely you will. I’m purposefully not going to do the math or look up to see which date Easter falls next year, but…wow. Wow, time.

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DIY Easter Egg Shell Planters

🌿 Bloom where you are planted. 🌿

Materials (Makes 6):

Six Napkin Rings
Six Raw Eggs
Egg Holder (or Egg Carton)
Dish Soap
Decorative Moss
Flower or Greenery cuttings
1 Cup of Water

Instructions:

1. Make your Egg Planters: Gently crack the top 1/3 of the egg and peel away slowly. Pour the yolk and egg white into a small bowl (for either scrambling or cooking later, yum!). Once your shell is emptied, rinse it under warm water and use dish soap to gently clean the egg inside and out. Though the risk is low, this decontaminates your Egg Planters from any possible Salmonella bacteria. After rinsing your egg, prop it up in your Egg Holder or Egg Carton to dry. Repeat on the rest of the eggs.

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