Moments that Create Memories

photo credit @cynthiamoorephotography

It all started with an idea: I wanted family photos.

Life moves fast—and recent losses reminded me that we don’t always get more time.

Time to say goodbye.

To have one last conversation.

To take that final photo that captures an important moment.

Thankfully, we will always have our memories.

With that in mind, last Christmas, I decided to gift my kids—and their spouses—with a family photo shoot.

Each couple unwrapped a Charades game, which served as their clue to the real gift: a day of pampering, laughter, and time together. Hair and makeup for the girls, beard trims for the guys, coordinated outfits (even that was fun!).

And then—an afternoon with the incomparable Cynthia Moore, followed by dinner out to round off the day.

What I didn’t anticipate was what this experience would give us.

Having everyone home for the weekend was a gift in itself. Dinner the night before gave us time to reconnect after months apart.

The day-of schedule was tight, but ran smoothly thanks to hairdresser extraordinaire, Lisa Maguire and the awesome team at Chez Michelle.

Then came a city-wide power outage.

I will be forever grateful to the staff at MAC in Masonville, who cobbled together a ring light to help Natasha, our makeup artist, finish Nicole’s makeup. Their creativity and commitment kept us on track.

And yes—we all worried that Cynthia wouldn’t be able to capture a thing.

But the lights came back on, just in time.

We gathered at the studio for an afternoon filled with laughter, a few happy tears, and photos that perfectly captured our love—and our unique personalities.

That was the real gift. Not just the images (which are stunning), but the memories behind them:

The preparation.

The teamwork.

The togetherness.

Every time I look at these photos, I’ll remember all the small moments that made that day so special.

With deep gratitude to everyone who made it possible—and that includes London Hydro.