1st baking shoot entry!

I received my first Baking Photo Contest submission! I really was only expecting to receive photos but then I had the pleasure of reading this touching story and had to share it. Reading through this just made me realize more and more which direction I want my family photo sessions to take. I want to capture families in a way that is meaningful to them, not just dressing up in coordinating outfits and smiling at the camera. Sure those are nice but what do your kids take from those? They will remember how they had to sit still, "look at Olivia," and will probably remember how stressed mom and dad were. Going forward, my goal is to create heirloom photos for your children's children. Please read the submission below.
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My children and I love to bake and they often help me cook but our absolute favorite event is making sugar cookies for Christmas. This is a tradition that was started by my mom over 30 years ago and continues to be a family favorite. It was not unusual at family gatherings to have people oogling our plate of cookies to find just the right work of art to enjoy. Many of my favorite memories around the holidays were helping my mom roll out dozens of cookies and spending hours with my parents and my brother carefully frosting and decorating each one. Everyone had their favorite cookie cutter - gingerbread men, angels, teddy bears, santas, reindeer, candy canes, Christmas trees - and would decorate each of the cookies with one or several colors of frosting and would spend hours adding sprinkles, hotsies, chocolate chips and colored sugar to our creations. Even after I left home I always came back for sugar cookie weekend to help out and have continued this tradition with my own kids. It is now a tradition that has spanned two generations and my hope is that my children will carry on the tradition to their families as well.

In spite of the fact that we have been doing this for so many years we have few pictures of this time together. My mom passed away almost 4 years ago and if you ask my kids what their favorite memories of Grandma are making sugar cookies would be at the very top of the list. It warms my heart to know that they were able to share something with their Grandma that I was also able to share with my Mother. As we continue each Christmas to make the cookies that my mother used to make I can't help wonder how much she would have enjoyed being able to look back at photos of those times together with her children and grandchildren. How wonderful would it be to have pictures for not only myself but for my children and hopefully their children of the many smiles that this tradition brings to us all. I know that these pictures would mean the world to my Dad too.

The first photo that I have included is the page from my mothers cookbook with the recipe she used and her tweaks written on the side. The actual cookbook was so worn that we had to throw it away but I was sure to save that page. Not only do we use her recipe but we still use her cookie cutters too! My children share my same excitement at the possibility of being captured doing one of their favorite things. As the one always behind the camera I have few pictures of the kids with me and would LOVE to do this.
I can't wait to make some exciting new changes with my family sessions! I am still taking submissions for the baking contest! I have received some great feedback and it seems that lots of moms are loving this idea!