If I could make the world a better place to live, one of the first areas I would start with is the family! That is one of the first societal institutions that we encounter on this earth, and that unit can greatly contribute to our quality of life and in some cases, our plight in life.  If I could, I would ensure that every child came from a loving father and mother that encouraged and disciplined them, but ultimately wanted them to be the very best that they could be!  I would ensure that each child had at least 3 cousins that just loved them for who they are and spent time with them with no strings attached!  I would make sure that each child had enough aunts and uncles to share in their upbringing, help them reach their goals, and offer real heart-felt hugs that let the children know without a shadow of a doubt that they are loved.  I would ensure that everyone had at least 1 sibling so that they can always have a travel buddy and exploration partner and someone to help them learn early on the value of sharing!  I would ensure that every child had the opportunity to engage with at least one set of grandparents so that they could know what great homecooking looks, smells, and tastes like, and so they could have a few moments in life where they get spoiled beyond measure (we all need just a few of those moments)!

Throughout the course of my life, I’ve been blessed with family – and some friends so close that they became family.  And it was in the structure of my family (immediate and extended) that I had the opportunity to excel, succeed, thrive, explore, love, do right AND wrong, grow and mature, forgive, and so much more!  Often times, people think that if you feed the hungry, you’ll make the world better.  Well, I feel that if you connect people with loving family, the family members will look out for their own.  They will show a member in lack how to fish and where fish are most plentiful.

Anyway, if I could, I would… but for now, I will just shares images from a recent family portrait session, where I saw the kind of “FAMILY” that I’ve been discussing.  Often times, people tell me of how blessed they are by my gifts and the way that I capture their moments in time, but so often, they have no idea how the opportunity to capture statistic-defying images blesses me!  I hope you all enjoy… and if you see something you like, PLEASE (I’m trying not to beg) leave a comment!

AND THEN WE HAD A LITTLE FUN!!!!