Family Pictures of 2013....They all end up the same

It seems as though I get the same post brewing in my head this time of year. As soon as family pictures are done and over with, I have this sudden urge to write about it. How they went. How they didn't go. Which ones I liked. Which ones I didn't like. What we chose for our Christmas card, and what we would do differently next time. If there is a next time.

I don't think I'll write about them in that way. In the order mentioned above, I mean. I think I'll just write just the way that things went down.

Here's the thing--we rarely ever get a real photographer to do our pictures. Actually, it's only been one time that we have had professional pictures done. Not because I don't think that it is a good investment or a waste of time, but because my family is just not that into pictures. HA. Laugh, go ahead. Me, the person that loves to have the camera out---actually has a family that isn't into pictures. Actually, I don't think that it should be much of a surprise. I don't know many men and little children that are into posed pictures. I don't blame them. So mine? Mine is that family that says---"You have 5 minutes mom!" So I take that 5 minutes and run with it. Although it turns into more like 20 minutes.

Normally, I have my sister come over and we just drive around and snap a few photos. But because the days {and weeks and months} have been flying by in a blink of an eye, I quickly realized that we were running out of weekends to do this, and if I wanted to have a single picture for the Christmas card, then I better get to it.

And to it I did--except, I picked one of the worst days to do so. When there were reports of "wind danger, extreme storms, and rain." Good one Becky. Again, that's what happens when you wait until the last mintue.

So picture this--- I get everyone's outfits ready 5 minutes before we need to leave for Church {way to think ahead Becky}. Kind of all thrown together. I throw all my camera stuff together---and by all, I mean, camera, bag, lens, and stand. And then we went off to service, hoping and praying that the children stay happy and during service. Better yet, happy after service. But even more importantly, that mother nature would remain calm. We knew she was already on edge. As my door flings open every time I get in and out of the car, and my hair is flying everywhere.

Because of the time constraints, and knowing that we were running into lunch time as well as nap time for the kids, I knew that going far away would be a deal breaker for us. Therefore, I settled with our own neighborhood--in the park. I had Andrew pull the car over, while I quickly set up the scene. Threw a blanket on the ground, had a bag of snacks laying on top of the blanket {bribing}, put my tripod together, adjusted my settings for the lighting, adjusted the tripod again, adjusted the settings one more time, and then finally said screw it and went to get the family out of the car. I knew that I was in trouble, but all I wanted was ONE picture.

The kids did okay initially. I mean, the first 20 seconds. The husband? He was great. Really responsive to my requests {commands, demands, however you want to call it}, and worked with me well. We made a great team during this picture taking edeavor. 

Let us do another "picture this" moment. Picture me, running like a wild crazy woman to the camera, clicking the picture button, then running back, and having 10 seconds to arrange everyone for our pose. I tried. I tried to even do cute poses, like throw the kids up in the air and all that. Except, I didn't take into account that I had focused the camera and by moving everyone around I messed up the focus. No, didn't account for that at all.

I got one. I got ONE semi-okay-but-not-really-it's-still-blurred-family-picture. One.

But I did get a few of the kids. Cute little squeeeeeeze their cheeks pictures, and that's all that matters. It's all that matters because when I look back at these pictures, I will remember those funny moments of one child crying because she had to go potty, the other one on edge because the wind was about to throw him across the park, and a husband who just wanted to get ONE good picture for me. Just one. Because he needed to get home in time for the football games.

I wish I could say no more family photos anytime in our future. Except, I want a good one by the tree, and I'm already beginning to plan our wardrobe for the spring session, and then it will be summer time before you know it. And I'm exhausted just thinking about it already. This time though, I'll plan ahead.  I'll get the right date with the good weather, and hopefully happy family members. And no tripod. I'm retiring the tripod.

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