She always makes us look into the sun.  We are all squinting, I just know it.  How will this be a good picture?  No one is going to be able to see our eyes.  We are gonna have to retake this, aren’t we?  

“Mama, I love you, but you know that none of us can open our eyes, when looking in the sun.  I don’t know why, that is just how it is,” I yelled to my mom. “Also, why are you standing so far away?”

“I want to get the road and trees in the background, now close your eyes and I’ll count to three,” my mom responded.

We all stood there for about 30 seconds as my mom snapped about 1000 pictures of our one pose.  Then, we let go of each other and dashed out of the road.  A car sped by once we reached the grass, and we all turned as their tires squealed.  

“Come on, this is a neighborhood.  You don’t need to be going 60!”  My mom screamed at the car, even though no one could hear her.  “Some people.”

Ah the holidays, what a wonderful time of the year.  Thanksgiving and all the food, Christmas and all the presents-fun-I mean family time.  It really is great.  I get to spend quality time with my brothers, that I already see everyday, and my parents, who just love to cook and clean.  What a joyous time.  Eating turkey and stuffing.  Playing games with everyone.  Listening to my grandpa tell somewhat inappropriate jokes.  I think about all the fun things I will get to do over break.  How Christmas is quickly approaching.  Spending time with friends, my boyfriend, and cousins, who we barely see.  Taking Christmas card pictures.  This is the one thing that starts out as all fun and smiles, but very quickly turns into a nightmare.  My mom getting frustrated that we are not giving our real smiles.  I don’t think my smile could be more real.

“Mason, just close your eyes and I will count to three.”

“Austin, please smile, I am not dealing with this whole teenager thing right now.”

“Logan, can you please fix your hair?”

“Alexis, will you just take one picture of your dad and me?”  I took almost 100 pictures, and they only did three poses.

Austin never wants to hug anyone, so when my mom told us to do one big hug, you can imagine our surprise when we wrapped his arms around everyone and started to squeeze.  

“You are squishing me!” Mason squealed out, with his little high pitched voice.

“Good!” Austin replied laughing hysterically.

Of course he just wanted to squish all of us.  Ever since he grew taller than me he just has to prove that he is the biggest.  Oh well, group hug!

This all may sound like a tragic experience, but this is my family.  This is our normal-happens every year.  As soon as the leaves on the trees begin to change color, we put on our nice and slightly matching outfits, head out into the yard, and take about a million pictures, for the five that will appear on the actual card.  The rest just find a nice cozy spot in my mom’s “pictures” on her computer.  It might not always be the most exciting experience of the year, but it is tradition.  The laughs we share at the awkward faces made, and the random poses my mom puts us in every year.  Sometimes, we come up with our own funky poses, and last year's photo was made into an ornament, fancy right?  It is important to remember the little things, sure, not everyone is going to keep the card we send them for years upon years, but we get to keep the memories from taking them.