2011 Catch Up - Christmas Card Pictures

A Christmas card photo shoot with the Wiricks
narrated by Angela Wirick

It’s December 14, my Christmas cards have been done for a week or so, but I have not taken a picture of the kids yet. Since we live in Northern Idaho, it gets dark by 4:00, but today is the day. I will take a fun picture of the boys as soon as Jack and Sam get home from school. It has been a little crazy this year, so there are no matching outfits. They each have a nice dark coat which will be perfect for the chilly outside shot. Logan even took a nap – this is going to be awesome.

We start at the front porch, and I get a few ok shots in, but then I realize that there are garbage cans behind the boys which I don’t want to photoshop out – Logan is whining about playing in the snow. I cannot get all three turkeys to look at me and smile! It is starting to get dark – I have to hurry. I get a case of the rage and tell my kids that Christmas is cancelled. The neighbor is outside and just heard me freak out at the boys, because they will not look at me and smile – at least no one is naked!

 Maybe it will be nicer in the backyard. I can sit them on the deck railing. I take several shots before I realize that my settings are screwed up and they are all blurry. Not a big deal since Logan is now screaming about playing in the snow, and the boys still won’t look at me and smile.

Maybe just one more shot here on the step. Jack and Sam get their Christmas restored. Logan is a dead man! I give up completely because there is no way Logan is going to act normal, and it is now completely dark outside at 4:00 p.m. I pout and grumble for the rest of the evening.

Christmas card photo shoot - take two (12/17). We just left a nice ward Christmas brunch. Kids look pretty cute. It is warm outside. I want to go to this park; small problem - I don’t know what it is called and I don’t really know where it is. We went there once for scouts. Tyler is not able to read my mind to see what I am picturing. Hopefully he will be more helpful at the shoot. Success – we find the park.
It might be fun to start at this cute wood fence. This isn’t going as I expected. The kids really want to climb this fence, Logan still will not look at me and smile – whoops, the sun is in their eyes.

 And then an airplane flies by.

Maybe if I move them to the corner where Jack can keep his arms around Logan…  Another fail!

Over to the rocks – Logan decides to smile.  Seriously?!?  He looks like he is constipated.

Here is a cool wall, too bad Logan wants to get up so that he can climb the hill behind the wall.

I tell Logan to put his hands on Jack and Sam’s necks.  He decides that I just gave him permission to pinch them on the neck.  This is also the time where Jack becomes a double amputee (hands), but I don’t notice this until I am home editing the photos.

Maybe we can get some cute pictures on this bridge – Not so much.  Logan sees a bug, rock, stick, who knows.

Down by the water... OK, what was I thinking? I did not get one shot with them looking at me.  Then Tyler my lovely assistant goes bonkers and Jack begs me to use this photo for the Christmas cards.

Finally, a really nice spot where we can see the river in the background; too bad Logan does not want to sit still.

I tell Sam to hold on to his shirt. 

Logan fights.  Sam Persists

And this is as good as it gets folks!  I give up, 2 out of 3 aint bad.  The scenery is beautiful, and it is a good thing I only attempt this once a year. 

In case you are curious, I took a total of 164 shots, and I still had to use one where Logan had his tongue out!