Family Photos

Meant to write this post before the Thanksgiving one.  Oh, well.

There are a few things I regret about mom's passing. We truly never thought she would pass away so quickly after her diagnosis that we couldn't do these things. 

1. We never got to go on a family vacation. Mom, Dad and I went to Washington, DC in 2010, but Ashley wasn't with us. Mom, Dad and I went to Ireland to see Ashley in 2008, but she wasn't married yet, and Nick didn't come with us. I really wanted to go on a vacation with Brandon and Ashley, Mom and Dad, and Nick and I. Really, I wanted to go to a place like North Carolina, rent an ocean front house, and bring all 3 of our "babies" with us: Gus, Waldo, and Stella.

2. I never got my mom to do one of those recordable books so that my kids could hear her read a story to them. She taught me my love of reading, and I really wanted her to record one of those, I just didn't buy one before she became so bad she couldn't really read.

3. We didn't get a family portrait done. I am a family photographer, for goodness' sake, but we were always so busy, or just never in the same city. I have one family picture we did at Christmas, and it turns out that's the last picture we have together. We don't have on coordinating outfits, half of us are in sweats, but I love the pic because it's of all of us.

Well, when our family came down to San Diego, I said we had to have a family portrait done! I talked with my friend Shari, a photographer herself, and asked if she would be willing to take the pics for us, and she graciously gave her time up for us. Because we're all grown-ups, it didn't take long to get the few shots I wanted.

The whole fam together:

The next 2 are my favorites. A bird flock flew overhead--Ashley and I are infamously freaked out by birds. Then we had a good laugh.

Papa Bear and his cubs:

Brandon and Ashley:

Seesters:

Nick and I:

The men:

If there's a lesson to be learned in this, it's to stop making plans, or wishing for something, and DO IT. You'll only regret later the things that you DON'T do.