Everybody say "cheese".

The matriarch of our little family decided it was high time our family had a portrait update. I couldn’t agree more and am shocked I didn’t think of it sooner myself. In our last one I have half a dozen earrings and that George Clooney haircut they called the Caesar. I am also wearing a vest. Sexy.

The matriarch has also decided that two “family” birthdays will suffice for our brood. One is between my brother’s birthday and my birthday, and another in September for the girls. My dad lucks out as his is in December.

Our portrait (I know it is really a picture, but I like the word portrait better. For my 40th, I would LOVE to have an oil painting done. Better start saving) and first birthday saw us all gathered at my parents. Friday night birthday, Saturday morning, picture. I, of course, had several changes of clothing and if you look at different shots, I seem to be the only one that had access to a closet that day. Tie on, tie off, sweater, no sweater, white shirt, blue shirt, etc.

Things were going along fine. As the photographer changed the set-up, I ran to the bathroom for a quick change. The only ‘hitch’ was that the studio was in one of those big-box grocery stores that sell everything from parsnips to riding lawnmowers. We headed upstairs to our paparazzi fate only to be told “it gets a little warm because the studio is over the bakery.” Warm? Girl, 10 minutes into it my thighs felt like brisket and I could have moistened stamps with the sweat on my butt cheeks.

The time in the sauna was worth it though, and we now have a happy family picture. Ain’t we sweet?