The definition of insanity...

      Back when Kaelyn was born we made it a goal to have family pictures taken every fall along with the kids individual school pictures. You know, sometime in August or September. This is not how it has played out in reality. Usually it is more like December, and we didn't even get around to it in 2010! I got my DSLR in April of 2008 and was so excited that after I had learned to master that camera I could save a lot of money by taking those family pictures myself.

      I first attempted to do so in 2009, but with more than one failed photo session that year I decided that it is simply too hard to be both the mom and the photographer! The mom in me desperately wants a nice photograph to send to the grandparents, something frame worthy. The photographer in me knows how to coax a smile, the mom in me only seems to get those pained grimaces that magically only exist when the camera is out. Not only that, but being on both sides of the lens it quite the challenge. It is very hard to get everyone smiling and looking at the camera in the instant that the 10 second timer on the camera runs up.

    Since that went so well it seemed only logical that this month (Oct) I figured it was time to try again. I am very pleased to report that things turned out much better this year than they did in 2009. That is thanks to a lot more experience, a remote control, and a little photoshop magic. I am convinced it is impossible to get everybody looking at the camera and smiling if you aren't behind the lens.

That is not to say it was easy.

I took a whole lot of pictures that you wouldn't put on the wall, but they make me smile. 

   To this last picture I must say, "Yes, Alyssa we will be doing this every year. Get used to it."