You only get 18 summers, 18 holiday breaks, 18 years…

Watching my kids grow up kind of takes my breath away. Those sweet chubby hands and cheeks start to thin out and one day your baby is a little person. Just like that! But don’t blink because in what seems like a matter of months (not years) they become independent and even have their own little sense of humor and style. You can’t freeze time.

A few years back I realized that I didn’t have infinite time with my kids. Someday my two will have their own adventures and make their own vacation plans with their significant others or families. Sure, they may invite my husband and me along or vice versa, but who knows. I started to think about what I’d really love to do together as a family while I’m still in “control” of the plans.

The Grand Canyon, other National Parks, Hawaii, a ski trip out west, Europe… the wheels were turning! When my son was in fourth grade, my husband and I started to think about how many years (and dollars) we had and what our priorities were. We only had 18 years and the clock was already ticking…. The Ogar Travel and Wish List was born.

At some point along the way, we started to ask the kids to help us create our family “bucket list”. We were clear that there was no guarantee we’d make it to these places, but it’s been super fun to plan and research. Then one day my son said, I’d like to ski Tuckerman’s Ravine—this insane back country part of Mount Washington in NH. And I’d like to do some back country camping. My daughter decided we need a real pet… “and fish don’t count.” And thus we lost a little of that control… but we gained so much.

The list became something we talked about over dinner, on car rides, and ironically often while on one of these adventures. School and sports schedules, work commitments and certainly cost always factor into our planning, but I am excited and kind of proud of how well we’ve done. Small local items and big expensive trips grace the same list. Decisions and compromises are made as we plot and plan. We’ve had amazing moments…and about a million photographs taken to pare with my beautiful memories.

Our daughter looks so small biking along the edge of the Grand Canyon. Our son looks so strong and brave before taking on Courbet’s Coulier in Jackson Hole. My husbands smile is suddenly more rugged with his beard as he skates with our son at the Winnipeasaukee Pond Hockey Tournament. We adults change too…

This summer our kids will turn 14 and 16!

Even if you aren’t a planner, maybe think about what you’d like to do before your family is grown. And don’t forget to document the moments along the way. Who knew my son would grow more than 6 inches in just 6 months last year. Thank goodness we have those photos from when I was still taller. They are hanging next to the ones of my daughter the day she learned to walk on our annual trip to Maine, the big family portrait taken for my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary, and the one where my son caught the love of fishing….

Take the trip. Make the memories. Capture the moments…

Life is too short not to enjoy these moments and document them along the way.
Preserving memories of childhood for a lifetime of enjoyment brings me so much pleasure. We hope you take many snapshots of your adventures along the way.

Contact us today if you’d like to book a portrait session to capture the moments for your family.