For Your Enjoyment

Now I don't know about the other parents out there. Okay, truthfully, the mothers. I suppose a few fathers belong in this catagory, but I don't personally know any. Oh my gosh. Family pictures. What a horror. It is amazing there are any smiles at all, because it is pure torture getting them done. This time was NO exception. First, there are an awful lot of people to coordinate. Not just clothes, although of course I must add that particular form of bamboo-skewers-under-my-nails to this whole experience. I guess I am the kind of person who does things well, and this my bloggiest snickerdoodles includes suffering. Nine people must be in the same place at the same time. That was awful. A couple of temper tantrums, the most spectaular done by oldest son! He is 21 folks, yet he had the biggest hissy fit before we left.
The clothes alone were a three day torture-fest. Finding something everyone was willing to wear. The boys were the whiniest about it. The girls didn't care. Up until the moment we went in the room to get the picture taken, I was dealing with boys who were unhappy with their clothes. I swallowed my small amount of vanity and wore white, because the girls ended up wearing white, and while my sons don't like to admit it, I am a girl. I didn't want to wear white because it makes you look bigger and boy, I don't need any help in that department. You guys already heard the story of how Little Man acted and we had out of town company and this was the ONLY day this month this whole thing was happening and oh my gosh repeating all this reminds me why we only do this about twice a decade! But done it is and without further ado:




It isn't perfect, they cut Little Man's side of his face off. Pea isn't smiling and I do look bigger (even if I don't, please say I do!) BUT, we are smiling! Don't we look like a happy family? And really, sometimes we are. Along with some of the sad things, mad things, frustrating things, the picture is true, we love each other and at the foundation of it all, we are a happy family.
Run down on the peeps in the pic: Pygmy Child to the left in front. Princess holding her Pea, Me, Little Man. In the back: Bald Man, Oldest Son, Tank and JJ. There we are. Hope you enjoy it, I am just going to try to forget how horrible it was to get it taken and remember the smiles instead.