Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Family Pictures

I have always been a fan of pictures, and especially of family pictures.

1989 1992 1997

But at some point the idea of family pictures morphed.  Or expanded.

Maybe it started the year that we took the triplets to the beach for the first time, and bought everyone tie-dyed beach t-shirts.

2001

Whatever the reason, the next year I decided that it would be a great idea to take a family picture at the beach.  We used the resulting picture for our yearly Christmas letter and a tradition was born.  The first year’s picture got an overwhelmingly positive response, and lived on many refrigerators for years after that.

2002

Emboldened by that success we decided to take pictures at the beach again the next year.  It was really windy and they weren’t great.

EmeraldIsle 096

We were a little more successful when we pulled out the kayak and let the kids do whatever they wanted.

EmeraldIsle 102

At some point I realized that even if I wasn’t always thrilled with the final result, (read: happy with the picture of myself) the family memory that we were creating was priceless.  So we kept on taking pictures each year at the beach.

2004

Even on bad hair years.

2005

The year that Cindy Lynn was graduating we took our family beach picture to the next level; we hired a professional.  It was during this time period that I looked at approximately twelve thousand beach pictures online and became a fan of the white/khaki color scheme.  Our family beach picture from that year lives in the place of honor in our home. 

2006 (photo taken by Lee’s Photography, Morehead City, NC)

The next year I was wearing braces and my mouth was hurting and our picture wasn’t quite so beautiful. 

2007

And the year after that I had the brilliant idea of taking the picture wearing the kids’ swim team pictures.  How I missed the fact that we’d look like a big advertisement for the swim team, I do not know.  But it is our first family picture with Mahon in it, so we still love it.  Fortunately we had a family picture from the wedding to send out for Christmas that year!

2008

Somewhere along the way I persuaded my extended family to “let” me take their family pictures at our beach family reunions.  After those pictures I realized that I really wanted a tripod, which Russ supplied later for Christmas.  I was very excited to put it to use in the Florida Keys last year.

2009

We took family pics again at our family reunion earlier this summer.  I was pleased to see that everyone is well trained now, and the results make me so happy.  I’ll have to post our great extended family pictures another time.  It was a beautiful evening and the colors were incredible.

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I thought we were set for the yearly Christmas card. But then Cindy Lynn & Mahon got to come to the beach with us in August, and so of course we had to take another picture so they could be in it!

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It turned out beautifully.

I love having all of them, to look through and to marvel at where we started and who we’ve become. 

I think we’ll be taking family beach pictures for many years to come…

5 comments:

  1. Wow Cindy, these are all beautiful and fun! I especially love your latest. I tried to get a good family picture on our beach trip but getting too many people ready and racing the clock so as not to miss the light proved a greater challenge than I was up for. One day ... I suppose a girl can dream.

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  2. The best part is that all of our families benefit from Cindy's expertise. Not only does HER family have fantastic beach pictures, but ALL of our families who were able to go to the beach have them!!!!
    And Cindy - I love that last picture with CL and Mahon. But maybe, just maybe you should crop out the dead man's leg on the back left of the picture.

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  3. I agree- who's leg IS that!? Mahon's?? I think your latest (even with the leg) is the best of all- just when you thought things were shrinking:).

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  4. read: happy with the picture of myself

    Snorting liquid through my nose when reading that line is not a good thing this early in the morning....

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  5. Dead man's leg??? That is just cousin Guido hiding from the camera. When you are wanted if 50 states, you don't like your picture taken.

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