Photographing this crew makes me feel like I can say, “I knew them when…” because they were SO little when I first met them (<— that blog post is actually from 2013; I first met them in 2012 and I didn’t even have a website yet! Check out the last pic below that I dug up from the archives to see how little they were in 2012!). Diapers and onesies have been replaced by necklaces and soccer balls. Weekends spent trying to make sure they get a nap in are now spent trying to make sure everyone is where they need to be for their games and practices. Some things haven’t changed, though: they still like to hang upside down (not sure if we’ll be able to do this one next year, little miss!), they still have some of the most genuine smiles around, and the only thing that’s grown more than the kids is the amount of fun and love that exists in their little pod.

Suzanne and Mike, words cannot do justice to how privileged I feel to have been able to capture your family through my lens for the past eight years (minus that year – or two? – you were abroad). Thank you, thank you, thank you!

While it’s always fun and humbling for me to photograph any family, it carries even more meaning when I get to photograph a dear friend with her babies – I know some of the ins-and-outs of what it takes every day for this sweet mama to help keep everyone in her family going strong. The drop-offs, the pick-ups, the appointments, play dates, volunteering, cooking, scheduling, hugging, comforting, food-shopping (sometimes she evens picks up some food for me!), homeworking (yes, I just made up that word), and it’s all done with a deep, deep love. It’s a delicate dance that I admire and look up to.

These two girls could not have seemed happier hanging out with their scooters, the leaves, their mom, their dad, and each other. Thank you, Amy and Gerard, for the pleasure of having you all in front of my lens. I continue to be honored by your friendship and your trust in me to capture your beautiful family!