Just In Case There Was Any Doubt...

...as to who runs things around here, I offer photo proof.

 Oooh.. braces

Easter Picture Fail

It's always my intention to take Easter Sunday pictures BEFORE we head to church.  It never happens.  Ever.  And this year was no exception.  But really, when your husband is the bishop, and you (the mom) have to arrive early to practice with the girl you are accompanying during sacrament mtg., and you have four kids, one of which is a baby, and you decided that, being Easter, you should make hash browns, bacon and eggs for breakfast,  it's quite a miracle that we all got out the door at 8:15 a.m.  with actual clothes on.  (Disclaimer- the baby was still in her nightgown.)  

Miraculously, we made it through church without any major stains, tears, food spills or wrinkling.  However, announcing to the children in the car on our way home that we would be taking pictures in the back yard, I was met with loud protests from Grayson, who, I discovered upon turning around at one of the red lights, had already taken off his bow tie, shoes and was well on his way with his shirt.  Upon arrival at the house, he promptly spilled an entire glass of water down his front (better than something sticky, I guess), messed up his hair, and stomped off to his room, announcing, for the second year in a row, that he wouldn't be joining us.  

I went ahead anyway, as Derek dutifully headed to the bathroom to re- comb-over his hair tuck in his pants a little higher, and make sure that top button was tightly secured.  So, of course, Brooke, who had been an absolute angel up to this point, suddenly became fussy and refused to be cute for the pictures.  So here's what we ended up with:

I call this one :  "The Nose".  Although I am happy to finally be making an appearance in this blog.  Did I ever mention that my nose was broken during a basketball game many years ago?  Obviously, it was never set back properly.

She semi-humored us with a half-cry/half-smile in her super cute dress with the tulle layer underneath.

By this point Derek was done with the tucking and combing so he wanted in on the action, and of course, Grayson had a change of heart, but NOT with his bow-tie.

We gave it a few more tries, but Brooke just wouldn't cooperate.

They gave their best effort to make the baby smile, but alas, she would not.

 On to the egg hunt, which always ends on the trampoline, where the kids can go through their candy and eat it unhindered from bossy adults who tell them to "Stop eating all that candy or you're going to get sick!"
 Every easter picture should have a rusty old shed in the background, by the way.

Poor Carissa.  She exercised restraint with her candy, only to have it secretly taken by Grayson and another boy who was over for dinner later in the evening and secretly eaten on- you guessed it:  the trampoline.  I hooked her up with some sweet clearance candy today, though.

I should never give these boys this much sugar. Never.  Ever.  My bad.

Despite the failed photos and stolen candy, we really had an uplifting, inspirational and motivating Easter.  It was a much needed opportunity to reflect on that all-encompassing sacrifice made for us so long ago and to re-focus ourselves on things eternal and important.

Bee Sting!

Do you think Derek is allergic to bees?