holiday card, take one

Why is the photo for the annual holiday card so impossible? I'm not the type to dress the family in matching Christmas sweaters and pose in front of the mantle with a blazing fire in the background, so coming up with an idea that is cute, grandparent-friendly, a snapshot of your life and understated--all at once--can be quite the challenge. Maybe I'm over-thinking it. Either way, I came up with what I thought was a great idea this year by having Catcher and Scout line up in front of a building that is painted with the color bars used in television test patterns. The building happens to be where Catcher got his haircut a few weeks ago, so I took the opportunity to run a few test shots that morning:

Even though my subjects were less than enthusiastic about the photo shoot, I thought I had a decent starting point. This Sunday morning we returned for the real thing. Scout was mad that we took away her toy before forcing her to line up against a wall to pose for a silly picture with Catcher, so she threw herself down in the parking lot and shed a few tears:

I enjoy the candid moments in life, so I knew we'd walk away with some good outtakes if nothing else, but at the same time we're under a time crunch since Christmas is fast approaching. In addition to the screaming, getting the two to actually stand next to one another was another obstacle:

We finally got them next to each other and ended up with a cute picture (bottom)...

...until I decided I wasn't happy with my choice of outfits. Like I said, I'm not matchy-matchy, but a little coordination would make for a better picture. I guess I am over-thinking this, but it's serving as my project for the moment. Stay tuned for the final...if I can ever commit.

P.S. If you're on my Christmas card receiving list, this is not a spoiler. I'm already onto something else.