Yes, it’s that time again! Family Picture Day 🙂 Anyone with even one little one knows that picture day can be aggravating at best and downright painful at worst. After our last trip to the portrait studio I had very low expectations. But the day went much better than expected. Amazingly, we managed to get a picture with all of our faces in it AND no one cried! The entire time! Chris and I were really worried about the little ones falling apart (Isabelle and Jude) but they were, thankfully, really good! So we were thrilled about the prospect of getting a moderately cute family picture WITHOUT tears! Could it be? When we were done I excitedly went to the monitor to view the pictures but was horrified to see the vacant/pained look on the faces of Dalton and Asher. I mean Dalton looked like the mugshot of a juvenile delinquent! Seriously… the family shot we chose was based solely on the fact that Dalton was not frowning and Asher was only moderately staring blankly into space. Geesh! We thought we went over the whole ‘smile’ thing with these guys… you don’t have to be actually having fun, you just have to look like you’re having fun! And I’m not sure that Sophie got the memo either… she looks like she’s been smiling, against her will, for at least a year. Sadly, her hair looked SO cute at home, but something must have happened between the house and the picture place… I really DID fix it! Thankfully she’s cute as a button regardless 🙂
Alas, another family picture day done. Moment captured, warts and all. To me, it’s a beautiful family on the outside and in, full of love and laughter. And after all, what’s a family picture without something to laugh about? 🙂
Awww….the pictures are GREAT, Stefanie!! Really they are….they are all at least with eyes open and looking at the camera with their sweet faces….that in itself is a HUGE accomplishment. Though I’m wondering where the rest of Tori is in the bottom family pic….she kinda looks a bit squished! 🙂 HUGS! Anita
It’s really beautiful! We always see the flaws in our own pix but I only see a super lovely family there. 🙂
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!
I think they turned out great! You have such a beautiful family – inside and out.
You have a beautiful family!!
I think you are being much too rough on the pictures. They look great. Sophies hair looks fine. The kids look happ. I mistook Tori for you initially. My family gets to do this n a couple of weeks. Do you thnk I can lose 20 pounds in 4 weeks?
GORGEOUS!!! Beautiful family, inside & out! Great photos!!
I love your family picture!!!! How adorable are you guys!!! We need to take a family picture. Maybe this summer…you inspired me : ) I better do it before my boys get married and leave me ; (
It’s a BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL family! Thanks so much for sharing the photos…it made my day!
I just can’t believe how fast they’re all growing up! Tori looks so beautiful, I hadn’t seen a pic of her in a while! And Sophie lost her “toddler” thing, when, exactly? She looks like a little woman!! Where does the time go?
Anyway. You just have such a gorgeous family and I feel so blessed to have known you guys for so long 🙂
Love the pictures – I always get a little suspicious when I see the ‘perfect’ family picture — who’s kids act like that anyway?
Too cute, all of you!
I think they are GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS Stefanie!! You have such a beautiful family!!!!
I love how you wrote of the joy of the day and the joy of your discovery of how the pictures turned out!! Loved it. I get excited when pictures are taken and then I am, usually, disappointed. But they are SO important. And your family looks fabulous NO MATTER WHAT!!!!
You go girl!
You crack me up with your take of it all! They are great pictures!! Your family IS beautiful inside and out.
Hope you have a great week!
Great pictures! We have to do the same thing this week. I hope ours turn out as good.
xoxo,
A
L O V E
I T !
I think the picture is great! You have such a beautiful family 🙂
Love to see all those faces together in ONE shot! What a great looking family. Just need Shepherd’s sweet little face in there too. Soon!! :o)
Oh my goodness, your way to hard on yourself. These pictures are great! I don’t see any flaws. What a beautiful family!
Great Pictures! I think he has that quiet serious look going, very cute!! Gives me hope that we can try this once Gracie is home.
Beautiful pics!! Everyone did an awesome job. Can’t wait to see little Shepherd in there too!
These pictures are beautiful!!!! What a blessed family!
Thanks for sharing!
Barb
The picture did come out beautiful, but I totally understand the stress factor! I start breaking out in hives as we approach the picture place just thinking about how much my kids hate it. I can’t imagine how it would be with 8!! But, it sounds like you managed low-stress! And you are the only one who will notice the “flaws” in the picture! It looks GREAT to me! 🙂
BEAUTIFUL family!
It’s a great shot! It’s a huge accomplishment to get everyone bathed, dressed, hair done and all together in the same place at the same time with any sense of peace and calm. You have a gorgeous family.
I know those photos sessions can be rough. A few years ago we met the photographer at an arboritum. It was fall..the gardens were beautiful. The kids were dressed in white clothing and looked lovely. Toward the end,when the photographer was taking individual shots, the boys snuck off and had a rotten apple fight in the orchard. Needless to say, they were covered with brown apple slime and never got their individual shots taken. Rotten apple stains never come out of white clothing!!!
Stefanie, you just look like a REAL family. Photoshop/swapping bodies is the only way we can get a family portrait vaguely resembling a magazine family. :o)
I’m LOL-ing at Jude’s corralled hands!! Sooo cute! They all are.
Just stunning!!!! What a beautiful family!
you’re all GORGEOUS!
and, I must say, my first thought was how much I LOVED how Sophie’s hair looked – can’t imagine how darling it was ‘fixed’!
lovely, I have only two but I dread trying to get them situated for a photo!
How do you do it?
Magic? or Faith?
Hayley
I love it!!! Josiah is at that stage where he tries to fake smile and he squishes his eyes up like Jude and while sometimes annoying, it is so doggone cute at the same time!! I love the look on Isabelle’s face too! You can see the personality in the kids’ faces! I say BRAVO for attempting the family photo shoot! We haven’t had anything but a few family snapshots since Josiah’s homecoming in August!
Can’t wait to see an UPDATED photo shoot with Shepherd!!
BEAUTIFUL! LOVE THEM!
And challenging to me…been home almost 9 mos. and STILL no family picture! YIKES! Thanks for lighting that fire under my bottom! 😉
Ya’ll did great Stefanie!!! I think they are cute!!!
Love, Rebecca
Steph – those girls are crackin me up! They both have their fingers crossed like ” I sure hope this one is it, ’cause I can’t stand posing any more.” They are all gorgeous. Stacy
You have such a lovely family Stefanie. I too think it turn out great.
It’s a great picture & the only thing missing is Shepherd! I too wondered where the rest of Tori was in the bottom picture & then realized, she’s the foundation…holding up all her siblings….=) Too Cute!
Debby…mom to Lindsi & Jami
The pictures are amazing… wow, how did you accomplish that!?! Sophie just cracks me up. I have many, many pictures of Ben with that smile! HA!! Loved it!
So beautiful:)
Your family is gorgeous – all of you! And I love the expressions. It brought back fun and funny memories!
We had a series of about 4 years when Shaggy experienced extreme sensitivity to light, the idea of light, the suggestion that a bright light was coming, you get the picture. So for those four years, darling chubby Shaggy was squinty eyed, and bloodshot in EVERY. STINKIN’. PICTURE!
Wow! I think they turned out FANTASTIC! What a beautiful family. The kids look so happy! It just makes me smile!!!!! Next year there will be one more precious face in there!!!! I sent out your squares yesterday!
Blessings,
Diana
BEAUTIFUL photos! And little Jude in that first one?!? Oh my, he’s adorable! I’m taking Oakley on Saturday to have her first professional photo taken. I so hope we’re successful. I’d love to get a family photo, but still haven’t recovered from the Christmas card photo session:).
SO beautiful – just beautiful – what a happy family. You are all blessed beyond measure – can’t wait to see little Shepherd among the mix:)
Heather
What a gorgeous family!!! Just stunning.