This is my first Surprise Newport News Family Session ever! These two “kids” pictured above (they are obviously not children!) planned a surprise Newport News family session for their mother! How sweet is that!! Their mother has only had portraits taken at the JC Penny’s studios.  And they wanted their mom to have the true family session experience.  They wanted their mom to have the experience of a photographer capturing all their moments together as a family-all of the laughs, silly moments, the fun times, and all the love! In addition to being able to have all the images! She didn’t have to choose just a few or a package of limited images.

And I seriously loved this shoot! I know Julia (pictured below) and her husband (Christian) from our college days and they truly wanted to surprise Julia’s mother. Julia and Christian live in North Carolina so for weeks they were planning this. And for weeks on end (sorry to Julia’s mother), they lied to her along with Julia’s brother and girlfriend. All the “kids” were in on it, along with myself.

When the day finally arrived, they told their mom that they were taking her to Busch Gardens (which they did end up going), and instead of driving to Williamsburg, they drove to meet me at the Mariners’ Museum park in Newport News. They pulled up, and I was standing there with my camera bag waiting for them. The boys got out of the car, but it took a minute for all the girls to climb out. I am sure that Julia’s mother was very confused to why a strange girl was standing and waiting to meet them! They told her that I was there to take their family pictures.

And Julia’s mother started crying (bless her heart!). She was so emotionally moved that all of her children had planned this for her. It meant the world to her that she was able to get family portraits of all her adult kids.

Mom and her “little”  boy! They are such a sweet family!! I actually met Julia’s mother years ago!! Julia had a birthday party or a tea party (I can’t remember which) at her parent’s house when we were in freshman in college. And I remember meeting Julia’s mom and enjoying the cucumber sandwiches her mom made! It is always so funny the things you remember! Can you tell that they are siblings??!! Bahahah!Our dear friends, Christian and Julia! All the “kids”!What a surprise for this mom?! I know she loved every moment of this shoot with her children! This picture…it cracks me up! I just can’t not smile!