I just want an Instagram Family!

The thing I'm learning about Instagram is that it's all posed, curated, and meticulously manufactured pictures to appear to be casual, but it's not! AT ALL.

I bring this up, because the holidays are coming up and everyone will be taking holiday pictures so they can show off their beautiful family and their well behaved children. I too, wanted to live this dream, but was unable! Why? Because: reality is not always Instagrammable!

We were shooting a campaign for Invisalign and we needed to take family photos for the shoot. I bought matching family Halloween costumes for us and I was PUMPED! I mean, I was so freaking excited to finally be living the influencer life! In addition to shooting for the campaign, I thought: I may as well snap a few for the 'gram since we're all dressed up anyway!

We all sit down to take the photos and slowly my dream started to unravel. First, Isaiah, my oldest son, is in this weird not a child, but not an adult height. If you have kids, you understand this phase. He's taller than me, so he's mostly out of teen clothes, but his waist is too tiny for adult men clothes. So when he's putting on his costume, I realize that nothing is fitting, which I figured so I bought him a shirt (no pants) as a back up plan. I immediately jump into plan B mode and tell him to put on a black pair of pants and he'll need to hide behind us so we can't tell his pants are actually too short. As this is happening, Josiah begins to have a meltdown. He's hungry, thirsty, tired, and on the verge of tears! FOR WHY? He was just fine! While all of this is happening, Kevin is also starting to get very short tempered and cranky. In the midst of the commotion and frustration, I scream out: I JUST WANT AN INSTAGRAM FAMILY!

Yep, the "influencer" still just wants to be Instagrammable! Now you know the TRUTH behind the pictures. And as you look at the pictures below, please note:

1. 1) Isaiah's pants

2. 2) Kevin's smile

3. 3) Josiah's laugh which is a disguise for the tears that fell shortly after the pictures were taken

Give yourself some grace. NONE OF US HAVE IT TOGETHER!

Shop our family costumes here.