The Cousin Photos.
A little time capsule of childhood, cookies, milk & growing up
There are some photos you take because you’re a photographer…
And then there are photos you take because you simply cannot let yourself forget.
These annual cousin photos are the second kind.
We started this tradition back in 2016, when they were all still tiny. Evelynn was just a squishy little baby, sitting inside a wooden crate, and the cousins were still at that magical age where they were perfectly happy to sit together for a picture, eat a cookie, drink some milk, and just be little.
I had no idea then how quickly the years would go.
Back when I had my own house, I was absolutely determined to fill the walls with memories. I wanted photographs everywhere. I wanted the little moments documented because, when your babies are small, you honestly think, I never want to forget this.
Their tiny hands.
Their little faces.
The way they sat together.
The awkward smiles.
The missing teeth.
The personalities that were already starting to show.
And now… they're huge.
And somehow, time feels like it's running out.
Pretty soon these kids will be 18, 19, 20 years old. They’ll have their own lives, their own homes, their own relationships, and eventually their own families. They probably won't be nearly as excited about sitting in front of my camera with cookies and milk. And that's exactly why these photos have become so important to me.
I want to remember this version of them.
Before they grew up.
Before childhood became a memory.
Before the little traditions that seem so ordinary right now become the things I would give anything to experience again.
Before the Milk & Cookies…
Interestingly enough, my love for these kinds of holiday photos actually started before I ever started my Milk & Cookies sessions.
When my son was just a tiny baby, we did the cutest little hot cocoa setup with his cousin. We sat them in front of a little cocoa stand and photographed them together.
It was simple.
It wasn't perfect.
But I loved it.
And I think that's where some of this started for me — realizing that sometimes the little staged moments become some of your favorite memories.
Over the years, that idea grew into the holiday sessions I love creating today.
And yes… I was still learning.
When I first started photography, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.
Looking back at these old photos makes that very obvious.
The lighting wasn't always right. The posing wasn't always perfect. The editing has changed. My camera skills have changed. My style has changed.
And honestly?
I love that you can see the difference.
Because these photographs aren't just documenting the kids growing up. They're also documenting my own journey as a photographer.
You can literally look through the years and see me learning.
But that's the beautiful thing about photographs.
They don't have to be technically perfect to become priceless.
Sometimes the blurry picture, the awkward smile, the weird pose, or the photo where everyone isn't looking at the camera ends up being the one you love the most.
Because it captures something that a “perfect” photograph can't always capture:
A moment in time.
Why I keep doing them
I know not everyone will understand why I care so much about having all of these annual photos.
Some people might look at them and just see a bunch of pictures.
I look at them and see years of childhood.
I see tiny toddlers who are now practically teenagers.
I see my babies growing up together.
I see the house I once had.
I see holidays we celebrated.
I see seasons of our lives that I didn't realize would pass so quickly.
And someday, when these kids are grown, I hope they'll be able to look back through these photographs and see just how loved they were.
That's really why I do this.
Not for perfection.
Not for social media.
Not because every photo is technically amazing.
I do it because I want to remember.
I want to have proof that these little people were once this little.
I want to remember the cookies and the milk, the hot cocoa, the Christmas mornings, the silly smiles, the little hands, and all of the ordinary moments that somehow became extraordinary simply because they happened.
So, before I move on to sharing this year's photos, I wanted to go all the way back.
From tiny babies to who they are today.
Here is a little collection of our annual cousin photos through the years. 🤎
A little time capsule.
A little piece of their childhood.
And a reminder that time really does move way too fast.
So take the pictures.
Even if they're not perfect.
Fill the walls.
Make the traditions.
Let the kids eat the cookies.
Sit them in front of the camera one more time.
Because one day, they're going to be grown…
and these photographs might be some of the most precious things you have left of their childhood.
*Photos are not in chronological order
