More than just a name...

Yes we have the same last name.

No, we're not related.

Daughter No. 3 from Dennis and Jacey Stewart bopped in the door Monday morning and I was reunited with the family that loves to have their own surname embossed in the corner of all of their wallets!

Truth is, I think they like me for more reasons than just a shared name... and our story goes way back.

It was 2002, and in a previous life, I photographed weddings... Papa Denny was a groomsman and I met the "other" Stewarts for the first time. It turns out, my Dad, who's also named Dennis... and who also worked at Fisher in Marshalltown, used to get Alix's dad's mail on occasion, and vice versa. So... the name connection(s) was an interesting conversation starter at the wedding reception.

It was clear from the very beginning that why we weren't related... we might as well have been, because, the smart-aleck-ness was a common bond.

It wasn't long then and on September 4, 2002, I took the Stewart Family portrait. Calli was just a freshman, Caitlin was a 7th grader and Monday's senior was just nine years old.

Nine. Sigh.

It's just another signal to me that time moves fast....

It certainly did this summer, anyway... as Jace booked Alix's session late spring and wanted to do something different than the other two girls who both went early summer. Alix wanted fall colors... and they wanted my advice as to when they should go...

I told them the 2nd week of October is my best guess... and then began the waiting game.

For ME it went fast I guess, as we are doing our 100 hour week thing all summer. And the funny thing to me is how Jacey was in panic mode for the last couple months...

Was that date gonna work... Would it be too early for color? Would it be too late? What if it rains? Do I REALLY do Monday sessions? ;-)

Anyway... the photographer got one right this time because just LOOK at all that color! If it was fall color they wanted... they got it... in spades.

I got a nice email from Jacey yesterday, who was taking yet another opportunity to give me a difficult time (she's good at it... ask around). She's was just prodding me to hurry the heck up... but in and amongst all the crap that she likes to flick... I noticed something else in there...

She told me that she was glad it was the last time that she had to do this senior picture thing... and if I had three daughters... I might feel the same way... but deep down, I think she knows that her last baby is almost grown now... I realize that the next Stewart girl I do senior pictures for will be my own... and in the end we're both extremely blessed.