This family and I just celebrated a decade of shoots together. I'm still absorbing that! They were my very first "real" clients (i.e.: not a friend or family member hiring me) when I launched my business ten years ago. We have grown incredibly close over the years, my children as well, and I just absolutely adore them. I've had the privilege of being able to chronicle their family's journey since the birth of their first born and the subsequent addition of two more siblings into the mix. It's been a wild ride! They've been marvelous friends to me and incredibly helpful and supportive as I've navigated through some challenging times the past few years. I'm deeply attached to their kids whom I feel I know almost as well as my own and who are always as excited to see me as I am to see them. They're very active and spirited kids so there's not much sitting still going on but the inherent joy in this is that I get their real selves, wild and crazy and full of spunk and life. There's no pretense. Just silly, exuberant and fun, which is how I like things! I've literally watched these kids grow up, both while photographing them and also just hanging out. Have I already mentioned how much I adore them? As a side note, the pictures of the three siblings together were so cute and special to me because they were initially just supposed to be shots of Tyler alone but Quinn and Reilly swooped in and made a little Tyler sandwich! They were like little bookends for Tyler, which works so well metaphorically too. They love her and support her and encourage her every conceivable way. If you'd like to know more about just how special this family is you can read last year's blog post HERE but rest assured, they are just the most incredible example of love and teamwork and perseverance that I have ever witnessed. They pretty much rock. I wuv them. Dakota (the sweetest, calmest, most gentle dog on the planet) even made an appearance this year since we did the shoot at their new house! Tara & Bryan, here's your sneak peek, super hard to narrow it down but you'll get them all soon enough! xoxo
