Even if They Aren't Picture Perfect

I have been reading a few different blogs that have been talking about being more proactive about taking pictures and making sure that you are in them - even if they aren't perfect.  You know, those pictures that you wouldn't DREAM of ever sharing.  Interesting in theory, but to put it in practice... that is another story altogether.
 
Sunday afternoon, I had just come home from lunch at a friends and the 3 oldest were outside playing.  Just as I was going to the sliding doors, Julia came in crying that she wasn't able to play soccer (Tristan is teaching Hannah what to do so that when they play in a few weeks she'll know what to do).  So I told Julia she could come down with me for a bit of a rest until they had to go to church.  We laid down under the quilt and talked about Sunday School, friends at school and then I thought 'I should take some pictures'.  So out came the phone and we decided to make different faces.
Julia is the first one to learn to whistle so here we are whistling.

You have to have some funny pictures

I so scared!!!

Can we try to have a smiling picture?

Auntie Jen, I so angry now.

AHHH!!! Is that a monster????!!!!???

I'm a nutbar

Ok, I'll smile nicely
 Then Tristan and Hannah piled on the bed and things got... well... crazy...
An attempt at the beginning of a nice picture

Then it was a free for all

Sad faces - though I think Tristan heard scary
ok, I had to add one picture where I didn't look like I was on death's door - but it is a memory too.
If anything, I suppose I need to learn to be less self conscious and just take pictures - no matter what I look like.  The memories that go along with the pictures are worth taking the time to do it.  The kids love nothing more than looking through my old photo albums (and laughing WAY to hard) and seeing what we all used to look like. 
And then there are the pictures that remind us of good friends and laughter - lots and lots of laughter.  Things that we might only do once in a lifetime - but at least once.  So though I look at this picture and see tired and dark eyes (on my - not Cher who is ever radiant) I also see a dress that we had so many laughs over when purchasing many moons ago, a friend who enjoys a good joke, the pressure of having to look extra good on Sunday after this pictured was posted as Cher's friend from Ontario who she couldn't wait for everyone to meet - and the hilarious comments that followed when people met me in person and said 'We warned our husbands that you might be 'special'", and it makes me laugh.  It was so hard to take this picture and try to look happy about seeing each other without bursting into tears of laughter.

So, taking more pictures with me included is something I'm going to try to do more often.  It is a fun memory for the kids and nice to have something to look back on for memories.

Comments

Caleb A said…
Hahaha - I forgot that some of the ladies warned their husbands not to seem startled when they saw you.....thinking you were "special".....I try to put myself in their shoes, seeing that picture and wondering who on earth this friend of Cher's was from Ontario! :) I love all your pics - and I've always thought of you as very photogenic - I think you look great in them all! But I like that idea of not worrying so much about what you look like, just putting the memories out there anyway. I've stopped deleting what I consider horrible pics of me from our files when Yvetta was really upset at me once for doing so - she thought the pic was beautiful :) Love ya, Jen!
Love, Cher
Thursday, May 22, 2014 8:03:00 pm
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