The In-Between Moments: When Everything Is Changing, and You're Just Trying to Hold On
There’s something about this time of year. The shift from spring to summer always feels like a deep breath—kids running out the door barefoot, wet towels on the floor, longer days stretching out ahead of us.
But behind the sunlight and the sound of sprinklers running in the yard, things are changing.
In our house, it’s subtle but undeniable. One day, Monroe woke up with a full mouth of teeth, her gummy baby smile gone in what felt like an instant. Our dinosaur phase—hours spent roaring and stomping around — has suddenly been replaced by superhero spells and saving imaginary cities in the living room.
And me? I’m standing in the kitchen, watching it all, willing myself to memorize it. Because I know what’s coming: another phase, another shift, another version of this life that I’ll miss before I even realize it’s gone.
These transitions feel small in the moment, but they add up. They become the chapters we’ll look back on one day and say: Remember when…
And sometimes in the midst of the chaos—tantrums, the sibling fights, and dinner that no one wants to eat—it’s easy to forget. Easy to lose sight of why we’re doing all of this. The pickups and drop offs, the bedtime routines, the endless patience we try to summon.
We are raising little people who won’t be little forever. And all we can do is show up, squeeze them a little tighter, and take the deep breath we need to remember that these big feelings—ours and theirs—are part of the journey.
That’s why this recent family session I photographed felt especially meaningful. This family of five is on the cusp of their own transition: their oldest preparing to leave for college, another about to start boarding school. The dynamic of their home is already shifting.
They wanted to capture all of them — before life started moving faster than they could keep up with.
As I watched them laugh together and share inside jokes, I couldn’t help but think: This is it. This is what matters. Not the posed perfection, but the closeness, the ordinary magic of being a family in motion.
I left that session with a full heart—and an even deeper appreciation for the power of slowing down and capturing life as it is right now. Because whether your kids are losing their first tooth or packing for college, these are the moments you’ll want to hold onto.
So here’s my gentle reminder, for myself and for you:
Embrace the big feelings.
Take the deep breath.
Remember why you’re doing this.
And if you can, document the in-between moments—the ones that feel ordinary today but will mean everything tomorrow.
