When Jo was looking for a London Ontario Family Photographer earlier this year and booked a mini session with me for the spring, I knew I had big shoes to fill!
They were clients and friends of Shanna from Lace + Lavender Photography, and Shanna had referred them to me while she was on maternity leave. I didn’t want to let her, or her clients, down!
We had originally planned for photos with the magnolia trees, but as I’m sure you know, restrictions stopped that from being able to happen. As soon as we were able to do family sessions again, we rescheduled and headed into a different area of Springbank Park to take advantage of all of the new, lush greenery. They were all so amazing to work with and the session could not have gone better!
Here are some of my favourites, and a little more of their story told by Jo :)
What is your favorite thing about each kid at their current age? What makes them each unique and different from each other?
Max’s observations and little stories about the world around him keep us in stitches! It’s amazing how much children absorb and notice and seeing the world through their eyes is really a gift. Clara is just starting to move and explore her surroundings but the way she watches her big brother is pretty special.
What is each kid’s favorite activity?
Max is obsessed with construction trucks and lawn maintenance. He could watch someone mow a lawn or blow leaves for hours! Clara is pretty chill and loves going along for the ride which is a good trait as the second born!
What do you love to do together as a family?
We love exploring history and museums and most of our travel includes visits to cultural and heritage sites. We both work in education and the arts and definitely want to instill a love of learning and storytelling in our children so they can appreciate the nuances of the world around them.
How do you prioritize family time in a busy world?
We are lucky that our life allows for plenty of time together and we are pretty protective of it. While we want our kids to explore their interests and passions, we also want to allow lots of downtime to play and weekends are for family adventures!
With an unlimited budget, where would your dream family vacation be? What about your kids’ dream vacation?
We adore the UK and Ireland and have friends there we hope to visit soon. Traveling with two seems utterly impossible but the last couple of years has allowed us to have a bit more of a carpe diem outlook on our lives so we hope to travel as much as possible together!
What’s the funniest or most amazing thing your kids have done recently?
Watching Max complete his first year of JK during the most difficult circumstances was really incredible. The kids just rolled with it while us parents stressed every minute of every day and they taught us so much this past year. I’m hopeful his next year of school is a bit more normal.
What TV show/movie can your kids just not get enough of right now?
Max could watch videos of people building and creating for hours – lego and construction are his jam! He has a pretty keen eye for detail and enjoys the process more than the end result with most things!
What have your kids taught you about life?
Let go! We are both planners and strive to live a very methodical and orderly life – basically the opposite of children in every way! They allow us to slow down, evaluate what’s important, and play more which I think every grown up could use more of!
What advice would you give to your past selves when you were brand new parents?
Chill out. Having children can make you stress about every detail of your day and whether or not you’re “doing it right” but the tiny moments that seem insignificant at the time soon become the memories you hold on to and now we are just trying to live in the moment as best we can!
What do you love about being a parent?
Watching them become their own little people outside of the home – seeing my kids interact with others and explore their world is incredible!
What has been your proudest parenting moment so far?
Watching our son become a big brother – there’s nothing like seeing the love grow between two siblings! Having children is utter chaos but in the most messy and beautiful way!
leave a comment