A glamorous great-grandmother of 18 celebrates her birthday every year by posing for playful photo shoots taken by her granddaughter.
Florence Knapp, 78, from Des Moines, Iowa, has rung in her past three birthdays in front of the camera after almost dying from kidney failure in January 2018.
Her granddaughter Kourtney Knapp, 32, buys her new outfits and pays for her to get her hair, nails, and makeup done to match each year’s theme.
Strike a pose! Florence Knapp, 78, from Des Moines, Iowa, celebrates her birthday each year by posing for cheeky photo shoot organized by her granddaughter Kourtney Knapp, 32
Roaring ’20s: Kourtney Knapp buys her new outfits and pays for her to get her hair, nails, and makeup done to match each year’s theme
Say cheese! Kourtney admitted to egging on her grandmother during the birthday shoots, but she insists that she ‘loves it’
Family: Florence is pictured with her daughter Kim Knapp (far left) and granddaughter Kourtney (center)
‘Just before my grandma’s 76th birthday she was really sick and they said her kidneys were failing,’ Kourtney recalled. ‘I realized I needed to start making more memories with her and taking more photos.
‘She recovered just in time for her birthday so I decided we would start doing birthday photo shoots every year.’
Florence celebrated her 76th birthday with a Pepsi-themed cake smash, and in the playful photos, she can be seen modeling a printed T-shirt and a blue tutu.
‘Everyone thought we were being patriotic but it was actually because my grandma has always loved Pepsi,’ Kourtney explained.
Theme: Florence celebrated her 76th birthday with a Pepsi-themed cake smash
Going for it: Kourtney photographed her taking a big bite out of a red, white, and blue cake
Glam grandma: In another image, she is modeling a white lace top and a blue tutu while sipping on a Pepsi
Reasoning: ‘Everyone thought we were being patriotic but it was actually because my grandma has always loved Pepsi,’ Kourtney explained
Florence dressed up as a 1920s flapper to hit the casino for her 77th birthday, and she donned rose gold sequins when she turned 78.
Kourtney admitted that she eggs on her grandmother and urges her to adopt cheeky poses and coquettish smiles during the birthday shoots, but she insists that she enjoys the attention.
‘My grandma loves it. She gives me a hard time about it — she is so stubborn — but I know she loves it. She loves getting all dressed up and being pampered,’ the mother of six said.
‘She thinks it’s so funny doing the photo shoots. She probably thinks I’m crazy,’ she added. ‘She laughs and smiles the whole time. She is a really good trooper with it; she always does such a good job.’
Looking good: Florence dressed up as a 1920s flapper to hit the casino for her 77th birthday
Going all out: The great-grandma’s hair was dyed purple, and she donned a sequin dress, a fur, and pearls
Turning 78: For her most recent birthday, she modeled rose gold sequins and a fur shrug
Glitz and glam: Florence was all smiles while posing with number balloons
Stunning: The great-grandmother’s hair was dyed pink to match her sparkly dress
Living it up: Kourtney said her grandmother ‘loves getting all dressed up and being pampered’
Kourtney noted that her grandfather passed away when she was pregnant with her oldest son, and she didn’t have ‘any good pictures of him’ because she wasn’t a photographer at the time.
‘It makes such a huge difference having nice photos to hold onto so I’m just glad I can do that for her and for my family,’ she said.
The photographer, who started her business Kourtney Klick Photography eight years ago, also arranges full family photos shoots with Florence every Christmas.
Kourtney gathers Florence’s five children, 19 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren for both group and individual pictures with her over the holidays.
Three generations: Kourtney is pictured with her mother Kim and grandmother Florence when she was a baby
Scared straight: Kourtney was inspired to start taking photos of Florence after her grandmother almost died from kidney failure in January 2018
Smile: Kourtney also takes family photos of Florence with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She is pictured with her great-grandsons Tristan (left) and Jonas (right)
Family: Florence posed with her five children during a recent family photo shoot
‘The first year I took photos of all my grandmas kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids it was a surprise Christmas present for her,’ she said.
‘She was so happy, she loved it. She was showing everyone the photos. Now I get her involved with the pictures every year.
‘It’s a long process and it’s always crazy, but it makes my grandma happy for Christmas and that’s all that matters,’ she added.
‘Everyone loves my grandma. All of our family, all my friends, they all love her. She has all her great-grandkids wrapped around her little finger.
‘My kids love her so much. My oldest son, she is his favorite person ever. It’s amazing for them having their great-grandma around and she still acts like a young person.’