When family photos represent every day but today.

09 Nov When family photos represent every day but today.

A couple Thursdays ago, I was deliberately picking out shirts, pants, and accessories that would compliment each other without being too matchy-matchy. The large back of our couch held each family member’s items so that as I walked by, I could rearrange, pull off, and start over. I decided to use Jaeda’s “dots sweatshirt,” per her term, and give the rest of the family one dot of color that would be theirs.

A couple Fridays ago, we enjoyed some neighborhood fall festivities and a late-night visit with dear friends who were kidless and requested to spend that precious time with little ol’ us! I also employed a maternity belt for the first time and for the first time I sneezed without my hip popping out of place, a real moment of gratitude for this sore mama! And lastly, I put the final touches on the outfits (as in completely changed everyone’s tops but Jaeda’s).

A couple Saturdays ago, we woke up with the worst case of the grumps we’ve had all year. Poor Mom sleep due to hip flexor pain, poor Dad sleep due to bad kid dreams, poor kid sleep due to those dreams and needs for consoling. Then breakfast wouldn’t cook right, kind words were nowhere to be found, and even smiles contained a sarcastic flair. I was ready to cancel the photo shoot and declare that we’d try again in never or so. “We ARE a family; we DO love each other; and we WILL BE HAPPY!” I shouted as the van doors closed our grumpiness in.

For the most part, it didn’t work. Corban had his own ideas for where he wanted to stand; Jaeda decided she didn’t want anything to do with anyone but her daddy. And James and I? We breathed words like memories and we’ll-laugh-about-this-someday as our very small consolation prize for having our Seldom Bad Day on Family Picture Day. We’ll need to time it better next time.

But do you know what? For all that I worked it up to be, somehow Lena Winn‘s lens found the few moments we were all happy and captured each one in deceitful bliss. The pictures show a mostly happy, loving family! Which truly is how we feel, but wow, does Murphy ever show up at the most inopportune moments (which, I think, is his M.O.). We enjoyed time on the boardwalk behind the hospital and the apple orchard near church. Lena was the perfect clown for the kids, had the best ideas and clear directions (and props–that tent!), and was so gracious toward us in difficult moments.

one of our top two!

the other of the top two!

sigh of relief; we DO love each other!

Thanks again, Lena! Next time, we’ll be sure not to invite Murphy to our day.