Family Pictures

Here we are, for the first professional FAMILY PICTURE ever!  
Hard to believe, but nope, haven't done it yet!  
Well, to be correct, we haven't done a professional family picture since we've had kids.  

One of my College BFFs took these for us.  She always does such a great job, and we always manage to have a blast together.  This time, we decided to literally CLING to the side of the mountain for some of the shots.  Honestly, to look at the slope, it didn't seem that treacherous, and we all made it up and down just fine.  Probably would've been easier if I and Annie hadn't been wearing heels, but I think you'll all agree with me that sometimes you must sacrifice for fashion.  Well, at any rate, it was a good time.  We'll start the pictures out with a classic:  this is Ryan "lifting" Carson down the mountainside:

 

The funny thing is that later during the shoot, Annie and I were climbing up a slight slope of a hillside (still in our heels, of course), when Annie pulled against me to balance herself.  I was not particularly balanced myself at the moment, and well, let's just say we had a nice roll down the hillside.  It ruled.  Well, except for the part that it totally messed up my hair, gave us both splinters and chunder all over our clothes.  Oh, yah, and then there was the part where I totally chewed her out for pulling me down.  It was not a shining Mom moment, nor was it likely graceful.  I did have some nasty bruises up my back the next day.  We do what we must to have our feet look their best (even if they don't show in all the pictures. . .)  So here's one of my feet so it all seems worthwhile:

  See how the flip flops enhance the ensemble?  I thought so as well.

 Please allow me to indulge my 

"I think my daughter is the most adorable thing on the planet" mommy pride 

with "a few" selections:

 

Here are my boys:  

This picture does NOT do the precariousness of their situation justice.  

They are within mere inches from their deaths by falling.

 

My not-so-little-anymore Carsie.  

He surprised us by face-planting on the sidewalk the evening before 

on our way home from the Tooele Homecoming game.  

Go Buffs!  (yeahhhhhhh, not so much)

The most gigantic, yet tiniest and sweetest chunk of a baby ever.  

Don't you just want to eat those cheeks?

The following are Exhibits 1 through 4 

that the hubby and I actually like and love each other.  

Yummy!

This one was so we could gross out the kids later.  

Awesome.

Another Family Picture

See ya later, alligator!