The Art of Taking the Family "Portrait"

So at least two or three times a year, Mama decides to take a picture of the family. There is an art to this, as I am about to demonstrate.

But first, let me give a little background... Bo is the first one to say, "Aw, Mom, do we gotta?" BJ is 'the good son' who just does what he is told - as he's cracking jokes about the process. Daddy just laughs at the boys, and I tend to laugh and crack jokes if they come to me - but I secretly appreciate the effort and try to be cooperative and supportive!

OK - so, first, Mama scopes the spot, does a couple of test shots to see where she needs us to sit once she gets us together...Next, she gets us all seated where we need to be. Then, she runs to the camera, and, as many times as we do this, there is the inevitable "oops" shots while she re-learns how to set the timer... Then, there's a few shots where we have to "practice" smiling and looking in time while Mama practices setting the camera and running to her spot. Then, we observe these 10 pictures and realize that Mama's head is covering Sam, and Sam is covering Nanny...
OH - and where are the dogs? We need the dogs... and they need to be looking at the camera - and Sam isn't looking either! Here, we are practicing that... Daddy is yelling "SQUIRREL" to get Rocky and Stormie to look, Mama has just sat on Nanny's foot, and the boys are laughing uncontrollable, which was causing the rest of us to laugh as well, and I was unsuccessful in getting Sam to look...
On about the 100th try, we said that this one will do!!!!

And that, my friends, is the art of the Family Portrait...