The Cowboy Christmas Photo Shoot

There is always a great story behind every Holt Family Christmas card photo. That is what makes it such a fun Holt family tradition! This year was no exception! I already had a great family photo that I could use for the 2009 family Christmas card, which was taken last winter skiing in Park City. I was happy and relieved that it was done and with little or no stress involved. I gave a huge sigh of relief!

But then when Allie got thinking about all of us being in Oklahoma (her birthplace) together this past weekend, she insisted that we must get a "cowboy" picture for the Christmas card. So began my search for coordinating plaid shirts and cowboy hats!

It all seemed to be coming together and I was confident that we could pull it off with out too much contention and confusion. All was going well with the plan, until Sunday afternoon, when we arrived at the Cowboy Hall of Fame, where the photo shoot was to take place, and found it was closed ... but that didn't stop us.

As we were driving away from the building, we found that one of the gates was opened for deliveries so we turned in and piled out of the car, threw our cowboy hats on and stood by the statue of a cowboy and smiled for the camera. As we were snapping a few pics, a security guard greeted us and informed us that the place was closed and we could come back tomorrow. Gosh darn it! But that wouldn't work because Tyler was leaving early in the morning.

We walked back to our cars, dragging our boots and with our cowboy hats hanging low. But then we saw a home with a white split rail fence down the street and so we headed over there, busted out of the cars again...all 9 of us (I wonder what the neighbors thought of us!) and lined up against the fence. Perfect!

That is until the mesquitos caught wind of our plan! They started biting us...well, it was weird but they mostly attacked Allie, like they knew that she was from Oklahoma and wanted some of her Okie blood. She was miserable but was brave and just stood there as her arms were swelling up from the bites (Allie had just recovered from an awful allergic reaction to a bee sting and it was fresh in her mind!) and took it with a smile on her face!

We snapped the photos so fast...every combination that we could think of...fam photo, all girls photo, couples photo, just kids photo, little girls photo, etc... The boys were having so much fun and wanted more (I'm kinding!) but the girls had had enough of the bugs and mesquitos and called it a day! We were happy that we were able to get a few good ones and thought we would share.

Now we knew that the trip was a success, with all of the family together, an upset win over Oklahoma, good Texas barbeque, the pilgrimage to Allie's birthplace and a "Cowboy" family picture that is Christmas card worthy. As Allie put it, "This was the BEST vacation ever!"

These are the words to one of the Oklahoma Cowboy songs on the CD that Allie burned for us and we listened to it over and over on our drive to Oklahoma City!

"Cutest Cowboy Couple" award goes to Brooke and Ashley!

All the kids. Cute.

Runner up winners of the "Cutest Cowboy Couple" include the following:

Kimber and Brett

Mom and Dad

Tyler and Sonya

All the girls!