Our crazy lives: Happy? Christmas

I adore my children. But when it comes to taking pictures I sometimes just want to pull my hair out. I admit, I have unrealistic expectations of what a 5 year old, a 2 year old, and a 10 month old should be able to do. I am no longer in denial and maybe now I can begin healing. The other day when Craig was on campus and I was alone with all three kids I thought to myself, "this would be a perfect time to get some pictures super fast for the Christmas card." Wow. Really?! Alone? Super fast? Three small children, one of them now cruising around on the furniture and does not understand commands for the life of her and the another one being Elliot? :) Funny how I didn't think of the fact that energetic kids dont really get the concept of the peace of Christmas time. In the moment of taking them I have to admit that none of us were in the holiday spirit. It was a mess in the midst of it, but after I threw in the towel and finally snuggled Lucy and put her in bed, Keenan and I plopped down on the couch, smashed our heads together and looked through the pictures on the tiny camera screen. Oh man, that's when the fun began. We could not stop laughing to save our lives! I literally had tears coming down my face and Keenan lost his breath from the non stop giggling. We narrated the photo shoot and made up things for what everyone was thinking based on the facial expressions and we had the best time together. I will always look back on these goofy pictures with so much joy just because of the redemptive time of slowing down and allowing a 5 year old to offer his perspective. What is the "perfect" Christmas picture, anyway? So, here is our real life Christmas card. With lots of love from the Hauquitzessess :)