You can’t pick your family.

Yesterday, I forced the children to all shower before church and then I forced them to wear festive color-coordinated clothing. I ordered them to report to my Sunday School class before church began so I could photograph them for our annual Christmas letter. (I love the annual Christmas letter, both writing and receiving it. Don’t you? You don’t? Why not?)

Since I had limited time and unwilling subjects, I resorted to saying the thing that makes my sweet 4-year old daughter roar with laughter: “I’m going to kick my own butt!”

She finds this statement the very pinnacle of hilarity and so I resorted to its vulgarity time after time. First, she threw her head back and snorted with laughter.

Christmasjoy.jpg

Then, I tried the magic phrase again (“I’m going to kick my own butt!”) and this was all I got.

Nosepicker.jpg

That’s my girl.

20 thoughts on “You can’t pick your family.

  1. So, are you going to send out that second picture? I think it would be interesting if people WOULD send out honest pictures…and letters. I am the first to admit that mine is sounding pretty cheesy this year…

    I did the “Sunday-morning-take-Christmas-picture-for-annual-letter-thing” too.

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  2. Well, our photo did not turn out all that well (bad lighting) and no chance for all of us to be together again for a retake, so I guess it will have to do! Love the 2nd one! I have a girlfriend that always sent out the “true” photos, and people loved them, and looked forward to them. Her sons are now in their 20’s, and as she was taking the picture, the younger one turned and planted a big smooch on the older one’s cheek – and that is the photo for this year. Another year, the older one jumped up into the younger one’s arms – like a kid – and that is the shot. Cute!

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  3. Having grown up with 3 brothers, no sisters, myself, little Grace is a girl after my own heart. And, if that’s the way a photo I’d taken ended up for the Christmas letter, I’d use it!!! Hahahaha! Talk about a TRUE child’s moment in time. What a hoot!

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  4. Oh my, how funny! They are all such adorable children. Did you get another photo for your letter, or are you picking (he he) one of these two? I got very lucky this year with my photo. My older daughter sings in the county children’s choir and after their big Christmas concert, I got a beautiful photo of my older girl in her (tres elegante!) choir dress, and my younger one in front of a wonderfully decorated tree in the lobby of the church they sang at that night.

    Have fun with your letter!! 🙂

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  5. Ummm, don’t you have twins? The two oldest look like they could be a year apart! I assumed they were identical (can I not spell that right???)

    Love the photo! My girls would be so embarrassed if I got a picture of them picking their nose. One of them NEVER does this in front of other people. The weirdest thing she does is wiggle loose teeth in from of us and she is only 7. Real photos are the best though. Great smile on baby girlt there!

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  6. I have a third picture which turned out pretty well that I’m actually going to use. Last year, I sent out a hilarious picture–my daughter was frowning and scowling with her arms crossed, but this year, I’m going to send out a nice one. But I’m going to FRAME the nose-picking one!

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  7. Popped by from Kris’s blog and am glad l did- how funny. l have three kiddos of my own and it can be so difficult sometimes trying to get everyone on the same train of thought- brilliant photo!
    Please don’t try that by the way- kicking your own butt-lol
    just a friendly word of caution
    Bests

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