About a month and a half after I started dating my now-husband Barrett in 2011, I joined his family in their July 4 tradition of getting together at a family house on a little lake called Lake Pleasant in the Adirondacks. It’s a special place for his side of the family, as they spent many a summer (for at least part of the summer) together there. It’s been 10 years, and we still join almost every year.

Barrett’s cousin Emily actually met her husband Josh at a resort on the lake in 2004 and they got married several years later. A little over a decade and 3 kids later, Josh and Emily remain young-at-heart. When Emily reached out to book a session during the family’s July 4th weekend together, I enthusiastically jumped at the chance. Josh isn’t always able to join for the 4th because he’s part of the US Air Force military band, which, as you might imagine, is often busy that weekend. Largely due to the pandemic, he was able to spend the weekend in Speculator this year.

It was my pleasure to do their family photos at such a special place to them. It had been raining all weekend, but thankfully we got lucky with the weather! Despite the fact that the older kids weren’t too thrilled at the idea of having photos taken (at first), the grassy park adjacent to the lake became a giant outdoor play space. By the end of it, the children were running around with their parents and living their best lives. I hope you enjoy the photos!

I love how Mama and baby got to have a quiet moment while the rest of the crew ran around. Also, at what age do babies stop pulling hair? Asking for a friend… (OK, the friend is me.)

Hannah is a Boston family, maternity, and newborn photographer and specializes in capturing authentic and intimate moments so that you and your loved ones can remember these days for years to come.