The other night we did our family portraits. Family portraits are stressful to say the least. It starts with coordinating the outfits (which can take weeks). And then its getting ready. For my sister that means getting 3 boys the ages of 10, 5 and 4 months all ready. And then during the getting ready its trying to make sure you’re on time. Because if we’re outside, we only have a small amount of time. And then during the session its me bossing everyone around like a drill sergeant. It can be stressful. To avoid getting overly stressed both my mom and my sister said “Well we shouldn’t get stressed, they’re just pictures” To which I sarcastically replied “Hey thanks for respecting my profession!!” and “Have I taught you people nothing???” Of course they didn’t mean any harm by it, and I wasn’t actually insulted. But it got me thinking… Yeah I’m biased cause this is what I do, but they’re not just pictures. A family portrait is so much more than just a piece of paper you hang on your wall. A family portrait captures the relationship and who we are at that very moment. It shows that Timothy, my 5 year old nephew can’t sit still and thinks its perfectly acceptable to either a) not look at the camera or b) make a silly face when he does look at the camera. Frustrating? A little. Were we all turning our heads and laughing hysterically about it? Yep. It shows that Gabe, my 10 year old nephew, doesn’t want to smile because he doesn’t like his teeth. Yes, he’s at that age where every tiny thing you don’t like about yourself seems like an enormous deal. It shows that Wesley, at 4 months old, can’t quite hold his head up and he gets to dictate when he’s going to cooperate or not. (It was mostly “not” at this particular session). It shows that my sister and brother-in-law when they get alone for even 2 minutes can still laugh with one another and are still a husband and wife, despite being Mommy and Daddy full time. It shows that even though I make him crazy (and am way too bossy) my husband loves me anyway, and we still make each other laugh, a lot. It shows that after 35+ years my parents not only love each other, but they like each other too. And most importantly, to me this year, it shows that my baby brother is a grown man. A man that will be leaving us in a few months to join the Marines. I don’t know when we’ll get to do another family portrait. I know it will be awhile. Don’t forget how important it is to be photographed. I think of a picture I took of my Granny and Grandpa a few years ago. I captured them just how I saw them. My Granny passed away last year and that picture went from being something I really liked, to something I treasure. Not to be depressing, but its true that we’re not promised tomorrow. You will NEVER regret having a portrait made with you and your loved ones. So is it just a picture? I think it’s a bit more than that. Even beyond the portrait you’ll hang on your wall, the memories you make having a family portrait done are priceless. Stressful or not.

***Note: If you’re not one of my family members, I promise not to boss you around like a drill sergeant***

P.S. Thank to April for taking all the portraits that I’m in! It really saved me hitting the self timer and sprinting back to the group. Also, this is the FIRST time Patrick and I have ever had our pictures made, other than our wedding. I even did our engagement session. Can we say control freak?