There are reasons why you hire professionals

I don't know why the Christmas season always sneaks up on me in the end. I mean, I was the one who was complaining about KOST playing their 24 hour-a-day Christmas music the week before Thanksgiving.

Don't get me wrong...I love Christmas music. I just like to enjoy my holidays one at a time and not break out the Christmas spirit until after Thanksgiving. But that's just me.

On Sammy's first Christmas in 2004 we, of course, had professional pictures taken. (If I had a scanner, I could show you!) We were in the process of moving back from Texas in Christmas 2005 so no cards went out that year, and 2006, we went back to JC Penney's for pictures (Hannah's first Christmas).

Christmas 2007, I decided that I would just take pictures myself. How hard could it be?

I found out.

And so I vowed to never try to take the photo for our Christmas card again. And for Christmas 2008, we got some adorable shots taken by JCPenney. And yet, for some reason this year, all common sense seems to have eluded me and I decided to try my hand at taking pictures of the kids.

And here is why you should just leave it to the professionals.













I took at least 90 pictures on two different days.

Here is our end result.


Not too bad. Just ignore that the tree isn't centered behind them and that the sun is coming in the back door illuminating just Sammy and Helene. Better luck next year!

Merry Christmas!