family photo time

Fall means family picture time in the Graham household.

And we only go with the best, so Kaitlin Meeks it was.  She did our family photos last year and guest posted here this summer about using a professional photographer.  She’s pretty much awesome.

This year as we were brainstorming about picture day, she said she had been reading things on my blog about dreaming big and asking “why not?” more as opposed to “why?”  So when she shared that she dreamed of doing a photo shoot with a camping scene (wool, flannel, smores, a tent, the whole shabang). I said give me a minute, made some phone calls, and boom camp shoot.

And to make it more real life, it was freezing cold.  Just like when we went camping in New York.  Only we didn’t camp by a creek in my parents’ yard.  But that would have saved us a lot of money, so maybe we’ll do that next time.

These pictures that Kaitlyn does, I love them.  I love that they tell a story, that you can look at last year’s pictures and know what our lives were inbetween.  Chris got grayer, I lost weight, Harper lost her baby-ness, Elliott made the executive decision to let her hair grow like Mommy’s, and we became a solid family of four–no more babies for the Grahams (okay, maybe you can’t tell that by looking, but that’s what I think when I see these).

Those pictures are real-life Grahams.  My hair is usually messed up.  Elliott has the attitude of a 14-year-old girl and never does what she’s told.  Harper and Chris, best friends.  We’ve been married six years as of last month, some days it feels like an eternity and some days it feels like just yesterday.  Only three of the four of us are doing the right thing at any given time.  We’re imperfect and made in His image all at the same time.

The Grahams: three loud and stubborn girls and one daddy along for the ride.