To be honest, we were both sitting on the couch tired and worn out from the week.
We had just gotten home from Costco, so we were sitting under the fan trying to cool off from the trip in the relentless heat! It was everything: The business of the store, the long drive home, and unloading everything we bought. We were also going around in circles talking about solutions to some things we were working through as ‘growing pains’ for our business.
We were wiped out.
We were tired.
We were discouraged.
That’s when Erica’s phone lit up with a text from our photographer letting us know she had just delivered the gallery of our family photos to our inbox. A moment later, our phones sounded off with our email chime alerting us that we had just received an email. We didn’t realize how much that would help both of us in that moment!
We sat down together, opened up the message on our computer, and signed into the gallery that made everything that was tiring us out vanish.
As we pushed our fingers up the track pad, our eyes filled with tears seeing all of our family pictures. It was like one of those books you had as a kid where you flip all the pages really fast and as you watch as the pictures change, telling a story.
This story started with Brody being all handsome and schnazzy out in the tall grass. He’s always been more reserved and shy, but the story showed how he’s grown out of that and into the confident, funny, young man that he is. And there was Paislee, always so sweet, looking beautiful smiling in her flower crown. We loved watching her dance in the soft sunlight like a ballerina.
Then the story showed how much we love and thrive on being together as a family.
Not one of us likes to be alone! Okay, okay…except for when it’s been a heck of a work day for Erica while she’s also been doing her main job of being a mom and breaking up arguments, cleaning, and making sure everyone is fed!! At that point, she needs her moment of “alone time” to keep her form going crazy, anyone else?!
We have so much fun together whether it’s dance parties or charades, singing our songs or playing board games. And the story showed us laughing and giggling and loving our family time like we do!
Then the story showed just the two of us. Together. Always better together as a team to tackle parenting, business, and life! But even more so, our love for each other. Standing together and swaying in the sunset. Leaning in and holding hands like we always do. We bring out the best in each other, and it felt like you could see that in the photos.
The story moved into Brody and Paislee loving each other. Dancing together and giggling at each other the way they do nonstop. Unless of course they’re antagonizing each other or not listening, let’s face it – there’s not such thing as perfection! And the story showed it too as they teamed up and threw grass when they were supposed to hug each other for the photo! And that’s ok, because the story isn’t 100% perfect, and neither are we.
And then to wrap it up, the story showed some of the sweetest mommy/daughter and daddy/son pics we could have ever dreamed of!! We always ask our kids to smile with their eyes when we take their pictures. That actually happens about 25% of the time. The other 75% of the time the smile says “C’mon mom, I’m done already.” But as we scrolled through our gallery, they were smiling with their eyes! Having those sweet moments with our 6 year old and 2 year old, meant the world to us.
Years from now when Brody is older and several inches taller and it’s not physically possible for Erica to pick him up, we will still get to look back on these and remember exactly what that felt like. We’ll be able to remember Paislee snuggling in on daddy’s chest when she is taller and her height doesn’t quite work for that and she has to stand and dance with him instead.
The story will just keep getting better as each time there will be new memories and stages of life to capture. But for now, this is our favorite story and the best one to flip through and “read.”
It was amazing to be on the receiving end this time! We pour so much of our hearts and energy into creating those moments for other families. It’s the ‘Why’ for our business and everything that we do. We want to bless people with their own memories in a still form that they can hold onto for forever. That they can scroll through or walk past in frames hanging on the wall and feel the exact same feelings they had in that moment all over again.
We couldn’t be more thankful for our friend, and fellow photographer, Michelle Praskins for capturing our story where it is today, so that we can always go back and remember. Michelle, you blessed our family in more ways than you know, and we are so grateful for you.
In case you missed it, we detailed our experience with family photos previously. Catch up and read it here!
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