...the before the perfect Holiday Photo

The good. The bad. The ugly. Tell me your family has these too?!

Every year my husband begs for a professional phtographer to do our Christmas pictures and every year I'm like, "No, I got this!" such the optomist.

So every year we go through this....

It's a beautiful thing. Two a@@es, two handsome smiles, and too much space for a toddler to run free.

But trapping toddlers is never a good idea either.  Damn't.

And limiting a family of 4 to a 10 second window isn't recommended either. Although, I try every year.

and no, we are not singing carols.

And, just when you think you may have captured the perfect picture for your Holiday Cards...you later realize it was out of focus and of no real quality. Shiitake!!

It could have been much worse. I could have forced everyone into cheesy, matching outfits expecting us to fit perfectly around the base of a tree in some awkward pose. Or I could have demanded we all buy Christmas themed pajama's and sit together wrapped in Christmas lights, which would have undoubtedly sent our youngest into an almighty fit. I don't know how those families pull it off. Instead, I carried my camera with us throughout the day (abused my timer switch) as we waited over 3 hours to see Santa...more on that later.


So, yes dear hubby, next year we will do professional pictures.
Meanwhile this gem will do for Christmas 2012.

Happy Holidays to all my Blogging Buddies!




Linked with Embrace the Camera Challenge and Mom's Monday Mingle