Happy 60th Birthday Mama!

all my mom wanted for her birthday was a nice family picture. i feel like she says this every year and something happens...so she did it smart and hired someone and told everyone this would be her present - so be there! and smile!

i had selfishly been thankful about this because i have been wanting to get some family pics around this time too - when bobby could sit up...and hang some in our house of our new family (our family pics we took when bodie was 10 months are hanging up now). i remember when my niece hope was born and i was shopping for clothes for her and i kept getting distracted in the little boy section with the teeny bow-ties and neck ties and collared shirts and kept thinking how precious that is to get a dirty, grimy, restless little boy all spiffed up for just a couple of hours - that transformation...so i insisted on bow ties...and no - i didnt make them myself...i bought them on etsy. but bryan was into it...and said he preferred them to neck ties...so i am going to attempt them for sure!

between the four of us kids - we have 8 kids - ranging in ages of 6 months - 17 years old. (5 of which are under 6 years). so the thought of getting a shot to capture all of these kids without a finger in the nose or a hairy eyeball or screaming seemed pretty impossible.

but it went rather smoothly. the only trouble was trying to get bodie to smile...or rather look like he didnt hate you...which is our battle with him...he is not a smiler...but i was fine with him making a bodie face in our picture...its who he is...even candy didnt distract him from scowling.

i can't wait to see how they turned out! my sister's friend from grade school/high school - Sarah Frenzel - took the pictures for us and she was awesome...of course...she also took the pics at SB's wedding, which turned out beautifully. so hopefully she can work some magic on bodie's stink face...and while she is at it maybe she can make my brother smile for reals too!