The Kuipers Family – Cadron Settlement

I got to wear a flannel shirt to this mini session. ‘Nuff said. I also got to sit around a campfire (ok, it was actually a fire-pit, but close enough) with my family this weekend. Can we finally say that Fall is here? Please?

The smell of smoke was soaking through my clothes and hair and I actually liked it. It whispered to me that it is finally cold enough to snuggle with my little brother as we watched the embers do their magic. And it truly is magical. The fading from bright to dull, the orange to red, pulsating to create the warmth on your hands while your back is freezing. The stars speak coldness while the fire beckons closer to impart it’s warmth. Your family around you warms your heart just as the fire warms your body. It was the perfect way to begin a weekend that would also include a trip to Cadron Settlement.

Want to know another great thing about this weekend? It’s when your family is planning to do the annual chicken butchering and you get to sneak away to capture family memories. Blood, guts, and squawking chickens? Thank you very much, but I’ve got other places to be. (If you didn’t know already, my family kindly lets me refrain from this part of our ‘homesteading’ life, and I can’t be more grateful. I just plan on showing them my appreciation by eating their labor.) But that’s beside the point. Let me tell you about the highlight of my weekend.

You know those families that you meet and you know right away they are your kind of people? That’s who Paul and Courtney are. I first met them in the context of their extended family. Have I mentioned that I love big families? Well, they fit that bill with 16 family members. There is so much love and camaraderie that invites me in and I can’t help but embrace it.

Ever since that day in January 2016, I knew I would always enjoy being around their family.

Paul and Courtney’s love has crossed countries and brought a Canadian down to the South to start a forever life enjoying the day to day delights that we take for granted much too often.

Luke and I share a birthday month too, so there’s that. #aprilftw.  He loves chocolate ice cream and telling me about his latest adventures. His excitement about his peanut butter and jam sandwich they were going to eat during their picnic lunch was definitely obvious.

I found Annie’s ticklish spot quickly. When I needed a smile, I knew where to go. She was the first one up on the fence when I asked who wanted to be brave enough to sit on their perch. Annie follows Luke everywhere he goes as fast as she can, like any little sister would. Oh, and her favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.

Luke fascination with the leaves that were scattered throughout Cadron Settlement showed up in several photos. He snuck it in any shot he could. 🙂

The more years I’m alive, the faster the years seem to go. I saw Etta just a few months ago in April. And now she’s sitting up on her own and having her own say on whether or not she wants to smile at me. 🙂

This coming Saturday is the Sugar and Spice Mini Session at Goodwin Manor! I’m so excited to spend some time with precious little girls as they are Princess for a Day. If you missed out on this opportunity, never fear! I plan to make this an annual tradition. So if you want to be notified the next time I have a Sugar and Spice Mini session, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter! (Click here!) My subscribers will have the first chance to book their spot in any of my seasonal sessions that will have limited space available.