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Moving almost all the way west, my next stop is in Los Angeles to visit with Erica and Dean and meet their adorable addition to the family, Quinn. We first met Erica and Dean at their wedding in San Luis Obispo, California just about five years ago.
Making family photos when you have a toddler (or any kids, honestly) is stressful. I know this because I’m a parent and I’ve done it, and also because I see the look on the faces of the parents at the beginning of every family session. Which is why the first thing I always tell everyone is that we’re just here to play. Just enjoy being together and let the photos happen naturally. And that’s exactly what Erica and Dean did. They followed Quinn’s lead and played ball on the lawn, splashed in a water fountain, studied some ants really closely, and shared a yummy snack. And every minute of it was beautiful.
One of the neatest thing that kids do for us is let us be amazed by the world again. It was so much fun to see Erica and Dean again, and see them in their new role as amazing parents. Watching their faces light up as they played, seeing them gently guide Quinn through the park, I couldn’t help but notice how they all just glowed and it was truly a wonderful way to spend the morning.
![Amanda Summerlin](https://amandasummerlin.com/wp-content/wphb-cache/gravatar/514/514d51ada55358a55f0ad2766c257128x250.jpg)