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when east meets south

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official family photo

I spent a good bit of the month of July taking pictures: pictures of my kiddos, pictures of our time on the road, the places we went, the people we saw. But secretly, I longed to get a family picture, a really good family picture, to represent our summer together.

It didn’t happen.

But I did get a picture I am happy with. I mean, we’re all there. And smiling, even! The weather at the beach was perfect, every stinkin’ day I’m tellin’ ya. But the day that we went out to take pictures, there were gale force winds. Seriously. And yet there we were: dressed, hair fixed, with a willing photographer… we were gonna take the dadgum pictures.


That’s why my head is cocked to the side like I’m a 41 year old aspiring Mouseketeer. I was trying, in vain, to keep my flying hair out of everyone else’s face.


But, did you notice, we’re all smiling? πŸ™‚

I did, however, get this one. I absolutely love it, it’s already framed and on my dresser.


Evidently, gale force winds work for Zach and Tori.

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08.19.09 · family, Victoria, Zach 28

Comments

  1. Kathy says

    August 19, 2009 at 12:38 PM

    Great Family picture ! The same thing happened to us last year. We got all dressed and fixed up, went to the beach, and the wind was blowing too hard. Your pictures look way better than ours!!

    Reply
  2. Suzie says

    August 19, 2009 at 12:52 PM

    You have a beautiful family and you take the most amazing photos.

    I've been logged in to China since 9/4/2006 and just love reading about your family. You are truly blessed. :o)

    Reply
  3. Kim says

    August 19, 2009 at 12:59 PM

    WOW! Looks like Christmas Card material! What great family photos!
    Love & Blessings from Hong Kong,
    Kim

    Reply
  4. The Ferrill's says

    August 19, 2009 at 1:28 PM

    Of course everyone is smiling…you're at the beach! πŸ˜‰ And I think the head cock is quite endearing, Stefanie! πŸ˜‰ Yall are a beautiful family formed by God…it puts a smile on my face!

    Reply
  5. Mom to my China Posse says

    August 19, 2009 at 1:30 PM

    Beautiful! A picture to treasure for years to come but soon there will be a new little person to add to that photo so a new family picture will be in your future. lol…..

    Reply
  6. Beach Mama says

    August 19, 2009 at 1:31 PM

    Beautiful photos! Way better than anything we've ever achieved. Family photos are the hardest to take. Too many personalities/attitudes to deal with!

    Reply
  7. Jen says

    August 19, 2009 at 1:33 PM

    What wonderful photos! To get that many people all looking the same way and smiling – well, that's a feat in itself. I know – I'm one of 7 siblings LOL!

    I love reading about your family. Makes me feel all warm inside. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  8. Donna says

    August 19, 2009 at 1:55 PM

    I'm so impressed that you managed to catch all of the smiles. My family is much smaller but I almost always have to resort to photoshopping heads around between photos to get ONE with everyone looking good. Did you crack an especially funny joke? C'mon, spill it!

    πŸ™‚

    Donna
    Our blog: Double Happiness!

    Reply
  9. Shonni says

    August 19, 2009 at 2:08 PM

    What beautiful pictures…and yes, I did notice that everyone is smiling very nicely!

    Reply
  10. Tara says

    August 19, 2009 at 2:39 PM

    love the pics!

    tara

    Reply
  11. DiJo says

    August 19, 2009 at 3:29 PM

    I think they are fantastic! That is quite a feat!!! I can barely get 2 looking and smiling at the camera at the same time!

    Can you believe it is August 19th already?

    Blessings,
    Diana

    Reply
  12. Jo says

    August 19, 2009 at 3:40 PM

    Hey, the only time we're not smiling at the beach is when it's time to go back to the house or go home! (We go to the beach in North Carolina every fall.) Maybe next time you can do braids like Tori's! I think the picture looks great. Hope all the settling in at your new place is going well.

    Reply
  13. Patricia/NYC says

    August 19, 2009 at 3:51 PM

    STUNNING family photos!!!
    The happiness just SHOUTS from these photos!! Beautiful!!

    Oh! We just got "Chosen" – Kiara's wearing it now…she LOVES it!! And so do I! πŸ˜‰

    Reply
  14. Colin & Jill - Canada says

    August 19, 2009 at 4:17 PM

    This is just a fabulous family picture, and I do love your necklace! πŸ™‚

    Jill

    Reply
  15. Kim says

    August 19, 2009 at 4:45 PM

    Those are wonderful pictures! It's so hard to get them all looking and smiling at the same time and you got both. Love the picture…beautiful family! I can't wait to see Miss Vivi right in the big middle.

    Kim

    Reply
  16. a Tonggu Momma says

    August 19, 2009 at 7:29 PM

    Stefanie, I love it! And thinking that Tori was definitely brilliant for braiding her hair.

    Reply
  17. Kristi says

    August 19, 2009 at 11:17 PM

    I think your family picture is fantastic! At this point I only have two kiddos to coax into smiling and it is no easy task ~ can't imagine what it is like with eight! I was lucky to have my cousin (a photographer) with us at the beach this year to capture my kids, but somehow I forgot to get my dear hubby in the shot. Oh well, we're waiting for a good family shot until Darcy is home anyway…

    Reply
  18. Nicole A. says

    August 19, 2009 at 11:46 PM

    Beautiful family! I hope you get your paper down and the paint up so you can frame it and hang it on the wall soon. And then you can take another when Vivi comes home! (You really should win some kind of award for getting every single person smiling, looking at the camera, and looking so natural!)

    All the best,
    Nicole A. in OH

    Reply
  19. Courtney says

    August 20, 2009 at 1:46 AM

    Beautiful photos. You have a beautiful family!

    Reply
  20. Annie says

    August 20, 2009 at 1:48 AM

    Very nice:)

    Reply
  21. Jean says

    August 20, 2009 at 3:22 AM

    Love your family pics!! You are all so adorable!! What a wonderful family you have!

    Sarah was baptized last Saturday- I was more nervous for the family pic than the baptism! The bigger the family grows the more challenging it becomes!

    Reply
  22. Kim says

    August 20, 2009 at 7:02 AM

    Absolutely beautiful! The little boys especially look like they are having a great time! And, BTW, I like the head cock. Very cute!

    Reply
  23. thegypsymama says

    August 20, 2009 at 2:49 PM

    Picture perfectly priceless!

    Reply
  24. Kris says

    August 20, 2009 at 4:38 PM

    i just can't believe how big everyone is getting- and how fast they change!! beautiful photos, all of them, even when they don't all smile :O)

    Reply
  25. Michelle says

    August 21, 2009 at 8:09 PM

    What a beautiful family!!! So happy to see all of you in there!! Now, can't wait to see Vivi in there with you!

    Reply
  26. Alyson & Ford says

    August 22, 2009 at 11:11 AM

    Wonderful family photo. You are right, why is it so hard to get a group family photo…. we have not been successful since CNY 2009.

    Alyzabeth's Mommy for Eleven Months

    Reply
  27. Christina says

    August 23, 2009 at 8:08 PM

    I can't imagine getting EIGHT kids to smile, much less look the same direction!! I tried to take two-year pictures of my youngest on her birthday and got so sweaty that I needed another shower.
    I love reading about you all-I am new, blog-hopping. Anyway, you have a lovely family, obviously a blessing to others!

    Reply
  28. Amy says

    August 23, 2009 at 10:30 PM

    So beautiful. I had to laugh though because we had the exact same problem at the beach with the hair flying! You made me laugh (cause we were not smiling in our picture at all- we were eating hair!) Your family is just gorgeous.

    Reply

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I'm Stefanie. Wife to one, mom to 13. Occasional blogger and t-shirt maker. Wannabe photographer and exerciser. Constant grace-needer and orphan advocator. more
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