Extended family portraits – Winchester, MA

Three turkeys, an outside tent/table for overflow, rented chairs, a Turkey Trot, a college hockey game, and two human pyramids – all with 27 family members from near and far (AZ, OR, IL, WV, FL, LA, and MA). The day after Thanksgiving offered just the right window of time to gather for some large family portraits followed by one of the best parts of Thanksgiving: the leftovers. The unexpected part was the apparent tradition of human pyramids. The even more unexpected part was that this wasn’t just the young generation having fun, doing their young-person thing. After the kiddos completed their feat, the adults took over the floor and mastered the same thing, tossing “I’ve-got-a-bad-back” complaints aside.

What a fun crew! It’s amazing that all of you can gather each year; what a testament to your family.

Family portrait session (Haley, Alex, P, and S) – Boston, MA

Here’s to cozy jammy-jams and snuggles! So fun that this awesome family went with the flow of the day and cold weather – the girls got to hang in their pjs and then we bundled up for a bit and walked to a couple of spots in the city against the nap clock for the littlest one. These sweet sisters were a joy from start to finish.

Haley and Alex, thank you so much for sharing your chilly morning with me. So nice to meet you all!

Family portrait session (Christina, Phil, and E) – Andover, MA

Little one? Yeah, you with the cute pom pom hat, and the cute face that’s telling us that it’s just too cold for you to be outside? Let’s go inside and warm up and play with your toy piano and get some snuggles from your grandma, OK? OK. Oh, and you can play with your sock bin, too. Sound good?

This sweet little baby seems to be enjoying her new home while her parents are enjoying the task of figuring out what furniture they need. Lucky for them, they still have a *little* time before she’s mobile so they can figure out how to childproof all their new cabinets/stairs/etc. Christina and Phil, congratulations on your new home and your adorable baby! Thanks so much for rolling with the chilly temps and sharing your afternoon with me!

Family portrait session (Daphna, Rafi, N, and A) – Brookline, MA

Ohhh, the weather outside was frightful! OK, it wasn’t snowing or sleeting, but it was SO cold for this session. This brave family came armed with hand warmers and a New England vibe of “let’s go for it!” And so we made the best of it and walked/ran around, huddled and squeezed, put jackets on and off again. After a while, the coldest ones warmed up in the car for a bit while the 2-year-old waited for the cold to set in a *little* more and tried out the swings.

Daphna and Rafi, kudos to you all for making it work! Perhaps a summer session next time?!

Family portrait session (Courtney, Chris, E, J, N, D, and E) – Reading, MA

We met each other when our oldest girls were in dance class at the same time years ago – maybe 5 years ago! – and our younger ones were patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) waiting in the waiting room with us. Little did we realize that our kids would not only go to the same elementary school but would be in some of the same classes along the way.

What is most striking about Courtney is how big her heart is. She and Chris now have 5 awesome kiddos and a new puppy and yet she’ll still offer to help give rides if needed. She sent flowers when I needed a little cheer even though she was the one who was more deserving of a little extra sunshine. She volunteers in her kids’ classrooms whenever she can and almost always has a smile on her face. And Chris, while he jokes about how much chaos there might be on any given day with 5 kids, makes it clear that he loves these kiddos with his whole heart.

I’ve been crossing my fingers for an opportunity to photograph this awesome family for years now. I feel so privileged to have had that chance this season. There was the perfect amount of fun, chaos (read: bloopers), and genuine love. Thank you, Courtney and Chris!

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photographystephanie goryl

stephanie [at] stephaniegorylphotography [dot] com

Wakefield, MA

(just north of Boston)