Right now, we are in the midst of what we call the “busy season” for us family photographers. During the months of October-November, you can find me living in my editing cave - where I shoot, sift and edit ~20,000 photos when all is said and done. I am going on my tenth year since beginning my photography business and just decided a couple years ago that I would take the month of December off to enjoy time with my family and avoid the high stress situation of having to get photos back to clients in time to order Christmas cards. It has freed me up to really savor and enjoy the season of celebrating the birth of my Savior, instead of dreading it!

All that said, I really don’t like turning away anyone and get bummed every time I have to do it. Although I do have a great list of referrals that I am happy to send over, because I genuinely feel like family photos are so important! And in case you needed a few reasons to book your family session a little earlier next year, I wanted to share a few of my own family photos (taken by the wonderful Adriana Kay | edited by me) with a few of my own personal reasons for making photos a priority, at least, once a year.

1. Memories

   There will never be a photo you will regret taking, but you will always regret not taking a photo. There are so many memories that our brains will forget, unless we document them. A picture often triggers a memory. There are many things about my childhood that I don’t remember, but when I flip through a photo album the stories about that season of life often come back to me. The missing teeth, the clothes I was wearing, the haircut… they all tell a story. Capturing your current season of life is something you will never regret.
   
   Fun story: My oldest daughter, Hannah, broke her wrist a month before our family session and was scheduled to get her cast off the MORNING of our photos! I bought the dress with long sleeves, just in case she had to still wear the bright pink cast. It would have been a memory!

2. Kids grow so fast

If you’re a parent, you know that the “days are long, but the years are short.” Kids grow and change so fast, that I recommend taking family photos at least twice a year until your kids reach about 2 or 3 years old. I love looking at our family photos from previous years and seeing how much my kids have grown and changed. These photos that we took only two weeks ago are already outdated, because my youngest lost her FIRST tooth a few days later! I am thankful that I have these memories captured of her with all her baby teeth :) I have also thought about the fact that my son, Micah, is due to get braces in a few weeks and this may be the last family session where he is still shorter than me!

3. deepens your bond as a family

One of the main reasons that family photos are often avoided (besides cost) is that they can feel awkward. Truly, the most awkward thing that you can do is just stand there and hold a cheesy smile for 30 minutes. I do not recommend. I also know that is what everyone’s perception of a family session seems to be. But if you find the right photographer and go into the session with the perspective that you came to connect as a family then I believe that will change the photos you receive. I have been around a ton of different family dynamics and love adding ways for you to loosen up and have fun together. These are the moments you will want to remember. Did I have three chins in a couple shots while spinning my daughter around in circles? Yes, maybe. Did we all have fun together and end up getting a few good keepers in the process? Absolutely.

4. pictures make great gifts

Every year, it never fails that my parents ask us for photos for Christmas. Investing in a family session is one way to pass on the gift of a captured moment to loved ones. Updating the photo frames on the wall doesn’t take much effort, but it makes a huge impact on the people who walk into your home. Also, Christmas cards truly are my favorite gift to receive from friends far and wide every year!

5. They will outlive you

There are tons of really good reasons to have family photos taken so that you can enjoy them, here and now. But one of the most important to me, is knowing the value of having that last captured photo with a family member. I am so thankful for the photo I have with my granny hugging me before my wedding and for the photographer who took it. I didn’t know it would be the last photo of us together, but just a few months later that photo became cherished for a lifetime. This is one reason I still love doing extended family sessions, although it takes a little more work to plan out and coordinate everyone’s schedules. Buying an extended family session in advance also makes a really good Christmas gift (hint, hint… I have gift cards available!) You just never know when that last photo may come.

Five is a huge milestone. It feels big. I can’t believe my BABY is growing up. I know by now that I can’t stop the clock, time is a thief and I’ll forever be in the struggle of missing who they were and loving who they are becoming. That’s just the way life works. Those of you snuggling newborns right now will get it one day, hold them tight… and welcome to the slow letting go.

photo by Francesca Woomer

For Chloe’s birthday this year, we had a joint princess party with a sweet friend who has a birthday just days apart. We did this when Hannah turned five and it was a blast! I am so excited that we got to celebrate with so many of her sweet friends. I brought out the big camera and captured a few photos of the special day!

I have been thinking lately about seasons. Not necessarily the meterological kind, although I am eagerly awaiting fall here in Florida (if there ever was such a thing). Seasons in Florida are a bit of a mystery, because while they tell us on paper that it’s “fall” it still very much feels like “summer” until one day you’re caught freezing outside watching your kid’s soccer game without a jacket in sight. Florida blood is thin, so next time you prepare well and bring out your cutest, comfiest sweater that you’ve been dying to wear and then end up sweating in it for 3 hours while drinking a pumpkin spice latte. The memes are very real.

Anyway, I’m not talking about those types of seasons. I’m talking about seasons in life. College, dating, marriage, parents, grandparents, retirement, etc. It’s funny how we spend so much time preparing for a career in high school but, no one actually tells you that if the Lord wills, the longest season of your entire life may be something you were completely unprepared for — parenting.

There’s a common saying that, “you could never be prepared to be a parent.” And while I get the sentiment, every child is going to be different and have a different set of needs, no one ever says that about other seasons of life. We never say, “Don’t worry about having a good work ethic now, because every job is different.” And when it comes to marriage, you’ll hear people often say, “Become the type of person you want to marry.” We are expected to spend time learning and growing for other seasons of life, but parenting? Just wing it. You can never be prepared. Good luck!

Our oldest boy turned ten last weekend and we’ve officially been in the thick of this parenting thing for a decade now. It flew by and at the same time, we’ve lived so much life! Currently, I am watching as friends and previous students of ours (my husband, Josh, was a student pastor for 14 years!) are becoming parents for the first time. It brings me back to those early days of not knowing what I was doing, ha! And while I am still very much learning and growing everyday from those ahead of me, there are a few things I’m sensing the Lord wants me to share that I’ve learned from being a parent in just this short time.

1. You will spend more time learning than teaching.

   I think we assume we will go into parenting teaching our children all the things. We may even have a long list of things on the priority list to teach them. But it humbles me to acknowledge, while I can foster and encourage a good learning environment, I can’t take credit for everything they learn. Ultimately each child is going to learn and grow at their own pace. If nothing else teaches you this… just wait until potty training. I potty-trained three children the exact same way and they all took to it a little differently! Before you can teach, you will need to learn how your child receives information. Whether it’s learning to sit up, eat with a spoon, read or write or more spiritual things, like going to church, reading their Bible and following Jesus. We can only take so much credit for what they do with the information they receive. Don’t forget to pay attention along the way, because you’ll need to study your child as you help them become good students.

2. You will sacrifice a lot.

   It’s not if you will sacrifice something when you become a parent, it’s what and how much you are willing to sacrifice. You will have to sacrifice your time and energy to put someone else’s needs first. (I remember when I got my first cold while nursing one of my babies and realizing that the show must go on! I couldn’t stop feeding my baby just because I was sick). You will have to make sacrifices in your budget and finances. (We have reached the point where all of our kids finish their own meals and one orders off the adult menu! Eating out is now a luxury.) You will have to sacrifice some hobbies you really enjoy (hence, why I rarely have time to blog anymore! Until your kids get a little older and maybe you can enjoy some of those hobbies together!) The sacrifices are all worth it though, because ultimately laying down yourself for another grows your capacity to give and love fully.

3. You may question all of your life choices.

   I would be lying if I didn’t admit that parenting can drive anyone a little crazy at times. At some point, you will question if you are doing the right thing. You will question this no matter what type of diapers you choose for your baby, the type of food you feed your family, whether you stay home or work, or the type of schooling you choose for your kids. If there’s anything I’ve learned from becoming a parent, it’s that we are all doing the best we know how to do. A good parent questions their decisions constantly, because they want the best for their child. The important thing is that we seek good advice from people we trust and walk wisely in those decisions. And as one of my good friends always encourages me, “You can always change your mind!”

There is probably so much more I could share, but I only have so much time (because I’m a parent, after all!) One of the best things I’ve learned in this season is to give grace to myself and others. No parent is a perfect parent. I’ve failed, asked forgiveness and learned to get back up and try again. The only perfect example we have is Jesus. Which ultimately brings me to the most important thing I’ve learned as a parent…

I need Jesus, more than AnythIng.

Of all the seasons in life, I feel the most sanctified in this one. While sometimes this season of parenting children can feel like the hardest thing we will ever do, I know the reality in the back of every parent’s mind is… it’s temporary. And just like seasons in Florida, it may come and go as quickly as it arrived.