Here's the behind the scenes of how we tried to make the 'perfect' family Christmas photo (with what the snobby photographer within me says...with bad lighting and an iPhone..ha!). It's definitely not easy. Ha!

Right before this, our kiddos were fighting like crazy which was making ALL of us frazzled.

See next pic of Camille for evidence of this! Ha!

It took us some time to get it right and I think, for the most part, we #nailedit...well...maybe...says the photographer in me. Ha! :)

I'm not a fan of iPhones (DSLR's in manual mode is SO much better!!) or the horrible lighting, the blurriness, the noise, the open window in the background that had a bright blue car parked in view, the clutter of the TV and the TV stand, the dog AND having to edit like crazy to cover all that up...but, really, none of that truly matters, only the MOMENT does...which, I have to tell my over-analytical-left-brain-mind ALL THE TIME! OMG! Ha!

It always amazes me how EASILY mind can get all caught up with how I think it's supposed to look, when really, how it looks doesn't matter at all.

Our kids aren't going to grow up thinking all of the things I was thinking..."Oh, why did our parents save this pic...the lighting is awful...it's not even in focus!! OMG!!"

Instead, they're going to LOVE having this picture to look back on long after they've grown up and have had their own little families of their own.

They're going to look back and remember how silly their Dad is and how he took Luca, way back in November, to Target, while Camille and I were out at Girl Scouts, and bought him and Luca Elf jammies and when CeeCee and mom got home, they laughed SO hard because D and Luca were sitting there dressed as elves...and yeah, elf jammies were nowhere to be found before the girls left.

They're going to remember our first cold Christmas in our cozy townhouse in Crozet, Virginia and how this was the year that Daddy was in school which had him home all the time with us and how that made ALL of us SO happy!! Best year ever!!

And, they're going to remember how much LOVE we all have for each other has a family and how much FUN we all have together, and that, no matter how many places we lived because of D's Coast Guard job or no matter what's going on in our lives (good and bad!) our little family ALWAYS come first!!

And to think...all of that, and probably even more, from this one little picture that mom thought had horrible lighting and shouldn't be saved!! Oh man!!

Because, yes, what I know deep within me, is it's the moments that mean most to my heart that are most important!!

Not the lighting. Not the clutter. And definitely, NOT everything else I think should be better in the picture!

So with that...I AM SO GRATEFUL for this reminder, because, as you can see, I tend to forget from time to time...I mean, A LOT! Oh gosh! SO not good! Ha!

So from our Santa's elves to yours...we hope you had a very Merry Christmas! :)

And, yes, I'm the only one not in my Elf pajamas. Mine were lost in my closet. ;)

Which...that's another thing I'm working on...putting on matching PJ's that are so uncomfortable to me that my kids LOVE and bring them SO much JOY when we are ALL dressed up as a matching family!

I'm getting there...slowly!

Next year I'll be finding more comfortable ones for all us (I mean me! Ha!) ;)

Oh...and the cute doggie in the pics isn't ours...that's Abby, my parent's dog! D, C and L are SO ready for one, but, as for me, I'm SO not ready! Soon...but definitely not yet! :)

Until next time...

Why do I take pictures? Because the camera is one of my favorite creative tools that easily pulls me out of my to-do list head and helps me SAVOR (the feeling of) everything that makes me stop, smile and lights me UP with LOVE (something that's hard for me to do when my mind is running five miles ahead or behind the present moment)