When I was planning this session with the Foster family, I knew I really wanted to hone in on the beauty of homesteading, living intentionally with nature, and the interaction the family had with their daily rhythms. For them, a day could consist of anything from feeding the goats, chickens, and kittens meandering around the property, to harvesting and making meals with their own hands, all while intentionally nurturing connection as a family of four, soon to be five.

When I arrived, we ended up in the heart of their home, the kitchen, where the kids were still wiping sleep from their eyes and devouring sourdough toast with butter. They prepped a new loaf of bread for the oven, and we lingered in their kitchen filled to the brim with plants and set around a picture window overlooking the property.

After sliding their feet into boots, the family and I trekked outside where the kids lovingly showed me their kittens and led me to and fro to meet the other animals they care for daily. The icing on the cake for me was the lush, dewy, green of the surrounding fields where we let our feet sink into cool, muddy earth.

This session was grounding in every way.

There was no hurry or pretense. It wasn’t contrived. It was exactly what I love about slow-paced family sessions: simple and free.