Family Photo Fun at Saint Anthony Main

We met up early evening with Beth, Michael, Kate and Alex last weekend for some fun family photos! Beth is the brilliant mastermind behind e-creative events + experiences, an incredible boutique event design and management firm. We met them in Saint Anthony Main and captured several family photos and portraits of the kids.

Here are some fun facts about their beautiful family:

Please list everyone in your family and their ages

Beth (35 hahaha), Mike (37heehee) Kate (9) + Alex (6)

No pets - previous goldfish - Goldie, Princess Laura, Blue, and many more that have gone to the great beyond.

What does your typical morning look like?

Mom is the first one up, grabs a cup of coffee (or two) and spends about 30-45 minutes to organize her thoughts for the day or works out (that happens once every 6 months) before waking the kiddos.

Dad starts his morning with his iPhone in bed, checking his schedule and email before he hits the shower.

Around 6:45am - First wake up call - Mom sings off-key, made-up tunes to each child as she attacks the kids with kisses. The kids bury their heads. Breakfast orders are taken.

At 7am - Mom turns on all the lights in the bedrooms, turns on Kate’s favorite music - Meghan Trainor and then shakes them out of their lofts. Breakfast consists of Fruit Loops (Alex) and peanut butter toast (Kate) while they get dressed.

Mom and Dad spend the next half an hour as drill sergeants, "directing and asking calmly and patiently” (yelling)...

• time to get out of bed.

• are you out of bed?

• get out of bed.

• we’re going to be late, please get out of bed.

• we are late - you need to get out of bed right now!

• please eat your breakfast.

• did you take your vitamin?

• are you dressed?

• no, you can’t watch TV.

• did you comb your hair?

• did you brush your teeth?

• are your shoes on?

• are your socks on?

• have you finished your breakfast?

• no iPads until after school.

• did you pack your school bag?

• is your homework packed?

• do you have your snack?

• where’s your jacket?

• do you have your lunch?

• do you have your ukulele?

• you need socks.

• do you have your library books?

• yes, you need to wear a jacket today.

• do you have your school bag?

• do you have your water bottle?

• we are late, let’s go!

This is repeated over and over, and over again until tasks are completed.

Out the door by 7:40am with kisses and hugs, then Dad drops them off at school for the day.

What is your favorite family activity to do together?

We love road trips! Summer road trips have taken us across the country to explore NYC, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Yellowstone, Black Hills, Jackson Hole, Montana. We’re all about hitting kitschy joints, landmarks, restaurants that we’ve watched on the Food Network (Triple-D is genius), collecting national park junior ranger badges/passport stamps and exploring new cities. We pick up a Christmas ornament at each destination and have a tree filled with our collection of memories.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Carbone's - off Cedar and Minnehaha - kids eat free on Mondays, complete with vintage video games like Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and Pac-Man.Carbone's

What music plays in your house?

Pandora stations that are played in our house - Michael Buble, Rat Pack, 80s rock, Imagine Dragons and Meghan Trainor.

What is your favorite winter activity to do as a family?

We celebrate Christmas in a big way! Dad and Alex have December birthdays so there’s always lots to celebrate! The house is decked out in lights - classic white lights in the front, colorful playful inflatable winter wonderland in the backyard (like a mullet - business in the front, party in the back). Christmas movies, 2 full-sized trees, candles and christmas music plays continuously for 8 weeks. After Christmas, we hibernate and go dark. We love hunkering down watching movies or football, sitting in front of the fire, eating comfort foods and game-time food.

If you had to compare your family to a famous TV show family, who would that be and why?

The Dunphys of Modern Family - complex, funny, dysfunctional, and we love each other because of and despite the craziness. OR… the Griswalds. Obviously the road trips and Clark’s love of Christmas!

We hope you enjoy this little sneak peek of their family session!