Tradition

Where do the years go.

I mean, seriously.

Have we REALLY been doing this for three years in a row?

When the girls were babies, Carrie and I started a few little traditions with them, and I hope we always keep them up.

The very first, was our annual trip to the Picture People for a BFF Valentine portrait. We’ve always done individual shots of the girls, too, for their own valentine cards, but the pictures I treasure most from these trips are the ones of the two of them.

They were 2 & 4 months old on our first visit.

A year later, so much had changed… they were both walking, and Annabelle had HAIR! :)

Every trip has been colorful, for sure. This year was no exception. In fact, as Carrie and I sat and wrestled our two two-year olds while trying to choose a picture, I think we both wondered WHY we do it to ourselves.

Getting a decent picture of two small children TOGETHER is not for the faint of heart, I’ll assure you.

I was pretty certain it wasn’t going to happen for us yesterday. Especially when Allie laid down on the floor, through her hand over her face and said, “I don’t want to share”--- we’re not sure where this came from, since no one was asking her to share ANYTHING except a smile with the camera. While Allie was having her moment, Annabelle was having one of her own, with the two bottles of hand sanitizer she’d managed to lay claim to. She was way to busy making sure her hands were clean to be bothered with being in a picture.

Somehow, someway, we got one that kind-of worked.

It’s not the picture I had in my head. But I still think it’s precious. And hilarious. Funny how kids make things that way.

Here’s to traditions and best friends.

~amw~