The Photo Shoot that Wouldn't Be...

Every year, I attempt the impossible--to get all three girls neatly dressed up, all sitting still, and smiling simulaneously at a camera held by a poor, sweet, unsuspecting photographer. The girls are beautfully photogenic, and I always know the effort was worth it when I have 200 (yes, 200!) glossy Christmas photo-cards in my hands.

This year, I got even more ambitious. David and I have been married for 10 years now, and have had NO formal photos taken of us together since our wedding--let alone FAMILY photos! So, I decided the time had come.

I found dresses for the girls, and matching shirts for David and me, and set up an appointment with local, photographer-extraordainer Vicki Madden to not only take our photos--but take them OUTSIDE! Vicki has a really great, casual style, capturing candid, walking-through-fields--stomping through creeks kind of photos.

HOWEVER--we had to reschedule our original, October appointment (something about David needing a new hat), and on the afternoon of our long-awaited, November photo-shoot, it started pouring rain outside. POURING!!! I did my best not to cry, and while I was finishing prettying-up the girls, David and Vicki set about a new plan--we would shoot in the barn.

Vicki did a lovely job. And as she snapped a few last shots of the girls, I whipped out my iPhone and snapped a few of Vicki!

As you can see--the girls were having a wonderful time, and were pretty good sports the entire time, even with flash-battery trouble, getting horses to stand still, Jacklyn's three potty breaks, and Rhian's near-hypothermia dramatics.

What resulted were beautiful, although very posed, photos of the girls. David and I, however, look really, dreadfully horrible. Yikes! I was wearing the WRONG thing--it made me look 30 pounds heavier. My new, lighter hair color looked really brassy. David looked tortured and held his head in a way to give him double-chins.

Needless to say, David, Vicki, and I are all saying, "We'll try again in the spring, when things are green, and its not raining." We'll stomp through creeks, and walk through fields, and climb on hay bales, and we will have lovely, candid photos.

But--we do have beautiful photos of the girls for the Christmas cards.