Holiday Mini Shoot :: Box/Hatch Crew

I remember a bunch of hens cackling.  Hens cackling in the kitchen at the house on Hondo.  That's what I remember most from my childhood.  Grandma, Mom, Aunt Sue, Aunt Sara, Aunt Carol, and Aunt Marlene cackling.  Loud!!  I wonder, now that I'm older, how much their laughter annoyed the men in the house trying to watch football!  Although there were several occasions when two of them would be together, or three of them; there were always memories during the holidays of all of them harmonizing their laugh.  The laugh that you couldn't tell apart to save your life.   

Holidays were always spent at Grandma's house.  Nobody even had to question who was hosting Thanksgiving, or Christmas for that matter.  As all of my cousins and siblings have grown and had families of their own; the cackle has dissipated to a dull murmur in my memories.  Writing this post I can help but to revel in those memories, and wish for that simpler time in my life.  Even the memory of this sound makes me weepy with nostalgia. 

I haven't had the chance to spend as much time with Grandma and Grandpa as I'd like over the last ten years due to the many miles between New Mexico and Nevada, wanting to split holidays between mine and my husband's family, and wanting to create holiday traditions for my child to remember from his Grandma's house.  

So, when Aunt Sara contacted me about snagging a few photos of Grandma and Grandpa while I was in town for Thanksgiving, I was honored.  Honored not only to document such a long overdue photo, but honored that Aunt Sara would give me something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving... time to catch up with family.

Now, after that introduction, you might be wondering what the title means when I say "Box/Hatch Crew"??  Okay, maybe you didn't catch that, but that's okay.  I'll fill you in anyway.  It seems that, along with me, some of the other members of my very large family were yearning for some Grandma and Grandpa time... or the lure of New Mexico green chili and the alien themed city of Roswell generated too much excitement to turn down.  

Here are a few more of my relatives that came along for the shoot!  How could I not throw them in front of the lens??  

My Great-Uncle Brent and Great-Aunt Sharon....

My Great-Uncle AR and Great-Aunt Jean....

My Great-Uncle Brent, Great-Aunt Jean, and Grandma -- no more sibling rivalry here!!

My Uncle Pat and Aunt Marlene...

And my long lost cousin, Spencer, his beautiful wife, Allison, and their adorable son, Ryan...

Thank you everyone for a fantastic morning together!  I am more than stoked to have been able to spend some much needed time catching up!!  I hope you all got home safely!!

Happy Holidays!