D - A - D

Every year for Father's Day, I take pictures of the kids holding white wooden letters, "D" and "A." Justin has a frame at work that holds three photos, and I arrange them to spell "DAD." This year the kids gave him a photo album to store all the previous (and future years) photos for his own yearly "DAD" keepsake. 

This year was photo shoot number 4, and it is amazing already to see how the kids have changed. Here is a collage of all 4 years of D-A-D photos:

Starting in 2010, when Jennie was only 6 months old, my biggest challenge was getting her to take the pic and not eat the letters. Eventually, I gave up and used one of the pics that she was nibbling on the "D." Every year I take about 200 pictures over the course of a few weeks, and then take the "best of the best" to print - no joke. I have serious respect for people that take pictures of kids for a living! Just getting them to look at the camera (forget smiling) makes me break a sweat.

Year three of this project (Jacob's debut to the D-A-D frame) presented the biggest challenge yet: get TWO kids to look at a camera! I think the most the most frustrating part for me was that Jennie was 2 1/2, and "knew" how to look at the camera; she just refused to. We had endless photo shoots that year. Later on that summer, probably about three weeks after Father's Day, me and the kids were at Grammie's house (Justin's mom). Jennie and Jacob were in the kiddie pool, and me and Grammie were taking some pictures of them. Then, Jennie was playing pretend taking "pictures" of the squirting toys. She gathered them all together and said, "Just take the freaking picture!" We looked at each other (my mother-in-law was looking at me in shock, and I looked at her in complete embarassment) and then we asked Jennie, "What did you say?" Sure enough, Jennie responds with, "Just take the freaking picture!" Apparently Jennie was saving that gem that she learned from me a few weeks back at the height of my picture taking frustration!

This year was challenging as usual. The kids are cute and love to smile - until you ask them to hold the letter or pose for a picture. My favorite part about this year was the out takes. The out takes really show the character of my kiddos - they are funny, silly, adorable, and (sometimes) a little bratty - but mostly bored with Mommy trying to take their pictures:

"She wants us to do WHAT with this letter?

Jennie is willing to look ANY WHERE
except the camera

My goof balls

"Take THAT letter D!"

Jake gave Jennie a sharp rap on
the head with the letter  A...

...And then knocked his own forehead on hers.
Result: hilarious. 

"AAALLLL DOOONE!"

The album that Justin got today has enough pages for 50 years of D-A-D photos. I hope that the pages get filled with beautiful pics of his darling kiddos - photos filled with personality, some smiles, and a few laughs. As the years go on, I am hopeful that the process with get easier. However, I am not going to hold my breath. In the end, I am willing to take a thousand photos, break a sweat, and annoy my kids to do this project every year for Justin. He deserves it - he is a loving, caring, dedicated, thoughtful, goofy, fun, and amazing Dad. His children respect him, look up to him, and love him beyond words.... and I do, too. Happy Father's Day, Daddy!