For the love of...

No, it wasn’t easy to have 3 of my adult children move back in for an extended stay. I had just gotten past the stage where I’d find the random lego block behind the couch or the bedazzled hair scrunchie in the back of a drawer that would send me back into a fit of tears. Those 2014 pop-up phone “memories” actually serve as instruments of torture when the kids are far away. We were finally adjusting to the empty nest when they limped back in to re-group, to formulate Plan B or warm up for Round 2.  At first it seemed crowded, especially since we’d downsized significantly in every way, but I found myself spending more and more of my free time at home rather than on my outside activities. I felt strengthened by the every-night dinners together (because now they finally appreciate the free food). Throughout 2021 I felt empowered because I knew I had “my people” to talk to and rely on.

Despite all the craziness in the world, sometimes it’s good to take a moment and think, where was I at this point last year? What was I doing, what was I thinking, who was with me through it all?

It’s in these moments that some families have the blessing to look up at that portrait hanging in their living room, or over the fireplace, and step back for a moment to recollect and stay grounded. To say to themselves, this is who I am, this is my family, and no matter what they will always be my family. She’s the reason I wake up every morning at 5am when I’d rather stay in bed. He’s the reason I give my all at work, or take that time off to be at their sports games, because time is the one thing money can’t buy. That’s the magic of the right family portrait, to capture that moment and remind ourselves of the big picture that is so easy to forget as we go about our daily routines.

They are the reason you do what you do, and YOU are the reason we do what we do.  Celebrating families is our privilege and joy, so thank you to all the wonderful families from all over Idaho and beyond who put their special outfits together, made the trip to our studio, and trusted us to create a timeless portrait to display in their homes. What a powerful way to make a statement of love!