At the beginning of each family, session parents are a bit flustered- those that aren't are rare ESPECIALLY when kids are involved! There are outfits to 'straighten,' hair to tame, 'real smiles' to be had, and 'no fighting' allowed, and maybe even a few tears and noses to be wiped. Yes, it's true, each and every time that tends to be the theme...If you have teenagers you get the eye roll and shoulder shrugging...I'm here to tell you that is normal. My little family takes 2-3 family photos a year because of this reason-kids are unpredictable! If you knew how often I had to 'pay up' on bribes I offer my children for 'one good picture' you would be astonished. You may think of me as a fraud, but as a mom, you do what you gotta do. I suggest you try it, you'll thank me later...(I do suggest holding off on all sticky treats until AFTER all the photos are taken though...made that mistake once).
Growing up, my mom liked to 'coordinate' our outfits- I think that's great and totally normal but as a kid, I HATED when my mom picked out my outfits. I didn't like tan pants- still don't like wearing them- wearing white or tan pants is like screaming to the world, "HEY MAYHEM I'M WEARING TAN/WHITE PANTS COME AND HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!"...OH! You haven't had grape juice in a year? Wow, let's change that, here you go! Whoops, big spill...good luck getting that out? OH, I see you're wearing white pants, we'll let's just send a big mud puddle your way... Ah, tan huh? I know a cute toddler that would just love to wipe his chocolate ice cream covered face all over your pants- but it's cute because they are giving you a hug!
Can you tell I don't like wearing white/tan pants? I'm just saying. The day you see me wearing either of those, you know I'm either stupid, brave, don't have a choice, or my other clothes are dirty and I'm on the last pair of decent pants...
ANYWAY, I'm sure our poor mom probably had a love/hate relationship with family photos, each time she scheduled them I'm sure she was filled with excitement to think of seeing her whole family in a 'nice' and updated family photo on the wall. I'm equally sure that her heart probably had to prepare itself for an all-out battle to be had with her children. I will admit, I was probably the biggest 'whiner' of the bunch. I don't know what it was, but having my outfit picked out for me just undid me! Now, I would pay someone to pick out the outfits for our family pictures! Regardless of the fight we, ok I put up, each year mom made sure we took a family photo. Each year she would religiously get a group and individual photos printed and place them on the wall. It seemed such a simple thing, but I remember walking by and feeling a sense of pride seeing my family displayed on the wall. It was special. It may sound weird, but it made me feel like I meant something to someone- if I ever doubted.
Now here comes a confession, my little family has continued to get a yearly family photo, but since we moved out of our townhouse- back in 2013, we have not printed and displayed a family photo on our walls. I have a few in little frames on the kid's dressers, but nothing on the wall. Remember the photo we took when it was snowing? Blowing? Cold? The one that we were literally outside of the truck for less than 5 minutes? I decided to print that family photo on a 20x30 canvas. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Kenzie is scowling, there's hair blowing across my face, the kids are obviously cold but you know what? I absolutely love it. I walk into my home and see my family displayed on our wall- first thing. It's a daily reminder of what I love the most. It's not a perfect picture, but it truly is absolutely perfect and I can't fully express what it did for my mama heart. I love my family, I love my Heavenly Father and Savior who blessed me in such a remarkable way. I am truly blessed.
My advice to you is if you don't have an 'updated' family portrait, get one. If it means you literally only have 15 minutes to spare to get a family photo, please call me. If it means we take a family photo on the porch, so be it. You will truly be grateful for that moment. It will be perfect. Families change, and they change fast. Kids lose their baby face, they outgrow their toothless grins, their innocence changes into responsibility and maturing.
Family photos are important. I know it sounds like a broken record but seriously, I can't tell you enough how grateful I am for a mother that insisted on yearly family photos. In my mind, Nyler was a 16-year-old young man when we got married, but then I see this first family photo and realize he was only six at the time. Time flies by without us even realizing it's gone. Those family photos show your family changing, it's a moment in time that has long gone. You can't get those moments back. Even as you sit and read this, time is swiftly ticking by. It happens overnight. Don't let another year go by without it. Please, I beg you to make it a priority!
I'll get off my soapbox now, but not without saying this, find a time that works for your family, then send me a message. We will get that family photo you've been putting off for years, I can promise you, you won't regret it! You may even shed a few tears when you get to see the final results! I love you all! Without further ado, here is a decade's worth of family photos!
-Mikenna
August 2011 (Yes, that little guy in the very front IS Nyler...) The first family picture of Craig and me together. Photo Courtesy of Mandie Harris
Spring 2012- We missed getting a 'Nice' family picture this year for some reason.
October 2013~ Photo Courtesy Mandie Harris
November 2014 ~ Photo Courtesy of Whitney Buhrley
October 2015 ~ Photo Courtesy of Cassie Warnes
October 2016 ~ Photo Courtesy of Cassie Warnes
November 2017
December 2018
April 2019
January 2020
April & October...We MAY have taken more than one family picture last year... Our baby was just growing and changing so dang fast! I didn't want to miss it!
January 2021