All I want for Christmas is a good family photo

Every year we take family pictures.  Once a year is all Charlton will agreed to.  I love doing it, or maybe I should say that I love having the pictures.  I actually dread the day we take them because you never know if the kids will cooperate.  I need to just relax and enjoy the time outside with my family...but that's not my style.  I prefer to be stressed.  Why?  I don't know- gotta stop that.

I knew this year would be particularly challenging because James is "at that age," which can be translated as a difficult stage.  You know what I'm talking about moms.  Time with kids between 1 and 3 years can get a little dicey.   I told my photographer friend, Katie, to be prepared.  But I forgot one thing: Katie is a magician with kids.  James (as predicted) did not cooperate very well.  I was worried that we wouldn't get any good pictures because as soon as we picked him up or sat him on a bench, he would duck his head and scream.  I just knew all our pictures would look like this...

Surprisingly, there's only one picture of James like this but several of me looking stressed.  Figures.  I've learned my lesson.   Like I said, my friend Katie from Katie Lee Photography, works wonders with children.  Steven actually posed for her this year which Charlton and I thought was hilarious.  Check out all the wonderful pictures she took of us late November.   If you need a photographer, please give her a call.  I am convinced that we would not have one great photo of our family if it weren't for Katie.