She asked us, “How do you smile for pictures?”
So we showed her.
And she did this.
The focal point caught her hair, but I don’t care.
This is so her right now, and so so beautiful to me.
Tara
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- she has your hair. This girl is a teenager. What a beauty.
- and your eye brows. I have always LOVED your eyebrows, T.
- how cute are those freckles? what a doll!
- Tara...I know we have never met but you are always on my mind when you post. I couldn't read another post of yours that touched my heart without commenting. I got so much joy from this picture! Thank you for sharing your family...your vulnerability...your soul. I am one of the lucky ones in this world that have attracted the goodness into my life. You continue to inspire me and I still feel like we are kindred spirits that just haven't met face to face yet. You are a beautiful woman! Kathy
- Beautiful picture!!! She looks just like you in this photo.....just like you.
- Incredible. I know that made your heart happy when she asked. Love it.
- she looks so grown up in this photo... and beautiful! what a great smile, and those freckles are to die for!
- just viewed this on my phone & lost my breathe. what a beautiful soul.
- Stunning!
- LOVE that she asked, LOVE her interpretation, LOVE that you shared it with us!
- wow! spectacular smile. gorgeous girl. :)
- Oh! Heart melting. Thanks for sharing this moment.
- What a lucky mama to have such a wonderful daughter!! She is beautiful!
- She's so beautiful!! She looks JUST like you!!! :)
- beautiful eyes, beautiful girl.
- Wow those eyes! So pretty.
- That is SO sweet! The lovely innocence and trust of it all. Special.
- sweet, sweet girl. i love this, mama!
- She is gorgeous!
- SO beautiful Tara! I really see her looking more like you!
- she looks so much like you in this one. so beautiful.
- Oh, so dear! Thank you for sharing this. Thank you for sharing your struggles over the years. It makes this picture that much more beautiful.
- I'm so glad I saw this before turning in for the night. It added a bit of perspective for me in a day that needed some. She is a beauty. As is her mama :)
- I agree with Peta! she looks so much like you here...what a gorgeous shot. feels so personal to me...like I'm looking right at her. beautiful.
- so beautiful, indeed!
- I have to tell you, Tara, that when this image loaded for me, I immediately saw you. And, wow, is she lovely.
- ~simply beautiful~ this post made my yucky beautiful and sunshiny
- beautiful
- This is so sweet. Definitely put a smile on my face. She is beautiful :) I can see both you and Jeff in her.
- Oh Tara, I teared up just reading that first line. Such a gorgeous girl, such a precious moment. I think it will make everyone smile.
- What a wonderful moment to capture. Beautiful!
- Wow! Love how she's growing up...becoming more socially aware...that is a HUGE step Tara! And you're right! She's stunning!
- Oh my goodness missy, what a beautiful photo. Took my breath away. She is sooooo like you too....just gorgeous :)
- So pretty!! I can't believe how much older she looks!!
- What a beautiful picture Tara! I bet you will cherish this one forever!!
- She's gorgeous. My heart melted with the photo and then again with the story.
- Her eyes always speak how much she is loved. They twinkle beautifully.
- She is beautiful.
- I have never commented on your blog, but do read often. You take beautiful pictures and seems to me that you always capture that "thing" from each person you take a photo of. This one thought brought little tears to my eyes. This I beleive is your best!
- Tara, she has changed SO SO much. All I see is you. Love this.
- SIgh. All teary here.
- So, so beautiful indeed.
- She is sooo pretty. You captured everything.
- stunning. and so very much like you, by the way.
- OMG I LOVE this. She is becoming such a young woman (I am channeling my 94 yea old grandmother as I write that : )
- She looks so at peace here. So like you too!
- beautiful girl you got there tara. her beauty starts deep down in her soul.
- wonderful - my heart is full
- She is very beautiful and a big girl already !!! I find she looks like Nate a little bit and to you !!! Love her freckles and her smile !!!
- what a bright light she is with that smile! pls. tell her what a pretty girl she is :)
- What a BEAUTY!!!!!
- She looks so grown up and "teen" there, Tara. Wow! Beautiful!
- that's a sweet shot!
- you have reduced me to a heaping mess of tears this morning, mrs. whitney! what a beautiful, shining soul - SO MUCH like her momma!! what a joy to watch mckenna literally grow up on your blog, into a beautiful young woman. how much you all must love her!
- Wow does she look like you! Gorgeous girl and what a smile!
- What a beautiful soul she has...
- GORGEOUS......
- Seriously, T, take my breath away why don't you!
- i love shots when the focus is just off. You taught me to let go of that technically perfect shot and love the moment captured. Now I have many prints of my children like this and I tell you they are my favorite. I almost prefer it. Lovely, my dear.
- Wow wow wow. Funny how a single picture of someone else's child can take your breath away and make you glossy eyed. So beautiful.
- Tara, she is absoluetly GORGEOUS! and guess what? she looks EXACTLY LIKE her beautiful mama right now in this shot and all the shots lately! she looks so much like your sisters too! those eyes of hers are amazing and the golden highlights of her hair. this post just makes my heart happy! tara pollard pakosta
- My goodness - she look SO much like you in this photo - what a perfect moment to capture.
- Awwww, she looks so beautiful! She reminds me of you in this pic.
- Perfect!!!
- I see so much of you in her, what a beautiful photo of your daughter.....
- The photo and your daughter are gorgeous. The story behind it is, well...there are no words.
- Love the photo of your daughter! She is so adorable!
- I love the photo of your daughter-she is so adorable!
- Love this. Feels so calm and peaceful. It made me smile the second the image came up.
- she is gorgeous.
- Ahhh....beautiful - you totally caught her soul in her eyes. I love that little smile :)
- MAGIC.
- Holy smokes...when did she start looking like a teenager? That just kinda crept up on ya, huh? Just beautiful, Tara!
- Such an amazing shot! I love all her freckles, she is simply beautiful!
- absolutely beautiful.
- I love her hair long like that so pretty.. and her smile is gorgeous.. she is a beautiful soul.
- Just gorgeous. This made me smile.
- Wow. So touching!
- man she looks like you in this picture. beautiful.
- This made me teary eyed cuz I can feel the love!
- Man, Tara, she looks like you!
- Tara, I have read your blog for about 4 years now and have rarely commented. But today...today I have to comment! SHE IS GORGEOUS!! Love, Love, Love this picture of her...and has anyone told you she looks just like you??? I too am the mother of a special needs child...actually he is a young adult now. He is 28 years old. And he does not take pictures very well...will NOT smile when I point the camera on him. And then one day...one day...I caught him in an unguarded moment and the pictures I took that day I will cherish forever because it shows his true spirit. From One Mom of a Special Child to Another...HUGS!!
- GORGEOUS!!! :)
- Wow! That is a great picture and you are so right, she is so so beautiful!
- no other word but Beautiful
- I just got tears seeing her sweet smile. What a beautiful moment.
- Love it! She is beautiful!
- This has to be one of the most beautiful portraits...
- aww Tara she looks so much like you! And so grown up! And she is so cute. That really is an amazing photo.
- Beautiful. I hope you don't take this the wrong way...but she looks peaceful, not locked away inside. This is the first picture of her that I've seen posted that looks like she is emerging. She is so beautiful.
- She looks SO incredibly much like you in this photo....I love it. I love how you love your babies :)
- I always comment before I read other's comments...reading back now I can't believe how everyone else totally saw your beautiful face in her her too :)
- T, this gives me giant goosebumps. I am smiling right now thinking of you. That hair...big brown eyes...and freckles. What a beauty :) love you!
- T, I *100%* am with Margie - how she looks like you here. Just beautiful. :)
- Tara, I so see you in her beautiful face! Love the smile and love you!
- she is beautiful!
- What a fantastic question!, and she truly is your mini me.
- She is such a beautiful sweetheart! What a stunning photo!
- Simply gorgeous, Tara. You can see McKenna's spirit just shining through.
- Opps, Sorry, Mackenna!
- Tara, this is one of the most beautiful shots you've ever taken.
- Breathtaking Tara. She really resembles you in this image.
- Gorgeous! She looks so much like you in this shot. This is one of my favorite photos of her, she looks serene and happy.
- Tara- She is absolutely beautiful!! And much agreed with the other ladies... she looks so much like beautiful mama
- She is looking so much more mature and becoming such a beautiful young woman.
- love, love, love this photo tara! she's beautiful!
- She looks beautiful! Love her freckles, I'm a sucker for freckles and I wished my kids had them.
- Such a gorgeous girl and a gorgeous smile!!!! Although I have never met you (but would like to some day) or your wonderful family, this photo gave me happy goosebumps. :)
- Tara she looks more like you everyday......
- Oh she is so beautiful and looks so grown up! I see SOOOOO much of you in her Tara! So beautiful!
- OMG! That is gorgeous! I cannot believe how much she has grown up before my eyes. Amazing!I think she looks just like jeff and then I think she looks just like you! Perfect!
- Ohmigosh, what a beautiful photo AND smile!!! Look how much she has grown. BTW, Morgan now thinks Mia Michaels sounds like you. ;)
- THANK YOU - Kari said it exactly how i feel - this is one of the most beautiful photos you have taken!!! love her and love her and love her - you glorious strong lady daughter sister mother girl woman wife you! Charmaine from Tzaneen South Africa
- Beautiful moment; beautiful daughter; beautiful mama. Tears in my eyes.
- What a beautiful capture! A sweet moment, and a great story to go with it that you'll never forget. She's beautiful, and looks so much like you.
- gorgeous!
- gasp.
- Such a pretty girl! She sure looks grown up here!
- So beautiful, she really has come into her own. I have to admit this photo brought tears to my eyes knowing she wanted to learn how to smile. You could not of captured the moment any better. She is glowing!
- Absolutely lovely. This one needs to be displayed somewhere in your home.
- i've never seen mckenna look so lovely. and wow, she looks so much like you :) she is growing up so fast.
- This touches my heart and makes my day. What a beauty...so neat getting to watch her grow up on your blog.
- what a beauty!
- How sweet! She's so pretty and this is a beautiful photo of her :)
- Oh my gosh! She has grown and changed so much recently - gorgeous! She looks just like you Tara - I love the story behind the picture, it made me well up! Your entire family is beautiful, thank you for sharing them with all your blog readers!
- beutiful! I love this post...
- So sweet! And she really does look so much like you in this picture! Love it!
- i love her freckles. little surfer girl.
- The second I saw this, even before reading what you wrote, I thought.. 'wow, she looks more like Tara than she ever has in any photo I've ever seen of her'. And then I read what you wrote :). She's growing up and I read your post the other day, and I think you are right. She seems to have exhaled and released since school has released (the beauty of summer holidays). This summer retreat seems to have allowed her to gracefully and on her own terms wander into a new 'room' (in the house of Mckenna's life). It's a beautiful thing, and I am so glad that you are able to enjoy her this summer. Lucky momma. LUCKY Mckenna!
- And I just have to say that she really is SO BEAUTIFUL! I mean, this photo does make me happy weepy!! Where does the time go? Tonight my daughter who will be 11 in less than a month asked me if she could shave her legs :/
- This captivates me.
- Hi Tara....first off I just LOVE you site. Your daughter is a beautiful girl and that smile just melts my heart. I hope you and your family are having a Wonderful Summer. Take care! Angela from Michigan
- Hi Tara....first off I just LOVE your site. Your daughter is a beautiful girl and that smile just melts my heart. I hope you and your family are having a Wonderful Summer. Take care! Angela from Michigan
- simply beautiful.
- I LOVE how she came to it in her own time and how you allowed her the space to do so :)
- OH I love this photo!! I see ALL of you in her in this moment - lovely!!!
- She's really growing up! She is so beautiful! We miss you guys!
- Awesome... Simply awesome...
- gorgeous. and totally grown-up!
- I would think as a parent seeing this kind of peace in your child's eyes just has to rock. She's a beauty.
- i just love this picture. when it first came up, before i read any of your text, it was the first time i realized how much she looks like you. so many shared traits. it was cool to see instantly. thanks for sharing.
- Smiling eyes---love 'um.
- She looks so happy...and a lot like you!
- Lovely girl!!
- beautiful eyes and perfect freckles, so much love in her eyes :)
- It must be fun to look at her and see yourself:)
- She is so precious. And so is this photo.
- This is magnificent.
- LOVE her freckles, love the peaceful simplicity of this shot. I can imagine you when you look at it: (big happy SIGH)! It's now going to be one of my favorites for a really loooong time.
- She looks beautiful...and exactly like you!
- this caught my breath and gave me butterflies in the tummy - gorgeous........... Jxx
- I love your photos & I loved your interview on two peas!!! It brought tears to my eyes... thank you so much for the inspiration!!! Shari
- hi there. i have come back to this photo a few times because i adore it but am trying to understand more about why - because THESE are the picss i want to take, not the technically pefect ones - but these moments of magic. being a devoted reader of this blog, i have long admired your soulful honesty. and even tho we've never met i am going to offer a possible explanation. there's something called touchpoints in a child's development. and right before they achieve a milestone or make some progress, there's usually an intense burst of frustration. for example, right before a child walks, when they sit on the floor and rock and get so mad because they want their little limbs to coordinate and allow movement and they're almost but not quite there. but then - when the milestone is reached - all is good again with the world. in fact i think any great change is preceeded by a bubbling of turmoil and energy - in fact i think thats what gives the change its momentum to propel us forward into a better world. i think this photo captures your daughter as she achieves a glorious milestone- one that will bring you and your whole family a new found joy.good for her. good for you. thanks so much for sharing. hope she's feeling the love being sent her way.
- I didnt read the previous 149 comments...but Im sure this was said before. She is beautiful and looks Just.Like.You!
- Wow. I've known of you since I joined 2p's way back when. Seeing all your children grow through your photos has been an absolute delight..My head keeps saying "peace, inside and out" when I look at Mckennas' photo.
- She's precious Tara...simply precious!
- Oh Tara - she looks so grown up and absolutely beautiful ! Wow. A picture full of joy. -megan from sc, ca
- Gorgeous!!!!
- Absolutely beautiful.
- love this.
- She's TOTALLY got your smile. <3<3<3 And she's perfectly lovely.
- I remember when my son realized what it meant to smile - he would put his hands up to feel his face and make sure his mouth was smiling for the longest time. . .such a great moment you captured. . .
- so. so. so lovely. makes me smile : ) makes my heart happy!
- Wow, that is a truly beautiful photo.
- Great smile, McKenna! You're a very pretty girl. You look a lot like your mom in this picture. I hope you smile for pictures more!
- She's gorgeous - love the photo.
- This made me cry... so many memories flooding back with Kenners. She looks so grown up. Thank you for posting this. Miss you. love you. ~ me
- This post made me smile and cry, it is such a beautiful, special moment. Thank you for sharing this, for making me stop, breathe and enjoy the preciousness and uniqueness of all the little things around me, that are really the big things.
- she has grown so much! those freckles, so beautiful!
- that's just really, really lovely.
- Beautiful....she looks just like you :)
- swoon! maddux (8yo) has just now figured out how to smile herself. She has even "learned" to turn her head just a little to give me the sweetest face I have ever seen. congrats on capturing her smile!
- LOVELY photo and wording! I drive from SC to OH and back on a regular basis and every time I pass a small town named Kenna and I ALWAYS think of you and your daughter! LOL - not really news but still.......
- i linked to this on facebook yesterday. it made me smile all day long.
- Mckenna is just gorgeous, and I always thought she looked more like Jeff but I can see you in this picture (lol I talk about your family as if I know you from years, it sure feels that way!). And one thing I wanted to add that I LOVE how your mom always comments on your posts and how proud she is of you & your family ..I LOVED her comment on your 6/12x project.. so beautiful.. it must be sooo nice to get this feedback from your mom .. whatever we say they are our moms and deep inside of us we so need that acceptance .. lovely lovely family Tara!
- Magical.
- Oh my, seeing this photo took my breath away, she looks so beautiful and so free - it's made me well up, love it! I have three beautiful girls, one of whom is profoundly Deaf, which has brought a few challenges over the years, but also taught us so very much that we will always be grateful for - these moments are so precious. Thank you so much for sharing x
- Beautiful. Simply.
- This is the ultimate "perfectly imperfect" portrait. I can feel the connection in it. I can feel the love she has for the person behind the lens, and the delight and sharing a smile with that person. This is what photographs are all about...a moment...and you caught it momma!
- I started reading your blog right after McKenna's stove accident. And boy has she grown up! She reminds so very much of my cousin Susan. Susan is 25 years old now and they have never had an "official" diagnosis for her. She's just special and unique and she is just "Susan". This is a beautiful photo of McKenna. She sure does favor you!
- A photographer I met told me to come visit your blog, because my son has special needs, and so I've lurked for ages here but just wanted to come out and say that this post brought a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. my son avoids my camera like the plague. your daughter is a shining star.
- wow! she really is SO beautiful. She looks a lot like you there too! :)
- so dean was sitting couch and says "that little girl has a beautiful soul" and then I told him about our car ride. :) she really is miss tara. she's a lot like her mama...including being super funny.
- I love your blog Tara. I don't comment, but I always enjoy your stories, pictures and how you share from the heart. I have a special needs daughter, who is 23 now, and man she doesn't like getting her photo taken. There is no artifice in her. To smile at a black, clicking machine seems absurd to her. I love when you feature McKenna, and this really is a picture that I'm sure you'll treasure always. I only have a handful of natural, happy pictures of my Hayley, so I totally get how excited you were to see this one. You and your family are doing so good with your daughter. I love how your kids, especially Drew, is always watching out for her, always protective. It's beautiful!
- Well, it looks like it has all already been said but I'm going to say it again...simply breathtaking, made me cry and smile all at the same time, and wow does she look like you!
- Breathtakingly beautiful! Made me tear up.
- How very awesome. Such a treasure, this image, this glimpse of her.
- She is beautiful.
- So, so beautiful, period.
- So beautiful!
- I had to smile right back at her. Smileing not only with her mouth but with those beautiful eyes. :)
- haven't been on the computer much lately but when i am, you know i come here. saw this photo of mckenna. O. M. G. i LOVE this photo. she is so beautiful. this photo brought to light (to me) things i had never noticed about mckenna before. her gorgeous eyes. her beautiful smile. tara, this is truly a beautiful beautiful photograph of a beautiful beautiful girl. gotta say it again. this photograph captures her.
- She looks a lot like her mamma here. She is such a beauty. I love the innocence she has and yet you can tell she's growing up. I imagine seeing this picture just made your heart swell. So happy to share that moment with you.
- Oh her soul is so shiny! I have this issue with our daughter. She just wont smile for the camera and it rarely happens naturally. She too is away having her own fun in her imagination. I do have to force it out of her and forced smiles are not natural, are they? I can't wait for to ask me how to smile, like Mckenna, one day
- she is so beautiful. i love how her eyes are smiling too.
- Just seeing this now and so loving it.
- awe...she is beautiful...love this smile. she looks all grown up (sorry...hee)
- that is the most gorgeous smile e.v.e.r.
- She's beautiful. And you should be so proud that she's happy enough to actually want to smile.
- and she nailed it. a gorgeous smile if ever there was one.
- you don't need another comment telling you how beautiful this is but i can't help myself. beautiful!
by Tara Whitney
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