the family pictures and a gallery wall dilemma

I'm going to do it.

I'm going to put you through looking at our newest batch of family pictures.

I'm a narcissist - you're a bff!

If you want to pass the family schmooze fest you can do 4 big scrolls down. No hard feelings, promise.

photo credit Bird on A Wire Photography

As an honest Abe disclaimer, most of these pics are us restraining (snuggling) the boys to keep them from running away. 

You will stay. You will smile. You will act like you really really really want to say cheese.

Or Rhett's version is yelling "cheese booger!!!" I'm pretty sure he means cheese burger because a cheese booger is just too gross to think about.

I am an XL-XXL coward when it comes to taking family pics. I average one hour of sleep and seven hours of Pinterest paddling/tootsie roll popping/fear for my marriage before I propose it's time for another round of a family love fest. Jake knows that he'll be presented at least 5 possible coordinating outfit combos, that I'll ask him a million times to make sure my pores are black head free (TMI?) and that the day of I'll be 50 shades of cray cray. 

All in the name of a happy, natural looking family picture. I know. 

But really, truly we love these. That picture of Rad with the lion. Be still me motherly heart.  

And I don't know what it says about us, that we have more pictures of us in our home than any other art. Especially that it's pretty much the first thing you see when walk into our home.  

As soon as Walmart delivered the prints I took the gallery wall apart and put all of the new pics up. It was a labor of love because Rad decided it was a great time to nuzzle my knee caps; hence why the frames are ever so slightly wonky. 

If you look back at this post, you'll spot the difference that the tribal-ish looking platter is now missing. I just wasn't feeling it in terms of the what I want for the rest of the "space."

So this is my first world dilemma. Help me out. I need something to fill that space now. I'm thinking either a wreath or some galvanized metal letter(s). Should I explain? Ok.

I like the idea of a wreath because I really liked the shape of the platter. I'm thinking something like this, this, this (my fave) or this. But cheaper. Because $100 for a wreath kind of blows my "ordering from the dollar menu is the 11th commandment" mind.

Orrrr...the slightly cliche and over done metal letter(s). I'm kind of a sucker for some cliches and I know down the yellow brick road I'll want to bring some metallic into the room. I'm just not sure if this is how I want to do that. I did try this letter (in a M for Miller for a little extra cliche-ness) when it was 20% off and free shipping, but it was WAY to in your face, and today was brought to you by the letter M, kind of deal. So then I thought about doing the first initial of everyone in the house, but since we tend not to branch out too much with names it would be J, J, R and R. So I'm thinking maybe of doing Miller, but like this, with these: 

Is that weird? Could we add any more narcissism to the wall?

And is it too much to ask for your input after making you look at our family pictures AND offer advice? Probably. But thanks in advance bff.

And now go rest your eyes.

They're fatigued after being raked over such a picture and word heavy post.