Wanna know how the whole thing even started?! It was the pressure..the pressure to have the “PERRRRFECTLY” polished Christmas cards, ya know, because I am a <insert air quotes> “photographer” and it was my duty to have perfect cards to send out! I laugh every time I think back because I remember TRYINGGGGG to get that perfect family photo….let me break something to you, it’s impossible! WE are so imperfect and that’s why I love our little family so! We would get everything set up and Mallory’s nose would start running, so I’d run real quick to go grab a tissue but when there wasn’t one, I’d just use my sleeve. Then, I’d have this big snot rocket on my shirt and would think, “eww, people can’t see that (ya know because that’s “real life”) and right as that was going thru my mind, Greg would burp and I would get annoyed because “why isn’t he taking this seriously! I’d snap a few photos but it was clear by everyone’s smiles (especially mine), that they were so fake! Greg wanted to begin the garage, Mallory wanted to be watching cartoons and really, I just wanted to be eating chocolate. Then because I wanted them to sit still for so long and comb down that stray hair and fix that collar and straighten the shirt, Mallory would start crying because she wants to play and it seemed like a huge punishment, to her, to me and well the whole thing freakin sucked! I was sweaty, irritable and my lipstick was probably on my teeth and we ended up with zero shots that would even remotely convince people that we were normal. It just wasn’t worth it because it just wasn’t who were were. We were’t the “let’s sit in front of a fake fireplace, perfectly in our Sunday’s best and put on fake smiles for the camera” type of people…it just wasn’t us! AT ALL!
I get it-some people coordinate their outfits and spend countless hours coming up with the right about of “color and texture”…but let’s be honest, in 10 years, you’re going to look back and laugh at yourselves
So I though, well, if you can’t beat’em-join’em….and hence we now have a tradition! We dress up really ridiculously and take really awkward photos..I mean, we’re good at it anyways right?! haha! There’s usually one argument during the shoot, one of us is usually in a bad mood, the clothes are too tight, too big, or just uncomfortable, they usually don’t match…it’s perfect! Instead of forcing someone to smile, often times between shots we are forcing ourselves NOT to smile which usually results in snorting. We crack up like small school children between shots and we create memories. I no longer have to bed them to be part of it because it’s something we look forward to every year!
Wanna check out the past year’s photos, you know you wanna!!
From my family to yours….MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS! And don’t forget to laugh at yourselves! <3
Here they are. Couldn’t wait . Thank u for sharing.