When you are privileged to be able to track the growth of families who have been with you since their first child was born, it is a precious thing to see how that family is growing in the midst of the crazy chaos that is family life. Click here to reach out about your own custom portraits.
Joe gifted Shannon with family portraits for her birthday and she was thrilled! It’s the coolest thing to see how high a priority it is to both of them to document the growth of their family. Pretty humbling to walk through their home and see the evidence all over the place of how we have documented their family since Madison was born. There are so many stories to be told in each precious piece.
The Laney’s are a work hard play hard kind of family. Joe was all hands on deck prepping the property while Shannon wrangled the kids. Joe reminded me he was ready to assist in whatever was needed to make the magic happen. Their farm looked impeccable as I watched Madison, Audrey and Easton in action all over it, squealing in delight as they explored and played. They raced around to check the chicken coop for eggs, climb the play set, check on their fairy traps, and roll down hills.
Joe and Shannon spent two years building their dream home and it’s clear when you walk through it how much attention was paid to all the details. They’ve built the place where their kids are making the memories that will keep them laughing and reminiscing through all their days. The Laney farm is the kind of place where a neighbor rides by on a four wheeler to drop off pumpkins and they get invited to come to watch the sunset and have a drink.
Paver, their very apropos named dog, (Joe owns MT Laney paving company) joined us for just a tiny bit because as you can imagine, the chaos of 3 young children on a large property required all hands on deck. 
Wondering what they are laughing about? Joe is imaging he and Shannon doing this very thing when they are old and slow…which is a speed in life that they are completely unfamiliar with. 
When Shannon and I discussed vision in her pre-consult planning meeting, I shared my concerns re the weather possibilities for a fall day in MD. Then considering my own wish list from when my boys were the age of her children, I asked, “how would you feel about us creating some of the portraits inside, documentary style of what life is like for you on a typical night?” She was intrigued.
Night time means it’s time to wash away the evidence of outdoor play that’s ended up in every crack and crevice of busy children who thrive on exploring, treat the inevitable scrapes and cuts that come with constant climbing and taking risks, mop up water splashed from bath time fun, brush hair, race trucks, and if a kid is lucky, some one on one time with Momma or Daddy…what I wouldn’t give to have some of these kinds of moments documented from when my boys were younger. At the time, they seem insignificant because they are so part of what sometimes feels like a daily grind.
However, every parent with older children knows, that none of us knew when our last times were coming. The last time of brushing your little girl’s hair before she proclaims herself old enough to brush and braid it herself…or the last time your little boy would need to hold your hand on the daunting stairwell before he proclaimed he could do it himself, skipping every other one with ease….then daring his sisters to see who could jump off from the highest step…the last diaper change that ends with snuggling into your chest to breathe in freshly bathed baby…the last time your child unabashedly runs to you as their hero and proclaims that you are who they will one day marry…we just never know so we don’t know to savor it in the midst of 10001 demands of everyday…so that’s why these little tiny moments will grow in preciousness to Shannon and Joe as the years march on with the inevitable speed that sometimes takes my breath away.
