21.1.22

Family Photos | November 2021

One of the things I haven't been able to let go of yet is sending Christmas cards.  It seems to be a lost art now.  I've always loved letters, both writing and receiving them, and I love pretty paper.  I almost gave up the Christmas card in 2020, but I decided that's not how I wanted to end the year.  This past year it was more of the same.  As much as I love sending Christmas cards, the worst part is always the picture.  I stink at taking pictures, and my people are not very cooperative.  I'm not sure why picture-taking day is the worst day of their lives.  At the same time I'm dreading the picture, I'm very aware of the fact that I might have only two Christmas cards left with Mason.  At that thought, I decided it was time to get a photographer for family photos.  So I did.  Here are my favorites.

These pictures were taken at Rosedown Plantation.  It was a moody fall afternoon.  I was thrilled with the berries on the trees.  This was our Christmas card photo.

Mason refuses to smile for pictures.  This was early in our session.  I had to act crazy and remind him that his smile is worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $6,000 and that I expect him to show it.  He laughed, and our photographer got this shot.  He hates it.  I love it.

I thought Hannah Kate was going to die when the photographer asked for a sister picture.  We got several, but this one is my very favorite because it captures their relationship perfectly.  Ellie absolutely adores her big sister and looks up to her so much.  She doesn't like it when Hannah Kate isn't at home.  The first thing she does before anything else when she gets home from school is go upstairs to Hannah Kate's room.  She knew Hannah Kate wasn't thrilled with these pictures, and she loved every second of it.  Hannah Kate, on the other hand, wants you to think her little sister is annoying.  There's definitely some truth in that.  But she also loves hanging out with Ellie (most of the time) and indulges her.  I'm pretty sure Hannah Kate is not even looking at Ellie in this picture but off in the distance like she's trying to ignore her but really isn't.  Again, perfect.

When I got the proofs, I knew I wanted one of the pictures of us holding hands.  So I chose this one for final edits.  It wasn't until the edits were finished that I realized Mason and Ellie were not cooperating.  But, again, this sums it up perfectly.  I can remember telling the photographer when she placed us for this picture that Mason and Ellie did not need to be beside one another, especially if they were expected to hold hands.  But that's where she wanted Mason.  And I also remember explicitly telling the two of them to cooperate.  I guess they did the best they could.  This picture ended up on the wall.