These days it’s hard to get all eight of us kids together. Holidays are chaotic and sometimes we pause and get excited that everyone is together, but usually it’s very short lived since someone is usually arriving as another is leaving. This year we crossed our fingers that we could actually pull off a family picture during Memorial Day weekend.
It worked! I tried to take as many shots as I could, and thankfully my sister’s husband was able to snap the entire group. My parents used to take us each year to get portraits done at Whirlpool {where my dad worked/s}, and we have hilarious photographs of every awkward stage. There is even one of my parents smiling and me crying & running to them in the bottom of the frame if you look close enough.
Now that many of us are raising families of our own, all around the state, a group portrait hasn’t been taken in years. I think we are convinced that this needs to happen more often and that it should not be an isolated event!
In age descending order:
Sheila // Samuel // Rachel // Steven // Andrea // Josh // Abby // Joel
Nothing like manning the camera, then jumping in and trying to be on the other side!Â
Even though I was busy with all the portraits, it was really fun to hang out with my brothers & sisters. So many inside jokes. So many random sombreros. And we listened to Les Mis just like the old days.
My brother’s suggested this “Duck Dynasty” pose. Eh…
The “Bells.”
These were taken at Donnell Pond, behind my brother & sisters’ old middle school in Findlay.
I never attended this school {we moved}, but still have lots of good memories of dreaming of being an author and illustrator while my class picnicked at the pond and catching tadpoles while wearing slap bracelets with my brothers. ♥
