I have a confession to make...I don't really have any family photos. Of course I'm constantly taking pictures of my kids, but almost never get in-front of the camera. I've always been a behind-the-scenes girl professionally, from commercial photo styling, to visual merchandising, to photographing you cuties. (The last one's my favorite, by the way!)

You've heard me preach the importance of family pictures, and I believe every word of it. However, it seems putting my clients' photos first, and putting ours off until tomorrow, became a pattern.

As every woman who has raised kids will tell you:
"These years go by so fast!"
"Your kids will be all grown up before you know it!"
"Yada, yada, yada..."
Well guess what folks...they're right! My little babies are turning into "big kids" and there's no way to make time stand still.

I realized what I was missing, when my sister-in-law gave me a family photo for Christmas. A photo she took of the five of us last fall. I put it on our fireplace mantle as we unpacked our Christmas gifts. Now I have photos of my kids all over our house, but each time I walked past that photo, I got emotional. I realized how much I loved seeing us together. I saw how Elise and I have the same smile, and how Teddy has my chin and Declan my eye color. I saw Trevor and I next to each other, and everyone looking so happy. In that photo, I see myself as their mother and his wife. Sure, I have a little sunburn and my smile's kinda goofy. But let's talk about what really matters: my hair looks fantastic!!! No seriously, I see what a beautiful life we've created. I love these people.