Family Photos

I don't know why I continue to have visions of Norman Rockwell style family photos.  Every holiday and special occasion I envision us all nestled together in front of the camera, smiling sweetly, producing images worthy of the cover of a magazine.  This has never been the case, nor will it ever be.  While most children turn into smiling, posing little hams at the sight of a camera, mine run fleeing in the opposite direction.  Maybe I took too many photos of them as babies.  Maybe I scarred their little retinas with flash after flash of every milestone in their lives.  Maybe their Native American ancestry is coming through and they are afraid the camera will steal their spirit.  Whatever the case may be, they hate to have photos taken.  I usually begin bargaining with promises of ice cream and candy then quickly resort to threatening and beating between snapshots.  (Screaming and tear-free cries can sometimes appear as beautiful smiles in a photograph...a little memory editing may be needed.)

We haven't had the dreaded family photos taken since Jackson was born more than two years ago, so I felt a torture session was in order. I enlisted the help of my dear friend and photographer, Audrea White.  With camera in hand and armed with the patience of Job, she proceeded to snap some beautiful images of our family.  

Here are a few of my favorites...