dripping springs

A morning in the life of the Stennes clan - austin family storytelling photography

When I say this family is full of life, I'm not exaggerating. Robin invited me into her temporary residence in Dripping Springs to photograph the love and chaos of this moment in their life. She, her husband, and her two young boys are world travelers, rarely settling in one spot for more than a few months. Their latest travels brought them to the Austin area, home of Robin's sister Annie and her family.

The sisters are close. I mean real close. They laugh together and cry together and aren't afraid to be totally vulnerable and trusting with one another. The kind of sibling relationship we all wish for. Their family lives have been oddly parallel, too. Robin and Annie's eldest children were born within weeks of one another. Same with the second set -- another boy for Robin, and twin girls for Annie.

For a family that hasn't lived in the same town in over a decade, this time together is extra special. Watching the children develop and strengthen their own bonds and play and fight like siblings is a beautiful thing. And parenting in parallel with your sister and closest friend is a rare gift in life.

In our time together, these guys made and ate breakfast, and then smeared it all over their chins and clothes. Played Candy Land. Read books. Chased and screamed. Got so muddy in the world's most glorious puddle that you almost couldn't tell which child was which. Spashed and fought in the bathtub. Painted. Threw tantrums. Shared quiet moments. Loved one another.

Next week, Robin's crew heads off to New Zealand, then to Minnesota, then Chile. But for this fleeting moment in their life, they'll always remember this deep, messy, beautiful, emotional togetherness that they shared, for a brief while, in Austin.

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