Pursuit of the Perfect Picture...or not

There are very few phrases that scare my children, but "it's time for the family picture" is one of them. You wouldn't think it would be a big deal, all they have to do is put on the outfit I lay out for them, walk down the basement steps to my in-home photo studio and smile. Not too terrible, right? Wrong. It is a torturous event which always ends in whaling and gnashing of teeth; so bad in fact that I don't even attempt a picture with my husband and I included anymore because he is the worst of them all.

So this year I decided to take a different route. I would do it their way. I told my kids we were taking the yearly Christmas Card picture and to go put on whatever they wanted, do their hair as wild and crazy as they pleased and make the silliest face they could come up with. That would be fun, right? Wrong. Apparently I have so squashed their creativity from the years of "freeze and say cheese" that they couldn't come up with anything even remotely interesting. It was sad really.

What choice did I have but to force them all into matching clothes and threaten to take away their allowance for a year if they didn't sit there and cuddle with their siblings and look like they liked it? And as usual, they hated it and the only reason they are all smiling is because they have taught their baby sister to pass gas on command and she obeyed and I clicked the shutter at the exact same time. Mission accomplished.

So, I guess that as our friends and family receive our Christmas wishes this year they will do what we all do when we open photo cards. They'll smile back at the grinning faces and remark on how sweet and adorable they are and what a blessing they must be to their parents. But you and I will know the truth....that they are indeed exactly right.

Mary (Amy's paparazzi sister)

Can I really decorate for Christmas with leopard print ribbon?

I am so glad you are here, come on in!

Paint the Good News on a small canvas and stick in in your wreath. If I wasn't lazy, I would have bought lots of these little canvas' from Hobby Lobby and put several on each wreath...all proclaiming a different piece of the Good News. And if I was a little crazier I would have written out all of the Luke 2 on poster board and hung that on my front door....actually I like that idea and I might do it next year.

I keep my rejoice sign up year round on a book shelf, but it was moved to center stage this year for Christmas. These feather Christmas trees were actually a Thanksgiving decoration that I spray painted red. I like red at Christmas, not maroon or burgundy, but red. And this year, I apparently also like leopard print.

I also like angels. This one is sitting on the mantle under a glitter pine cone Christmas tree created by Caroline.

Here is our family room, real Christmas tree. Lots of festive, colored lights.

And lots of my favorite ornaments that I will keep forever.

Jesus' crown of thorns tops our tree.

This is a new addition to the decorations this year. The hubby is kind of afraid of it. He says he feels like the ice witch from Narnia did our Christmas decorating. I think it's lovely though. Lots of silver branches and lots of white and red birds.

This is another year round Christmas decoration...a basket of white lights, shells and angels.

And then there is Belle. You can read her story here. My Jesus candle has seen better days, Thomas knocked it off the table splitting the top. I just can't bring myself to throw it away...oh the hours of painting!

Here is my inspiration for my music tree in the front of our house. This photograph comes from Southern Living.

So my trumpets are not nearly as big, but they serve the purpose. Everything on this tree has something to do with music or angels, and is silver, gold or white. She sparkles so pretty at night!

Then there is the tree in the girl's room adorned with Jesse Tree ornaments. They love it.

Lastly, we have our Dickens snow village. For several years my in-laws bought us one each Christmas. The little people take a lot of abuse, but they still deliver Christmas cheer every year as we unpack them.

Thanks for stopping in! If you are here from The Nester's tour, leave me a message so I know who you are and I can come snoop around in your house!

Merry Christmas!

A figurine Christmas

Poor Tiny Tim. Every year I feel sorry for him as we pull him out of the box. It is not enough that he has a debilitating disease that causes him to walk with a crutch, but his hand gets broken off every year. This is a new Tiny Tim, the previous little guy was broken beyond repair last year.

Then there is Belle who sings "We wish you a Merry Christmas". There is no volume on her speaker. We have an ongoing debate as to which girl she belongs to and it often ends in crying. So now her home is in the family room where we can monitor her safety, the girl's bedroom just wasn't working out.

Baby Jesus is not photographed because he is currently missing.