All this just for a picture?

My mom and I had an idea about a month ago. We decided it had been too long since our family took a nice family picture and it was time to go forth and pose. The pictures were to include my grandmother, her husband, my parents, my aunt and uncle, my sister, my husband, the little ladies and me. The idea seemed so simple. Everyone shows up at the park at the appointed hour and we all smile. While that is how it would have happened in many families, that is not at all what happened with mine.

This event - and yes, I must categorize this as an event - took an immense amount of planning. To be fair, there were eleven different people to coordinate and attempt to please. We had to hash out several different options for dates that would work for everyone. Just as we thought we had a date chosen, I received an invitation in the mail for a holiday party it was important we attend. We finally settled on Friday. One person wanted studio photos. However, the photographer we chose does not have a studio. So we chose a beautiful area complete with a Japanese garden. However, all week the weather was awful. The sky was steel gray and mist hung in the air. As we walked the gardens in the days leading up to Friday, I shivered in the cold. We staked out a nearby hotel as an alternate location in case the bad weather continued. Then there were the attire discussions. Grandma insisted on wearing a formal dress with beaded lapels on the jacket. She also purchased matching velvet and taffeta dresses for the little ladies. I don't know about you, but I do not own anything that dressy at this stage in life. Mom, Sister and I each took several trips into our closets. I ended up making a last ditch trip to the mall to find a cute little black dress that would fit the bill. All in all I was unsure what to expect from Friday.

We had spent much of the week running around. Sweet Pea had her Christmas program. Panda Girl had a nasty cold that prevented either of us from sleeping well all week. On top of that we had my sweet Aunt and Uncle in town visiting. When Friday dawned I had planned a very quiet morning for the little ladies and I. We stayed home and in our pajamas. I was hoping the low key morning would enable us to have a meltdown free photo shoot and fancy dinner afterward.

Thankfully, our plans for outside photos were solidified when we all looked out our windows Friday morning. The sky was baby blue without a cloud in sight. All week the temperatures had hovered in the forties and fifties. Friday the sun came out and warmed the air to a comfortable sixty-four degrees. We met the photographer and started shooting. Panda Girl did not want to smile for much of the time, but I am hopeful there are some good shots of us all. I think the girls even had some fun.

Once we finished in the park it was on to Fancy Restaurant for dinner. I don't know about you, but we do not take our girls to expensive restaurants. It has always seemed like such a waste of money. However, that is what the family wanted to do and I reluctantly agreed. I secretly told myself that we would leave if the little ladies became unruly. As luck would have it, and it truly was luck, the girls behaved well. I did have to hold Panda Girl on my lap for much of the meal, but at least I got to eat a fantastic steak. Best of all, that particular restaurant has my favorite dessert. I enjoyed every last bit of that bread pudding. Sister teased that I practically licked the inside of the bowl to avoid missing any morsel.

While that day and the days leading up to it were an ordeal, I hope we will have a beautiful family picture to admire. I fiercely love my family. While I can tease them and complain about them, you had better not. I'm thinking we may even sit back and laugh about this one day. However, today is not that day. Tomorrow is not looking good either.