Suffolk Family Photographer | David, Bethany + Henry

Suffolk Family Photographer | David, Bethany + Henry

Watching friends grow up, get married, and/or have kids is one of the coolest and strangest things of adulthood. One of the first times I met Bethany she talked and her desire to have kids - but it was difficult to figure out the timing with David being on deployment for so long! He finally came back home and sure enough, they welcomed sweet little Henry into the world just a few months ago.

I could tell after only a few moments with David and Bethany that their world is brighter, more joyful, and more complete now that Henry has come. They could not stop smiling - at him and at each other - as they played with him and made his little face burst into a little grin. The beautiful thing about their family is that as much as these two love their newest addition, it is so evident that their marriage has continued to flourish not only despite, but because of, having a third member of their family...

Kingsmill Family Portraits | Williamsburg Family Photographer | The Arenstein Family

Kingsmill Family Portraits | Williamsburg Family Photographer | The Arenstein Family

It's crazy to meet a family who you have no connection to and find out that you actually have a lot in common...and that's exactly what happened with these sweet people that I met at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg just a few weeks ago! As soon as I saw a jade necklace I knew we had traveled to the same places around the world, and we were able to chat about our shared love for going around the world. From there we hit it off and spent a few hours talking, laughing, and playing with all these sweet children.

With bigger family sessions it can be difficult to create more natural expressions but the Arensteins were amazing at interacting with each other. The kids truly love playing together and the adult siblings are all clearly the best of friends. After being separated by one family living in Israel for the last three years, they celebrated Mom and Dad's 50th anniversary with beautiful family portraits and a weekend to remember. Get ready for sweet smiles and a whole lot of black and white on this blog...

Fort Monroe Family Portraits | Hampton Family Photographer | Anthony + Marilyn

Fort Monroe Family Portraits | Hampton Family Photographer | Anthony + Marilyn

Anthony, Marilyn, and Mia make a beautiful family, not because life has always been easy but because they have lived through the hard times together. Anthony recently returned after his third deployment in their marriage - this one that hardest, as he had to leave his daughter for the first time and spent the better part of a year at sea. Because of this daddy's little girl, shy but spunky, was always ready to take a picture with her hero.

This family session began at The Chamberlin on Fort Monroe before we moved to the beach at sunset to capture some beautiful portraits. Anthony and Marilyn have been married for 15 years, managing to keep the spark of romance alive despite their separation. Their love is so obvious that even Mia gets a little jealous - she even tried to 'break them up' a few times during our time together! Nevertheless, this couple loves nothing more than family time and holding each other close after spending so long not being able to do just that...