Well, hello! I haven’t blogged since October! Oops. Being a family photographer, I am usually up to my eyeballs in client work during the fall season and this year was no exception! I’m getting back in the swing of things by finishing up my 365. Admittedly, I didn’t shoot as much personal work in the final two quarters of the year, but I shot through December, so I’m calling it a success!

Here are our last two quarters of 2018! Up first, a slow and lazy July.

We had an extremely relaxing summer, with lots of down time. We typically start our school year around Mid-July but we took a little bit longer of a break this year and started in August. We were just enjoying our break so much, it was nice to take a little extra time off this summer (and in turn a little shorter winter break…) We spent many days lounging in our PJ’s, and enjoying the air conditioning with no real agenda or place to be. It was GLORIOUS!

August brought plenty of outside time, back to school pictures, Noah’s first big boy haircut, trips to the library and plenty of pool days (which I didn’t document because keeping up with a 2 year old around water doesn’t mix with lugging around my expensive gear LOL…on my wish list for 2019- a GoPro!)

Fall 2018

In September we celebrated mine and Josh’s birthdays with a family trip to Galveston with my mom and her husband. The kids had a blast and loved having the grandparents along to share the experience.

October, November, and December were a whirlwind! I documented as much as I could amidst my client sessions and am glad I didn’t give up on the project even though I did taper off quite a bit.

I’m opening this last segment with a little collage of my toddler enjoying his goldfish snack…that may seem like something mundane and insignificant, but I feel like those moments are JUST as important as the “big ones”. If not for these pictures, I might not always remember how much he LOVED goldfish, or how he always wanted them in a little Ikea cup or how they looked in his still pudgy little hand. These little orange snacks are a staple in our home and are eaten on a daily basis…it’s just one of those little things I want to remember.

We also welcomed a new member to the family. This is our mini Aussie, Milo. We love him and enjoy him but I won’t lie, it’s been a challenging adjustment for all of us and quite a learning curve as we get to know this high energy breed!

Another surprise we got this fall was the news that baby number 4 will be joining us this summer. We are so very excited to welcome a daughter in June and look forward to all of the new adventures she will bring our family.

We closed out the year much like I’m sure many of you did, spending time with family and celebrating the holidays. Looking forward to a new year!

I enjoyed this project so much and look forward to doing it again (and better) in 2019! I hope that it inspires you to document your day to day life, all of those moments no matter how small (because really, they’re all BIG) are so worth remembering! Happy New Year from your Melissa Family Photographer!