Six and a Half Kids

Who likes to taking Family Photos?  Just the thought of them a few years ago could give me an anxiety attack.  My kids would NOT usually cooperate, you try and iron their clothes, get their hair all perfect, and cross your fingers that they will smile.  Forget smiling...let's just hope no one gets in a fight and starts crying. Usually we started out with, "Okay, everyone that cooperates, we will go get ice cream later."  By the end we had upped the bribe to..."What, you want a triple scoop?  Okay.  Money?  You got it."  We were desperate!  All good parenting went out the window.  I don't think we are going to do "official" family pictures this year.  I will just have to find a snapshot for our Christmas Card.  The extended family did an impromptu photo shoot at Bear Lake wearing our fancy family reunion shirts.  There was nothing stressful about it!  (There is also nothing professional about it.)  

Isabelle, London, Alexis, Emmaline, and Eliza

"The Middle Girls"

The boys...didn't have the timing right yet, but they still look cute.  

Joshua, Holden, Nic, James, and Michael

Our first attempt was really lame, no one is looking, the lighting is bad, and we decided to wait a bit for the sun to go down a little. 

Some family members did not want to wait....I tried to entice them by taking a family shot of them before they left the beach entirely. I think they were having one of those family photo experiences I mentioned above.  They boys just wanted to get in the water and so they could not be coaxed into "waiting for the perfect lighting."  

Cuties...

Luke and Austin

We all waited around checking out the pictures we had gotten.  How did we manage before digital photos? 

Annie looking for rocks.

She wasn't alone....

Pollards

Us 

(Notice how wet Annie and boys are...that water is just irresistible.)

Garzas

Sisters...

Natalie, Heidi, and Jennifer

Too much to say about this one, but it just cracks me up.  

The "big" girls.

Chloe, Sadie, and Abigail

Ryan and Sophie

Joshua

I love this one too...

Sadie, Joshua (with no head), Holden, and Abigail

Joshua and Abigail

I am cheering for Ryan?  I am not sure, but I think it is funny.  Ryan should have gotten into dance...look at those leaps, even his toes are pointed. 

Yahoo!

Heidi...I think you should just go ahead and use this for your Christmas Card.  

I promised my mom I wouldn't post the "good" group picture we finally got (even though we were missing some people).  She DOES want to use it for a Christmas Card I think.  I really think she should bag it and just send this one out....

Grandma with the boys

 I think it is my favorite picture.  

And this close up of Luke and Michael is pretty funny too.  

Well, there we go.  I have finally documented ONE day from our trip to Bear Lake in TWO posts.  I don't think I am going to get to it all.  

Happy Family Picture Season to all!  May your pictures be full of lots of mismatched clothes, orchards, old cars,  and really light airy lighting.

PS  We ARE missing some members of the family in the big picture.  Grandpa, Michael, Carly, and their three cute kids.  So sad they could not come.  :(  MISS YOU GUYS!!!!