Thankful Thursday: Family Pictures

We needed to update our family picture on our prayer card.  It’s over a year old, and the kids grow so fast.  However, now that it is winter, we can’t just go shoot a few pics outside in the nice natural light.  Everything I have tried indoors brings shadows.

I knew there wasn’t a lot of money in the budget for pictures, especially considering that I needed the digital images so that I could insert the picture into our prayer card.  Usually the image CDs start around $150.  I was praying about it, and then one day I got onto Groupon.  I was just looking for any good Christmas ideas.  What popped up?  A coupon for JC Penney Portrait Studios (and we have a new one in Brooklyn so I didn’t have to pay a toll).  I spend $19.99 to get any three images on a CD, and no sitting fees.

Another blessing in this process – everyone had coordinating clothes that fit right now, so I didn’t have to purchase anything!

We booked the appointment for yesterday.  I bathed the day with prayer, asking for good smiles and a good photographer.  We prepped the kids.  When we left the house it felt like –18* and it was windy.  There was snow and slush on the ground – not good for walking four little kids into a picture appointment in their dress clothes.  But I kept praying.

I admit – I lost a little faith when the photographer came out to ask what background we wanted.  She didn’t seem to know what would be good, and I was starting to get worried.  The first appointment ran late, so we sat in the waiting room for close to 45 minutes.  My kids were getting grouchy.  But I kept praying.

And it turns out she was a great photographer.  When we walked into the studio three of the four kids were crying or pouting.  But the photographer even got a smile out of Liberty!  We did a couple different poses and backgrounds, and I got three good pictures out of it. 

My receipt said $169.99, but I only paid $19.99.  I got four happy kids and an updated prayer card.  I’m so glad God even cares about the little things!

This one is for our new prayer card.  It’s not perfect, but neither are we!

This was our second choice.  Not as good of smiles, but still good!

We had to choose a third, so this was it.  It’s the Ben-has-a-cheesy-smile and Nolan-is-really-done-with-this and Nehemiah-is-flirting-with-the-photographer picture.