Normal Family ~ Brisbane Family Photography

So you all may know by now my gorgeous friend Yasmin has recently undergone a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and I’ve helped her share her story here and she’s been sharing her story here.

I wanted to document part of her journey before her surgery by capturing a simple (kinda typical) morning in their  brisbane home – although truth be told I’m sure one of them would have done some kind of exercise by the time I had arrived given any “normal” Sunday morning!

We had  funny ol’ time together, especially when I told the kids “of course you can jump on the bed” right (and the dog jumps up too)??? Just watch your mum’s broken foot! (poor old Yas broke her foot ten days before her double mastectomy)

This session was of the massive memory making variety. Even now looking back on them, I’m imagining what these images are going to mean in ten years time when Libby and Layla won’t really want to jump up down on their parents bed, when Lofty isn’t such a rambunctious puppy anymore and is the stately old dog of the home, perhaps they will be living in the different home? Who knows how we all may grow and change.
The so very normal things we often pass by today are what we fondly look back on in years to come. I remember well my mum and dad’s wrought iron bed, the pink velvet quilted  bedspread, (yes I just said velvet and quilted and pink to describe a bed spread) I used to sit on and tell my mum about my day.

I love seeing where the girls are up to on the bench, how they need a stool to reach things in the cupboard, how signs of Yas’ tireless fundraising for Smiling for Smiddy is evident in their home. How they would snuggle playing the iPad together, Yas would have a green smoothie and everyone else had pancakes – I could go on and I, but these details are so personal and meaningful to each family. My home looks different to this and I’m sure yours does too.

The images here are already from a different time, a time when Yasmin had her own breasts and when her chance of getting cancer was closer to 100% rather than less than 1% it is today. Where the chance that her girls and their dad would be looking at these images with a sadness because their mum wasn’t with them anymore because of cancer, is greater than them all sitting around and giggling together at just how crazy that morning was. That potential situation is now reversed and that makes me smile, big time!

Whatever the case, I wish I had a photo of the pink velvet quilted (there it is again) bedspread and me sitting on it chatting away to my mum, with my dad and brother close by (and the dog somewhere…most likely on her bed under mum and dads bed!)

If you like the idea of a crazy sleep-in  family photography session with me knocking on your door bright and early let me know and I’ll be there – I may require a coffee when we are done however!! x

Stay tuned for Yasmin’s reconstruction shoot soon when her it’s all complete – in the mean time make sure you keep up to date on her Previvor Page.