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 These photos that we took only two weeks ago are already outdated, because my youngest lost her FIRST tooth a few days later!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!

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

— Matthew 6:25-27

My husband shared on his blog today about our family’s upcoming transition (you can read it here.)

While we are so grateful and excited for this new season of ministry in Venice, Florida — I’ll just go ahead and say it: moving is for the birds. Change is never easy. Yet, just as the Lord is gracious enough to care for the birds — who are constantly on the move and don’t know where or when their next meal will be — so He is, even more so, with us.

This has become very obvious over the last few years as He has sustained us through the ups and downs and challenges of planting a church, growing a family, sustaining a healthy marriage and homeschooling. And just in our present reality of trusting the Lord in selling our current home and buying the next one — it is during these seasons that I see God’s faithfulness in the small details (like our home being under contract after only three days on the market!) Of course, He was still faithful when our last home took 5 years to sell. Whether days or years, we give Him praise for always providing for us.

I have received a few texts and messages from sweet friends and clients asking how I am doing with this transition and what the future looks like for photography here in Jax, so I thought I would address a bit of that in this post. (Sidenote: If you’re reading this, it means you care about our family and I just want to say, THANK YOU! We do not take this for granted.)

In one sense, I am RELIEVED. Because I can finally breathe normally again. God created me to be someone who wears my emotions on my sleeves and I have been holding my breath about the possibility of moving for a few months now. But there is also a deep sadness to leave a church family that we have been with since it’s very beginning. I have been reading Paul’s long-distance letters to the churches he planted in a whole new light. And if I were to write one to our beloved Chets North family, I’m sure it would sound a bit like this:

“We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ. We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.”

— Paul (1 Thessalonians 1:2-5)

For someone who grew up living in the same small town her whole entire childhood — life in the ministry, serving alongside my husband, has been quite the adventure! One thing I have learned is that stepping out on faith looks different for all of us — for some, it may mean staying put when things are hard; and for others, it may mean going when things are good. But often, it just means going when God says go.

These past few weeks (and really, months) have been some of the most emotional for Josh and I. We have spent a lot of time in prayer and counseling, desperately seeking God’s direction for our family. How do you follow God’s call on your life when you see Him working in both directions? How do you surrender to an unknown future when you are secure and confident in how He is working in the present?

These were our questions.

Following God’s call doesn’t always look like a burning bush moment (although, I’m sure most of us would really appreciate if He would speak to us the way He did Moses!) It is often found in small and faithful steps of obedience.

Eventually, these steps of obedience lead us to making tough decisions. But we are confident that God always rewards bold steps of faith. And when we are seeking God daily, we can trust that He will equip and prepare us for where we can serve Him fully, using our spiritual gifts, that will bring Him the most glory.

We only have a short time on this Earth, and then eternity comes. I’m grateful to be walking alongside a man who gets this and reminds me of the mission whenever I get distracted. And most importantly, I’m thankful for a God who knows what we need even before we do. This was His plan all along — and looking back, we can see just how He’s been preparing us for it.

That said, this transition will not only be affecting my family — but my photography business as well! I have already booked all my sessions leading up to our move, and will be taking select Jacksonville sessions in the future based on when traveling allows for it. We still have family in Jacksonville and will be planning to visit during holidays and such so, hopefully, I can still work it out to keep up with some of my families! But even if it doesn’t work out, I have a list of very talented local photographers I would love to recommend.

On a personal (and maybe a bit selfish) note, I am very much excited about moving to the west coast of Florida — where the ocean is a bit bluer, the sand a bit whiter and the sun sets on the beach! Just praying I find my place and make connections in the photography world over there. (If you’re a local photographer in the Sarasota County area, please message me!)

We are very excited about becoming involved with The Bridge Church and the work God is already doing in the community there! Thanks to those of you who have prayed and walked alongside us in our ministry journey. We count it a blessing to have crossed paths with so many of you over the years. And while Paul’s churches only had letters — aren’t you grateful that thanks to social media, you’ll still get a constant stream of pictures of my babies? Just know that I expect the same in return. ;)