In Texas, every year around April/May is considered bluebonnet season. It's the short period in spring when the state flower blooms all over the state. The flowers are beautiful and sprout up alongside highways and parks. For all you non-Texans, bluebonnet season is a big deal here and it's no joke. There are websites devoted to updating the public on bluebonnet sightings and families flock out to remote locations to capture their yearly bluebonnet family pictures.
Being Cora's first bluebonnet season, I thought it might be fun to try and get a few family pictures of our own. So, I checked out the Texas bluebonnet sighting facebook page (yes, that actually exists) and found a location in The Woodlands, which is a suburb north of Houston. It just so happened that we were planning on having dinner with some friends up there so we left a little early to take a few pictures in the optimal late afternoon sunlight. Well, optimal sunlight or not, things did not quite go as planned. The sun was still strong and Cora was getting hungry. I managed to snap a few photos of Slik and Cora before the little lady just about had enough.
Cora - not too thrilled with taking pictures
"The sun is too bright for my little blue eyes."
"This is not my idea of fun."
A picture where Cora looks like a sleeping angel - I assure you, this was not the case.
"Please mommy, just let me be done!"
I had hoped to get a family picture, but Cora did not last long enough for that. So I gave up and left to meet our friends.
A few weeks later, we were heading home from Austin and drove by a popular bluebonnet spot. The highway was lined with parked cars and there were tons of people taking pictures in this big field of bluebonnets.
A few weeks later, we were heading home from Austin and drove by a popular bluebonnet spot. The highway was lined with parked cars and there were tons of people taking pictures in this big field of bluebonnets.
This photo shoot wasn't getting off to a good start either. Poor Cora was blinded by the strong sun.
There was lots of crying, but once I figured out how to pose with Cora's face in the shade, she let us snap a few more pictures.
In the end, I still wasn't able to achieve my goal of getting a good family shot, but I think we did get a few good ones after all. Maybe next time, I'll save myself the grief, spend the money, and hire a real photographer to do the photos instead.
