what family looks like

Aside from my cousins, I don’t have friends now in my life that I’ve grown up with. I don’t have anyone that I’ve been friends with since I was little, and I didn’t have any adults in my life that became ‘aunts’ or ‘uncles’ aside from my actual aunts and uncles. I see precious relationships like that only every so often, and every time it makes me hope that one day my kids will have that sort of experience with the friends in their lives; where they can say they have had the same friends since they were toddlers, and they have so many ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles’ that love on them they won’t know what to do. Especially if your family doesn’t live close, its truly a gift to find friends that quickly turn into so much more. Into family.

Anna has quickly become one of my dearest friends, and she has always told me about her group of friends and how close they all are, but also now how much their kids love playing together. They all met through our church many years ago and have continued walking together through different seasons of life, marriage, job changes, kids, and all sorts of transitions life brings your way. Some of their best friends, the Boone’s, are getting ready to move and they were all wanting some nice pictures of the kids together, and their group enjoying a spring evening cookout together like so many before. I was MORE than happy to oblige and loved getting to spend the evening getting to know these families and their incredible kids.

To say I was in a photographers heaven is an understatement, everywhere i looked there were super cute kiddos for me to take pictures of! :) I couldn’t take pictures fast enough!
little buddies :) Shelby and Bentley get to spend lots of time together, as their mamas Anna and Ashley are both on staff at my church and work together in the kids ministry program. This picture of them on the left is going to make an appearance when go to prom together one day.. its already been decided :) one of the things i love about these photos is that in the majority of them, the adult in the picture with the kids is not actually their parents. what is it they say about raising kids, ‘it takes a village’? :) Anna and Ashley, I just couldn’t resist :) I still think I should send this photo and that last photo of Joseph and Jeff from cartoon sunday to the media team, I think the CKids website could use some new photos of the staff ;) don’t you want to send your kids to church to hang out with the 4 of them?! :) Its not that the kids didn’t want to go down the slide by themselves, but it was so slick that if someone wasn’t holding on to them the kids would literally fly off at the bottom! needless to say because of that, there was a little one going down the slide at all times for about an hour :) bunch of little thrill seekers! love this one of these two little best friends :) then before we ate I was able to take a few more posed family photos for those that wanted a few! how adorable is Bentley?! Seriously every photo I took of this child he had that sweet smile on his face :) I can tell already how much everyone will miss this family as they get ready to move. Thank you all for opening your home to me and welcoming me into your group for the evening :) LOVE how Abigail is looking at her mama in this one :) and last but certainly not least here are a few shots of Anna and her sweet family :) Remember how I told you about if Shelby asked you for a ‘poke’? Well if she ever asks you for a ‘bonk’, please take note, this is what you do :) love her little giggle :)  
Happy Wednesday!! :)

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  1. […] already! I’ve been obsessed with Bentley’s curls from day one (Jon and Ashley are good friends from church!) and I loved how they would bounce and move as he jumped on the bed :) over the last few years […]

  2. Rebekah says:

    Looking back at these with smiles — thank you again for capturing some of these precious moments for us!

  3. Anna says:

    Love the pictures :) Thank you so much for capturing these sweet moments of the kids. We will cherish them for sure.

  4. Grandma says:

    Cuteness never goes out of style. You capture it beautifully.xoxoxo

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