happy days

November 17. It's been 3 months since my dad died! And I'm going home for Thanksgiving in T-minus 7 days!

I wore my heart shaped sunglasses when I took Justin to work today and had a little selfie session on the deck after I got home. Once Justin's parents got home from work, Tammy, Cora and I started going through all the old pictures we found in Kerry's room. Albums upon albums of pictures spanning the last 30+ years, and we still have over half of the hope chest to sort through yet.

It was so cool to dive into the history of the family I will become a part of soon eventually. It made me smile like an idiot, seeing pictures of baby Justin and finding cool things like Tammy & Randy's wedding invitation from 1986. I've come to notice just how similar Justin and Kerry looked when they were little. And I've come to recognize Justin's "Papa" by face. It's cool to in a way, get to know the people who are no longer with us through pictures. 

I hope I never stop loving pictures. Both the memories they capture and the act itself of taking them. Therapy and a storybook all wrapped up into once. I'm so thankful for photography and memory keeping, especially after all that's happened in the last three months where those are the only snippets we have left of loved ones who are no longer here. 

All this to say: MAN, I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY. And I miss my dad and Kerry. Happy trails, guys.