North Topsail Beach Extended Family Vacation Portraits

We get to know a lot of phenomenal families who visit us here in Topsail—and photographing them all having fun at the beach is such a joy!

This amazingly sweet family left an incredible mark on my heart, and I have thought of them often since we met in North Topsail Beach last June. It was an extended family group, and when one of the mamas contacted me she told me they had some BIG reasons to celebrate together—and to commemorate in a professional photo session. Her parents would be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary that week, her youngest child (and only girl!) had just turned one, and her darling niece had moved to the maintenance phase of chemotherapy for leukemia.

Of course, they also wanted to celebrate just being together after having navigated a tough year often spent apart through the pandemic — as so many families did. They had a large beach house rental in North Topsail Beach in June and we met about an hour before sunset right on the beach at their rental. The light was so pretty that night!

I can tell you that all of the children were the sweetest, most polite little humans and they were just a delight to work with. You would never know that the precious three year old was battling major sickness with pretty intense medical treatments—-she is an absolute ray of sunshine. I just loved witnessing her precious little heart full of kindness and curiosity!

Whenever I photograph multiple generations, I always make sure to take some with all the grandchildren with their grandparents. Grandparents always want a photo of just their grands, but sometimes are too humble to think to include themselves. I can promise you, though, this is a photo everyone wants, especially the grandchildren!

I also take time to photograph every couple together—even if you have tiny children that consume all of your energy, even if you have been married for four decades, or even if you have a very sick child to care for—those few moments spent with your partner really are important. As busy as we all get—we really do need to take the time to recognize the love we share together.

When I tell you the children were wonderful—I really mean they were seriously delightful! I know it can stress a parent out when children act like, well, children….but we expect them to! The tiny little toddler (she had just turned ONE!) was a bit tired and in a new environment and she didn’t always want to do what was asked of her. That’s fine! I will always work at the child’s pace—giving lots of breaks and always looking for the unposed moments that are just as special. She was a doll, and her parents had no need to fret at all! She also has the most adoring 3 big brothers and it was just heart-warming to watch them dote on their baby sis!

This family is just delightful!

I can tell you that my heart absolutely breaks thinking that their precious 3 year old daughter— also sister, niece, cousin, and granddaughter— has been battling a very life-altering diagnosis in childhood cancer. She is truly a fierce little fighter! Not only is she a fighter, but she is an absolute ray of sunshine, and such a happy little girl! You really wouldn’t know she was going through very serious medical treatments.

No child and family should have to endure what this baby has, and what I have come to realize is how important donations of blood are to medically fragile children with leukemia — so please, if you are able, consider donating life-saving blood to your local blood bank: https://www.redcrossblood.org . Blood supplies are currently critically low as a result of less blood drives and greater need due to the ongoing pandemic and donations are greatly needed.