I've come to the conclusion after an evening at the park with Family M, that the dirtier the kids are at the end of the session, the better the shoot will be. 

She's the one who has already given you everything she has these last few decades.
So what do you get a deserving momma bear for her birthday? 

I don't know how she does it, guys.
(But doesn't the same sentiment hold true for most moms?)

Game time!
How about a little word association this morning? 
Yeah? Let's begin.

I was there when Family B went from one to two.
Two to three.
And now three to four.

What's better than golden hour at the park, several mother/son laugh sessions, and getting to photograph a next gen Byron Bear on a gorgeous fall day? 

She's a little lady that loves chapstick, mom + dad, and dancing to Imagine Dragons.

In high school, people used to say that Theresa and I looked alike.
While it's been over a decade since the "gimme an h, what does that spell" days, I could only hope for the same compliment when I'm pregnant.

Maybe it's because it's December 1st today. 
Perhaps the "winter scented" candle I've got burning next to me also has something to do with it. 
But I haven't really felt the holiday holidazzle until just now.

Im convinced these kids need to be models.

K + J take direction well, acting naturally, while cheesin' for the camera.
They bring such exuberant energy with them on set.
They happily do their own stunts.

While I've been editing this ridiculously cute family session commemorating little E aging up, I've been idly daydreaming about the life of these photos.

Are family sessions the new hidden gem, ripe with an abundance of potential creative expression?
(A sentence I never thought I'd claim ownership over, nor seriously ponder.)

On most days, I'd say no...