Because Normal Doesn't Come in the Family-Size Package

It is the goal of every mom who sets up family portraits for the Christmas card to get some nice shots of mom, dad, and kids... looking normal. Normal, as in happy and focused family. A painted picture of the family bond in all of its mild and loving glory. The cooperative children, obliging husband, a contented mom, and the American dream of living the perfect life. All one thousand words typed into the shutter of the camera pixel-y representing the elusive normal family.

I try not to infringe on the rights of people to their presentation of normalcy. 

However, in an attempt to prove the fact that real-life normal is actually a whole lot more interesting than put-on normal, I gathered up an excerpt (note that word: excerpt--just an excerpt!) of the evidence from a recent family shoot featuring my sister's not-afraid-to-be-the-Nelson-normal family. 

So, from the files of Not-to-be-Framed-and-Hung-in-the-Staircase, please enjoy the craziness of what makes a family normal.

[please note: while the production of these images feature only the most realistic normalcy of this family, we did succeed in capturing a few more dull-normal frame-able shots (which were indeed the whole purpose of the photo shoot) that are not included in this post]

What's your normal? Celebrate it.