Arrr you ready to smile?

It is really hard to get 8 kids to smile at a camera all at once.  I mean REALLY hard.  It's even harder to get 8 kids dressed like pirates in a little studio room at JCP to all look at the camera, stay still, and smile.  (My father loves pirates, so this was a picture for him for Christmas which really turned into being a picture for his birthday this past weekend)  It wasn't until after the pictures were taken that my sisters Shane, Suzanne, and I were crowded around the computer looking at the results that we realized all the little things....Lauren crying, Luke looking lost, and Abigail with her claw hand on Austin's head.  Oh well.  We figure in 8 years they will look at the picture and laugh.

And...because I love to show pictures a year ago to see how much they have grown...here was our professional pictures with them last year....They have grown up just a little bit...except I am pretty sure Austin has the exact same look on his face in both pictures...

(Abigail, Ella holding Lauren, Lilli with Austin, Will, Patrick holding Luke)

So, we are already thinking of this years theme....8 monkeys jumping on a bed, Rudolf and the reindeer, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs....feel free to make suggestions...