The crazy things moms do.

A few weeks ago I was in the mall and saw some beautiful holiday dresses for sale--all matching and all different sizes. I had one of those moments where I could picture my beautiful girls all dressed in their matching outfits and I caved. I know that my days of choosing what my girls wear are numbered so I had to take advantage of it. And then I was compelled to find matching outfits for my handsome boys too. I could imagine how gorgeous our Christmas cards would be this year. It was all fun in my fantasy world, but the reality was a little less than perfect. Mark's sister Leah was in town so I asked her to take some pictures. After fighting to get the girls hair done, getting everyone dressed just so, getting out the door, and discovering that Luke was still wearing white socks they all became resigned to the inevitable and were good sports. Leah was patient while we tried to get everyone just to look the same way at the same moment. It was a bit of a chore, but the result was a perfect, beautiful memory that far exceeded my fantasy. These are my real live kids with their quirks and imperfections and I think they're the most amazing people on the planet. And this year's Christmas card will be gorgeous afterall!