Don't wait...it is just too important!

It is a simple yet significant statement. We have conversations with folks who say, "Maybe we will wait till next year to photograph our child with Santa." They mistakenly feel waiting will help their child or children be at an age that is more suitable for understanding Santa and Christmas."

We are experts in photographing and working with children. We have learned over 20 years that children of "all" ages, even newborns, respond to Santa and his magical presence. Children respond to love, kindness, patience, and all things colorful and magical.

Any age is a great age...change can happen at any time.

Waiting can become a game of chance. I would like to share our story about waiting and what happened in our personal lives. I am sure we are not alone in our experience, as we have met many other families who have had similar challenges and circumstances.

We have learned that waiting for things to be perfect down the road can lead to missing out on beautiful memories and moments of the now. I pray that everyone considering "waiting" to have their child photographed reads this true story.

We genuinely hope parents will read this and not wait for perfection in front of what is already perfect and right in front of them now. For it is the now that is important. That hope you have and the waiting for perfection may not arrive as you expect.

Patience and Waiting

We have learned that it is one thing to be patient. However, it is quite another to wait and miss out on capturing the most beautiful times of a person's life...their childhood.

Make the call and capture the moments when a child is healthy and happy. I know we all want things to be perfect for our children, just remember, there is a plan far greater than our own. Maybe there is a different perspective to consider.

Our tale is about waiting and our precious child.

Let me share with you our tale about waiting. As I sit here and write, I know you will sometimes relate. Sometimes, this will be hard to write, but I want to share it with you.

In Sept of 2021, God gave us the most precious gift ever. She is heaven on earth to us. Our little girl was born, and the waiting was over for us. We were at peace, and our hope for a happy, healthy child was answered.

Anna Rose was born with Down's Syndrome. We were told that we were the lucky ones, and boy was, they were the lucky ones, and boy, they were correct. Her overall health was excellent, except for one thing...her heart. Here is our truth and how waiting affected our lives.

Our belief in God, hope, patience, and a positive outlook.

We both believe in God and have faith in the power of God. We think he hears our prayer each time we look to Him. We are patient people as we know a plan is more significant than our own. We understand that our actions and life will intersect with many others in a lifetime.

We are a positive and hopeful household. These are part of our daily values. We see a cup as always half full and not half empty. We teach these things to our children.

I say these things as God, patience, hope, and a positive outlook are always mixed into our daily decision-making. Our lives are better because of this foundation. We do not look at life only through rose-colored glasses; however, we believe that being positive and happy is good for the soul.

Now, with this perspective, I will move on to more fascinating things, like babies and fingers and toes—one of my favorite topics.

Fingers and Toes

As the parent of three beautiful children, I can describe raising a child in one word...change. The world changes from year to year, and so do children. Waiting and being patient for that so-called perfect age can have unwanted consequences.

When our youngest daughter was born, we saw the beautiful and chubby fingers and toes granted by God to our girl. The wait was over, and our world changed forever. Our little piece of heaven on earth was born with perfect little fingers, toes, and chubby little arms and legs.

We waited and got a beautiful little doll baby with pop-off fingers and toes. Our sweet girl was born with Down's Syndrome, and we could not have been happier. She was the answer to our prayers, and God knew we were the ideal parents for her.

We did not wait; we began our photographic journey with her before our little girl's "baby beauty" was gone. Our lives would never be the same as she fit our home like a glove. Patience is a virtue, and we felt like we had won the lottery.

Even though our God-given little one was perfect, unexpected change happened quickly. Again, it was time for us to lean on prayer. This would not be the first time we would have to wait, and that waiting would affect our lives. We learned to give a broader view of things before reacting.

God had other plans for our little love and our lives.

There are many things a parent can do for a child. We are also not perfect; as much as we may learn before doing, there assist you to parent much to learn. Raising a child will highlight many things you may need to work on to become a better person and parent.

We have the knowledge and ability to care for our children, love them, protect them, and lead them down the path of goodness. It is the job of every parent. Every child trusts their parents to provide, and most parents do this beautifully. Yet the parenting learning curve is steep and never-ending. You raise a child, and yo and earn a certain degree of street cred'.

It is a beautiful journey through and one that wants and loves. Parenting will give you so much more than you could ever imagine. It will undoubtedly make you a better human being, or at least it should. With proper parenting, learning and change are right in front of you daily.

With all this said, God has a very complex and specific plan that will take over whether you like it. Once you accept it, that plan will shine a beautiful light on you, but that is another story.

The one thing a parent cannot fix.

The one thing a parent cannot do is fix the physical issues a child is born with. God gave us a perfect child with imperfections for a reason. We discovered early on that our little love bug had Downs Syndrome and a severe heart defect.

With the help of physicians who said we could not wait, we decided to have her undergo open-heart surgery when she was only five months old. We were strong and felt we had made the right decision; however, behind the scenes, we slowly began to feel the weight of the situation. This was going to be a journey into the unknown for us.

The choice to wait on pictures.

I am sure it is obvious how much we LOVE Christmas and Santa pictures as fine art. We wanted to have her "year one" pictures done with Santa so severely. However, we decided to wait until after the surgery.

We were unsure if this was the correct decision; however, our cardiologist assured us that she would be home-free and a different little girl after the surgery. So we waited! We chose patience and hoped for a time when she was past the surgery and ready to be in Santa's arms.

Prayers, trust, and belief in God and surgeons,

The surgery date was now upon us. Waiting for that date was excruciating. We prayed for the surgeons along with friends and relatives; ultimately, it was up to God and his greater plan. We were all relieved that the surgery went so well. The miracle had happened, and her life had been saved.

Peace overtook our hearts for the first time since she was born, and the successful surgery was a sign of a hopeful future. There was no word in the dictionary to describe our emotions. We had put our trust in God and the hands and knowledge of the surgeons, and it had been a success...until it wasn't.

Unexpected life change happened...again. More waiting!

God had other plans for our girl. The surgery failed. The silence was deafening when we received the news that the repair of her heart had not been successful. We were informed there was still hope as they felt her core was still repairable.

Open heart surgery, take two! Let me tell you, we were not thrilled, and more than ever, we had to practice our belief in God. Our walk with God is constant, and we try to face God instead of facing the fear or challenge of the situation. There is peace in meeting and putting trust in God.

We knew we would have to accept another heart surgery for our little girl. This would be the only way to save her life. We would have to wait till she had completed the six weeks of recovery and then wait till she was a specific size and weight before they would perform the subsequent surgery.

This was going to take about three months. We put her on a specific diet with specific food and meds. She was never alone, and we nurtured our beautiful little girl to be strong and ready for that second surgery. She even reached the point where she can now sit alone.

Waiting can have unwanted consequences.

A child of five will remember as much as a one-year-old, 30 years from now. Children are beautiful at all ages, so why wait and hope it will be better in a year or two. We have so many parents or grandparents who choose to wait, only to find that circumstances have significantly changed in only one short year.

We see them ten years later and tearfully exclaim, "I wish I would not have waited. Now my child is too old. Waiting was not a good choice." Or, sadly, we hear, "My son lost his sister, and we missed the opportunity to have that magical moment with them together."

Grandparents with grandchildren

When we do our Fine Art Santa Sessions, we love to see a grandparent or great-grandparent in one of the pictures with the children. We have far too many instances where parents will choose to wait a year only to have the grandparent pass due to illness or injury.

The memory is suddenly lost. No one wants to imagine this; however, we often see it on our end as we work with some families. Waiting is a significant risk when you have a child and grandparent close to each other.

There is a plan far greater than our own

You may or may not have a relationship with God. However, we do. Whether you do or don't believe in God, no matter the religion is not the point. The reality of life is apparent; there are many things in a lifetime that one simply cannot explain.

Many people, including us, believe these things to be out of our control and directed by God. We often accept what we cannot understand and say, "It's a God thing." If we believe our soul is in the hand of God, then there are times we must simply face God and think.

We feel God has a plan, and no matter how great your project is, His will play out whether you like it or not, for His plan is part of all soul's past, present, and future. Our plan is simply one small yet essential dot in history.

What you may feel is a prudent decision for a year or two from now may be entirely upended by so many things: some things you may fully understand, and some you may not. I can assure you that change "will" happen, and your plans "will" have to be adjusted...whether you have a relationship with God.

Live Today as waiting for tomorrow may not come as expected.

God gives us today. It is our prayer that everyone lives today fully and completely. I am personally a morning person. Each morning God gives me a beautiful gift.

Yes, sunrise is always my favorite time, but the gift is the day itself. God gives me that one specific day. I can only live one day at a time. I choose to be grateful and live that day to its fullest. I am no more waiting for anything to be perfect. Perfect is today!

I call it perfect imperfection. I apply this in my artwork, so I now also use it in my life. Life is a slow learning process and requires a patient mind and a cheerful soul.

We teach this to our children (we have three beautiful girls). Live today! Yes, make plans and set goals, but live today, so you have a whole life and miss nothing. Embrace your loved ones and make them second to nothing.

Statistics prove change will occur, and things will not go as planned.

Each time I hear that someone is going to wait to book a photography session with their child or children, a little part of me cries inside. I worry that this will never happen, for our stats prove otherwise.

People who sincerely and honestly feel they will wait only one short year have such circumstantial, physical, or life changes that year they do not or can not come in with their child as planned.

Change still comes in many fashions that one cannot predict.

There are still many factors that can guarantee a person's well-laid-out plans will change. One thing you cannot plan or predict is to transform itself as there are just too many variables that affect change.

One can have the highest of IQs and still not be able to predict where their life will be in one year. Now, think how challenging it is to expect where someone else's life will be in one year...even a direct friend or loved one.

These thoughts do not come from quotes or books; they go but from experiences. I am happy to share them with you.

People interact, and plans intersect

First, there is the daily interaction with others. Every individual in your life, from family to friends to associates, also has plans; these plans will not all unfold as they wish. They all will impact each other. Interaction creates change. It is how we all evolve.

The perfect storm

We have all heard this phrase and know it has nothing to do with

Acts of God

Ahhhh...here is another unexpected change that can quickly occur. Who can predict a tornado, earthquake, storm, flood, or perhaps a bad car accident?

I lost my mother in a similar unexpected incident when I was 11 years old. I woke up, and by the end of the day, she was gone...forever. I had grand plans in my head that my mother and I would make. That all changed.

There were so many moments that I reflected upon after that day. There are so many moments I wished that I had not waited to do with my mother. The waiting was not even something I questioned, especially when only 11 years old.

Take it from me; waiting cost me dearly. I do not have any pictures of me with my mother to this day, and now that will never come to reality.

My mother and father were waiting till I was a bit older and when all of our kids would be together for a group portrait. The waiting turned into never. Sad but true.

I hope this will be a sign for you and that you learn from my journey. Let me be the first to tell you that waiting is simply not worth it.

Medical issues and waiting.

This is a subject that none of us are comfortable talking about. Waiting also may come with considerable risk as so much can change in just one year. Do not make the waiting mistake that we made. Capture the wonder of your child when you can. It is just that important.

If you can see your child in one of these gorgeous pieces of art in your house, do not delay. Book your magical session and sit today. It can be the difference between having this artwork for generations or realizing that waiting has made it too late.

It can be the difference between believing and not believing. It can be the difference between those chubby fingers and toes or not. As you can now see, times change so quickly.

This was great advice that was given to me by my father. He told me to live life and not procrastinate. He said that time races by quickly, and in the future, circumstances will change and not always be the way I envision.

He wanted me to seize the moment and have no regrets. It has been great advice in my life, and I thank you for taking the time and allowing me to share it with you.

I hear you, Dad...to this day, I listen to you. My father's quotes were many and have been an excellent guide for me. One of my favorite quotes is, "You are what you are because you have been doing what you have been doing." Quotes like this have stuck with me.

To each their own.

Perhaps you do not believe in God. "To each their own," my father would always say. He never wanted me to judge others. It was great advice, and I respect the decision of others as to how they want to live.

The word of God is for anyone willing to listen. He also says to be kind and share the love with all people.

I am a writer, and I hope this message today has shared some peace and love with your soul. These decisions to photograph your children are essential and essential, and how we make our decisions sometimes needs reflection.

Stop waiting for perfection.

.Please stop waiting for what you may perceive as the right moment, age or time. Do not wait for what you think is perfect for you. There are many other factors at play in every second of your life. If the light is green now...do it. Live life to its fullest and be the first to embrace the day you wake.

Capture those moments of your child's journey.

Larry and Ela Hersberger own and operate Masterpiece Christmas out of Florida and North Carolina. They have three beautiful girls.

Our youngest, Anna Rose, is still waiting for her surgery to fix her heart...this too shall pass as we do have great faith that the surgeons and God's guiding hand will save her life.

The waiting continues, but the love and hope are strong. Our lives depend on the strength of this love and the trust in God's guidance.

If you are ready to book your child's sitting with Santa, contact us, and we will put our heart and soul into creating world-class artwork for you and your family.