Get in the Pool, Mom: Capturing Our First Summer by the Pool

This is our first summer with a pool, and like any photographer and slightly obsessed mom, I’ve taken approximately a million pictures of the boys enjoying it.


Jumping in. Splashing each other. Swimming underwater. Lounging on floats. All the little moments that have made this first pool season so much fun.


But there was one problem: I wasn’t in many of them.

 

It’s hard to document your family and actually be present in the memories when you only have two hands. I can take pictures of the boys. I can take pictures of Michael with the boys. But getting all five of us together while everyone is playing and being themselves? That requires some backup.


So I asked my photographer friend Aly to come over and help capture us enjoying the pool as a family.


And she did such an amazing job.

 

Family enjoying a backyard swimming pool on a sunny day, with children splashing and a woman in an orange bikini.
Woman in orange bikini relaxes on pool float while child swims nearby in backyard pool on sunny day.

Of course, the hours leading up to the session were not exactly picture-perfect.


We had a three-year-old who took a WAY too long nap. It was hot. The boys were perfectly content relaxing inside, and we had to convince them to come outside for a little while and splash Mom.


Earlier that day, I was second-guessing the entire thing.


I wanted the photos. I knew I would be glad we had them. But my body was also saying, “Nahhh. It’s Sunday. Just chill today.”


Honestly, I think a lot of moms know that feeling.


You schedule the photos because they matter to you. Then the day arrives, everyone is tired, someone’s mood is questionable, the weather isn’t cooperating, and suddenly canceling sounds very tempting.


But I knew I had to do it.


Not because everything was perfect, but because this season is worth remembering exactly as it is.


The boys didn’t need to be perfectly posed. We didn’t need coordinated outfits or a complicated setup. We just needed to get in the pool, play together, and let Aly capture what unfolded.


There was splashing, laughing, swimming, and probably a little chaos—basically, a very accurate representation of our family.

Family of five joyfully jumping into a backyard pool together on a sunny summer day.
Three children playing with bubbles by a backyard swimming pool on a sunny summer day.
Boy jumping into backyard pool while two adults in caps watch from the water on a sunny day.

And I’m so glad we did it.


Years from now, I don’t think I’ll remember how hot it was or how hard it was to convince everyone to participate. I’ll remember our first summer with the pool. I’ll see how little the boys were. I’ll remember their excitement, their personalities, and what it felt like to have all five of us together in this season of life.


Most importantly, I’ll actually be in the photos with them.


That’s the part I keep coming back to.


Couple relaxing together in an outdoor pool, woman in red bikini and white cap, man wearing a Dad hat and sunglasses.
Woman in orange bikini and white cap cuddles child on colorful pool float in turquoise water.
Adult tossing a child into the air above a backyard swimming pool on a sunny summer day.

Moms are usually the ones documenting everything.


Our camera rolls are filled with our children growing up, but sometimes there is very little proof that we were there too—playing, laughing, swimming, and making the memories right alongside them.


So here’s your reminder: get in the pool. Book the photos. Hand the camera to someone else.


Even if the kids took a late nap. Even if it’s hot. Even if your body is telling you that staying on the couch would be much easier.


The photos don’t need to document a perfect day.


They just need to document your life—and make sure you’re in it, too. 🤍

Two boys playing with bubble wands in a backyard pool on a sunny day.
Children playing in a backyard swimming pool on a sunny day, with one child on a blue float and another splashing.