My girls and me...

This year we finally thought to take a mother daughter shot.  I think the last time we did this was when Kara graduated from college (or maybe when Jenny graduated).  That was a WHILE ago and I remember the wind blowing furiously and we all had hair in our faces.  That pic was not exactly a keeper.  Ha ha!  We just need to remember to do this more often. 

Family Christmas Card Session...

 We are always on the lookout for places to shoot that look rural but aren't far away.  A few weeks before Thanksgiving a friend posted some pictures of her grandchildren at this creek and I was surprised to see that it was at our nearby junior college.  We've been to that creek at least 100 times but rarely visit this particular spot.  I don't know that it was the perfect backdrop, but at least you can't see any buildings AND there were no worries about anyone walking behind us.  I noticed a big difference in the Littles ability to cooperate and follow directions this year.  H seemed especially happy to have an opportunity to show us her missing tooth.  Sweet.  I decided to make a canvas of the above photo because it's my favorite so far of all 7 of us.  That said, this is always a challenge for me...being the photographer AND getting in the photos.  I am usually obsessed with all the "woulda, coulda, shouldas"  and wish for a do-over.  Ha ha!

Gingerbread girls...

We had fun a couple days before Christmas making this gingerbread house together.  This kit was actually kind of genius.  It came in a box shaped like a house.  So I just had to mix up royal icing to cover the sides of the box (with all its printing) and the girls had fun attaching the cookie windows, doors and shingles and adding some candy.  They seemed to have a lot of fun and there were no worries about walls not sticking together.  Ha!  When I first posted the pictures, my favorite comment was this:  "It looks like a Fixer-Upper gingerbread house."  If you watch Fixer Upper, you know Joanna Gaines loves simplicity and lots of white.  Of course, this house has no shiplap!  lol

Goodnight...

Love their cute family affection of touching noses.  And later a goodnight kiss...or rather an ALMOST kiss.  lol.  There are no good words to express how much I love these two silly girls! 

Sweetness...

I took a shot almost exactly like this last year.  Can't get over how much bigger they look this year. 

Sister secret...

A decided she was going to tell H a secret.   These shots are two of my favorites...The innocent moment with that secret and H's reaction of giggles.  I believe the secret was something like "Minions wear banana underpants".  Ha ha!

Litttle sister...

I ask them not to look at me when we're doing these pics and just to have fun with each other and enjoy the decorations...but it's hard to always follow directions when you're not quite four.  Little stinker.  She is our Sassyfrass!