Warning: these girls are about to steal your heart!
Just one look at these sweet little faces and they had me wrapped around their finger. But it wasn't only those smiles that had me hooked. (Though they did!) It was the tender way they loved each other, their friendly and cheery greeting to me, and the way they utterly adored their parents. A couple of hours spent around a family is enough to get a small window into who they are and how they operate. It is one of my favorite parts about when I get to photograph families, because getting to truly know people brings me so much life and joy.
This family is one of those I wanted to rub off on me. Kristen and Alan exude a kind of gentleness and patience that I could quickly tell creates an environment in their home in which their girls feel safe and loved and cherished. Even when little Nora was not so sure at first about the camera, they so calmly and patiently comforted and played with her until she felt at ease and her tears turned to sweet laughter. The joy of this session for me certainly had a lot to do with what you'll see in these photographs, but it also had a whole lot to do with the two people behind me who these girls call Mommy and Daddy. I am so grateful to now know this family!
But before we jump to the photographs, you have to know why these photos are particularly special. Finley and Nora's grandmother handmade these dresses for the girls (can we say AMAZING?!) and their lovely mom Kristen had the idea to one day have a photograph of each of them wearing the one Finley is wearing at age five. Kristen and Alan are also expecting their third child and were finding out this week whether they would have their first boy or another little girl who will one day wear these dresses as well! The same grandmother who made the dresses has also given Finley and Nora each a delicate necklace to which she adds an inch of pearls with each passing year. The girls are also wearing these necklaces with their dresses. Thoughtful would hardly be strong enough to describe this grandmother. Finley and Nora are certainly blessed to be surrounded by incredible examples of love in their family!
