Meet Grandmas Anne, Pam and their family. Anne and Pam have been together for over a decade. When they met, Anne had two tween daughters from a previous marriage to a man. She had left that marriage when her eldest was four years old and continued to raise them on her own until she met Pam. Pam says she first fell in love with Anne’s daughters, Marie and Kiki. I can see why.

I was really struck by Marie and Kiki. Both girls are strong minded, independent, creative and seriously talented. Kiki is both a silversmith and a musician. Marie is a Mom, a musician and works in marketing. Kiki married a fellow musician, Dan, also very talented. The three are involved in a number of bands and play regular shows here in Utah.

Over dinner the family ate from hand thrown plates made by Anne and finished with killer fruit pies made by Kiki. They treat their skin with natural skincare products handmade by Anne. I was gobsmacked by the talent in this small family.

I couldn’t help but wonder whether this is a beautiful by-product of Anne’s journey in coming out, and subsequently partnering with a soul like Pam. It was an act of bravery on Anne’s part to come out and ‘own’ this part of herself, while immersed in a culture where being gay wasn’t accepted. I wonder if that experience gave her an edge in her mothering. Did this allow her to accept her daughters exactly as they are and allow them to express themselves in ways she felt she couldn’t growing up? I think acceptance and self expression are key in allowing creativity to flourish.

Anne chose a partner in Pam who is gentle, accepting and open minded. Together they are clearly loving this new chapter in their lives, being grandmas to Marie and Scott’s cute little baby girl.

Our family has been slightly addicted to Marie, Kiki and Dan’s music since I did this shoot, click to check them out: THE HOLLERING PINES and THE SOUVENIRS. The girl’s duets are hypnotic (I was lucky enough to hear them sing in Anne and Pam’s lounge room). Kiki’s jewelry is stunning: DIAMOND JANE JEWELRY. Anne’s handmade skincare can be found here: INFUSION SKIN THERAPY.

For more information about this project contact me at cathy@cathyronaldsphotography.com.