The clouds hung thick in the air, the wintry chill permeating even the thickest of winter coats on this chilly January evening.

Fresh snow deceptively covered previously melted snow, now frozen to ice, beneath our feet as we trudged uphill through the trees, in awe of the majestic foothills towering above us, dramatically encrusted in snow which revealed the rocky crags and details of the cliffs above. The Long family's cheeks were soon bright red, their noses shiny with the cold, but the sound of laughter echoed up the path as Hadley pulled her two younger siblings on the sled they brought to their session. Despite the chill, despite the icy snow beneath, this little sleigh ride was "making spirits bright" despite the lack of a true horse-drawn sleigh or jingle bells. Renee and Jayce smiled at one another, enjoying the mirth of their children, holding hands as they walked together into a magically snowy evening.

While this session wasn't devoid of tears, as happens when little ones are exposed to the cold at the end of a long day, our time together was never without fun. Renee and Jayce weathered their younger children's complaints with good spirits and humor. They understand the rapidly changing moods, behaviors, and needs of children, and went with the flow of things in a cheerful manner. Because of this I know that these will be treasured memories, even if everything wasn't captured the exact way we had initially planned out - and that's okay!

Long Family - what a pleasure it was to finally meet y'all and get to know you while we played in the snow! I thoroughly enjoyed our hike through the trees, our discussions about the surrounding hiking trails and snowshoeing opportunities, watching Jayce pull the kids in the sleigh as I so love to do with my own daughter, exploring new places, and trying new things! What a sweet family you are!