Long-Awaited Family Photos

If you've ever searched "family pictures" on Pinterest, you know what to expect. Little children giggling and covering their eyes in the background while Mom and Dad kiss. Parents holding babies and toddlers in their arms and throwing them in the air. Little ones piling onto Mom and Dad's lap.

These pictures are adorable. I love little families. However, I find you start to run into complications when your immediate family, composed of your parents, siblings, and spouse, is 10 people. Add to that the fact that most of the children are bigger than the parents, and the number of options for "cute" family photo poses greatly decreases.

I have a feeling Mom and Dad would require medical attention if we all tried to pile onto their laps like the toddlers we were years ago.

So, we have to banish any idea of "cute," and go for more of a "Group picture of all the members of a country music group" look instead.

Here's to grown up family portraits.

It was cold, which explains why nearly everyone is wearing jackets. Puffy winter coats would probably have been more appropriate, but they are too ugly. The wind was blowing our hair in our faces, and half of the family was wearing clothes borrowed from me or other relatives, because they own no clothes appropriate for Michigan weather and it doesn't make sense to buy any. But for the first time in over three years, we were all in the same place at the same time and that deserved documentation.

 The staircase photo shot grows ever more mixed up and gradual.

By birth order, from left to right we are: #7, #6, #1, #4, Angel, #5, #2, and #3

Mom and Dad. :)

The most common complaint we heard when inspecting the photos resulting from the shoot was "Hey! Rachel's/Anna's/Rebekah's hair is blocking my face!"

But really, what else can you expect in a family full of curly-haired gals?