During my trip to Minnesota last weekend, in addition to my parents adorable anniversary photo shoot, I got to spend a lot of time photographing my family as we hung out.

We decided to make things more interesting by taking our little beagle puppy along with us to meet all 11 of my nieces and nephews. 

It's been a good long year since we've all been together, and it was delightful to see these munchkins again. 

They all loved meeting Pixel, and we were happy to allow the kids to wear her out. :) 

One of my favorite parts of the trip was sitting down with my parents to reminisce about the home they've been in for over 30 years and all the adventures we've survived together. I also got to ask them some questions about how they met, details about their wedding (it's amazing what you forget in 40 years!), and what they've learned since dad's cancer diagnosis almost 7 years ago. 

At one point during our weekend together, dad began a conversation about what we should expect in the event of his death. Logistics, finances, property, memorial plans, etc. It was painfully sobering, but amazingly peaceful as we discussed the reality in front of us without fear. 

But we made sure to laugh a little bit along the way. 

it's amazing how bearable grief can be when we're in this together. 

It had been a long, emotional month for all of us. With dad's most recent scan revealing additional cancer and the doctor's lack of options, mom and dad are faced with an unknown future. Last weekend, along with my four siblings and their families, Sunil and I made a trip up to Minnesota to spend time with my parents. The house was loud and gloriously full with eleven grandkids (and two grand-puppies!) under foot, as the rest of us casually fell into conversations that varied from memories of our childhood, to questions about how mom and dad met and fell in love, to unhoped for but inevitable plans for the future which seems to loom large ahead of us. 

Being the photographer of the family, my heart longs to document each moment - happy or sad - to wrap up and hold forever. It's why I choose to carry my camera and photograph the surgeries, the pain, the chemo, the conversations, the radiation, and the tears that often accompany it all. With that in mind, I convinced my beautifully photogenic parents to allow me to document their love as it exists during this emotional season of life. 

In typical Minnesotan fashion, the weather was sunny and brisk - a mere 45 degrees. But it allowed me to convince them to snuggle close without complaint. 

My parent's property sits on a corner lot with barely an acre, but having spent 20 years of my life exploring our yard, we were able to find the perfect nooks with the mostly lovely sunset light. 

This is how I remember my parents best. Especially since photos of them curled up like this are my favorites from our last photo shoot together almost four years ago. Just look at how cute they are! 

My mother carries such strength in her eyes. Strength to keep fighting, to keep hoping, and to go on one more day....

And to look straight into the unknown future.