The Dreaded Holiday Family Photo

  I gave up on the Christmas photo a few years ago and we started sending out the New Year's holiday photo and card instead.  Some might think that it's cop out, but honestly the pressure of getting the photo taken the moment Jordan walked in the door from college, so that the card could be delivered by December 25th was more than I could take in a season where there are never enough hours in the day.

  One thing that I have always done is to make sure that we are all in the photo.  I figure that if I keep old friends and family up to date on what I look like they will not be shocked some day if our paths should cross again and we end up face to face. So not only do I need to make sure that the kids are looking their best, but Jeff and I (more importantly) have to  be presentable.

  So the real issue of time began once Jordan went to college in Fort Lewis.  I guess I should have made a point to get a family photo at Thanksgviving before she traveled the seven hours back to school, but I was never that organized.

  For year three, the day after she got back from school I ushered the kids into the yard or down to the lake for the dreaded photo shoot.

  Her freshman year was he worst. I guess I've blocked why everyone was so agitated, but it is the one card that I can't even look back on without feeling the anxiety of that morning. Part of the problem was that the sun was so bright that after each self-timed take Jeff would have to run back into the house for shade to see if the photo was Christmas card worthy. Inevitably someone had their eyes closed or Trooper (our beloved Golden Retriever) had his back turned on the camera. I can't remember if it was Jordan's tears or Hunter's refusal to take another photo that made us decide on the photo we ultimately used. It was probably a combination of Hunter's refusal to pose for the 10th time and Jordan's frustration at coming back from the paradise of college life into the chaios of family life that stirred the pot of discontent.  All of this in the name of showing a "happy family" face to the rest of the world.

  Another year we were all in high spiritis and glad that Jordan had made it back to Evergreen hours ahead of a blizzard.  But the snow blowing in made for a time sensative shoot.  Not to mention that for some reason Cameron decided that she wanted to wear as little as possible in sub zero degree temperatures. I think the freezing dog walker that we stopped and asked to act as our photographer was probably cussing us under his frozen breath, but our camera kept sliding off of the hood of our snow covered car foiling our self-timer efforts and we were desperate to get the picture taken so as to make the mail the next day.

  Last year Hunter was in Rome for Christmas. The rest of us drove down to Durango to pick Jordan up from school. We were having lunch in the CUB, the sun was shining, and we decided to do a quick family photo on the terrace with the San Juan Mountains as our back drop. We asked a student that was walking by to take the photo.  Snap!  It was done.  We all agreed that somehow without the fifth element (Hunter) we had never taken such a painless Christmas photo.  Was it Hunter or just a lack of another person to incorporate into the photo.  We will never know.

  Hunter got to New York on the December 18th but it took until the night of the 26th for us all to be back in synch enough as a family to finally think that we could actually take a picture worthy of sending out as a New Year's card.  Now you would think that in one of the most photographed cities in the world a backdrop would be easy to find.  Tired of holiday lights and not wanting to chose the obvious tourist attractions (top of the Empire State Building, Lady Liberty, Time Square, etc...) we had to think of something that would say New York and would not require a subway or taxi ride.  Of course, we just took the photo yesterday, so I can't reveal the picutre before the Grandparents get the 5x7 in the mail.  But I added a picture of myself at the location as a teaser. 

  Of course, none of the stress of the holiday card photo compares to the pressure of Christmas night where we all learn the new game of season.  This year Santa brought Cameron the Hunger Games Training Days Board Game.  Instructions and wine (a lot of it) required.