Once upon a time, I talked the Mr. into sitting for an honest-to-goodness family portrait:
Mother, father, all progeny, all looking in vaguely the same direction without malice in a single countenance. Yeah. I know: it’s amazing. And this was in the pre-photoshop era.
Since then, various relatives have tried to sneak up on us unawares at times in an attempt to recreate such a feat–but mostly they have failed. Or taken the sort of pictures you tuck away in a drawer and hope nobody finds until after you are all safely dead.
This week, I collaborated with a real photographer to ambush my family on their way to church. (You see? I may be getting old, but I’m still wily enough to orchestrate such subterfuge.)
Unfortunately the photographer flaked out on me at the last moment and I was left with six extremely clean children and a freshly shaven other. I snuck into an unoccupied room, covered the receiver with a cupped palm, and called my sister-in-law–probably the only one who would dare approach her brother openly with a camera in hand–and we stuck with the plan.
Sort of.
Eighty four pictures on my camera later, your curiosity must be satisfied with the following:
First, I include this photo as an illustration of our various and respective heights. Keep in mind that I am wearing three inch heels, and my daughter is in ballet flats:
I include the next because, well, it may be the best picture we took, stray feline notwithstanding:
And this one, just to verify that a ten year old (is it the tie, or the sub-zero temperatures of the cement on which he sat?) can maintain that expression for 82 pictures without failing, once:
And no, it didn’t occur to me–until just now–even after combing through these pictures for two days, that my youngest two didn’t have their shirts tucked in. Nope. See, that’s where a real photographer might have come in handy–she probably would have noticed such things.
February 23rd, 2011 at 10:42 pm
You have a beautiful family!! I think the candid photos are so much better than the ‘staged’ photos.
Thanks for sharing again!
February 23rd, 2011 at 10:50 pm
Meg – are you standing on tip toes to look taller than Joseph?? I can’t really tell but it looks like maybe …
February 23rd, 2011 at 11:42 pm
Looks great! I haven’t seen your whole family in so long. I actually remember the outfit Meg was in – in the first family pict.
February 24th, 2011 at 1:41 am
LOL! You have a beautiful family. 🙂 This reminds me of all the times my Mom would try to get me and my brother and sister in one picture, but we had too much fun making faces. Alas, before digital cameras. 😛
February 24th, 2011 at 2:49 am
Oh my goodness – I wouldn’t have noticed either, until someone pointed it out to me. Great pictures of a fine family!
February 25th, 2011 at 4:38 am
hahahahahahahaha love it and love you! I love all of them! We sure miss you all. How to get down there………
March 22nd, 2011 at 3:13 am
Okay that’s it…you are officially on my list! I can’t believe how big all these kids are? Where did time go? I miss them… you… all