These days parents have photo shoots to commemorate just about every occasion. We've all seen the albums on Facebook from gender reveal parties, baby showers, maternity shoots, birthing shoots, first birthday shoots, and everything thereafter. Photo shoots are the new baby book. So when Vicky Piper and her husband, Jeff, sent their two kids off to college this year, they figured there was no better way to mark the occasion than by posing for a hilarious new kind of parental photo shoot: empty nest photos.
It was Vicky's husband who came up with the brilliant idea for the shoot.
The Ohio couple, who will celebrate their 25th anniversary in September, dropped their youngest son, Cameron, off at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan last week to begin his freshman year. Their older daughter, Caitlyn, is studying abroad in Australia. Even though they're sad to see their kids go, Vicky told Buzzfeed the pair are madly in love and thrilled to be starting a new chapter, and that's why Jeff wanted to celebrate.
“We’ve always loved each other so much that we have been looking forward to this," she said. "[Jeff] just kept on saying he just wants to date me all over again."
Vicky wrote the date of her son's departure on a chalkboard sign because that's what "the young people are doing."
Then they got a friend to meet them outside their church with a camera and took the photos that have since won the Internet.
"20 years ago we didn’t have gender reveal parties, portraits in beautiful fields with baby shoes to announce a pregnancy. Nor did we have baby photos on a blanket with a circle around a number showing how old they were. We drove our babies to Sears or Olan Mills to get their photo!" Vicky wrote on Facebook when she shared the pictures. "So in honor of our next chapter … here you go!"
44,000 shares later, it's safe to say Vicky and Jeff's empty nester celebration just inspired a whole new trend.
One person even wrote on Facebook that she's totally stealing their idea when her own kids leave for college — in 17 YEARS.
Some people told Vicky and Jeff they couldn't imagine being so happy to see their kids go.
Vicky told Buzzfeed that even her own kids saw the photos and jokingly told her, "You guys are celebrating too much that we’re gone."
But other moms and dads totally understood how Vicky and Jeff are feeling.
As parents, we all love our children unconditionally and will cherish every year we got to have with them as little kids. But if you've been able to successfully raise two children, send them off on exciting new adventures to start their own lives, and can come home to a life that you're still thrilled about? That's a privilege worth celebrating, cheesy photo shoot and all.
