Family pictures are HARD. I totally GET IT!!

You’re trying to find the perfect outfit that matches and “goes” together, without being matchy, matchy. You’ve scoured Pinterest boards, and put together colors, and you find something for the kids, and the hubby and then you realize that you have no idea what you’re going to wear – yes, picking out clothes is sometimes harder than the pictures. 

And then, you’ve got them all picked out, and everything is going great until you ask one child to get his “picture clothes” on and he has a total complete meltdown. His eyes are red and bloodshot, tears are streaming down his face, he’s yelling at you that he is “NOT wearing that for pictures because he HATES it!” He refuses all offers of bribery and promises, he is not going to budge. You scour his closet looking for something, ANYTHING, that will work for the pictures and you come up with one, AWFUL, graphic long sleeve shirt that he agrees to wear, and it sort-of matches the colors, so you agree, after all pictures are in 20 minutes and you have to drive to the location. – yes, I’m speaking from experience, these are my least favorite pictures!

Then you get to the location, and another child won’t cooperate. Won’t smile. Won’t look the photographer, won’t do anything you want them to. They are usually very pleasant and easy going. They are usually smiley and happy. But, just this once, for an hour, they are not going to cooperate no matter what you do. – Sound Familiar? 

Don’t even get me started on EXTENDED family pictures and even trying to come up with a DATE and TIME that works for everyone!! And coordinating outfits, you’ve got to be kidding me!

Does it make you wonder why it’s even worth the hassle to take family pictures? 

THIS IS MY WHY: Because one day you, or someone in your family, will be gone. One day you will want a reminder of your loved one, you will want to look back at those sweet memories and cherish the times you had together. You will want a tangible reminder that they lived. And, you will cherish EVERY SINGLE ONE, whether it’s blurry, or faded or cut into shapes in your scrapbook – you know what I’m talking about you early paper scrapbookers – One day, hopefully a long time in the future, you will be so grateful that you worked so hard to have those family pictures taken.

I know this because I’ve lost two of my loved ones in the last two years.  My sweet mom, Cindy passed away on November 14th, 2015 from Ovarian Cancer and my sweet sister-in-law, Jennifer passed away suddenly on May 29, 2017. You have no idea how much these pictures mean to me now and how grateful I am that we MADE THESE HAPPEN! It was cold, mom didn’t feel well, one brother was sick {and couldn’t touch mom}, we were running late, mom hates the scarf on her head, the kids didn’t all cooperate and they aren’t perfect, but I don’t even care! They are priceless to me!!