Thursday, December 11, 2008

I decided I should send out Christmas cards this year. Pretty much every year I decide this, and when January first rolls around with no Christmas card, I give up. But this year, I thought I'd make it easy. We'd take a good picture of all five of us (we have only one - NOT good! - of our family since Julia was born), put it on a card, and mail it. No writing. No signing. Easy.


Until I decided, "We have a good camera. Why pay Sears or JC Penny's $20 to take our picture when we can do it ourselves?" Caleb started working 12 hour days, so I gave up on his help (he's the photographer of the family) and decided to put just the kids in the picture. Nobody wants to see me and Caleb anyway.


So Tuesday afternoon after nap time, I thought "the kids are happy, I'll get 'em dressed, sit 'em on the couch and take pictures. If I take enough, I'm bound to get a good one sooner or later." Two hours, 219 pictures (not exaggerating!), sticky candy canes, many lost hair bows, and several crying fits later here are the good ones. Yes, I said the good ones.



































































Any votes for which one is worthy of the Christmas card?
I learned:
-Even with a good camera, I have NO talent as a photographer! Apparently it takes some skill besides point and shoot....
-Next time, pay someone else to take the pictures!!!
-People who take pictures of children EARN their money! I was exhausted!!!
Caleb looked at these pictures and trying to be an encouraging husband, said "Wow! I'm impressed that you kept trying for so long!" Which I took to imply that when I realized how bad I was, I should've given up long before I did... =)
I think the one I took the night before of Caleb and the kids in their jammies decorating the tree is better (although Caleb thinks his hair is messed up and would not agree with me). At least they're all looking at the camera in this pic!






3 comments:

Becky said...

Melody, these pictures are priceless! Your kids are so cute . . . and Kylie looks so much like Caleb when she smiles! I'm almost positive that Caleb is grinning just like that in one of his early elementary school pictures.

-C said...

You did great!! Christina just took our family's pictures and I'm certain there were many more and lots of "uncooperating" ones. :) The good thing is you only need one ... I think the first two are AWESOME! Go for it! Way to save the cash. Consider it one more notch in your "mom belt". ;)

Melody said...

Thanks for reminding me that "the perfect family picture" is not necessarily what I want. These pictures are definitely more true to how my kids actually act. I have to laugh, Becky, b/c that is virtually exactly what Caleb said when he looked at that picture of Kylie! =)