My godson, Jonah, is a funny character. He’s so…calm…most of the time. He rarely says a word, unless he sees something that compels him to speak. He doesn’t need constant supervision because he isn’t one to run off. BUT, when placed in the right circumstances, he’ll talk or sing your ear off, and he’ll run around the living room like he just finished a trash bag’s worth of cotton candy. He is the perfect combo of his parents.

Jeff is taciturn, only interjecting to make funny comments or sound off his jolly laugh. Christine is as outgoing as they go. As a third grade teacher – she has to be. Jonah is literally half mom, half dad, and it’s so much fun to see his personality grow as he does.

A couple of weeks after my grandmother passed away, I had a unique session that, looking back on it now, meant a whole lot. I’d done large family shoots before; sessions with parents and kids, but I’d never done one like this – a grandparent shoot. With his mom and dad away for the weekend, Henry got to spend some time with Grammy and Pop, both visiting from Pennsylvania. Living across the country apart, I could tell that how precious these visits must be, for both parties.

“Isn’t he one of the cutest babies you’ve ever met?” Susan, aka Grammy, gushed.

“He really is,” I told her, hearing my grandmother’s voice in my head.

And she continued to look on lovingly at Henry, as he ran across the sand, climbed up the jungle gym with Pop and laughed as he hopped up and down that tiny playground bridge.

These were the most pictures she’d ever had taken of her, Susan told me. As corny as this will sound, what a privilege, I thought to myself. I just helped Henry, his grandparents and his parents, add to their collection of memories.