The rumors are true! I survived Family Pictures this year (even though it was touch and go for a few minutes there). For those of you who know me well, you know I am a total "throw it together last minute and pray" kind of person. I spend hours helping clients and friends get ready for their photoshoots and then end up completely forgetting about my own. Well not this year!! I spent WEEKS getting ready, all because one night laying in bed I was shopping on my phone and I saw this completely adorable vest on Vici Collection's  website and immediately said to Kyle, "Babe, wouldn't this be so cute for family pictures?!"  I showed Kyle and his response was, "I'm not wearing plaid."  Pondering his thought and weighing it carefully with mine I *politely* responded, "WE ARE DEFINITELY WEARING PLAID FOR FAMILY PICTURES!" And my husband, being the smart man he is, grudgingly agreed. Then I added that shit to my cart and bought it! Thank you once again online shopping.  I said "Kyle, this is going to be so easy and it will be so cute!" Well, as you can see below, it is definitely cute, but easy.... NOT EVEN FREAKING CLOSE!! But lucky for me and the family, through the help of these companies we made it work:  Vici Collection, American Eagle, Old Navy, Children's Place, Gymboree, Target, Charolette Russe, and Charming Charlie and of course, my favorite, Starbucks!! I won't even mention the 10 other stores that 1) didn't have a blue and red plaid or that 2) I had to return because it wasn't the exact right color tone!!! But eventually I got it put together, the last piece (which is Kooper's shirt) was found the afternoon before we left, without it I would have been screwed!!  And of course, we had to drive 2.5 hours to do them, because you can't wear plaid and then stand in front of a cactus without looking ridiculous!  

The slight hiccup with the experience was with the *mild* panic attack I had when we were all dressed and ready and one rogue thought popped into my head, "What if my kids turn into jerks and I look like crap?" Lucky for us Karter had only one little melt down in the middle, when it was Kooper's turn for pictures and not hers, but she recovered with only a hint of "melt down face" in her pictures with me.  

In the end the pictures turned out better than I ever dreamed and there were so many incredible shots to pick from! Now for those of you wondering who did my pictures........ ME! I have my trusty remote in my hand in all of them. As you can see my kids must be used to what they are supposed to do when my camera comes out, because it is sitting on a tripod!! Thank goodness they are my little professional picture babies!  

Now the only problem....  HOW AM I GOING TO TOP THIS NEXT YEAR!?!!??!!