Soul stretching wonderful: Our latest MIRACLE...aka family photos

Family photos.
And no "miracle" is not an exaggeration.

PLEASE NOTE: My friend Kelsey, who took these photos is (obviously!!!) extremely talented, she's also very professional and has worked hard to establish a skill and style of her own. She also knows I like to dable in photography and editing, so she very graciously allowed me to also have the non-edited versions of our photos. So to respect her, I will very clearly mark those photos that are either did not receive her editing or where I went beyond her existing edits. There's not many, cuz I LOVE hers so much! See all her "miracle working" HERE.

Check it out!!!! We got one!!!!

The photo above (which is already uploaded to grace the cover of our annual digital photo album, will very soon be blown up over our mantle, and may very well become the new blog header for this very site) is basically a dream come true!

To understand that, you have to realize that the few photo shoots we have attempted I have come home in tears, and my dear husband has kindly suggested that perhaps I needed to let go of my expectation that OUR family could have a nice family photo taken (like everybody else). Having tried my hand at a bit of photography and taken pictures for others, I wasn't so naive to think that family photos are all bliss and ease. They're hard work. Especially for moms. Emotions are using running high after the stress of getting (and keeping) everyone presentable (in the outfits that took weeks of planning and decision making), and for some reason the idea of smiling for a half hour or so puts men into immediate fight or flight.

Having a child who can't maintain eye contact, let alone follow instruction to look at the camera and say "cheese", actually led to me to decide that my love of taking photos didn't need to be validated by me hiring out, I could just take pictures of my own family. ( I was going to link to my post about that, until I realized it's still just a draft:)

But as the fall photo shoots posted on facebook, I could tell I was wanting to try again.

See you don't appreciate the "miracle" that the photo above until you realize THIS is what was happening just before:

* obviously this are unedited,

sorry Kels, they just tell the story so well!

Can you see the concentration in my face?
(Ben looks like hes having fun)

This is and * unedited one of him
once he "came around"

Kelsey was so good to us! I showed up with hungry kids (somehow the stop-for-fries-right-before-plan had evaporated) and both Levi and McKye had fallen asleep in the van ride over. McKye for probably three-quarters of the shoot refused to cooperate in any way shape or form, full on screaming, hiding his face, and decided no one was taking that airplane away from him. Kels just went with it, reassured me that the red plane "gave a nice little pop of color". Ever so patiently trying to coax McKye into cooperation, finally taking most of his shots while he jumped in and out of the little red wagon.

She was amazing! She distracted me from being self conscious of my zitty face ("easily photo-shoped!") by talking about my model long legs (this was my debut in skinnies, by the way, a bit of a triumph in and of itself) She downplayed my kids inattention with promises of "easy-peezy head swapping".
She was just perfect in every way.

* Speaking of perfect, I can't image why these didn't make the cut?

Must of been the people in the background, cuz surely it wasn't the nose picking or lovely grimace face!

I guess I was pretty transparent in my insecurities and frustrations about my uncooperative, non-posing kids, because afterward she so sweetly looked me in the eyes and said,

"Honestly Chels, this was just a typical family shoot."

I'm tearing up right now even thinking about it!

"Typical" is the politically correct term for "normal" I hear all the time dealing with Aaron's challenges. her wording and her sincerity were truly a tender mercy.

Remember the conference talk, with the story of the man who prayed to find a quarter so he could by some fried chicken?

I loved thta talk, because all too often I talk myself out of asking Heavenly Father for things, convincing myself they're not important.

"In His mercy, the God of heaven, the Creator and Ruler of all things everywhere, had heard a prayer about a very minor thing. One might well ask why He would concern Himself with something so small. I am led to believe that our Heavenly Father loves us so much that the things that are important to us become important to Him, just because He loves us."

Have a nice family picture was important to me.

And they will always remind me that the Lord loves me enough to grant my "fried chicken prayers."

* This was a crop I made. Sorry Kels I know the image is a little blown out this close, but I was so drawn to their expressions. This picture completely captures the essense of Ben and Aaron. Love it.

* Another additional crop. Like most moms I'm always taking the photos and a good one of us with our kids, is golden!

Even though Aaron isn't so great at smiling on demand... and gets a little anxious...

She managed to capture his joy, perfectly.

* another crop of Kelsey's edit...man those eyes!!!! Just wanna kiss him!

And even get one of our silly McKye (even without the airplane!)

* I played with the color on this one...oh and thanks Amanda for lending me your boots! they were perfect.

*This was one I tried to quickly edit, I'm obviously not as good as Kels, but I felt like this one was the most "Levi"ish.

* a slight crop (to recreate a picture we have with Aaron about the same age)

Doesn't my hair look good!?! Of course it does, cuz I didn't do it! I got it cut and styled right before by my friend Nysha.
It was a good plan.

These are different shots, can you tell?

* the right is my crop

I doubled all these up, just for convenience in posting/viewing.

Aaron didn't want to be in the pictures, but as soon as we were trying to get just Ben and me he was all over us. He loves mommy and daddy group hugs.