Rain rain, go away, and don't ruin our pictures

A family friend of ours, Alyssa, offered to take some pictures of the boys and I couldn't resist taking her up on that! We have been planning to do a spring photo shoot for a while, but our plans kept getting derailed and we couldn't get a date worked out. The first date we planned didn't work because their outfits hadn't come in yet (ordered from Etsy), the second date didn't work out due to Easter plans, the third date didn't work out due to lighting and the time of day we were planning, so we finally decided to do it on Saturday, the 18th. After talking to Alyssa, we agreed to do the pictures at a time that conflicted with our daily schedule (gasp). Due to the lighting and the sun, we decided that the ideal time to meet would be in the evening, around 6:30. Keep in mind that typically at 6:30, the boys would have just finished their dinner and would be heading upstairs to put on their pjs or take a bath. Sometimes we have to just live on the wild side and throw caution (and schedules) to the wind. HA!

So we agreed to meet at 6:30 and Alyssa had scoped out a really pretty area of Cleveland Park downtown where we could take the pictures. It took a bit of planning and preparation, but we did baths in the late afternoon, ate dinner early, got the boys dressed and made it downtown to meet Alyssa. We've never really had the boys out and about at that time in the evening, so from a behavioral standpoint, I didn't have anything to compare it to or look back on. I didn't know how they would do, whether they'd be tired, if they'd be grumpy or willing to cooperate.

Our plans were almost ruined once again with the threat of rain. It has seriously been raining so much here. We have flash flood warnings all the time. Alyssa and I were texting throughout the day on Saturday to decide if we wanted to go through with it or reschedule AGAIN when the skies were a little clearer. Since we had changed the date already so many times, I really didn't want to keep dragging it out and we went for it...with our fingers crossed that the rain would hold off. And it did. :)

Here's just a little preview of the photo sesh; these are just pictures that I took with my phone. I can't wait to see Alyssa's pictures. The lighting was just perfect, the flowers in the park were beautiful, the boys looked oh-so-handsome in their adorable outfits and the weather was cooperating, so it has the makings of a good shoot.

Thomas getting them into position

This was very early on, before everyone (ahem, Stokes) got crazy

Alyssa getting pictures of Ryan

So pretty, both of them!
Doesn't this look like it could go in a magazine?!?!

Stokes was wandering around but I got a quick shot
with William and Ryan (William wasn't too pleased)!

Side note: this wagon that they're sitting in is really cool. It looks vintage because it is! It's been in Thomas's family for generations. MaSha recently got it from a relative and got it worked on to make it was stabilized and such. I don't know how much the boys will be able to play with it, but it sure did make an awesome prop for these pictures! It was important for us to use the goat wagon for pictures now, before the boys got too big to all fit in it. 

On the behavioral front, they did OK. Ryan was an angel, of course, and William cooperated fairly well. We did have to pull out our phones and let him watch videos toward the end, but he did alright. Stokes, on the other hand, my fiesty little thing, was not having it. At all. He didn't want to sit still, he didn't want to smile or look at the camera, he didn't want let us hold him, he didn't want to do anything, except walk around. And not just walk around, he wanted to walk near the rocks and the stream. NOPE. Not happening. He insisted on holding on to my car keys pretty much the whole time (I was trying to use my hand to cover his hand and the keys in several of the pictures), and was pitching a fit when we tried to make him stand still or do anything that we wanted him to do. He wasn't interested in any of Alyssa's tricks to distract him and encourage him to look at the camera. He was such a little pill! I hope that we get a few pictures that he's not throwing a tantrum. If we do, it'll be a win.

Chasing after the wild man

The only time he was happy was when
he was off doing his own thing

Alyssa trying to chase him down

While it was good that the rain held off and we were able to get pictures without getting drenched, the bad part of having a lot of rain leading up to the pictures is mud. There was plenty of it. We all got filthy. White jeans?!? Great idea...unless there's mud around. Cute jon jons and white socks and knee socks?!?!? Sure - super cute...unless they get caked in mud. Oh yeah, and what about that humidity? The air was sopping with moisture, as were Thomas and I while trying to wrangle 3 toddlers who were out past their bedtime (while trying to look decent...fail on that front).

The aftermath of the muddy location....

Shoes that used to the white

Close up so you can see the mud damage
(this particularly dirty pair belongs to Stokes)

I didn't even get a chance to take a picture of their jon jons and the seat of my white jeans because those suckers were all pre-treated and washed that night shortly after we got home. Let me just say that they didn't make it to the dryer and are on their second round of Spray and Wash. Fingers crossed that something will work!!!

Everyone was exhausted and sweaty when all was said and done. The boys fell asleep in their car seats on the way home and we quickly put them to bed when we got there. I'll have to be honest, I'm not dying to schedule anything else during that time in the evening anytime soon, but hey,  you never know!!