It was July when Dad and I sat in the colorful and happy interior of the Pops diner in Nichols Hills Plaza for a lunch with the boys. For those of you not in Oklahoma City, Pops originally is out on Route 66 as the coolest, most colorful gas station/diner you ever did see, complete with a selection over 700 different types of soda pop. Happily they opened up another one in the city and it makes me crazy happy every time I go in. They have the same 700 different types of soda available, but with much more seating, and a dazzling display of bubbles hanging from the ceiling. Oh, and all those gorgeous happy barstools.
Anyway, Dad and I were eating lunch and I said “Wouldn’t this be the cutest place ever for a photoshoot? Imagine all your grandkids sitting around the counter there with colorful bottles of soda pop.” And I saw this look in Dad’s eye and he said “You know, I’d really like that.”
DONE. We haven’t had a family photoshoot since I was pregnant with Jude 9 years ago. It was mom and dad’s 50th wedding anniversary then for that particular shoot, so I figured heck, why not celebrate their 59th(!) wedding anniversary with an updated shoot, this time with all 16 of us. I envisioned us in bright poppy colors with bottles of soda pop, stripey straws and colorful lollipops.
First I confirmed with Pops that they’d be ok with all of us descending on their pretty space, and I made sure it was at a time when they wouldn’t be slammed. Then I reached out to my new photographer friend Carli Wentworth who I met a couple of months back. I loved her bright clean style and the talent she has at directing her subjects to get a really beautiful shot. I knew she’d make us look amazing!
The day of the shoot, we arrived en masse in a colorful array of clothing, inspired by the colors of the POPS interior.
While Carli set up, I shot a few behind the scenes snaps —
And then Carli did her magic —
I love how precious these turned out of my parents. Love love love. My mom is obsessed with grape soda and I thought this shot was darling.
Me and my sibs with Mom & Dad ?
Cute nieces —
Naturally Archer fell two days before the shoot and got a giant goose egg on his forehead. OF COURSE HE DID.
And the whole lot of us.
I’m so grateful for these precious people and how they love us.
Big huge thanks to Carli Wentworth and Pops in Nichols Hills Plaza for going along with my crazy scheme. Especial thanks to our server Darien who took such good care of us while we were shooting and then afterwards when we stuck around for dinner.