A couple of days before Thanksgiving, we took both of our families out to take pictures.  (We decided to do the pictures on separate days so that we didn't have to try and keep 10 kids happy at the same time.)  It turned out to be wonderful days for photos.

The first day I took Lora and the family to Sims park.  Ethan decided to be my aid and helped out with getting little kids to smile.  Here is our best family picture.  Don't they look wonderful? 

We took a few pictures of the kids by themselves.

The babies weren't as photogenic in their single pictures.  Anna's picture didn't turn out...so....

Here is Anna

And here is Audrey.

I bet I fooled ya.  

They really were good little girls the whole, long, photo session.

Here is my assistant.  Pretty cute.

And US.

The next day, the Jones family went out.  Same lake.  Same great light.  The only really difference is that my youngest got mad at something in the very beginning and, no joke, glared in about 90% of all the pictures.  I shake my fist at that child!  Emmett!!!!

To prove I'm not making that up, here is one example of the many, many ruined photos.  This one wouldn't have been my favorite, anyway, but still.  He was such a pill.

We did managed to pull him out of the slumps near the very end and ended up with this photo.

These two were our close seconds.

The individual pictures ended up like they always do.  Alaina was happy to pose as many times as I asked.  Jason also likes a good photoshoot.  So, I got some great ones of those two.  

Austin was game to take one good picture and when he got it...that was it.

Although, he did let me take a brothers pic.

Emmett finally started to smile right before we left, but refused to sit still for more than 2 seconds at a time.  We still managed to get one good one.

Right when we got Emmett to smile, Ethan decided that he was absolutely done with taking pictures. The child is looking so grown up these days, but boy, can he whine.

This picture was taken in the first 10 minutes.  

After that, we were all doing what we could to make him smile.  Here's Lora giving it a try.

Robert agreed to an arm wrestle competition.

But the only real smile we got was when he didn't realize we were taking a picture of him.

Alaina took this one of me.

My favorite daughter.

And a few honorable mentions.

The boys  playing in the leaves.

A stolen moment.

Robert and his (finally!) smiling shadow.

The photoshoot is finally over.

Lora and her family came for Thanksgiving break.  It was so much fun to have them all here...but let's be serious.  The best part was having my little baby twinnies back again.  

Lora hates this picture but I love it.  It reminds me of absolutely every picture that was taken of me and Robert when Austin and Alaina were babies.  Every day is exhausting and wonderful at the same time.  (well, every day isn't wonderful, but every day had some wonderful moments.  :)

These four played together the entire trip.  So much fun.

We had a couple nights at the fire pit, but this one was the best.  

so smokey!

Being in Kindergarten, there are so many important events to attend to.  

For example.  There is Thanksgiving dinner in the cafeteria.  Emmett loved joining his big brother at school, and Jason loved being the kid to show Emmett the ropes.

Then we had the Thanksgiving play.  I have to admit, it was pretty darn cute.  My little guy made a great turkey.  He's had lots of practice.  

Even Daddy got to go, which, these days, is a minor miracle.