family pictures

family pictures are always stressful, but add a couple of kids, and then you have mayhem. thank goodness this time wasnt like the last couple of times we have been to Portrait Innovations.

the guy who took our photos was really good. he had some visions for us and then he was quick in executing them. it was very nice. and he learned all our names. it was awesome!! here are some of the pictures we took...



this was pose one. unfortunately this is the best exposure,
and it has the most people looking at the camera.



this is pose two for the family. this is on the christmas card.

 

this is also on the christmas card. it is pose three for the family.



this is pose four for the family. i like this pose,
but it also accentuates that we have a large family.

this is not how this pose is supposed to look like.
and my mom is totally oblivious to the tongue.



this is how its supposed to look. gorgeous. :)

this is rachels individual. i like it

i really really like this pose and this picture.
possible the best picture ive taken in a long time.

this is a twin shot. i think it turned out awesome too!

this is the picture julie choose she liked the best.

we did a full body, but it didnt look right...

this is russells awesome picture.

i think i like this one better than the full body.

i like this picture of him too.

but not as much as his other one.

christians best shot.

he doesnt know how to smile without looking pained.

hannahs gorgeous little picture.

little miss attitude.

spencers mountonous dimples.

how adorable!!

i like this pose too... its a tie for spencer.

twin shot #2

how cute!!

 

this is the kids best pose.

we had one where we are spaced out more, but its too spaced.

that concludes our photo shoot. the photographer got us in and out of the studio in an hour and a half which is impressive considering our size..

Merry Christmas to All!!

the heartbreak of love.

**CAUTION! DO NOT READ THIS IN PUBLIC. IT WILL MOST LIKELY MAKE YOU CRY**


read this story and then tell me that it doesnt tug at your heart:

With Love, Sabrina Parker and Matt Scozzari Face a Deadly Diagnosis

i thought it was gorgeous. they had a video on Yahoo! a couple of days ago, and it was heart wrenching. i think what Matt did was so precious and what a true husband would have done. what a shame they couldnt marry Sabrina. well i guess there is alway eternity.

freezing and getting into the christmas spirit

well seeing how we are drawing ever closer to Christmas, our gas decided to leak, making the house a chilly 66 degrees making it very difficult to stay warm. our gas guy has still to come by and turn the gas back on after the heating and air guys came and fixed it. so we are compromising until the heat comes back on by wrapping up in warm jammies and fantastically warm blankets.

of course i would rather be comfortable in the clothes i have on without a blanket, but the blanket and the cold makes it easier to get into the Christmas spirit. thanks so much to Grooveshark, i can access all the Christmas carols and songs i want to, all by a couple of clicks. of course all this scene needs is some hot chocolate and we would have a perfect Christmas image, but unfortunately, im too lazy to make myself some. hahahaha  i would of course love to be snuggled up to a special someone, but he knows who he is, so i wont mention names. ;)

merry christmas to all, and i hope you all have the best one yet in just 8 days!! yipee!!

childhood memories two

recently i had the oppurtunity to feel like a child again. receiving letters in the mail has always been a thrill through elementary school and even now into high school. sending letters has its lags but its so much fun! writing thoughts and having a hard copy of that letter. even when you have to take some time to write down your thoughts. its sooo much fun!!

childhood memories three and SNOW

memory three is riding in the car and being scared to death of never making it home. that was last night. tennessee got a little bit of snow and unfortunately a lot of people in this town DONT know how to drive in snow. thus making this town VERY DANGEROUS to drive around in especially when the roads are dry underneath the snow. fortunately for us, the road was warmer than the snow when it started to snow, so the road had to cool down. by yesterday afternoon, the road was wet, but the snow was beginning to stick. yippee!! by about 730, the snow was sticking to the road by the inches. thank goodness dad had put new tires on the subarban earlier in the weekend and that the focus has front wheel drive. the snow plows had been around to some of the scarier back roads and had salted and cleared those roads. kingston pike had had some heavy traffic that day, so it was relatively safe and clear of snow.

we took the road about way to get home because we thought it would be the safest way, but unfortunately it probably wasnt. when we drove by our normal entrance to loop, they had salted and cleared the snow from that hill. we decided to go around though. it was too late. we went on a road that was almost as bad as loop road at the beginning. it was whindy and very scary. a car had STOPPED in front of an entrance making it very hard for mom to make it over that hill. mom almost skidded, but thank goodness made it over. we passed by an accident because they had skidded and nosedived into a roadside ditch. soo nerve racking. we finally made it to the home stretch but the scariest hill and corner were around the bend. we made it around the scariest turn- a completely BLIND turn- and into our neighborhood. we pulled over and put the  suburban into four-wheel drive (with the help of my father, NOT THE OWNERS MANUAL!!) and made it up the treacherous hill safely.

thank goodness.

our home teacher was going to be valiant and come and see us, but abandoned mission about half way here. decided it was too dangerous. but we did end up having a visitor. a friend from church came and gave us cinnamon rolls for helping them move. they have jsut moved here from utah, so he showed up in shorts, flip flops, and a tshirt!! (keep in mind that its like literally 3 degrees outside.) he had walked up our huge hill because his wife didnt want to drive up it (smart woman). we watched him literally shoe ski down the hill. it was great. hahaha but not entirely safe....