The Elf on the Shelf is controversial, but our family loves when Elfie (Ariella) arrives shortly after Thanksgiving. I was questioning whether or not to have her stop by, but I'm really thankful she did. It's been a nice distraction from this abnormal holiday season. The kids have been sad because their Grandma had to cancel her trip, and so did their aunt.

This year Ariella the elf brought the kids matching pajamas with she and her friends on the front of the shirt. The last day of school, before winter break, was jammie day, so the kids were excited to show off their new nighttime fashions. Our house has horrible available light, so I set up one strobe in the kitchen to light up the area around the tree. As we were taking photos, Cody showed up and Mimi joined in the fun. 

I was excited to see the dogs be unafraid of the flash! They have hope for a professional modeling career. Sheba was not as in to the photos, she never has been, but when she saw treats were part of the deal, she sat for a few photos. 

Thank you to all of the wonderful families who contacted me for photo sessions this year. I was delighted to see you all and thankful for everyone's continued health. I can't wait to share some of my favorite moments from this year's fall sessions. In the meantime, here are the photos of my kids, dogs, and our tree.