Molly's Birthday Photo Shoot

I didn't necessarily intend to wait until we hit Cape Cod to take Molly's 7-year old portraits.  I just sort of didn't have time to BREATHE, let alone take pictures, between May and July.

As it was, I had to sneak these in at the last minute, in the middle of family visiting, as the rainclouds loomed, and as the new 7 year old began to melt down from sheer exhaustion (and I was right there with her!)

But I think we pulled it off - I mean, really...how can you go wrong with a subject as adorable as this??

She FINALLY lost that wiggly front tooth the day before we left on vacation. 

So stinking cute!

She's still 100% GOOFBALL though!

We shook some sillies out jumping on the bed, and then headed outside before the sun set.

Then we went rock climbing....

She was a big fan of yoga poses...even though she's never done yoga.  Go figure!

Then we hit the beach...

Then it was time for my "grand idea".  I'm putting it in air quotes because usually, when I have a "grand idea", it turns out to blow up in my face.  In this case, my genius idea was to have Molly draw the word "seven" in the sand and pose next to it. 

But by the time we got to the sand, she had HAD it. She was whiney, grumpy, and overly sensitive. She simply could not sit in that itchy, itchy sand. Not even for one second.

She posed for ONE second.  ONE.  And she chose the pose.

I can imagine the opera music she's hearing in her head.

She was one curtesy away from her pajamas at this point and I had to let go of my "grand ideas" in favor of a "happy kid".   But I'm pretty happy with the results because they show Miss M. exactly as she is.  Today.  As a brand new seven year old.

I saved my favorite for last though.  Boy is this girl beautiful...inside and out!