Hi there! I'm Bethie—on a mission to making taking family photos as simple as possible for busy moms!! Join the email list to stay in the loop to know when more session dates go live, tips on everything from making picture day with littles a breezy to getting those photos on the walls of your home to documenting your families legacy intentionally, & small updates on my life when I'm not behind the camera! 🥰
The summer that I almost lost my gallbladder
Published 2 days ago • 4 min read
Reader! The doctor walked in with a smirk and said...
“We’re ready to wheel you back for emergency surgery now to have your gallbladder removed.”
That was not exactly how I expected summer to begin.
⏪ But let me back up.
I’m back home (again) after spending the long Labor Day weekend up north with the family. And just like that we are back to routines, calendars, school schedules, and figuring out what fall is going to look like.
Got to love that fresh-start energy, right?
Except, I’m walking into fall a whole lot differently than I walked into summer.
Because my summer started with sunshine, Disneyland, Nashville, and all sorts of plans.
Then before my bags were even unpacked, I ended up doubled over in an ER bed with the worst stomach pain.
A few tests, pricks in my arm, ultrasounds, and hours later the doc comes in with a smirk on his face and very nonchalantly says …
“Yep. Just like I said, it’s your gallbladder. Looks like we’re going to need to remove it.”
I laughed, because that’s what you do with jokes.
His next line … “We’re ready to wheel you back for emergency surgery now.” assured me he was not the kidding type.
Whoa. Hold your horses doc. I can’t even choose a nail polish color without running it past my mom & sister… I’m going to need a second opinion before I remove a vital organ.
Booked an apportionment with my doctor… More tests, more appointments, and one very relieved gallbladder later, we learned it didn’t need to come out.
Praise the Lord! 🙌🏼
What I did need, though, was six weeks of recovery.
And those six weeks ended up being a lot harder than I expected.
They were filled with some of the worst anxiety I’ve experienced… along with a whole lot of lessons I probably wouldn’t have learned if summer had gone according to my pretty little plan.
And all those plans I had for work and life? Full-steam ahead turned into a crashing halt.
But you know what kept catching my attention during those weeks?
My neighbors’ garden.
Every morning at 6:30 am, I would walk past the neighbors who have the most beautiful blooming gardens in the whole neighborhood. They would wave & we would say hello.
Every morning without fail, they were out there.
They would have their tool of choice for that day perhaps a lawn mower, a weed wacker, gloves, soil, broom and dust pan or rake. It was different every day. But slowly, day by day, I watched them make the yard a little more beautiful.
They don’t have the best yards in the neighborhood because they did one long, hot day of work.
They have the best yards because they tend to it a little each day.
Pull a weed here, add a little water there, cut the grass and then check on it again tomorrow.
⬆️ and THAT is something I am taking with me this Fall!
We don’t need to catch up on everything summer has left undone in one week.
We don’t need to fix every routine, calendar, closet, meal plan, and loose end by next Friday.
Maybe we pick one little corner today, tend to it, and make it a little more beautiful.
Then come back tomorrow.
That became one of six lessons I learned during a summer that looked nothing like I thought it would.
If your summer didn’t go according to plan either or September already has you feeling like you need to catch up, I hope there’s something in it that encourages you.
P.S. The hours between anxiety attacks turned to days, days turned to weeks, and slowly I’ve had a FULL recovery. I went back for another round of tests & ultrasounds and my doctor gave me a straight A + report. I’m as healthy as ever! Annnddd… I’m still kickin’ it with my gallbladder! Thank you, Jesus!
Downtown Gilbert Mini Sessions | September 19th
Family photos made easy. 🤍
If it’s hard to find time for family photos, you’re not alone—I hear that from moms all the time. These mini sessions are designed for busy families with young children, so you can easily capture every milestone along the way.
**Only 5 spots left for the Downtown Gilbert Minis
→ You want a good, long session to give you the time & space to capture the photos you love without the hurry that comes with a petite session.
→ You want more than just the standard photo that any photographer can take -- you want photos that are unique to your family & tell your story a bit more.
→ You want photos that have more creativity, fun composition, and a nice mix of candid & posed photos ... those types of photos come by giving me more time to workshop & play around during the session!
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Hi there! I'm Bethie—on a mission to making taking family photos as simple as possible for busy moms!! Join the email list to stay in the loop to know when more session dates go live, tips on everything from making picture day with littles a breezy to getting those photos on the walls of your home to documenting your families legacy intentionally, & small updates on my life when I'm not behind the camera! 🥰
