Christmas card outtakes

Funny how my favorite time of year brought along with it my least favorite task: taking the annual Christmas card photo. All year long Addie smiles at the camera, poses and says, "CHEESE!" any time I ask. But for some reason when it's time to take the important picture, the one that goes out to practically everyone we know, she refuses to cooperate. Add a four-month-old (yes, I said four (HUGE sigh)) into the mix and you've got a total recipe for disaster... Well, depending on your perspective.

At first, Curt and I were getting super frustrated because all of our efforts to create the serene, adorable, isn't our family just perfect and cute? picture was SO not happening. I took a few, then he looked at them and said, "Why don't you let me try?" Then I looked at those and said, "Why don't you let me try again?" This went on for a while until we both realized that it didn't matter who was behind the lens: if the picture ain't there, it just ain't there.

Later on that evening we sat at the computer and viewed all 113 shots. Not a one fit the bill for the most perfect Christmas card. But as we looked, we couldn't stop laughing. Our kids may not have created a super picturesque photograph, but they were pretty darn hilarious. As it turned out, the card itself contained the best of the three outtakes, as all 113 pictures fit that category. Here are a few that didn't make the cut:

Ahhh... Merry Christmas!