Family Pictures!

When Bud & I got married we had our pictures done.

And by "had our pictured done" I mean we went to the big box photo studio and got head shots done.

When we got married, we had a photographer.

The first couple years we were married we returned to a big box photo studio.

Then there were a few years where we didn't get our annual shots.

When we celebrated our 5 year anniversary we decided it was time to re-instill our yearly tradition.

So once a year we find a photographer who is trying to build their portfolio and we set a date and time.

The benefit is that we get wonderful pictures and we help support a small business owner!

As we near our photo shoot we start planning our outfits.

Color scheme and vibe.

As you can see we went with a traditional red, white, and blue palette.

I guess we were shooting for an All-American family shoot.

This years photos started kinda rocky though.

A month out I scheduled a date and time.

The day of we arrived at our location.

No photographer.

We made contact and she said she had to bring her daughter to the bathroom and would be back soon.

We waited.

An hour.

No photographer.

Finally we decided she wasn't coming back.

Photo shoot cancelled.

That was a first.

After the disappointing drive home from the venue I hopped online to search for a new photographer.

I found a local Army wife who was offering a wonderful deal and when I contacted her she was quick to respond.

She had availability.

She was professional.

And the best part was she showed up!

She took over 100 pictures of us.

Over 1/2 of which were of Bitsy and her smash cake!

It's crazy to think that a year prior our family portraits included a 10 day old baby.
And now....we have a 1 year old!

When Bud & I used to get pictures each year, just the two of us, it was just a fun thing to do.

Now, it's so much more.

It's a way to capture a moment in our life.

We can look at these pictures and remember so much.

Where we lived.

How old we were.

How many little ones we had.

Who we were/are.

Bitsy was quite the character during our photo session.

It was her first time wearing a bow in her hair.

I can't get over her red ruffled romper!

Or her personality, which shines bright in each picture.

Part of the fun of getting our pictures done each year is getting to choose a venue.

Being in North Carolina it seems only fitting to take advantage of the beautiful outdoors.

Pictures, to me, are one of those gifts that we sometimes take for granted.

I have photos out the wazoo that need to be put in photo books and printed out.

I try my best to send family members tangible photos, especially the family members who aren't Facebook savvy.

Do you see that man I'm standing next to?

I love him more now than the day I met him.

In a couple months Bud & I will have been together for 11 years.

In April we celebrated 8 years of marriage.

Every year we've been together has been full of ups and downs.

We've grown stronger and smarter and closer over these years.

We've experienced some crazy adventures and when I look at our yearly pictures it is just a snapshot of what that year was for us.

Do you get your photos taken yearly?

If so, do you do it at the same time each year or does it vary?

If not, why not?

I encourage everyone to get a family photo once a year.

Whether your family is large or maybe just you, I think it's a good thing to document where you were and who you were each and every year!

So find a local photographer (Craigslist has a lot of aspiring photographers, but be wary and see if they have a website or Facebook page that shows who they are and what they can do) or just grab a friend and a camera and go have fun!

I promise that you'll be glad you did.

Have a Blessed Friday!