When enough years have been lived in a house, nearly every space has some memory or ritual attached to it. And once you make plans to leave that home, and to move into a new one, they all come into view more clearly, don't they? Like, maybe you don't often think about the unique joy it is to play soccer in your narrow hallway, to nurse the baby on the living room floor, or to have an ice cream cone on the back deck. You don't think about it because it's so darn normal. Until it isn't going to be normal at all anymore, and then it starts to feel as special as it's actually always been.
Christine and Alex, along with their three kids, are in exactly that spot. And so it came to pass that just a few weeks before their scheduled closing on their new home, Christine reached out and said something like, "It's finally time. Can we get something scheduled before we move?" Gratefully, we were able to make that happen.
Making these pictures was fun for me, as I put on the lenses of seeing every detail as significant and fleeting, even more so than usual. Every little bit is precious. To me, these photos drip with sentiment, and it's not even my house or my family! Christine says, "I'm so in love with them! Thank you!"
Also, as a side note and shameless plug, I just need to take a moment to point out the fact that Christine works for an organization that my family feels strongly about and supports: Kids Food Basket. This non-profit puts sack suppers in the hands of thousands of Grand Rapids area children who wouldn't otherwise get an evening meal. And they do this in and through multiple schools (including my own neighborhood school where over 95% of students are on free and reduced lunch program) every day of the school year. You can sign up to give monthly donations with relatively small amount of cash (like $20-$40) and know that that money is providing lots of needed meals because they have so streamlined their food accumulation and distribution process that they can make a little money do a lot of good work. Please check them out!