Sunshine on Our Shoulders
We hang onto the things which we know are fleeting. Sometimes we don't realize it until years have passed and when we do we cling to it like a barnacle to a ship, a two year-old to a parent's leg at bedtime or a tongue to a frozen flagpole. Autumn in Colorado is certainly one of those things. In August we are pining for it. The days that hover around 70, the aspen leaves becoming a brilliant gold and the sun shines down on us all as if to say, "Hey! I'm only going to do this for a day and then it will snow tomorrow so enjoy it. This is awesome!"
And you really can feel it. Everyone knows the magic of winter holidays but fall has a magic that is as unexpected as it is fleeting. Thankfully, Colorado families can feel it coming, "comin' down that railroad track". But it isn't an Orange Blossom Special. It's those golden aspen trees and bluebird skies. And when my incredible families decide to have a photography session during the autumn season it always brings surprises (possibly snow or 80 degrees or both in 24hrs) and a chance to not only capture the magic of the season but the magic that is in each and every family, every day.
Often, once our littles become not-quite-so-little family photos get put on the back burner. But this, my friends is one of my favorite seasons (figurative not literal...okay both) to capture you and your family. There is something magical about the time between toddlerhood and the realm of teenagers. It's a time where kids quite frankly are perfectly kids. They have this growing wisdom which they can begin to articulate alarmingly well at moments (Mom are yoga pants still yoga pants if you are going to the grocery store while wearing them?) But the magic of childhood is not lost on them. This family fits that stage, that age, THIS moment so well...magically.
Watching these sisters show me their found treasures whether a bug crawling down the path or new rocks they picked up to inspect before returning them to their rightful place back in nature, there were moments this family took my breath away. Okay...some of those moments happened when the girls skipped down the trail ahead of me (in boots no less) and I scampered after them with my lens but other times they instantly reminded me that the magic of nature and being outdoors is always there, no matter your age. One only needs to pause their watch, open your eyes and breath it all in. While our role as parents is to teach our children many things, I am astounded at how often it is I who learn from so many kiddos.
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Skipping, strolling, pausing and running down the meandering trails on a stunningly beautiful afternoon at Roxborough State Park, was a perfect way to capture this marvelous family in their element: exploring, enjoying, and discovering the beauty of nature and their family...together. As we continued on, trying to capture those last rays of sun warming up the dirt, the rocks and our shoulders I was enchanted. This family is is pure magic by just being themselves, just as they are, on a beautifully ordinary fall afternoon.
