Countdown 'til Christmas ~ Day 6/'Picture This..."

This is the one thing I REALLY dread each year,
annual Photos for our Christmas cards.
I think my children are the two most beautiful kiddos in the entire world,
I'm biased that way! ;)
But to take their pictures, while making them behave, smile, and pick a picture that they both look good in,

can.be.pure.torture!
I have a friend who has four children, and she picked a card template that allowed four individual pictures. Her cards are beautiful, displaying a collage of four! Sounds like a winner to me! Can't imagine getting FOUR children to cooperate and all look good in ONE single picture!

Figuring that I had put it off long enough, and being that Christmas is NEXT week, I loaded up Ashley and David, and took them to the lake yesterday for pictures. I caught them by surprise, not even giving them time to change clothes. Less time for them to complain that way! :)

I told Ashley to slap some lip gloss on and let's go!
Ashley says, "If you take your Christmas Card pictures in a Guy Harvey Fishing T'Shirt, you may be a red-neck." {No offense to Guy Harvey, my daughter is walking advertisement for you, and literally lives in her white long sleeve one.}

Took the first picture, above. David wouldn't smile, showing his displeasure. Threatened to take away his Ipod for a day, and he decided it would be better to cooperate!

Better, but still not satisfied. Let's face it, some of these cards are going to people that only see my kids once a year, ...in a Christmas card photo.
Let's head to the end of the pier and try for a better shot.

The kids run ahead, anxious to get it over with it! You can't see David, but he has his arm behind Ashley, pulling her in close to him...still clowning around.

Ah, they think they are so funny, but I'm determined to stay til night falls, if that's what it takes! :) I must confess though, in the end I thought this one below, was pretty cute, and showed their personality. I found a card template for two pictures and used this as one.

Great picture of Ashley, not so great of David....
Aren't digital cameras a blessing, delete all those bad boys that didn't make the cut! :)

Finally....

This one below, will grace our 2009 Christmas Cards!

It's a wrap,

...and here they remain, still wound up and playing.

David, below, " warding off the camera,"

NO.more.pictures, Mom!

So, this is US, keeping it real! My children often try my patience, but they also bring me many smiles and much joy. I'm so thankful for them, and they certainly make the holidays alot more special.

Yep, I sure do love those boogers! ~Rhonda :)