softness, silliness, and patience at the lake

I'm so, so glad I got to meet the Evans family. Both Nic and Whitney are amazing parents. I loved witnessing the gentleness and kindness they hold for one another. The boys adore their dad- and for good reason. He was so patient and sweet with each one of them. And, of course, was just the right amount of goofy and fun also. And when cute baby Grey cried for basically the whole session, Nic and Whitney just rolled with it so gracefully and kept their cool. Instead of getting overwhelmed, they simply hugged him and comforted him- never once seeming stressed or anxious about it. Few parents could do that.

And all those boys! Just watching them interact with each other, help each other, and encourage each other- all the while holding fishing poles and fishing nets- it made me feel like I had stepped inside a Norman Rockwell painting. When I asked the second oldest to think of something that makes him happy as I was taking his portrait, he told me he had thought of his youngest brother. And that's when my heart melted into a puddle on the ground. Again.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your wonderfulness for an evening, Evans family.

Mamiya 645, canon eos 3, fuji 400h, kodak tri-x