If you’re anything like most moms I know, your phone is full.

Full of photos of your kids doing ordinary, wonderful things, full of screenshots you meant to come back to, full of memories that feel important… but somehow still fragile. And yet—despite having thousands of images—we often still feel like we’re missing something.

That’s where the idea of an heirloom comes in.

Because not all photos are created equal, and not all of them are meant to last in the same way. So what actually makes a photo an heirloom? An heirloom photo isn’t defined by megapixels, trends, or even how “perfect” everyone looks.

An heirloom photo is one that: Tells a story, holds emotional weight, is meant to be experienced (not just stored) and can be returned to—again and again—over time. In other words, an heirloom photograph is one that lives with your family, not just on a device you’ll eventually replace.

And this is where heirloom albums quietly—but powerfully—outshine digitals.

The problem with “just digitals” (that no one really talks about)

Digital files absolutely have value. They’re easy to share, easy to back up, and they matter. But when digital images are the only way your photos exist, something tends to happen- they disappear into the background of your life.

Think about it: phones get upgraded, hard drives fail, cloud accounts change and folders get buried which leads to endless scrolling for your family’s photo.

Most families fully intend to “do something” with their photos later… and then later never quite comes. This isn’t a personal failure. It’s just how modern life works. Which is exactly why printed photo albums matter more than ever.

Why photo albums tell a deeper story than individual images

A single image can be beautiful. But an album tells a story.

When photographs are curated, sequenced, and printed together, something shifts. The experience becomes intentional.

A well-designed heirloom album: shows connection-not just moments. They capture relationships and emotion across multiple images, preserves context—who your children were at this age, how they fit into your arms and how this season felt. Albums allow you to slow down. To sit with the images, to turn pages, to revisit a chapter of life, instead of scrolling past it.

And here’s something many parents don’t realize until they see it firsthand…

Children engage differently with physical photographs

Kids don’t scroll through camera rolls (it’s also terrifying to think what would happen if they accidentally push the delete button!). But they love photo albums. They pull them off shelves, flip through pages, point and ask questions. They linger.

Printed photos give children something tangible: a sense of belonging, visual proof that they are loved and remembered, and a way to see themselves as part of a bigger story. Read my blog here that talks about why it’s important to print your photos.

This is especially powerful with motherhood photography—because so often, moms are the ones missing from the frame. An heirloom album that shows you with your children becomes more than a keepsake. It becomes evidence. Evidence that you were there, that you mattered and that this season was real.

An invitation

Every year, I see the same thing happen.

Mothers realize—often quietly—that they’re missing from their own family history. That the photos they treasure most are the ones that show connection, not performance. That they’re missing that tangible item to hold and cherish.

That realization is what inspired my Motherhood Heirloom Event—a limited portrait event centered around creating beautifully crafted artwork that tells this chapter of your story.

Not rushed.
Not trendy.
And not meant to live on a hard drive.

Just something real. And lasting.

If that idea resonates with you, you’re not alone.
And if this season feels worth preserving… that’s probably because it is. I can’t wait to share more about The Heirloom Motherhood Event.