That whole "time flies" sentiment is so real and just gets faster and faster. As a photo lover my whole life I committed to getting family photos done every year shortly after we had kids, and it continues to be my favorite gift to myself. What can start as a "let's just get one nice shot" for the holiday card, pretty quickly reveals itself as a "this will look perfect on our fireplace mantel" or "what a perfect gift for mom and dad". 

And while the physical gifts are special in their own right, on a deeper level, having captured those sweet, goofy, genuine, thoughtful, and amused looks on your family's faces to look back at whenever you want... is just so so good. They are the instant pick me up, sunshine in my life, heart swell moments that you can keep coming back to and they keep giving back to you. 

It's worth the little bit of planning for what you'll wear and simply committing to a date. It's worth making time to get yourself ready (first) and then everyone else. It's worth thinking about any extra small touches that might make the shoot more fun or what will make the memory of that year shine. 

I don't regret doing a single photo shoot with my family. And my favorite shots in my house are far beyond that classic holiday card. Scrunched up faces, forehead/hand/shoulder/cheek kisses, dog pile tickle fights are all little beacons of light in my day when I happen upon them in our home.  So while time does fly, so do memories. Right from the people we love, through a lens, into our homes and imprint time and again lighting up our beautiful minds and hearts with every little heart swell moment.

-Erin

Heart Swell Studios Founder / Photographer