Family Photo Shoots!

Christmas card picture attempts can get a little hairy....especially with the amount of people we have in a picture.  You need to go in to the "shoot" with a game plan:  namely, sit everyone down as quickly as possible and shoot as many pictures as you can before someone starts crying and hopefully most kids are looking at the camera and, in the best case scenario, actually smiling!

It doesn't always work out that way.  In fact, some of the last several years I have opted to simply use the photo cards with multiple picture spots and just fill them in with good pictures taken over the course of the year.

I tried this year(twice actually)...I really wanted a group shot!  It was just not meant to be!

Andrew and Luke not looking at the camera and Mike's hand looks oddly placed!

Andrew looks annoyed and ditto on Mike's hand!

Andrew looks really annoyed with eyes closed!

Ditto on Andrew, Kate is crying, Ellie isn't looking at the camera!

Then we gave up.....

......and tried again with 2 couches.

Peter looks ridiculous...and seriously, could Andrew just smile!

Ditto Peter and Andrew!

I was going to use this one except it didn't fit on the card!  UGH!!!  So much for the 2 couch idea!

This one, when enlarged, was out of focus:(...plus, Sarah is making a ridiculous smile and Ellie is man handling Luke.

Slightly out of focus and Kate was obviously done....

.....as is evident by her disappearance!

So, after all that, I spent an hour going through our pics trying to get combos so that 8 kids fit into 5 slots!  But it is done!  I will share the results when they come in the mail:)

Next year, I'm just taking 3 mini group shots at the get-go!