I feel like it’s only fitting to kick off the year by bragging a little about my family. Recently, my husband told me he’d been looking through his photos and noticed just how much we do with our kids. When you’re in the thick of it, you don’t always realize how much time, energy, and love you’re pouring into your family. Sometimes, it’s just an overwhelming feeling of going through the motions. But reflecting on it? It’s pretty incredible.
During Thanksgiving break this year, we decided to take a trip to North Carolina to visit family our kids hadn’t met yet. It was such a special experience to watch them interact. They met about 20 people—cousins, aunts, uncles—and they fit right in. Not a single moment of hesitation or shyness. Watching them connect so effortlessly felt like a testament to the love and values we’ve worked hard to instill in them.
While we were there, I had a little personal goal in mind: to photograph my kids on a beach. We’ve been to Florida a few times, but we’re more of a mountains-over-beaches kind of family. This time, though, we stopped in Myrtle Beach to visit some dear friends and spend time by the ocean. And let me tell you, some of my kids absolutely thrived there. They woke up early to watch the sunrises, played soft music while gazing at the waves, and spent hours hunting for shells and shark teeth.
I had prepped them in advance, letting them know we’d be doing a little photo session on the beach. Normally, they’re not huge fans of letting me take these kinds of pictures, but something about the beach changed things. Maybe it was the novelty of it all, or maybe it was the magic of the ocean. Either way, it was perfect.
We started shooting around sunset, capturing the golden hour’s bright, dreamy light and transitioning into the soft, moody blues of the night’s ombre sky. The results? Breathtaking. I can’t wait for you all to see these photos. Fair warning: I’ll probably over-post them, but I just can’t help it—they’re that beautiful.
This trip reminded me of something else, too. I need to make it a point to visit more southern states so I can photograph on beaches more often. It’s a challenge, but there’s something uniquely stunning about the images you can capture there. Here’s to more adventures, more photography, and more moments that make you stop and appreciate the beauty of it all.






















