the dreaded christmas picture

i am not from a normal family. or maybe, i am from one of the last normal families? what's normal, anyways? Anyways, my mom LOVES Christmas cards. She and my dad have been making the annual fruitcake (another post, another day), taking the annual picture, and mailing the "Harbin's Christmas Letter" for over 30 years. 30 YEARS, people.

So, needless to say I am well acquainted with this activity. First, my participation was involuntary. From birth through at least middle school I participated with little resistance. As evidenced by pictures of us in MATCHING flannel nightgowns, posing on the staircase. Or sitting on a bale of hay with all 6 of us in - you guessed it- matching overalls. As self awareness grew as it usually does in middle and high school, it became much more of an emotional process. I can hear us now (all four kids) " you want me to wear WHAT? THAT?! WHEN? for the Christmas letter?!?" It was hard enough to get 4 teenagers in the same room at the same time, much less matching. Hard like herding rabid cats. So mom wisely gave up on the matching and settled for all of us in the room at the same time.

Why is it SO HARD to get 6 people in the same room, near each other, looking at the camera, all with crest smiles at the same time? We had friends take the picture, professionals, boyfriends- whoever- and it was always the same. 5 people would have the picture nailed and 1 person would blink. or look away. or look cross eyed. or their smile looked more like a mug shot. You could count on it like, well, death and taxes. Then there was the aftermath. Pouring over the pictures to find one suitable enough to send to 590689 of mom and dad's closest friends. Finally after much debate, a picture was selected.....590689 were printed at Walgreens and mailed out with the letter (again, another post).

One would think that after years of this, the farthest thing from my mind would be a "family picture" with my own husband. NOPE. It must be ingrained in me SO DEEP that I do it naturally. Our very first Christmas picture was a breeze- go through the wedding pics, find a great one, mail it out. Mark didn't feel a thing. Christmas #2 not so bad either, I found a great candid of us at a wedding lookin' fancy. This is the easy way! Even Christmas #3 was fairly painless- pictures of a deployment homecoming always tend to turn out well (pure emotion, I guess). Slap one of those on a pre done template from Mac and one-touch ordering and I was done. I began to imagine a life free of the awkward matching family pictures (come one- you know the ones I'm talking about)

But. not. this. year. I guess we have a few ok pictures- Mark was gone a lot this summer on deployment when I was looking the most tan and attractive so no pics then. Then we moved. So that threw us in a tail spin. And then I realized- heck - I need to send my cards out early so everyone can have our address!!! (bc I am a chip off the block and I too LOVE Christmas Cards!!! Don't want someone not having our new address as an excuse! NO SIR!).....but, wait! we don't have a good enough picture.

So here I am, the ironing is done. the plaid shirts laid out on the bed. getting ready to hop in the shower, then curl my hair which I never do, and go attempt to take the CHRISTMAS PICTURE. with a grown man and a 9lb dachshund both of who I'm pretty sure hate having their picture taken.

wish me luck. Can't have nothin' nice.