just one more picture!

(this post is dedicated to my Dad!)
My Dad absolutely loves taking pictures of his family and I have to admit, had it not been for him and his obsession with his camera, I wouldn't have any pictures of my children when they were babies and in their younger years. But for some odd reason, when his camera comes out, smiles turn into frowns and the panting, grunts and sighs begin! Dad doesn't take just one picture, he takes tons and even experiments with different settings and says, "Just one more picture!" There are times that he will call for pictures when we are literally walking out the door! It reminds me of when we were growing up when he would whistle at us driving away and shout, "Don't forget to check the oil!"

On this occasion, Dad did give us fair warning tbefore we went to bed that he would like to take some pictures in the morning at 7:45am before we left for school. I'm not sure if we were all awake, but in 10 minutes, we were able to get a couple of half-smiles, a grunt or two and the ole "sigh" before we had to rush out the door to get Forrest to his semester exam, which was over an hour's drive away.

In hindsight, the ritual we go through for Dad's pictures every time we visit is hilarious and it has become part of family tradition for years. We just accept that our looks along with our attitudes will be forever captured in the moment on Dad's camera and that he will always ask for one more picture!
I love you dad, tj