Now that the holiday season is in full swing — and Melanie has shipped off her Christmas cards to her friends and family — I’m finally sharing the Nordstroms’ full family photo session from last month. I’d kept it under wraps so Melanie and Erik could debut the pictures from their fun family shoot on their Christmas cards, but I am so glad to be debuting them on my blog today!

We met up for their portrait session at Ormond Memorial Gardens one afternoon in early November, with the crisp autumn light spilling into the gardens through the canopy of trees and a cool breeze sifting through the leaves and the kids’ adorable golden curls. Finn and Reece led us and their parents through the winding, stair-filled trails inside the gardens, exploring waterfall after pond after footbridge. Danny and I had our work cut out for us to keep up with all their happy energy, but it was a blast watching how excited they would become over the simplest things — a butterfly, a leaf print in the sidewalk, another bench tucked into the foliage. I hope I can always be as excited by an afternoon adventure as they were.

Melanie and Erik, thanks for sharing an afternoon with us and giving us the chance to experience the thrill of adventure through your children’s eyes!
Melanie and Erik, it is no stretch whatsoever for me to say that you have two beautiful children! I’ve never understood the obsession with pinching children’s cheeks . . . until I met Reece. And Finn? When he burst into a smile, I felt like I needed to put my sunglasses on.
Our explorations took us to a couple of little lily ponds, where we looked for frogs. There were no frogs in sight, but Melanie assured the kids that the bubbles we saw coming up to the surface of the water must have been from frogs.
While we didn’t find any frogs in plain sight, something even better showed up just a moment later, and Reese was beyond delighted: A butterfly fluttered its way around the gardens, with Reese in hot and happy pursuit!
Finn liked the butterfly, too, but he was more interested in macho things — like seeing how fast he could race up the stairs, and showing off his four-year-old biceps. I love his exertion and concentration in this picture!
Following the sound of rushing water, Finn led us to the waterfall he discovered at the edge of the gardens. He agreed it was a perfect photo op, but he didn’t have much time to dedicate to portraits by the waterfall — there were too many other great things to examine nearby. So while the kids were otherwise occupied (with Danny keeping an eye on them becoming a member of their expedition), I grabbed a few portraits with Melanie and Erik. Who are every bit as photogenic as their children. It’s not hard to figure out how Finn and Reese turned out so cute.
In the picture above, Finn was actually standing right in front of his parents, just below the frame. He had come back to remind them that we simply couldn’t stay too long in one place — there was so much more left to see! So off we went.
We decided to get one more family portrait on our way out of the garden — but then the kids were off again, headed back inside, deeper into the tropical trails. The outside world could wait! There were still new lands to conquer and new species to discover.
This was an afternoon that brought back memories of my own explorations as a child: Tearing through meadow trails in Pennsylvania, bravely leading the way down unfamiliar city streets. It doesn’t matter where you are when you’re a child — and it shouldn’t matter where you are when you’re an adult. Every day is an adventure waiting to be pursued.

Note: I only publish minors’ names with parents’ permission.

~ Laura