The 2005 Christmas Picture

We tried to get a Christmas photo of our darling children a week and a half ago. That trip was doomed from the get go. Brendan not only had a major black eye, he had a red, runny nose. After layers of concealer were applied, we were ready for our 9:30 a.m. appointment. That's right . . . 9:30 in the morning at a studio 30 minutes away.

After rushing into the studio and waiting an extra 25 minutes for our shoot, the photographer mistakenly deleted the only good shot of Brendan and Lauren together. We returned home, humbled and exhausted. While Brian was ready to give up on getting a good shot, I stubbornly demanded a reshoot.

One week and one day later we were determined to get the shot. Eyes had healed. Noses were dry. Lauren's attitude was improved. Everything was going our way. We approached our new studio, armed with fruit chews and fake smiles. We did not want the kids to smell our fear. But our trepidation was unwarranted. The shoot went well. While tears were shed and bribes were made, we got the shot.

The following portraits are samples from our portfolio. You'll have to wait for the postal service to provide the final piece -- a smiling shot of our two adorable children.