I got an email from the sweet mommy of this beautiful family, Valerie, needing a photo shoot.
Not just of this adorable little guy, who just happens to be named Miles…
…but of her entire 15 person family. Now, I don’t photograph families larger than six people, however, but as you see here, sometimes you just break your own rules.
You see, Valerie’s mother, Julie, had just been diagnosed with cancer and would be undergoing treatments soon. I totally understood wanting a session before starting chemotherapy, so amazingly, 16 people were all able to find the same two hour time slot to make the shoot happen. Including the behind the scenes help of this adorable client turned friend who is a HUGE fan of this family as well.
Julie and Steve, I can tell you have such a precious relationship and your family is just so beautiful, on the inside and out.
Steve and Julie’s kids all have their own families and we took time to capture everybody separately from the group.
Look at this sweet little dolly! (I want to eat her little toes in those sandals!!)
These two were getting married in six days when I photographed them. (Congrats you two!) Bless this family, they had so much going on that week I photographed them, but I didn’t notice the tiniest bit of stress.
Ok, so this may not be a picture perfect scene, but it sure is real life! Moral of the story, just stay connected and the rest will fall into place. 
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Look at these proud and happy grandparents. If you look at each of those precious little faces, you can’t help but just melt.
This cracks me up. Isn’t this so typical family life with toddlers?
Doesn’t this photo make you want to be adopted by this family? I could have done an entire shoot with these photogenic ladies.
I truly felt honored to have the opportunity to capture this family. As I was photographing them I knew I had to take Julie’s cancer out of my mind and just focus on the shoot as I normally would. As I walked with Julie to a quiet spot to take some portraits of her, the emotions of how unfair and cruel cancer is started to well up inside me. I quickly had to shake that off. So I focused on how beautiful she was. The softness of her eyes, the warmth of her smile and I knew deep down how strong this woman truly had to be. Look at all the children she had raised to be such awesome people. She had to have gathered more bits of courage and strength along the way through that journey alone to fight anything. Then I photographed Julie and Steve together. I felt a peace that they would band together through the journey cancer would take them and make them grow even stronger. Walking away that day I felt so honored to get to capture her family during that fragile time of change. Just from what little I know of this family, I know they will band together to get through it and come out stronger.
Here is their slideshow with new music written by John, especially for them.
I have to mention as well, that with Fort Wayne being as small as it is, the minute I posted their sneak peek I had so many people emailing me that they knew various members of this family and mentioned what a great family this is. If you do know this family or even if you don’t, please take a moment and send healing thoughts or prayers (and some encouraging comments here on my blog would be wonderful) to Julie as she undergoes her cancer treatments. I know I have had this family in my prayers a lot since I met them.
by Betsy
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