dear family,

 i want this to be fun.

family pictures can be the worst thing in the world– let’s smile and pretend we were not screaming at one another on the drive over. no body listens, everything goes wrong and now we have have to make it look like we’re not stressing out about everything? seems like a day well-spent.

i don’t want that experience for you or myself.

family pictures, in present time, are a token to throw on social media or a christmas card– it proves to your friends that your family is better than theirs– i am all for the competition. but one day, these will be more than a post on the internet for strangers to fawn over, these will be your memories and what i want to give to you is a painless and fun experience your kids remember. a day, where everyone loved each other and got along and laughed together.

if there is one thing i’ve learned in this past year, it’s that life can be really shitty. but life can also be really good and it’s important we celebrate the good when it comes, because it’s the thing that gets us through the shit.

so, yeah… i want to make this fun. i want this to be a bright spot for you guys… if even for just a day.

- Ace