We have families that come to us for portraits once a year… sometimes twice a year. Whatever is going on in their lives, they know it’s important to capture images of who they were at that moment. Not just what they looked like, but the family dynamic, even if it’s not what they would hope. Because isn’t that a universal truth about parenthood? Some seasons are harder than others.

We adore our children. They’re bright & funny & caring & creative. But at 3 years old and 10 years old, they’re also in their own respective awkward phases. Jack is in that “not a little boy, but not a teenager yet” place, and his mind is a million miles away. He’s trying to figure out what “cool” means to him. I remember that phase in my own life…. I’m sure my parents do, too. 🙂 We know he’ll figure out who he is very soon, and in the meantime, we’re trying very hard to cherish this silly “tweenager” time instead of wishing for time to move faster so he’ll come back down to earth.

And Dorothy… oh man. Three. She’s such a diva. When she doesn’t feel like doing something, it just doesn’t happen. The rock of Gibraltar, this kid. She’s our last baby, and when she starts pre-school next year, it’s the end of the time in our lives where we have a kid at home all the time. So even when she’s driving us batty, we have to remember to slow down and be grateful for each one of the incessant questions & insane requests that come with a little girl figuring out her place in the world around her.

All of that to say, we knew we needed family pictures this year. We do a pretty good job of capturing the life of our kids, but all four of us, together, smiling at the camera?? That doesn’t happen real often. We were very blessed to be able to swap family photos with the talented Elisa Michelene recently, and we’re so glad we have these images. This phase of life… it’s not all roses. It’s a tricky parenting time, and a busy work time, and we’re frequently exhausted, all four of us. But we’re also a FAMILY, and we’re happy, and we’re learning each other, and getting better at being THIS FAMILY every single day.

Thank you Elisa for capturing exactly who we are, right now. And thank you, McG clients, for reminding me that it’s important to do. 🙂