This week has been a bit busy getting ready for Santa on Sunday so I called in the reinforcements (also known as my own kiddos) to come help me put up the tree and start the decorations earlier this week.  As I spent the evening with them both it reminded me of exactly why these sessions mean so much to me.

Can I tell you a little story?  You see when my daughter Emma Grace was around two years old we started to notice she was having trouble talking.  After a lot of help from some pretty amazing people we were able to get her the help she needed.  At the same time though my smart little girl realized that other people couldn’t always understand her.  It made her nervous and she started developing a severe social anxiety.  I couldn’t even take her to the grocery store without continuous meltdowns if someone tried to talk to her, or especially if someone tried to move her and the cart around the register without me while we checked out.

When Christmas time came around I wanted her to have the same memories of meeting Santa that her big brother did.  We tried and lets just say it didn’t go well.  The next year we tried again and the year after I felt so defeated we didn’t even make an attempt to go.  The crowds, the noise and the idea of a stranger talking to her was just too much.

By the time she was five we thought we would give it one last try.  We prepped her for days ahead of time and took her to one of the big outdoor stores where we drove way far away from our house, got a ticket number and then came back later that afternoon where we waited again.  It was finally her turn and she was nervous but excited. They wouldn’t allow us to go up there with her and you could see her anxiety start to rise.  She tried her best to tell him what she wanted but she came back seemed frustrated because she didn’t think that he understood her.  It broke my heart.

A few short weeks later I signed the lease on our studio and one of the first things I told my husband was that I was going to call up Santa, invite him to the studio and I was going to make sure next year was different!!  I was determined to create a space where Emma Grace felt safe and comfortable that she could have that magical experience she deserved!

Last year as a proud momma and photographer I captured those moments behind my own camera with tears in my eyes as she proudly walked through the door to meet Santa!  She was still a bit nervous but I could see her confidence and the smile on her face said it all!  Y’all, I’m tearing up again just thinking about it.  She talked about it for weeks and told all of her friends.  She is so excited to see him again this year and is already working hard on her list!  THESE are the memories I want to be able to capture for your family!

I don’t want you to stress or worry.  Come see us, bring the entire family, enjoy some Christmas cookies, let your little one take their time hanging out with the big man himself while I capture all of the memories for you.  Thats right you get to be present in the moment too!  Don’t worry about the perfect outfit, don’t worry about or whether or not you have time to get them a hair cut first or any of those things.  Just say yes to letting us take care of it all!