Saturday, January 21, 2012

Family Photos

This is my beautiful family......

Having our family photo taken was my Christmas gift...
and a wonderful one it was!!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Autumn and fall colors
so we headed to the park,
where here in California
 there was still an abundance of fall foliage.
Well as much foliage as we get here...

My girls commissioned a dear friend of mine who owns
her own Photography business
 (check it out...framedexpression.com)
to take the pictures the day after Christmas while everyone was still in town.

Funny side story....
About a week prior to Christmas I had met with this particular friend for dinner. I had been thinking how much I would love to have our photos done while I had everyone here. As you know my son just returned from a deployment and we never know when he will be heading back over again. As it is he and his family live in Arizona. Then there are my daughters and their busy lives, the kids, school, work schedules....
you get the idea.

I posed the question to my dear friend...
"You wouldn't happen to be available to take some pictures the day after Christmas would you?"
"NO"
was her quick answer.
Oh....okay..............................
I was stunned but also felt like I was asking a bit much so I did not push the issue.
As we were parting that night she said to me
"if you can't figure anything else out, give me a call and I will come over and snap some pictures"
HA!!!!!
Little did I know.....
She had already been contacted and the plan was already set.
So, when I opened up the big beautiful frame on Christmas, that had a family photo drawn inside
with a note saying this is for the family photos that we are taking TOMORROW MORNING,
My immediate reaction was ...........
AH! Ronda....she knew all along! Bless her heart for keeping the secret!!! 

I knew I wanted family photos....
It had been a long time since we had them done and our family has grown and changed...
we were definitely ready for new ones! 
What I did not think of
and what was a pleasant surprise was
TAKING THEM was just as much of a gift as the actual photos!!!!

Spending the time posing and laughing and chatting and walking around the park looking for new locations was in itself a beautiful gift!
I love spending time with my family and I will cherish the memories of that special day now every time I look at our fabulous photos!

Now, I have the difficult job of choosing which one I am enlarging to go into that lovely frame!
I have 356 photos to choose from!  ;)

4 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit AND encouragement! I am looking forward to getting to know a sister who is a little further along on the road of being an empty nest mommma!

    I have been blogging for a few years now and it seems there are so few on the same road! I mean I LOVE young moms, encouraging them, loving them etc... but they don't quiet understand the empty nest! lol

    Your family is beautiful!!

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    Replies
    1. I completely understand what you are saying....My heart is to encourage other women and it burns within me to share that which I have learned to help other women on their journey.

      Thank you so much for commenting on here, it makes me feel like someone is actually out there reading it and I am not just "talking to myself" LOL!!!!!

      Thanks also for the compliment on my sweet family! They are equally beautiful on the inside!

      Love and blessings to you!
      XO

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  2. I love the photo and what a perfect gift. Actually two gifts in one, I'm glad you loved the process as much as the end result. XOXO - Susan

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  3. Thanks dear friend!
    Indeed...I realize what a precious blessing every single moment spent with them is, and I treasure it to the fullest.
    XO

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