Hi friends!!
I 100% understand that putting your family in the front of the camera is not easy. Lets be honest, it is really stressful. It is stressful scheduling, dad always has work things, kids school, baby’s naps, life. It is stressful to choose what to wear. Do we match, do we coordinate, are we going to be too warm, going to be too cold, and finding yourself standing in the store trying to outfit your family of 5, yes, sounds terrible. Then, the day actually comes, and it is never how you hope, baby doesn’t nap like normal, sister has a little cold, brother fell down yesterday and now has a bruise right in the middle of his face. Dad is running behind at work, so mom, you are left getting all the kids ready, and oh, yeah, yourself ready… You finally get in the car, and of course there is traffic. Of course, baby spit up, and you think, “did I remember the extra shirt”. You get to your location having to meet dad there. You throw him the shirt he needs to be wearing while pulling everyone else out of the car and saying a big prayer that no one falls in the next 5 minutes and gets mudd on their knees before you even start. You meet the photographer, your 4 year old immediate starts to pout, and the thought runs through, of gosh, “do these outfits actually look good in photos?” And you hope, you truly hope, that the photographer doesn’t think your family is crazy, hope she doesn’t think your kids are hellions because they are all running in opposite directions, and hopefully, please God, she won’t notice the spit up spot on your shirt.

I get it. Its not easy. But, it is worth it. My favorite is to get those emails that say, “Alea, I truly didn’t think you would have gotten one. single. good one. But, we are so blown away by how many good ones there are…'”
cause here is the thing. When you are worry about how your family is supposed to look, I love seeing how you family truly looks. You guys look like a beautiful little family. I see a lot of family and experience a ton of different types of families, but no matter how different, there are always very similar things. Every 2 year old is similar. Every 4 year old does similar things. So, my job is to allow you to be your little family, and just enjoy what I see. Even when you son yells out at me, “No!” when I asked him to go stand near dad. Know I get it. Its not the first or the last time that will happen. I didn’t expect you guys to show up and be perfect. I just ask that you show up and be you. I wanna see hugs, and laughing, and playing, and and smoochies…yes smooching between mom and dad too… holding hands, playing chase, running around, piggy backs…. and all the wonderful “not so perfect” family moments. I promise those are the best. I promise those are the ones in 5 years, you will look back and be thankful you have. It will make all the stress worth it… Please know how thankful I am that you share all of this with me. Its why I love what I do, and why I keep coming back for more. I love when I look back at mom and dad, and say that was a #reallife shot because those are the ones I promise you will appreciate. So! Know if you showed up with not one matching sock, with snotty noses, with the terrible twos or threes or fours, or a shirt that wasn’t quite the right blue…. its still going to “perfect”.

Much joy!
Alea