A. René Photography: Aliza, Anna, and Life

Two girls, five boys, two girls.

I'm the oldest. I loved it. Every minute of it.

Then, I got married and moved 500 miles away. I cried on and off that whole first summer I was gone from them. And these two playful girlies? You can bet they made the ache even deeper. Their sweet toddler voices on the phone were just barely consolation. They were just five and three back then. Itty bitties, with chubby hands, and rosy, dimpled cheeks.

Now, they're pretty little girls blossoming and bright-eyed. Waiting, ready, eager for all that life has in store.

My mom, and a handful of my siblings came to visit last week. We played clue and monopoly, had Mario Cart Wii marathons, visited downtown Greenville, SC, took walks around Rock Hill, and ate lots of delicious food. I think I may have played Guess Who two dozen times.

While waiting outside a store on Main Street, in Greenville, I asked Aliza and Anna to sit on the sidewalk so I could take some pictures.

Naturally, silliness ensued.