When Mom Wants Family Pictures...

A little over 2 years ago, my mom asked for 1 thing for her birthday – family photos. This was not received with excitement, as my brother, my brother-in-law, and my nephew absolutely hate having their picture taken. But we did it. We found a local photographer while we were on vacation together, and we took some family photos that turned out pretty well! About a month later, my brother passed away very unexpectedly. Today marks 2 years from that day.

I say all this to point out, that more than we’d care to admit, our mothers are right. When they say that we need to take family photos -- that we’ll look back on those photos with fond memories -- our moms are right. And I don’t say this as a mom! I say this as a child. I think every one of us has told my mom THANK YOU for insisting on family photos during that last vacation we had with my brother. And this year, when my mom asked for a family photo, we all put on a nice outfit and smiled for the camera without a fight. There was a distinct difference in our attitudes, because now we are so grateful for these pictures and for these memories.

So in honor of my brother, here are those family photos we took just a couple years ago! They warm my heart to see. I’d like to give credit to Justin Derato for taking these beautiful photos! What a gift they have been to my family.

And now some photos our friend, Megan Wathen, took this summer! Please note the addition of my husband, Jonathan and niece, Veronica!

Baby Wyatt {Pittsburgh Maternity & Newborn Photography}

I was always told I'd go through a period of life when all of my friends would get married. And then there would be a phase of life when they would all start having babies. Well, it appears I have hit stage 2, and I'm not complaining! There aren't many things a baby can do that aren't cute (especially from my perspective, where I don't have to change the diapers or tend to the tearful wake-up calls). From behind my camera, I can tell you that everything they do is cute - even the squishy faces and occasional cries. 

I have had the privilege of getting to follow Katie and David through this process of becoming parents, and it has been incredible! First I met baby Wyatt as a sweet little baby bump. I then got to first see his adorable little face at the hospital, and now most recently, I got to check out his crib - but no, literally. It's a super cute crib. Scroll down for a little taste of all 3 sessions! 

Justin & Abbey

Oh friends, these two! Can I tell you about these two? Justin and Abbey are a couple of beautiful humans. Abbey stepped out of the car with that FIERCE red lipstick, and I knew we were in for a fun hour together.

Sunset is my absolute favorite time for photo shoots. They call it "golden hour", and I will now beg all of my families and couples to book photo shoots in this perfect hour before sunset. In these last minutes of daylight, the sun decides to completely show off, and I am absolutely obsessed with the way it kisses everyone in photos. Justin and Abbey are certainly no exception. As we ran around Mellon Park in Pittsburgh, I didn't dare set my camera down for a second! 

Justin and Abbey have been married a little over a year now, and when coworkers asked them for the reasoning behind this photo shoot, they joked about pretending to be expecting (they're not!). It's not quite their anniversary, and they aren't necessarily celebrating any big milestones. But if you ask me, it's all the little moments that matter most. I don't care if you've been married 1 hour, 365 days, or 14.6 years - photos together are a beautiful way to commemorate the big moments and the small. 

Well, anyway, I'm a big fan of telling stories with photos, so I'll be quiet now so you can gawk over these 2...