Our Family Pictures 2011

We try to have family pictures taken once a year around March. We make sure to get the most our of our photo session, having them serve as both Abbie and Carter’s annual pictures, our family pictures, and even grandparent pictures the last few years. Then I like to have just a few pictures taken of the kids in the Fall.

So while I may wish we would all just magically show up at the beautiful arboretum and take wonderful pictures in coordinating outfits and it be completely effortless, that is most definitely not the case!

About two months ahead of time I contact the photographer to try to schedule our session. I have to work around Steve’s and my parents work schedules, as well as the photographer’s schedule. I also have to think about the weather since we take them outdoors and if it will already be a million degrees here or if it will be cold and rainy, the kids schedules and what time of day they will be most happy (and not cranky), work around birthday activities since everyone in our family has a March birthday (except Carter of course), etc. This year since I wanted Bailey to be in the pictures, I also had to fill out a Pet Waiver form for the arboretum and send that in about 6 weeks in advance. Then a few weeks ahead of time everyone starts getting their hair cut. Not that they didn’t need hair cuts already, but I surely do not want them to have their crazy hair they sport most of the year (mostly Carter). I also made sure to get my hair cut, since I hadn’t had a chance to get it cut since LAST SUMMER. I also start looking for cute clothes for the kids to wear that look at least decent together. This is not an easy task. If I find a cute dress for Abbie, then I can’t seem to find a coordinating outfit for Carter and vice versa. Fortunately, Janie and Jack came out with boy/girl madras clothes right before our pictures and even had a sale, so I lucked out! I also have to search for shoes for them to wear, because at this time of the year we are typically wearing our Fall/Winter shoes into the ground, which are not usually matching to our Spring outfits. Then Steve and I hastily search our closets for something we can wear or end up buying something last minute at the store. By this point I am exhausted and tired of pictures, and we haven’t even taken them yet!

Our pictures were scheduled for 9:00 on a Sunday morning this year. Since the arboretum is about 40 minutes away and we don’t put the kids picture clothes on until we arrive, we had to leave at about 8:15. As in pulling out of the driveway, not just starting to leave the door, because it takes about 10 minutes for everyone, and all their stuff, to get loaded into the car. Steve and I had to wake up ridiculously early for a weekend in order to be ready to get the kids up and going. Of course the kids slept late that morning, since they had been to the zoo the day before. We had to wake them up and get them breakfast before racing out the door. We managed to arrive in time and were all set for our pictures at 9:00. The kids did fairly well this year for pictures. I was busy trying to fix hair, get smiles, etc. the entire time. It is a miracle any of the pictures of me our remotely decent because I was hot and sweaty thanks to the running around and humid weather. Pop Pop happened to be visiting that weekend so we were able to get pictures of the kids with Mimi, Bebe and Pop Pop. We wish Nana would have been here too! I think the pictures turned out really well and think all of the hard work was worth it. I was just so glad when they were over and we all came home and took naps that afternoon! I am now done with pictures for another year, or at least six months, but the ones with just the kids are a little easier. Enjoy the pictures!