I met my bestie, Steph, when we were both pregnant with our first children back in 1999. We were in the same Lamaze class, and our class had so much fun that we ended up having several reunions over the first few years of our babies lives. Steph, being the super organized, fabulous coordinator that she is, got the whole thing rolling with our first reunion about 6 weeks after the first baby was born. We discovered that we both had been doing scrapbooks for our babies, and started getting together fairly regularly in the evenings to work on them together.
And as our children grew, so did our friendship.
When our babies were just over a year old, we decided to do a Valentine’s photo shoot together to make gifts for the dads. And of course we had to get some pictures of Ryan (mine) and Samantha (hers) together too! Because they loved playing together. And so a tradition began.
Each year we would get together just before, or on Valentine’s Day and take pictures. The next year, Cameron (hers) joined our group. And I was VERY pregnant with Olivia and Katy the following year. And now we are five.
But then we moved. And timing just didn’t work out for the next three years to be together at Valentine’s. We were so excited when we realized that she and the kids would be traveling to visit us over Valentine’s weekend this year!
We planned to get the kids all dressed up in red and white, and hoped that the weather would cooperate! I had just gotten my new 50mm lens and couldn’t wait to give it a try.
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There has been an old canoe abandoned by the lake in our neighborhood’s park for about a year, and it made a perfect seating spot.
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I can’t believe how old my boy has gotten. How have ten years gone by so quickly? And it just doesn’t seem possible that he’s gotten so much older when I haven’t aged a bit! Okay, maybe a little bit.
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Ooops. We asked Katy to lean in a little closer. She’s a very literal child, that one. And that beautiful bokeh! I think I’m in love with this lens.
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Had to sneak in another one of my handsome little man. Loving those natural, relaxed, genuine smiles!
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And when you put Sam and Cam together for a picture? Pure magic, I tell you! They are such pros thanks to a certain shutterbug mommy (I’m so jealous, Steph!).
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By the way, have I mentioned how much I’m loving this new lens? Because it sure is loving these beautiful kids.
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