We know that family pictures can seem like a hassle and be really stressful to plan out. You have to find a date that works around soccer practices, homework, that family vacation, and isn’t too late to mess with bedtimes. Trust me, we get that!!! We also know how hard it can be to coordinate clothes for family sessions!! We have been there and experienced it all ourselves on many occasions! The most recent of those being when my entire family, all 25 of us, were together this summer and we took extended family photos. The only thing harder than trying to book and plan a session is doing all of that and being the photographer too!! But I had my dear friend Meghan come help me this year with the big group shots so I wasn’t running to get into the frame before the self-timer ran out!!

My “original” family-because my family is now with Logan and Jai- started as a family of 7. Five kids and our parents. As we have all gotten married and added babies to the mix, we’ve grown rather quickly and we don’t all live in the same place anymore. This has made it so when we all are together it always feels a little bit more special. We generally get together once or twice a year but we don’t take family photos every time- HALLELUJAH! This year we had to make sure to get them done before my brother and his wife moved to Texas and each of the families has added a baby to their family since our last one!

This last year, I was pregnant at the same time as two of my sisters-in-law and we had our babies within 4 months. Jai came first, then two months later Nash came along, and then Makenna another two months later. This was the first good picture we have gotten of them since being born and I love it so much!!

Our family session this year got a little crazy with the cows that came right up and wanted to be a part of all the action. Add that to the fresh cow poop I stepped in and got on my leg, we had quite the time taking photos!! As crazy as it is to get these done, I know that we will never regret!! And I know that if you feel too overwhelmed or stressed about family photos that you should try and make them happen anyway!! These are times in your life that you really do want to remember and family photos are a perfect way to freeze your kids faces at this stage FOREVER!!