Early Summer Sunday

As everyone knows, it's so hard to get a good picture of everyone together. I mean the kids, I don't even let myself dream about a family snapshot. With the rush of getting to church a little early to play prelude for RS (a dream calling that I'm very grateful for right now), it's hard to move that ready time up by a few minutes once or twice a year to capture the effort of everyone in Sunday dress. I like to look at these pictures and change the memory in my mind to one where I'm not yelling at everyone to hurry and sit down and Smile! Someone has to make Michael laugh for real so that he doesn't look like a chipmunk, and Sarah is as photogenic as they come if she'll just look at the camera. But that's all forgotten. In my substitute memory of these photos, we were relaxing in the backyard, having just finished a picnic lunch. Everyone has been ready for church for hours, scriptures in hand, shoes on feet. We've been laughing and enjoying the wonderful food that magic fairies made, so the kitchen is sparkling, and no one spilled on their white Sunday shirt or cardigan, and the shirt Emily ironed for herself didn't get all wrinkled and spotted by nursing Lucy just once. I'm so glad I captured this happy memory.