Say it loud. Say it proud. I may be biased, but this is an AWESOME picture! Look how each child is showing a little bit of themselves! What better way to capture a moment in time?
Looking at this year's picture I couldn't help but look back on previous Christmas pictures. There is this great shot from 2007. It was the wallpaper on my laptop until 2009 was taken. I admit, I used to do the "perfect family" pictures. Every year, until 2005. We didn't have the time or money for professional pictures. So I lined the kids up in front of our tree. And commenced to taking pictures. Going of course, for the perfect Christmas card picture. About ten minutes into the picture taking my kids did this. We did end up with a shot that was your stereo-typical card picture. But I couldn't bring myself to print that one. I had to go with the shot that had so much personality! And it has been our way ever since. :)
Now this does have it's down falls. Not everyone appreciates my kids being such free spirits. Take my family for instance. In the summer of 2009, the kids and I traveled to Iowa for my parents 40th Anniversary. Professional pictures were taken. A few weeks before, my dad was expressing concern over how the pictures would go. I explained that we just needed to relax our expectations and it would be fine. "Everybody looking and hopefully no one crying." Dad says "and everyone smiling." I replied that "Smiling is not requisite (part of our problem may have been my use of big words). Just looking in the direction of the camera." I should have remembered to point out that my kids tend to be quite vibrant in their expressions of personality.
We had a wonderful photographer. (If you are in need of a photographer in/near Lake View, Iowa, look up Jen Wolleson!) But let's face it, getting 9 people over 18 - it would be a stretch to call all of us adults - and 9 kids aged 10 and under (including two 5yr olds and three 3yr olds) even just looking at the same time is a feat! She did manage to get the desired by grandma shot. But my favorite... Brandy is in a "ta-da" pose, there are bunny ears popping up, grins are pulled wide with fingers. And the cherry on top? My nephew, pulling his ears wide to make fun of his uncle, my brother - who can't stiffle a snicker. THAT is the one that I had enlarged, framed and put on my wall! I may very well be the only one who ordered that picture. But it is the only one that belonged on my wall. ;-)
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