Say Cheese!

If you haven't noticed yet, I am a photograph fiend. I've taken more pictures this first year of marriage than in the rest of my life combined. Thank goodness for digital technology, or I would need a closet just to store all these snapshots.

Our first child's life will probably be extremely well documented. Forget the video camera, we'll be able to make a flip book of him/her growing up.

So, with our first anniversary quickly approaching I have been desperately searching for a creative way to commemorate this monumental occasion.

I came across a brilliant idea (probably while surfing the internet during my oh-so-busy job) to take a picture every year on our anniversary. The suggestion was to take your portrait in the same place every year so that the background would not be the focus, but the people. That way one could see how we've changed over the years.

To break it down: the idea was to archive our aging process in order for our children and grandchildren to see how wrinkles, sagging skin, and grey hair develop.

Our living situation has been a little less than stable this year, so the thought of finding a place that we could come back to every year seemed quite dismal. With our packing and moving history, we'd be just as likely to be in Timbuktu this time next year as Dallas, Texas. How could I possibly pick a central, easily-accesible location from anywhere in the world?

We got the brains to working. With a little innovation, Mom's bountiful resources, coordinating outfits and Danny's amazing ability with a few pins and suction cups - he really is the next MacGyver - we had ourselves a homemade studio in Mom's dining room.

And so, we have our picture(s). We could make a collage. And, while we really haven't changed that much since our engagment last year - check back in 20 years or so. The results just might be shocking!

Finally, if you just can't get enough of our smiling faces - you can get your fill at: thestillers.shutterfly.com (We took over a hundred of these pictures, but many pictures have been omitted from Shutterfly for your sanity.)