Here is the holiday card we sent out - ignore the dashes around the text on the right. This was a draft I sent to Phil!
I don't know how my cousin's wife got as many great photos as she did. She's a miracle worker.
After we had pictures taken last fall, Phil told me he would never look at people's holiday cards the same ever again because they do not show the misery that is often behind these beautiful family photos - or how much work it is to get 4 people looking presentable and photo-ready.
We had pictures taken in late September. My cousin's wife took them after work on a beautiful fall day. But can I just say the pictures do not at all reflect the sh*t show experience of taking pictures with young children? We were not holly, jolly, merry, nor bright, despite what you see in these pictures!
Last year, we took them early in the day on a Saturday morning and froze so I thought surely this year would be better. Nope, it was worse! We went to the area by the creek that is a block north of our house. Will almost fell in the creek twice. And then face-planted a few times. Even though we had a record drought, the boys managed to find mud and got that mud all over Phil's shirt. Will didn't want to be held and didn't want to stand still for photos.
And yet, we still get pictures taken each year, much to Phil's chagrin. He would love to do away with this tradition but if we don't get family pictures, I am honestly not in any photos with my kids. I am the one capturing the candid photos or asking people to pose for a picture. Yes, I could ask Phil to take more photos but it is just not in his nature to do so. So I put my foot down and make us get professional photos every year.
I could have drank an entire bottle of wine after these photos and still been on edge! But - the photos are gorgeous snapshots of a fleeting stage of life. They are worth every penny we spend on them.
So whether your weekend includes a Christmas celebration or not, maybe your weekend be truly holly, jolly, merry and bright!
14 comments:
I really like your holiday card! I think that your pictures and your post really convey how we are about our presented self vs our real self in many ways. How many times have you looked at Facebook or Instagram and thought how good or happy or (fillintheblank) that person's life is when really they had a $hit show of their own but are only showing the good photos. Or how many times have you watched a 5 minute YouTube video and thought how easy it must be to capture the moment?
Ha! I have made a YouTube video and it took hours and hours of footage and editing to make the experience look the way you wanted it to. And I have gone through hundreds and hundreds of photos to try to find the best ones for my holiday card or shared photo album etc. There are so many blurry, muddy, grumpy, hungry, cold...etc. moments that just don't get captured in the story. So thanks for sharing your real life! I appreciate it and can relate and sympathize! Enjoy the rest of your week and your weekend!
Hahahahaha I remember those days. Actually, we still all argue when we are doing the photos, and they eventually turn out well. To add to the fun we use a tripod and timer, and that ends up being full of angst - no one remembers how to use the timer, now everything is off-centre, etc. Anyway. The photos are great and it's a brilliant reminder of how things are not always as they seem. I have a friend on IG, and it would appear that her life is absolutely incredibly perfect. YET I know what goes on behind the scenes and IT IS NOT. It's just a good thing to remember in general!
Happy holidays! See you on the other side!
This is exactly why I started taking my boys to a photographer for Christmas (and birthday) photos. Getting them to sit still, look and smile at a camera etc etc etc is hard work! I can’t imagine me pulling off usable pictures for Christmas cards. Our photographer gets amazing pictures of them and I’m forever grateful and definitely worth every Penny.
Those are great photos!! I love hearing the back story here, hahaha! Thanks for the reminder to take everything with a grain of salt...lol. We do not do professional photos. We have a few times total- last time being 2015 I think! I like the idea, but it just seems like way too much work and effort for me. I take SOOOOO many photos anyway, that it seems kind of unnecessary in my case. And I am pretty good about making a point to have Ivan snap some of me on vacations, or we often have my parents around too who will take group shots for us. I posted my xmas card on my blog today too! Since I do take so many photos, I struggle to cull them down to pick which ones to put on the card. 2022 was a pretty epic travel year for us too, so I had an extra hard time. I usually end up picking a card design that holds an obnoxious number of photos so at least I don't have to limit it down to just 1 or 2. haha.
I so appreciate the honesty and back story. This is exactly why I don't do professional photos, but like Kae I end up taking a fair amount and often make my husband or parents or sister in law take photos with me in them otherwise mom disappears! Why is that???? Super cute sweater by the way!
I think we've discussed the horror that is family pictures. Every year (until this one) we had someone in tears. Actually - this year, my son fell down some stairs and DID cry actually. I dread the experience for months. I don't know why it's always so hard and exhausting. It started being the gong show of working around naps and cold temperatures (I always waited until the fall, so the mornings were cold, but this worked best for naps/bedtime).
Having a second child just made it doubly hard.
I also am a liability because I have weird eyelids (sad, but true) that are always 1/2 closed. No one notices it in real life, but it means that in at least 50% of pictures my eyes are closed. I think it's hereditary because my father and one of my sisters and my brother all have the same issue; my mother and my other sister ALWAYS have their eyes open properly.
This year we took the pictures ourselves which was fine; we didn't actually end up with a great picture of the 4 of us together, so I pieced pictures together on our cards of the two kids, of my husband and I and other combinations.
Every year I debate not getting family pictures done, but then always go ahead and do it because, like you, I am not in my pictures with my kids and it is also really nice to have these nice pictures where everyone is looking at the camera and in focus to look back on. Even if I do know the wailing and gnashing of teeth it took to get the photo. There are a lot of smoke and mirrors with Christmas card pictures...
FAMILY PICTURES ARE THE WORST.
I have a neighbor who takes documentary pics and is super smug and kind of rude about posed pics, and it makes me so mad because the pictures! Are a struggle! And then to be judged for taking them is just... it's too much. Also, if I am going to pay for pro pics, I want to look good in them. But anyway-- these are adorable and your card is SO SO SO cute. Merry Christmas!!
We got your card in the mail! Thank you so much! It's lovely to have all my bloggy friends represented on the holiday card display.
You would never know based on those photos that the day was anything less than wonderful. I am INSISTENT that my husband take our photo on our wedding anniversary every year. This always involves the tripod and our digital camera and I think he's annoyed by how much of a priority I make it, but in the end he's happy to have an ongoing record of our lives. Most years, including this year, it's the one we use on our holiday card. Otherwise, it's hard to get photos of the two of us together because it's usually just the two of us!
happy holidays!!! love the pics. i know it takes a lot of effort to take pics with the kids. We did it 6 years ago, maybe we should repeat it soon.
what a great way to memorize those moments.
These photos are SO beautiful -- what a fabulous card! And the story behind them is just so... REAL. Also, I am really glad you make the case to take the photos every year, even if it's a pain. Having you in the photos is important!
I hope you are feeling better, Lisa, and that you have a fun and festive weekend. Hoping that your weather isn't quite so cold as ours is (although I am not optimistic because I think you live in a VERY cold place), so that you and the kids can get OUTDOORS and burn some energy. I'm not sure if even your oldest is old enough to follow along with Cosmic Kids Yoga, but I recall many, many inclement days during which I turned to those videos for a little distraction and a little exercise.
"Phil told me he would never look at people's holiday cards the same ever again because they do not show the misery that is often behind these beautiful family photos" <-- This made me laugh. I know having this insight into what went into getting those nice family photos is so helpful for moms, especially moms who opt out of family photos because it is such a hassle! Nothing is every sunshine and rainbows, and it's good to have that perspective.
Merry Christmas Lisa!!!!! I hope you're all having a wonderful day. You deserve a medal for getting those photos done. I know it's hideous but so worth it (the pictures don't reflect all the angst you went through- they came out really nice!) When my kids were little I gave up on formal pictures- at some point I would tell the kids to get in front of the Christmas tree and take a really quick picture for our Christmas cards- and now I don't even do that. Hmm, maybe next year.
I laughed at your Christmas photo story (love the card, by the way) because Molly experienced the same thing with the boys this year. One was all in! The other -- not so much. Somehow they managed to get a few good ones!
Great pictures and I loved your card :)
Good for you for making Phil pose for these family pictures. One day, he'll look back and thank you for insisting to "capture" those memories, as painful as it was while making them ;)
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