Together: (adv.) with mutual action; mutually; reciprocally

This weekend has been a great opportunity to get together with old friends, reminisce, and take some photos of a very special family.

My cousin and very dear friend Deanna, who lives 1,000 miles away, emailed me a number of weeks ago and asked if I would be available to do a photo shoot for her girls towards the end of March. I was rather thrilled to realize that meant they would be coming to visit us in CT!

Dee and I have some great memories of drives down to the shore, mall runs, and group trips taken during our high school years. We loved taking long walks and having long (!) talks. Even after Paul and I were married and had children of our own, she always kept in contact, checking in on me. She was good at making sure I'd gotten out of the house for a few minutes when the twins were young and consuming a lot of my time. In short, she kept me sane in a busy season of my life! And, alas, even though Brad "took" her away, I have to admit that I'm privileged to call him my friend now, too.

It's so nice to finally have met their little baby Kenzie, after seeing pictures over email and hearing her 'chatter' over the phone now and then. And Nora was thrilled to have 2 little girls join her in our house full of boys!

Brad and Deanna and I spent some time around town, relaxing with the girls, letting Kayleigh have a tea party and use brand new sidewalk chalk. (What says spring as clearly as pastels on blacktop??) It was a slow-paced, easy-going session that yielded some sweet, springtime memories. And I was the one so fortunate to document it.

I often find myself wishing that Brad and Dee lived closer, that we could run down to the shore on some random day with our kids, or meet at the playground for a quick lunch so the children can all play while we have a little chat. There are times when I think it would be great to just call her without the knowledge in the back of my mind that many miles separate us. I think of her in the spring when we make our first trip of the season down to Captain Scott's Lobster Dock, or decide to 'run to Harkness' some random Sunday after church. I find myself wishing that we could just call each other up on a Friday afternoon and plan a 'date night' with our husbands to head to the Lotus for some dinner. But for now, until I either get used to the distance, or they move back home, I have these memories. And that's what photography is all about --capturing moments that can be relived in retrospect. (But in the meantime, I'm still hoping they'll return someday...)

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together, there is something that you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you."

-The Endearing, Beloved Winnie the Pooh