Hatcher Family Reunion
The older I get and the older my kids get, the more I see the importance of family documentary photos. The big group shots matter more to just show the size of the family, or what everyone looked like. But the ones that compound in value as time passes are the completely unstaged real-life moments. I live for these in my wedding work and want to do more of this for families as well. Instead of hiring me for “family photos”, have me over to document an event or a moment in time. Gather your kids and do what you do: have a Friday pizza night, an Uno championship, a shave ice outing, or a waterfall hike, and bring me along to document a day in a life. I will get a few full family photos, but then it’s all unstaged unplanned moments watching you and your family be together.
The Hatcher family had all their kids & grandkids (and a great-grandma) gathered for a long weekend reunion in Troutdale, Oregon—a rental house with a very sweltering-hot-weekend-appropriate swimming pool.
Above, Dave and Kim sit with their 14 grandkids under 10. (plus two handler-dads).
Josiah doing a flip into the pool.
Kim (left), starting dinner and Dave (right) giving his granddaughter a high-five.
Kim cheering on her grandson for boldly jumping into the big pool. Complete with olive oil for dinner.
Enjoying popsicles with pregnant mama in the background.
Everyone started getting ready for the quick group photo, complete with pillow shenanigans.
Grandpa came out and kindly instructed the grandkids to put all the pillows back on the chairs.
A brief game of croquet while the rest of the family get ready for the group photo.
Marriage is a big deal, and seeing Dave and Kim still joyfully & heartily married, and all their married kids still married to the same person is amazing. The fruit of trusting God and seeking him with your whole heart.
We did a total of seven minutes for the family portraits, and then Kim and Dave started out the intense game of rock, paper, scissors.
There was debate as to the order of “rock, paper, scissors” VS “rock, paper, scissors, shoot”.
The patriarch, Dave, still faithfully taking out the trash.
Some of the snacks for the weekend, complete with the Airbnb’s art.
A collection of parents faithfully parenting. It was 14 children under 10 all under one roof, and there was nothing but joy and giggles most of the time. This does not just happen. It required parents to faithfully come alongside their children and help them.
Dave makes sure there is enough seating for dinner. It was a crowd, they went from playing in the pool, eating popsicles, games, and family photo, into dinner time with such ease, and lack of tension, it was such a delight to watch and be a part of it. There was a lack of chaos. It made you want to stay, dwell, and soak it all up.
And Kim made the whole dinner with such ease and joy—you never felt any tension coming and going from the kitchen like you’d expect to find with someone trying to make a meal for this many people. She even found time to sit and enjoy a glass of wine (with her own mom) watching her kids and grandkids play.
They sang songs before dinner, and at one point the kids started banging on the tables (as excited kids do), and Grandpa said in response, “Sounds like we need a banging song, this next song will be a banging song. Make sure to bang well!”
After much vigorous singing, Kim gave out special shirts to all the grandkids to kick off their weekend together.
I was sad to leave after dinner, but I left filled and inspired to love on my family more deeply, and more intentionally with the Father’s love. Thank you, Hatcher family for letting me document your beautiful family.
If you’re interested in a session like this, contact me for details. On-site documentation is free. Contact me for pricing on downloads & prints.
