Our Christmas Photo Shoot

My husband and I have always taken our own family photos, even our engagement and birth photos were taken by one of us. I know there are plenty of more professional and fancy ways to get the perfect photo (believe me, I admire!), but there's something about fussing over camera angles and shirts tucked in and who's too stiff - and right as the camera clicks - "smile!" that I hate to miss out on.

We decided to do our own Christmas card photo shoot this year in my new favorite beauty of a location. Little Butterfly and I were hooked once we discovered beautiful hikes, a creek, and a working farm that sits on 1600 acres and just a twenty minute drive from our home. I vowed to return every week if we could. So we all wore our red and green last Sunday and snapped a few photos. We did try our best to get one of those dreamy family photos I so admire on blogs and social media. Really we tried. I even had a few family poses planned with the best hopes in mind.

I knew we were in trouble when Little Butterly insisted on impersonating a goat right at the beginning of our little shoot. You could hear, "baaaaa!" echoing for miles, and then me pleading, "you make a wonderful goat honey, the best I've heard! But please let's wait until after our Christmas photos!" She only switched to "moooos" after that. Things got worse when we discovered our tripod was left at home. But we were looking so polished, we couldn't give up!

We never got the perfect shot. Yet after looking at a few, I felt each photo perfectly represented us as family. We don't skip through meadows, hand in hand. We don't smile in the same direction on command. And one of us is a always a little stiff. So for all of you dear friends and family getting our Christmas card this year, we are honored to make it in your card collection. Little Butterfly screaming, "baaaaa!" and all.