There's a First for Everything

In September we did something we have never ever done before.......

hire a photographer for family pictures!!!!

It's always been a time-your-phone and we'll-take-two-pics-and-hopefully-one-will-work type of thing for us. Brooks wanted a family pic to blow up big on our wall and so obviously Brooks' phone camera wouldn't cut it. Plus, he gave me this for our anniversary.

Let me explain, I LOVE family pictures....but they seem to get out-of-date so fast!! And then they are missing like two of my kids before I know it! Anyway, this was kinda a treat for me so I immediately started thinking of outfits to coordinate and what colors....and I was seriously losing sleep. I'm not good at those types of things. I told Brooks I narrowed it down to a gray-blue-green-white coordinating outfits and he said, "Please don't tell me we are going to match!"

"Match?!? No way, COORDINATE is more like it!"

Then he told me I could do whatever I wanted but wouldn't it be kinda weird to see my family all matchy-matchy? And how when we look back on this picture we won't really SEE how the kids were in their clean/hand-picked clothes. Then he reminded me of the TEARS before our last family picture when I got us "coordinating" with moans of "I'm so UGLY!", "This is the worst outfit ever". 

He had a point.

He suggested that we just tell the kids we are having a family picture that we want to put up on our wall and they could wear whatever they wanted.

As SOON as he mentioned that it was like I felt FREE! It was SO perfect. So US!!!!! And so stress-free. It really made it more enjoyable for everyone. (and lucky me, I got to dress Kellyn and Everly in whatever I wanted!!!)

So yes, we let them pick what they wore.....and it definitely is ..... them.

My two favorite outfits had to have been Aleeya's and Royce's. 

Aleeya picked her mermaid (WITH FINS!!!!) sequin skirt......that apparently is see-through (which we didn't know until after the pics came back. Lovely.) She just thought she was so pretty!

And Roycey's boots. He wears his spiderman rain boots literally every day. They will forever symbolize Royce at this age for me.

We had the pictures done on a too-overcast day (our photographer , Kayla did wonders to lighten everything up) in downtown Greenville. Literally RIGHT in the middle of down there is a waterfall and this park area with all these trails. Brooks and I walk down there for our dates a lot and this place seemed perfect for my family because it will remind us of Greenville.

Kayla got some really cute ones of the girls alone, boys alone and then with us as parents. 

THE BOOTS!!!!!! I just love Royce in them so much!!!!

CLEARLY Brooks was making them laugh in this picture..... (cue the see-through skirt once more)

 I got some cute ones of each child but I'm posting a few that just captured another part of their personalities that I just love. 

Gosh, Emerson just has EVERYONE he meets loving him for obvious reasons. He is just so much. Just jammed packed with......Emerson.

 Yes, angel-face DOES in fact, have an extremely mischievous side to him.

Laughing at dad.....

When she sent me the proofs I just couldn't believe how much detail her camera actually picked up!!!  I saw this one and commented on how wonderful the detail was and how it even picked up the "smile wrinkles" (crows-feet) around my eyes!!!!

Then she said, "Oh, I can try to edit them out if you want me to."

To which I said, "DON'T YOU DARE!!!! I'm 33 years old and I worked HARD for those smile-lines!!!! " I actually love smile-wrinkles.

 It was tricky trying to keep the kids focused on the task at hand and not.....you know.....with the DUCKS!!!! (Emerson actually caught one)

Kayla had so many other good ideas on a family picture but by the time 45 minutes passed the kids were........done.......and I mean PUT-A-FORK-THEM!!!! Silly us for suggesting just Oooooooone more picture.

(I wish Kellyn and Iris could be more expressive sometimes you just NEVER know how they are feeling.......)

Then we walked back to the Yeti through downtown.........I'm sure no one noticed my family walking.....or the huge van horribly parked (by Brooks, I might add) and sticking out. (back-right of the picture)

But we survived and I'm SUPER glad we did it.

Now I just have to decide which full-family picture I like the best!!!!!

I CAN'T DECIDE!!!!!