Why does a person take a selfie in the driver's seat of the car before going to Walmart to buy baby carrots?
Why does this same person then posts a filtered photo of baby carrots on Instagram?
I don't know.
It's probably the same reason Instagram and Facebook are currently overflowing with with magazine-worthy photos of ugly sweaters, sugar cookies and babies holding candy canes.
It's because we all love to show our best sides, and celebrate the little moments in life.

(Or maybe it's because our friends really want to know that we just bought a bag of baby carrots from Walmart.)

Don't' get me wrong, that's all wonderful.  Humans love to share.
Really, I'm not a closet Scrooge.
I love Christmas.
And Instagram.
I love caroling and decorations and fresh pine. But, come on social media, sometimes, you don't show reality.

I realized this when I gave my mom our Christmas card.
"Oh! They look wonderful! Who took your photos!"
Me: "I did."
Mom: "What? Did you use a tripod?"
Me: No. I used a melting snowy rock and balanced it with branches and a backpack."
Mom: "Oh that's so nice Sweety they turned out great!"


What my mom most other people didn't see in the photo was the 17 times I ran up a snow bank to try and get in the photo. Or how because of the combination of no tripod and excessive snow, my camera still is bugging. She also did not see how Calvin got wet wading through a frozen river or how frozen my fingers really got trying to set the auto timer and adjust the focus manually. All she saw was our carefully edited photos and the cheery words Merry Christmas at the bottom.

That's good thing, because I wanted her to see the beautiful snow, our faces in focus, and share Christmas cheer.

But, what if, instead of the one perfect shot, occasionally the "other" shots are shared? What if, instead of sharing "obligatory" shots of holding a boarding pass because you are about to board a plane, we just, enjoy the moment?

So here's a shot at real photos, and real memories.  Because sometimes, things aren't always as perfect as Instagram or Facebook make it out to be.

Reality: trying to hustle up a snow slope before the self timer goes off.

Reality: The "wait, my beanie is falling off photo but I still have to smile," look.

The picturesque shot with a giant, um cement thing in the background.

Reality: Trying to look outdoorsy...wait, why are my pit zips showing?

Reality: We don't plan outfits for our Christmas photos but go on hikes and bring a camera. Actually wearing jackets in the cold and "headband-look" included.

The classic, I'm trying to look happy but my feet are actually wet from walking through this semi-frozen river.

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This Christmas, I will still take photos because it is something I enjoy, ( and I want to occasionally document the beauty of my life) but I will try harder to just enjoy the moments.  Because let's be real, in the end, what am I going to do with 76 photos of my Christmas tree on my phone? I will be better off spending time with family, and truly enjoying the holiday season.

We did it! After several tries, we took a good photo! Love this handsome hunk.

The mountains really were gorgeous that day.

There's nothing better than pine trees in their natural habitat

Gorgeous river.

Comfy sweaters, warm drinks, and explosions of orange, red, and yellow.
Fall is definitely fantastic. The temperature may be cooling down and the days get shorter, but there is still so much to love about the changing seasons. Here are a few reasons why fall is so epic.

3. Family Fall Hikes
Hiking to Steward Falls is a perfect excuse to bundle up and spend time with family.