One...Two... Three..... Smile

The Den Hartog family Christmas picture... because I can. I posted this picture on my facebook account last week. And I had lots of inquiries as to how we managed to accomplish this family photo. My cousins pointed out that it is amazing that we did it in three takes. And I finally figured out how to best describe what it takes to accommplish.

We do this picture every year. We joke about the picture, we look at last years picture to make sure we do not show up in the same outfit two years in a row, we sometimes dread the picture. The picture must happen so we can eat, and eating must happen so we can clean up, and clean up must happen so we can get the kids their gifts.

But before all of that - we pull it together for 30 seconds, which often feels like 30 minutes, all for Grandma. Not a one of us in that picture dares let Grandma down so we gather up - have our 30 seconds of chaos, and when she pushes the button on the self-timer, we say silly things, tickle our kids, smile and hope and pray we don't have to do it again :-) And I have to say, this year's picture proves that we really have perfected the art.... All for The Greats!