Family Picture goes to the Dog

For Mother's Day I really wanted to take a family picture.  Bryce is preparing to leave on an LDS mission in a couple of months and I LOVE capturing images of our family to look back on.  

We opted just to get everyone together in the backyard after church and try for a quick snapshot because schedules are crazy and a free night to work with an actual photographer is tough. 

So, since we were going to be in the yard, the kids begged to have our dog, Finn, in the picture (not something we generally do when having pictures done elsewhere -- it's hard enough to get eight people to look normal and focus on the camera at the same time, let alone managing a canine).

Ok, I thought, no problem.  

Yeah, no problem.

Finn was super interested in what was going on -- but only wanted to look at us.  He could not have cared less about turning toward the camera.

Alright, we can adjust, we'll just have one of the kids kind of hold him in place.

But how will we keep him from yawning?

Or flapping his ears?

At least his antics made everyone else in the picture smile.  I guess that's something.

I mean this one is pretty close.  His interest is captured by something to the side so at least he doesn't have his back to the camera.

Until he runs off suddenly to investigate whatever it is.

Ok, so we sent him off and gave him something to keep his attention.  We'll just do this without him.

Until he realizes he's being left out, so he came back on his own and stationed himself strategically in the frame.

And if everyone hadn't been cracking up because the dog did better putting himself in the picture than we did putting him in it, this might have been just the shot we needed.

That's it!  I quit!

Hope Mother's Day was a wonderful day for you or the mothers in your life.  Ours was laughable -- but that's kind of how we like things around here.

This is my favorite crew anywhere in the world.  There is nothing better than being their mom.