So like everyone else, and their dog we decided the end of the current annual was a good opportunity to immortalize the present state of our family. Also, I’m trying to be better about this, because we once went four years without taking family pictures. And it was just Hannah and Carter as babies then suddenly Ethan is four. Whoops.
I always feel really excited about taking family pictures until we are actually in the process of taking them. Then I feel really stressed. Photographing 4 littles is kind of an experience, especially when Ava decides two minutes into it that having her picture taken in the middle of a barren orchard really offends her, and she doesn’t want anyone to see what her pretty dress looks like, she just wants to be wrapped in her soft lamby blanket and go back to sleep, thank you. Then the other littles decided that they were really excited about the mud that we almost never have in Arizona, because of course it rained the day before. This led me to feel like what I thought our pictures would look like wasn’t going to happen and that made me tense and once mom gets tense the whole operation falls apart. (This is a universal truth.)
Anyways, after about ten minutes of trying (unsuccessfully) to get us all behaving properly in one picture, and since I am wildly opposed to that whole creepy face replacement Photoshop trick, we went for trying to get one shot with all of us simultaneously not smiling. Ironically that was a lot easier to get. Once I let go of that obsessive need to have everything be perfect, and just let everyone be who they are and act like themselves, things got a lot more fun. I kind of love these, with all their imperfections and how they sort of capture us and how our life is right now.
And sitting here typing this I just realized that I think I just found my mantra for the coming year. Let it be.
Sounds like a good one to me, plus I’ve already got the theme song.
Thanks Sir Paul.
These pictures are absolutely stunning! You are gorgeous and glowing!!! love love love the picture of you and all the littles holding hands. What a precious family you have! Very blessed indeed.
Love the poofy skirts! Did you make them?
I made mine, found Hannah’s at H&M 4-5 months ago.
What a gorgeous family and beautiful pictures. I love how all of you are styled! And you have a fantastic motto and theme song for 2013!
Chelsea
Haute Child in the City
Oh my goodness Cori these are absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. I love how you and Hannah are in tulle skirts! Your littles are so precious! :)
Amazing pictures! I need to borrow some littles to dress up and photograph!
Your skirt. I’m dying!
Beautiful photos – I looove the one of all of you!
I love the big family picture! It’s so, I don’t know, kind of American Goth! Which you may hear and think, “Eew,” but my brain thinks of it as super cool. ;)
thanks Selah! That’s kind of what we were going for. ;-)
absolutely gorgeous!! What a lovely family you have. The outfits and setting are idealic and these will be treasured forever I’m sure!!
We just did family photos for my husband’s entire family and in every picture my son was taken in, he is holding a Thomas train 8 cars long. There are a few shots of him almost crying because we tried to take it away. No need to explain the handcuffs.
But please for the love of pete, do a tutorial on your skirt!
Haha, so glad I’m not the only mother who’s little does that. I should do a skirt tutorial…
where did you get your skirt?! I love it!
that middle one of the whole family where you’re sitting down and looking all serious and awesome…..LOVE it. you.look.hot! (in a totally not creepy way from some stranger you don’t know, of course.)
love all of them!
Love these! They turned out beautiful!!
your family is beautiful!
You have a lovely family and I love the ballerina skirt for you and your daughter…
Such an amazing picture!
happymedley.blogspot.com
Gorgeous – your tulle skirt is gorgeous and you all look fabulous. Love these pics!
gorgeous. all of them!
I love your outfit. Where did you get your top and tie? Gorgeous pictures. We haven’t had them done since my son was 6 months and now he is 3.5 yrs old.
Agi:)
vodkainfusedlemonade.wordpress.com
Top is from J Crew. Tie is from old navy. ;-)
Love all the pictures and outfits! Happy New Year!
I think the photos turned out wonderfully! The “let it be” mantra is one I’ll be working on as well ;) And the handcuffs are hilarious. I hope that when I have kids they do fun things like that as well :)
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I was wondering when the tulle skirt was going to make its debut, and you couldn’t have done it in a better way! It’s amazing and your family photos are precious!! I think we would all love a skirt tutorial or for them to be available on your website, they’ll sell like hotcakes.
LOVE the outfits! what a cute idea!
http://www.wewouldlovetoadopt.blogspot.com
gorgeous! and now we all need to know where your & hannah’s skirts are from?
Andrea, Hannah’s is from H&M, and I made mine. ;-)
LOVE LOVE the family pics!!
OMG I love your photos! I just bought my baby girl a skirt like this and now I am on the search for one myself. Where did you get yours?
– Crystal
http://www.learning2exhale.com
You all are so gorgeous! And little Ethan is starting to look not as little anymore!
These pictures are GORGEOUS. And I love the poufy skirts, too! You look great!
Just left a funeral for a friend that died at 31 from cancer and the song they sang at the funeral was “let it be”. “And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me. Shine until tomorrow, let it be”. That was also my mother’s advice to me about having children. Just let it be, Keri. :)Good mantra. God is always in control and I need to remember that!
Keri, this comment made me cry. Beautiful. I won’t forget it. Thank you for sharing.
um, I hope this is okay…. but for those wondering about the skirts- There is a tutorial for a VERY similar skirt on cottonandcurls. They’re quite simple. And Cori, if I’m ruining a tutorial/business opportunity for you, please feel free to delete this comment!! I just thought I’d spread the word… :)
Emmalee, thanks for sharing. I’m not going to be selling these, so I’m glad you did. I did mine a bit different from hers, I used satin for the under skirt (in a bell skirt pattern), a non-stretch waistband and a zipper closure in the back. But her tutorial is great!
Beautiful pictures!
omg I can’t begin with how much I adore those sweet family photos! super in love with the white tulle skirt, they are so dreamy, almost bringing me back to the world of fairytales :)
would you like to follow each other?
A
xx
http://epiquemoi.blogspot.com
Beautiful family pictures! Love them all.
Just perfect, all of your pictures! And by the way, who wouldn’t want to be snuggled in that super soft blanket:)
Beautiful pictures! And I love the tulle skirts on you and your daughter!
Jordan
http://jordansvintagekitchen.blogspot.com
Gorgeous!!!
Where is your skirt from? It’s gorgeous!
I made it. ;-) Thanks!
These pictures are all sorts of AWESOME!!
love, love the pics! i was in anthro right before christmas and the gal who waited on me wore a similar skirt. personally, i love your choice of combo with the boots & chambray top.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE show a tutorial on how you made your BEAUTIFUL skirt!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Been looking for one for awhile now! p.s. you have the most beautiful family ever!!!
Love, love, love. Everything’s just so adorable. :-)