by admin -

Real Family Photos

Seven kids, seven smiles, and who knows how many teeth? I have given up trying to get everyone to look at the camera, at the same time, and smile. Oh, and not put something in front of their face, or wave their hands in the air, or cry. Perhaps they can not pull the hair of the child next to them, not squint in the sun, or remove something from their nose. Maybe they can all remain standing for the 30 seconds it takes for me to snap the photo…

We have tried professional photographers, amateur photographers, and friends. The last great family picture we took was in 2002, and my husband and I aren’t in it. So, for the entire world (or at least those who read this blog) to see, here is our 2009 Family Christmas Photo.

Please don’t let me suffer alone! I know you have some great REAL family photos you want to share with me, if only to make me feel just a little bit better at my failed family photo attempts this year. Link up with your favorite REAL family photo. Remember to link to your blog post, not your blog home page, and link back to The Happy Housewife so others can participate too. The more the merrier!

by admin -

REAL Family Christmas Photos

I am sure I am not the only one who gets the “Christmas letter.” You know the letter from the perfect family, with the beautiful family picture, which tells of all their accomplishments each year. I remember growing up, my mom received a letter from a family who I think discovered a planet or won the Nobel Prize every single year!

Don’t you ever wish that you could get a “real” Christmas letter. One that talks about dirty floors, flat tires, and the swine flu? If nothing else just to make you feel a little better, that no one is really perfect.

I feel this way every year when we attempt to take our family Christmas picture. It starts in January, I begin to stress about what the kids will wear, haircuts, lost teeth, and fingers up noses. From February to November I take 100’s if not 1000’s of family photos, hoping to find the one. Usually around Thanksgiving I panic, realizing I have not taken the perfect picture and I take 200 pictures Thanksgiving weekend and use the least worst one out of the bunch.

So this year I am tired of pretending that my kids can all smile at the exact same time, with no crying, fingers up noses or in a sibling’s ear. Please tell me you have this problem too? I thought it would be fun to share our favorite REAL family photos. It might not make it on your Christmas card, but it can make it on your blog. Next Monday, December 21st, I’ll put up a linky and you can link up with your REAL family photo. I have a great one to share too, and I am looking forward to seeing all your REAL family moments captured forever on film, or at least on your memory card.


If you don’t have a blog, you can email me your photo and I will include it in my post.