Expressions I Love

Someday I think it will get harder to fit all these growing kids into a picture!  Someday waaay down (but closer than I think) we'll add spouses and families to these pics.  That whole idea thrills my heart!!
When I look at this picture there is so much more than just my smiling children.  Would you like to know what I mean??  Good thing, 'cause I'm gonna tell ya!
First of all, it is nothing short of miraculous that Emily is actually smiling AT the camera AND that she's also looking in the same direction!  The fact is that I continually shoot as if I'm shooting a basketball game to catch Emily in anything besides a blur... and recently, she's also taken a shine to smiling in the direction of the camera while looking away with just her eyeballs.  This results in SEVERAL (100's) photos that make her look like she's got some sort of eye disease or impairment.  (Sweet of me to say this about my own girl, I know)  One of these days she'll grow up and realize "Hey, I look really creepy in our family photos, maybe I should try not to do weird things with my face and eyes".  Now before you go thinking that maybe she really does have some impairment that makes her act this way....well, then you need to spend some quality time with Emily!! Believe you me, there is NO impairment...It's just 3 year old Emily!  (An adventure that eclipses most cruise lines I assure you)
Next, we see Caleb who is also SMILING!!  For years (and years), Caleb has always hated having his picture taken.  Since I take a lot of pictures, he's famous for having the "I hate this, get me out of here, are you done yet" look on his face.  Now that he's a wise old 13 year old, he realizes how many BAD pictures I have of him and has decided that he was dumb and had a bad attitude, really, and wants to start a "New Era" of  Family photos!!  Hurray!!  A smiling son!! and with a good attitude!!
Ethan and Sophie are always camera Hams, so its good to see them upholding their tried and true ways.  Nothing truly notable to note (ha!) there, but such a blessing nevertheless to have consistent sweet spirits.
Next up, we have Wallace, oh, I mean Titus.  Here we were blessed to see Titus smiling like the cartoon character "Wallace" from "Wallace and Gromit"   Another funny thing about the "smile" is that he doesn't even realize he's doing it, its just his current "smile" that comes out.  So adorable.
Now the rest of the pics below are some of my favorites because they were their direct reactions to certain gifts that were given to them.  I  adore the look of joy and pleasure that you see in a person's eyes in a candid moment.  I love giving gifts!  I love planning and praying and deciding what special item would be perfect for each person.  Not just a "thing", not just a "pile of loot", but well thought out and prayed over gifts.  After all, isn't Christmas a celebration of God's greatest gift?  What better way to give a "picture" of  the great care that God took in preparing to give us the gift of Jesus!!  We are baptized as a picture, we take the Lord's Supper as a picture and a remembrance....why not Christmas?  It doesn't have to be an overdone commercialized extravaganza, especially to Christians!
Anywhoo... I'll stop before I really get started!