a barrel full of monkeys

Our family portrait by heather mallak

Instead of coughing up hundreds of dollars each year for olan mills portraits of the kids, we decided instead to put that money towards portraits created by local emerging artists. Over the last several years, as we've added new members to the family, we've commissioned 4 paintings. This one was done last year. It is time for a new one. Maybe that's how we'll spend our anticipated tax rebate check. At least it would be helping a young starving artist.

(then again, wouldn't it be hilarious if i dressed everyone in vintage 70s clothes, asked my husband to grow sideburns and re-created one of those hilarious family portraits from my own childhood. i'll have to ask mom for a copy of Easter circa 1974)