My brother and sister made a quick trip home over Memorial Day weekend!

When the 5 grandkids are together – we HAVE to get an updated picture!!

9. 5. 8. 6. 9.

THAT SWEET FACE!

Those shots – they’re some of my ALL-TIME favorites!

Hey little brother!!

He wasn’t too sure about me!

That sweet chubby baby!!

I cannot get enough of his wink-eye smile!

I want that shot on MY wall!!

ALWAYS LET THEM BE LITTLE!!!

*M* – thank you SO MUCH for asking me back into your lives each year! I am SO excited about your boys – they are living proof that miracles DO exist!!

This guy – he is such an answer to prayer!!

THESE are the moments that you need on your walls! REAL SMILES! REAL LAUGHS!

I ADORE THAT SHOT!!

THAT WINK-EYE!!!

OH MY HEART!!! Those sweet smiles!!

*M* – I am SO happy for you and your family!!

ONE MORE BLOG POST!

I’ve been taking photos of the *P* family for 10 years!

It is such a great honor & joy to take your wedding photos and then capture your family as it grows over the years!

Those two little boys – they were prayed for.

I was able to take newborn photos of the little guy in the background – but his little brother was born during the quarantine this year – so we had to wait until he was 6 weeks old!

LITTLE BABY HANDS!!!

TINY BABY HUGS!!! I love that one!

He wasn’t too sure of me a first – but I won him over!

THE SWEETEST SMILE!

GAH!!! That wink-eye!!

Can you hear his laugh!?

MY FAVORITE SHOTS!!

Stay tuned – I have LOTS more to show you from their session!!

*A* graduated from SIXTH grade! I love that her mom wanted some special pictures to remember this time!

I LOVE those shots!!

Nicci – THANK YOU SO MUCH for asking me to capture this time in your lives! Before you know it – we’ll be taking her senior photos!!

I didn’t go to a school district where 6th graduation was a “thing”.

I’m discovering – that it’s a big deal in some schools!

I photographed *A* when she was younger – so much so – that she doesn’t remember me!

I was SO excited when her mom asked me to document her last year as a “little” kid!!

I can still see that little girl that I photographed years ago!

I LOVE those shots!! This is HER rock. She said that she has sat here with her friends since Kindergarten!

We were looking forward to spending time IN the school and visiting her favorite places – but – we had to stay outside.

And we HAD to get a few shots with her mask – because as hard as it all is right now – it’s our reality. And I doubt we will ever forget this time in our lives – but we still needed to document it.

Stay tuned for the rest of her session!!

This guy – he has short legs like his dad. But he REALLY wanted to climb this.

And then he lost his shoe. And I laughed. And I took pictures. And then I helped him up after he got his shoe.

But. I laughed.

Can you find the Enoch guy!?

I noticed birds building a nest on our light. We have LOTS of great nest spots on the back deck. But NOT here. So I put a snake up. But they didn’t care. The tin foil worked!

Boxes from the FOOD PANTRY!! Imagination!!

Enoch’s favorite snack – dry elbow noodles!! I find them EVERYWHERE!

UNO!! SUDOKU!!!

BANDITS!!

We got LOTS of apples at the FOOD PANTRY so we made apple crisp!!

This guy – his mind RACES!! He’s getting stuck & obsessed again. It’s how his anxiety comes out. So we’re all working together.

And I can honestly tell you that the majority of our time together is joyful!

THAT PICTURE – can you HEAR his laugh!? It’s my new favorite!!

What are YOU doing to spend your days!?

Which one will win!?

He looks VERY nervous!

SNAKES!! Thankfully I’m not afraid of snakes – because we’ve run into LOTS of them!

We lost a car – and the boys tried their hardest to find it – BUT I had to stick my hand in that hole and search for it!

MEAT STORAGE!?

Mom – will you hold my hand!? YES SWEET BOY!! Because one day – you won’t ask me!

Throwing cars off the waterfall – finding the small silly things during this crazy time!

Another snake!!

MORE SNAKES!!!

Enoch said – Mom!! This looks like a tiny little honey bee nest. It’s so cute. Can you press it in a book so I can give it to the girl I’ll marry someday!?

And then my friend Ericka told me about Trypophobia!? Have you ever heard of that!?

ONE MORE POST about our day!!

QUARANTINE 2020.

I wonder if the memory will always be so vivid in my mind. We were at after school care playing with classmates. The breeze was blowing and spring was on the horizon.

The governor called for all PA schools to close for 2 weeks.

We went to my parents that night. I had a wedding reception Saturday. I stocked up on groceries – those that I could – before coming back home Sunday evening.

It’s been a little over a month. A month of distance learning. Almost a month of Jared working from home. A month of virtual playdates.

A month of changes. A month of less spending. A month of less income. A month of social distancing.

I decided to carry my camera with me earlier this week to document our day.

Toys that have sat in the corner are being played with.

GAMES. Carcassonne. RAT A TAT CAT. Scattergories. DOMINOES!

Enoch and I were on a team for Scattergories and our letter was L.

Enoch – we need to think of a word that starts with L – something that you are afraid of.

Losing you mom. CUE THE TEARS.

Enoch – we need to think of a word that starts with L – something in this room.

Love mom. CUE MORE TEARS.

I asked the boys what words they wanted to put in our windows. Since everyone coming into town sees our house FIRST.

My mom made us some masks. And Enoch reminds me EVERY SINGLE DAY that he wants to go to Wal*Mart and get a TIME WATCH as soon as we are allowed.

Most days – I wake up and put on my robe. It’s chilly downstairs but our boys run hot. Clothes are optional at this point.

Our kitchen table has been reserved for SCHOOL. Thankfully we have an additional laptop that Fitzy can use while Jared works.

DISHES. SO MANY DISHES. SO MANY TIMES A DAY.

Helpers. Little chefs.

ART CLASS!!

It’s been a hard financial hit for us. I can’t work and Jared is working but not at full salary. BUT LOOK AT OUR FRIDGE. It’s full.

And so is the freezer. Because of food pantries & school lunch programs!!

We brought the basketball hoop to the kitchen since Jared is working in the playroom.

So. We do schoolwork and we play games. And we do dishes. And we listen to music. And we watch TV.

And we go outside. We play in the ravine.

We give accidental crazy haircuts. And keep them. To embrace our weirdness.

We race cars.

We play.

Stay tuned for the rest of our day!!

I may have said this before – but I’ll say it again – GET ON THE DANCE FLOOR!!

This was a first for me!! THEY CUT THE SLEEVES OFF HIS SHIRT!!

THE LAST PICTURE OF THE NIGHT!!

Seth & Lauren – THANK YOU SO MUCH for asking me to spend the evening with you!!!