guess who's baaaaack?

Yes... "THAT" family was back in church today... same song...second verse...a little bit louder and a little bit worse!  Seriously, I don't know what I was thinking when I signed up for our family portrait to be taken for the church directory.  Oh yea... it was the promise of a free sitting with no pressure.   

We don't have a very good history as far as family portraits go.  Usually by the end of the session we all have that "OMG just hurry up and take the bleep-bleep photo" smiles stuck on on our faces, someone is crying,  at least one person has their eyes closed in every proof, someone has "bunny ears" and at least one someone has decided that right now would be the perfect time to poop (complete with red face and "the pooping look"... oh the memories).  Oh and here is a favorite classic of mine...  The "I refuse to look at the photographer and if you make me I will give you an Oscar winning performance of a  possessed child" act followed by the biggest "I am really gonna make you pay for this later" grin you have ever seen.  Yes these are just a few of the cherished moments that we have been so blessed to have captured on film.  

So we decided on a "casual" look and set our expectations very low.  We arrived in the Gathering Space early and signed in.  We had a few minutes to wait and I don't know what it is about that room but it is like they pump 100% oxygen directly into Pat's face and immediately he is zoned out.  As I look over my shoulder from the registration table, I can see that my children are no longer sitting on the couch where I left them.  They are running about and Pat is just sitting there twirling his hair... Good God Man, Look Alive!  

I am beginning to feel a bit fearful that we have set ourselves up for disaster.  The boys have ants in their pants and they are multiplying exponentially.  It would appear that my husband has just popped a handful of Valium and will be of no use when it comes to wrangling the boys.  At this moment I am certain that there is about zero chance that the boys will sit still on command for any given amount of time, smiling is out of the question and tears are inevitable.  As each minute passes the likelihood of our even making it into the directory catalog is dwindling.  

I can see our legacy now... "Collins Family: Not pictured due to irreconcilable differences... please pray for them"

Well as it turned out, a wicked case of the giggles was our downfall... not to be outdone by the procreating ants in the pants... but we managed to get a few decent pictures.  Yea us!  So of course we had to buy them.  We hadn't planned on buying any pictures, but like manna from heaven, you take it when you can get it.  

Although the photographer was trying to convince me to choose a different pose of the boys, I choose one  with Andrew sporting his "I am posing for a picture fake smile" complete with raised eyebrows, Sam has his "Mr. Naughty" smile and Sean has his "I am so cute I could charm my way out of just about anything" grin.  It is perfectly them.   And we actually got a decent family picture too.  Amazingly, no one has "bunny ears" or a "I am pooping" look on their face, Pat is smiling (really) and I don't look drunk or half asleep. 

OMG we did it!

Best of all... nothing got broke (that wasn't already broke) and "THAT" family left with their dignity intact!  That right there makes any family outing a success on all accounts... a decent picture is just an added bonus.