Learning to feel comfortable being me

I have always struggled with me. I have had a hard time liking myself and who I am and the way I am. I have always hated pictures of myself and usually avoid being in them if possible. After reading some articles/blog posts about being in the pictures anyway, I decided that I need to just quit worrying about what I look like and whether I like how I look in the pictures and just be in them. I don't think my kids will be worried about how I looked. Hopefully they'll just be happy I'm in them at all.
I am also learning to love myself for who I am. DYT has helped me realize that I am not a mistake or flawed. I am not like my mom in lots of ways but that's ok. It's ok if I do things slower cause I get caught in the details and 'what ifs'. I have learned that some of the things I thought were weaknesses are actually my gifts to the world.
I have learned that Heavenly Father has made me the way I am and that as His child I have value and worth. Maybe some of that acceptance comes from age as well. I find as I get older I care less what anyone else thinks about me. That's a nice place to be...to finally feel comfortable being me!

probably my favorite picture of myself. I didn't smile big enough to squish my eyes shut! LOL

We were taking pictures for a DYT contest of a mom and daughter dressing their truths.

She's much more comfortable in front of a camera than I am...

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Trying to make beach waves in my hair with salt spray...

Not too wavy, but I kind of liked it...

Not bad for a girl with stick-straight hair...

This was a really GOOD hair day...

Used a flat iron to make these soft curls. Oh, the irony. Using a flat iron to add curls to naturally straight hair.

I felt really pretty this day...

Not afraid to be in pictures anymore. If I wait until I think I look good enough for pictures there will never  be any of me in them for my kids to see...

Holding Kami on her blessing day. So fun to be a grandma!