Project Life : Anything But Boring

Today was the day for family photos.

Every time I have made a trip home, I have come with every intention to take family photos. But not just any photos...I want perfection. I want magazine quality, department store ad, shopping mall window photos.

You know, those ads with the genetically perfect children all happily playing together, enjoying their posh attire in a perfectly posed manner, sharing and caring all while looking effortlessly lovely. The sweet tiny people with their flawless hair, rosy cheeks and glossy lips...wearing slightly mismatched but somehow perfectly coordinated outfits. 

Seems easy enough, right?

Ok, maybe not. 

Maybe the reality behind those airbrushed little darlings involves a team of 20+ people with 6 figure paychecks and absolutely no emotional ties to the subjects of their shoots.

And even as I know that this look is almost certainly unattainable, in my mind, with each trip home, I still insist that such perfection will just...happen. Maybe this time it will work, we'll get lucky. And then...it doesn't. Then...this happens...

And then...real life was all like...

"Um...no..."

We still had a pretty nice combination of red, black and white clothes...including a few pairs of jeans, supplying the random bit of blue I was wanting. But Idaho took my wish for an outdoor photo shoot and not so kindly slammed it into a big pile of below-freezing icy snow with a wind chill that could have passed for an arctic breeze. The cold weather was a bummer, but I was willing to brave the shivers!! I want what I want and this time I was going to make it happen!! 

And then...Layla was all like...

"Auntie, you be cray cray..."

And then she cried. A lot.

But I was determined. I was sure that this time it would work! So, instead of going outside, we chose a location almost as good, and only a little less magical...our usual spot, seated cozily before the fireplace in my parents' family room. The lighting was shadowy, the babies were bellowing and the time was ticking...(Evan was prepared to leave, making his way back to school in North Dakota, heading out as soon as our photos were through)...but it didn't matter...this time would work!!

And then...it just didn't.

And I was all like...

"Maybe next time..."

Have you ever wanted something so badly, thinking it would be the only thing that could make you happy, as long as it went exactly the way you wanted it to go? If so, I hope it worked out for you. But if you're anything like me, and your hopes and dreams rarely come together without a few bumps, if they even come together at all, then I am sure that this scenario sounds all too familiar. And if so, then I'm happy to know I'm not the only one. Not because I'd like to drag everyone else down, but because experiences like these are always the ones that become some of my favorites. 

Ok, so maybe not all of the experience...I could probably go without the ear splitting screams...

But overall, especially a few days later as I look through all of the photos from our shoot, I can't help but love the memories that came from our family photo day. We all had some good laughs and I'm sure that the kids will someday look back on these pictures and have a few good laughs themselves. I realized that this was as close to perfect as I could ever really even want for my family...

And then...my dreams of the portrait perfection just didn't seem all that important...

And I was all like...

"Magazine, shmagazine..."

Aren't they just the cutest?