yeah, there is a story behind these...

Yesterday we attempted getting photos for the Christmas card. Attempted, meaning, it was probably the first try out of about ten that it will take to get decent pictures of all 3 kids. I'm not even that picky... oh wait, yes I am. I embody picky.

Anyway... so these pictures came from that little adventure. I thought that *maybe* I'd try to have a picture of the two of us on the card this year, too. Usually I come up with a billion excuses as to why I don't want to be on the card. Then I had the realization that one day, my kids would grow up and not have any memory of their mom as a young woman. All of the pictures are of them - I constantly am the photographer, and never the subject. My hair is never right, I'm never skinny enough, I think my smile is too toothy.

So, I gave Miller my camera and let him have at it. I had this idea in my mind of what I wanted a picture of me and Mark to be like. Not quite what I anticipated, but I love how they are from Miller's perspective. And can I please tell you how many tries it took to actually get up onto Mark's back? The 12 inch difference in our height combined with my utter lack of athleticism made it almost impossible. Then we started laughing, and I REALLY couldn't get up there. We're dorks.

Mark and I started dating ten years ago, in October 1995. Thanksgiving was the first time he met my family, and by Christmas we were engaged. I look at these and can still see a tiny little glimpse of who we were, before kids and a mortgage and arguments about who last unloaded the dishwasher. It makes me smile to see that again.

I'll post a few outtakes of the kids later. For now, here are the ones of me and Mark. They are perfect in their imperfection. Thanks, Miller:-)