NOTE: this is an ALL family post, so if that isn’t your thing, you may want to skip it. I am really happy with the way things went so I’m sharing it!
Well I DID it! I was able to accomplish my goal of getting our family (Christmas) photos done BEFORE Halloween!!! Last time we had our photos done I did this, and SWORE I would always go before Halloween. The problem is the time creeps up on you, and this was already a busy week. BUT I made it a priority, and we got it done! Gotta love the TO DO list 😀
Also if you kids are a wee bit older, you can ask for a later evening time to ensure you are in and out. Most younger kids are in bed! If you go during the day it can be busy with babies and toddlers, so keep that in mond. I’m by no means a photographer, and don’t know if this is all exzsctly true, but it is my personl expierienc as a parent, from getting my children’s photos over the last DECADE!
Going before Halloween is so much less busy, there are good deals, and you get your stuff MUCH quicker!! People aren’t thinking CHRISTMAS yet!
The DOWNSIDE to going BEFORE Halloween is you can’t get any Christmas backgrounds, so if that is your THING then you will want to wait! I didn’t want a Christmas themed bkgd since these are going on my walls, so I just dressed us in cheery holidayish colors!
Photo Tips:Now they tell you keep clothing SOLID, darker colors are best, and LONG sleeves, so it doesn’t distract from your face!
SO for the first time we gave Target a try! I have to say I was impressed!
We had a coupon and paid no sitting fee, only $3.99 a sheet and got a FREE 8 X 10 !
Funny thing happened: When I was picking out photos I kept saying “I’ll take that in 81/2 X 11”-and the woman was like “You mean 8 X 10? ” I’d say “Yeah that is what I meant!”, then I’d do it again. I had to apologize and tell her I kept thinking about cardstock sizes and that is ALWAYS the measurement that pops into my head! LOL!
With the coupons we saved $150!! We ended up buying like $130 worth of photos! LOL! So we saved more than we spent, and given the fact we haven’t had photos done in like 2 years that isn’t bad at all! All I know is if Jay doesn’t have a heart attack, its a good deal!
The camera was a Nikon like mine! I kept telling Jay I NEED that lens she had for Christmas! LOL!
Another PLUS: For ONLY $4.99 you can buy the online service that allows you to legally share your photos online, email them to family/friends, post them as your screensaver…..all sorts of stuff, which is nice!
Now I am going to share ALL my photos here (legally!) I have to admit it was REALLY weird seeing myself with DARK SHORT hair! It looked really nice when we left the house, but it was raining (GRR!) and they had NO mirror! Oh well. The kids looked good, so that is all that matters.
Since the kids are all older it went really well. OH! That and we did promise them each a box of candy if they cooperated! I’ll be honest, with three kids I am NOT above bribery!! A mom has to do, what a mom has to do! Plus we don’t celebrate Halloween, so they won’t be getting loads of candy this weekend.
So without further delay here we go!
Family Photo 1
Jay & Noah have the SAME sweater on! Amber and Alexa are dressed the same too. I always like to make them match!
Me, Im just in a black shirt. Trying to blend!
Family Photo 2
Family Photo 3
OK so I think this was the one we got for our Christmas cards and Im totally kickin myself! I loved the one just above this! GRR! It was HARD to see on their screen and they couldn’t put them side by side. Once I got home and could access them online I saw I liked the one above this! Oh well.
I’m going to call anyway this morning and see if we can change it. EEK!
Family Photo 4
I liked this one, but wasn’t a fan of us on our knees. We look strange! Maybe if we CROP it!
I thought this one was SOOOOO cute! The kids got a kick out of it too.
The woman said it should be our Christmas card, but I want people to SEE the kids faces, and NOT gross them out too! LOL!
Jay & I
Who is that with my husband! LOL!
It isn’t often we have a photo of Jay and I
Now we have our trio
Then this is where they try to make you go for broke……..
This would be $30!! Thankfully I wasn’t a fan of the framed images, and heck, I am creative, I can make my own collage!
Here is Alexa
I LOVED this photo of her. I was really proud of her that she smiled and kept her chin up! We ONLY got this one close up because the second after this shot was taken, a tear streamed down her face! She is VERY shy and having a stranger in her face made her scared and SAD! Poor girl! So we let her off the hook.
Now we get back to the UP-SELL. The woman saw how much I loved this photo…..
Talk about pulling on mom’s heart strings! I felt bad saying NO! But it gave me a FAB idea for making my own 😀
I love this photo of her because it is a genuine Alexa smile 😀 She is doing so well, I couldn’t feel more blessed.
Now we have Noah
How did he get so OLD? He will be 7 on November 13th! He is a whole head taller than Alexa (who is 10) I can totally see him as a TEEN here! He is in the CHEESY smile phase, but she did a good job getting him to really laugh.
Here is his close up
Love the toothless smile!
Last but not least, Amber
I think she could have just posed and posed forever. The woman suggested I bring her back for her own photo day! LOL!
You can tell she doesn’t feel good in this one. What a cute lil face.
Then her close up….
She actually does this head tilt thing on her own alot when she wants something, so I thought it was really cute.
I really loved ALL the close up photos she did.
I’m not doing School photos since they come out TERRIBLE, cost $15 for ONE sheet, and don’t make your child look good at all. Last year Noah had a FAB smile but they layered him on a NEON blue bkgd! I paid for GRAY she claimed that was the correct color from what I ordered. Apparently SOMEONE is color blind, and I know it isn’t ME! That one just went into the drawer!
SO once these come in I will be changing our frames.
Thanks for letting me ramble on Its not often we get group photos done. I should TRY to go more often. These years REALLY fly by so quickly. Before I know it I will be asking for photos of my grandkids!
Tomorrow I’ll have some eyecandy for you.
Thanks for stopping by.
64 Responses for "2009 Family Photos"
Beautiful photos Lauren. The kids all look fabulous and the pics of Jay and yourself are very nice as well.
I so enjoyed your sharing your photo stories and pictures with us. They are such beautiful photos of all of you! And I love your new hair color and cut. Its very becoming on you! Jay is very handsome and your kids are fabulous! And I so agree..where does the time go? You are smart to recognize how fast it goes. I am now one who is trying to get pics of our gd! Seems like yesterday ours were just babies. Anyhow glad you got them done early and I agree with you on which picture is the best although they all truly are. Give those kids a hug for me! Judi 🙂
Bravo! Congrats to you for getting these done so early! Beautiful pics – you’ll treasure forever! Aren’t you relieved to have that off your TO DO List? Thanks for sharing!
This IS eyecandy to me – thanks for sharing your photoes I really enjoyed seeing them.
Waooo… Lauren, what a beautiful family. God bess all of you. I read all your post and enjoy every word, especially when you talk about Alexa. Congratulations, you are a super super Mom. Best regards, Farida
Thanks for sharing with us Lauren 🙂 I love it when you share, it makes me feel like we’re friends, which we are 🙂 I pray for your family when they’re sick or going through trials just as I would for my other friends. You have a beautiful family! Great pictures.
Thanks for sharing your photos! They are beautiful!
I’ve always had good luck with Target and their photo prices are so affordable…there’s always a coupon for $3.99 sheets so there is never a need to pay full price. And if you want to get reprints, no need to pay full price for those online either…just reorder them at the store (you’ll get a cheaper price in-store than if you call the online number!).
If you end up making anything with the photos you can download from them, I’d love to see it. When I pull the photos up in my PSE, they’re really too small to do anything with.
What a beautiful family, girl :).
oh — and I was going to say — I could make something either the same, or very similar of that photo of Alexa for you — but I see you have plans… 🙂
Glad the photo shoot was successful — you’ve inspired me to go out and do the same. We used the girls’ pic from school last year, but A would NOT take pictures this year. Downright REFUSED, so I’m hoping that if Daddy and I are both there, maybe she will…
You have a beautiful family, Lauren!
great pictures!!
your son and my share the same birthday, mine will be 3!
You have a beautiful family. Susan
You are a wonderful family! What a lovely pictures! You are a great mum, what I read from your posts. Most kindness, careful mother!
You have a beautiful family!! Wonderful pictures. Thanks for sharing.
What great family pictures!
Your photos came out great. Guess you’re liking your new color?
Well, I have to say that the one with you kissing and the kids covering their eyes is priceless. I guess because I have never seen a pose like that done. Very clever!
oh my the kissing picture is to funny and sweet at the same time love it!
love the little girls outfits!
OMW Lauren – all of these photos are wonderful!!! I don’t know how you could choose!!! What a beautiful family!!! I loved the one of you and Jay kissing and the kids covering their eyes!!! That one is just too darn cute!!!
What lovely photos – thank you for sharing them. We has family portraits done about 11 years ago and then another set of the 2 boys 3 years ago – they are my favourite framed pictures in the whole house.
Your family portraits are lovely. Thank you for sharing.
BTW – your hair looks great =D
The photos came out stunning! We love JC Penney’s portrait studio here. I use coupons to get much the same deal you got, so once a year right around Kid birthdays we head off and get the photos done. It’s so easy to spend a fortune!
You looked incredible! I hope I look that good the next time we do a family shoot!
So super cute! I loved them all. That one with the kiss was so funny!
Lauren – I swear – ALL of these came out GREAT! I am impressed! Talk about a photogenic family! I like the one of you and your hubby kissing and the kids covering their faces, LOL, hope you got one of those for your house somewhere, it is precious.
I like the photo you originally picked the best! I hope you don’t change it!
Thanks for sharing, your blog is always fun to read, so honest.
We don’t buy school pictures either for exactly the same reason. So many people are scandalized that I don’t buy them but they are WAY too expensive and never look that good.
Hope you are enjoying your cricut!
Your family is adorable in all the photos 😉 It’s brilliant how you saved all that extra cash by clipping coupons and knowing what to say no to. Which means you can spend that extra savings on rubbah & ink! 🙂
Fabulous pictures! You just look so different. I didn’t do the Christmas pictures yet but I’ll be going to Walmart. The school pictures sucked really bad – they didn’t do a very nice job of them… hairs out of place, strange looks on their faces, etc, so I’m not even buying them. I always get the Christmas backgrounds and just get red or white tshirts for the kids, and that’s it. Easy and simple, and they look nice. The photographers at those places always know how to get you to buy more though, don’t they?
Super photos….and you are very wise to use a good photographer…and you are also so wise not to ‘celebrate’ Halloween….I applaud your stance on this mostly cult scene. It has become yet another commercial opportunity.
I like your hair! Thanks for sharing all of this with us.
A beautiful family. It’s after your fabulous “métamorphose” and Alexa seems to have recover from her pneumonia.
Félicitations!!!
Lison
Thanks for sharing Lauren. You have a beautiful family and the photos look great. Continue to cherish every moment because they do grow up so fast.
P.S. I think your hair looks great and I enjoyed your tale of woe with the dye job gone bad.
These are great! I was going to try Target this year too. Last year I went to Flash photography and it cost and arm and a leg and I only got 3 really good shots. The Target nearest me didn’t have a photo studio so I have to search for one but I’m on it!
Beautiful pictures ~ so glad it went so well for you. I remember those times trying to get everyone to smile or stop irratating each other LOL!!
Thanks so much for sharing they turned out so great!
Very nice – you have a beautiful family!
What wonderful photos of your beautiful family. Thanks so much for sharing them!
I am impressed that you actually got this done before Halloween. LOL. Great for you. I will be lucky if we get ours done before New Years. I love them all, very photogenic family. My only suggestion. You should have a photo of Jay and Noah. I just love pics of my husband and son together. He is an only child though. But it is amazing to see how he changes each year with Dad. It just me. I hate having mine made anyway. You are very blessed with a beautiful family.
Great family photos.
Tienes una hermosa familia… You have a Beautiful Family. Enjoy. God Bless You.
Great Pictures WTG and TFS
Thanks for sharing your family photos Lauren. I think my fav is the one of Alexa by herself. I know how hard it is for her to take pictures. Tell her she did a beautiful job. Of course Amber is just a little “ham” for the camera and Noah did a great job too. The one of you & Jay definitely came out great. I do agree with the family one and #2 is the best.
I just love your family photos. They capture the personalities of your kids. I wish my older boys were as cooperative. The youngest is the ham but the oldest would rather have his toenails ripped out than sit for a photo shoot.
Lauren, I had tears by the time I finished looking at the wonderful pictures of your family…….so, so sweet……..
I am now able to hold my greatgrandson, missed all the years of grandchildren because of them liviing 2000 miles away…so cherish every moment, which I know you do…
Thanks for sharing your loved ones with us…..susie
Awesome photos Lauren! Thanks so much for sharing them with us!
Beautil pix & a beautiful family! Thanks for sharing!
All of the pictures are gorgeous!!! You should be thrilled!!! Love the individual shots and the one of you and Jay. I didn’t think it was possible, but you actually look younger with dark hair. TFS 🙂
What a beautiful family you have Lauren!
By the way I really love the dark hair! I think it looks so healthy and pretty!
I just loved reading this post and seeing all of the photos! I totally would have picked the one you picked for your Christmas cards – I love the expression on the kids faces in that one. You, my dear just look fabulous. I am really lovin’ the color and the length of your hair!
These are GORGEOUS! Your family is so beautiful!
I cheated, I copied all the pics and put them in my “family scap book”……………love grammy……beautiful!
Beautiful pictures Lauren!! Thanks for sharing them with us.
God bless
Giovana
Oh my gosh … they are all so adorable!!! What a picture perfect family! I especially love the one with you and Jay kissing and the kids hiding their eyes … that made me laugh out loud!
Fabulous!
You have a gorgeous family, I love all the pictures!
Wow your son and my daughter were born on the same day in the same year! (Nov 13, 2002) I can’t believe she will be 7 in just a few weeks, time does go fast doesn’t it!
Thanks for sharing!
I really loved seeing the photos!! Thanks for sharing with us! Everyone looked so nice but I really like you in the pic of just you and Jay. Very pretty.
beautiful pictures and family- your hair looks great. I’m glad that the kids’ pictures came out- Alexa and Amber have similar facial features. Congratulations on getting great shots and a good deal on price.
Those photo’s are gorgeous Lauren. What a lovely family you have. I really like Alexa in the word “LOVE”.
Loving your new hair colour by the way. You look so different! :oD Naomi
Bravo, une très belle famille et les photos sont superbes. Marie-Hélène
Oh Lauren, they are all three just BEAUTIFUL!!! Your children are so precious, and so are their parents!!! I think your dark hair is PRETTY, and you are so beautiful anyway…The photos are GREAT, and you will be so glad that you have them! My boys are all grown, and we have ONE family photo that was taken for a church directory before our 4th baby was even born! Kudos to you for staying on top of things and “getting things done”!!! Your photos are PRICELESS. . .
***HUGS**** to you! You are AWESOME!!! 😀
Oh my, Lauren, I haven’t been here in so long!!!! I miss you! I am like a chicken with no head, and barely make cards anymore *shame!!* You should see my little guy though, he is just adorable and melts my heart!… But I need to work on “Less Facebook, more Scrapbook!” 😉 I do buy some of your templates and have fun with them. You guys look great on those pics. I can’t believe Alexa’s hair got so long, Yay!! And I love your new do! Very hot Mama! I swear i’ll be back… If I can only find the time for one crafty blog you know it will be yours! 😀 <3
One of the reasons I love your blog is that you always share your “great deals” and “helpful ideas.” Timeless Templates AND uber smart chances to save money, you are definitely a “go to” person for me. woo hoo! Thanks so much for sharing pics of your family. OH MY isn’t it amazing to see how quickly children grow up….and yours are so beautiful/handsome! Wonderful picture of you and Jay! Congratulations on getting your Christmas photos done before Halloween! I am sure we will be seeing some FAB projects helping us learn how to package photos creatively to give as gifts! Happy Halloween.
Love the photos – it is interesting to see what you do. Not a UK custom as yet but I did see the queues when we came to the US once in early December!!! I think you all look wonderful.
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Wow, Lauren, what a stunning family you have! God bless all of you abundantly. I’ve read through all your posts and cherished every word, especially when you share about Alexa. Congratulations, you’re truly a super, super Mom! photography
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