The Beauty of Generational Togetherness | Water Street Dreams | Chicago Extended Family Photographer | Chicago Family Photographer

 Some of us live nowhere near our closest family members.

My mum and dad? A country away.

Texas is home for my brother Lenny and his family.

All the rest of my extended relatives live south and southwest.

So when I got the message from Christie

-- who hails Michigan as home --

saying that her mom and dad
- who call India home - 

and her brothers 

-- who split time between India, Illinois and Ohio -- 

were ALL going to be together in the Chicago suburbs last week,

we kicked it into gear to capture their love.

 Can I just tell you something?

It is SUCH a privilege to wander into someone else's family,

albeit briefly,

to capture the joy and personalities 

and memories being made.

 To actually spend an hour together

documenting this chapter of their family's story,
was tender and fun and a window into how their family does love.

Well hi-five 'lil lady!
No shortage of personality here!

Watch out Vernon Hills, Illinois.

You've never seen so much cuteness in one park.

That I can guarantee. 

We've been trying to get this particular extended family session 

on the books for a couple years now

but somehow they couldn't all land on the same continent 

at the same time.

14 in total.
2 grandparents.
3 siblings.
2 spouses.
7 grandchildren.
1 park.
1 promise of ice cream after the session 
if the littles cooperated.
And.cooperate.they.did!
Great idea mom and dad!
I'm not opposed to appropriate bribery.
Ever.

This one might be little but she's the leader of the whole pack of kids.

As a champion for strong girls,

I was tickled to see her take charge!

And her twin brother you ask?
Oh little mister. 

Be.still.my.heart.
Watch out ladies, this one's gonna be trouble!

Mommy snuggles.

Okay.
Let's talk about dads/men and photo sessions for a minute.
It's really about 50/50.
Some men are all in and not terribly bothered by my camera.
Take Jeremy for example. 
Throw this kid.

Let this one squish your face.

Done and done.

And Uncle John was a handsome champ.
Hold the babies.

Pose for the work headshot.

And then there are others.
Some dads really really don't like being 
in front of the camera,

but are secretly fantastic on film.

Josh, you took one for the team
by agreeing to this photo session
but look at these results?

Your daughter will treasure these images always.

I promise.

What a gift to your mom and wife and sister.

Sometimes you just have to oblige when your sister 
gives you a hug and says "Just a few more!"

Alrighty folks!
Let's transition over to marriage talk.

Here's what 39 years of marriage looks like.
Thirty.Nine.

 When I said,
"Give her a kiss, Emmanuel!"
This is what I got.
Giggles.
Squeezes.
Joy. 
Pure joy.

  

 While I don't know anything about their decades-old marriage,

I can say confidently

that their love is faithful and strong today.

You can't look at these images and deny the love.

Having never been to India,

I might have broken all sorts of cultural rules

when I asked Grandpa to kiss Grandma in public.

But he went for it.

And she giggled.

And he laughed and leaned in.

And they looked at each other.

And magic happened.

And while I never want to be morbid,

I know that some day,

when time marches on

and Heaven calls Dee and Emmanuel Home,

their kids and grandkids will treasure these images.

THIS is why I do my job and love my job.

I so want to capture the love and looks and memories

so that down the road,

the images will bring you back to earlier days

and priceless moments.

This family has a beautiful heart for India

and they run an organization called

India Rural Evangelical Fellowship (IREF).
They care for over 1500 children in their orphanage.
CRAZY AMAZING, RIGHT?

1500 kids.
One thousand. Five hundred.
 At one time.
Let that sink in for one minute.
Honestly, I can't tell you how much that moves me.
One husband and one wife said yes to caring for the vulnerable.
They take LOVE seriously.

IREF is approximately 70 years old
and has served the people of the southeastern state
of Andhra Pradesh, India,
sharing the life-giving news of the Gospel 
and bringing hope, education and emergency aid
to the town of Repalle and its surrounding villages.

I'd love it if you'd run right over to their website

and take a peek at all they do.

And for those of you in the Chicagoland area,
if you love to golf and have a heart for
kids in need,
you should sign up for their 7th annual golf outing
on July 28th!
Golf for a beautiful cause - just do it!

Sometimes you see God's heart wrapped up
in the gift of family.
Rebba family,
you are truly beautiful,
inside and out
and for a brief hour last Saturday evening,
I saw the face of God.