hands on contest entry

I'm entering this picture in the iHeartfaces (coolest blog on the Web) weekly contest. This week's theme is "Hands-On Fun," and it's all about hands. . .

I have a picture of me as a baby and in it are my mom's hands. I love that picture. Her young hands, holding me so tenderly, remind me of how much she cared for me then, now, and always. I love to see mom's (and dad's) hands in baby pictures, just love it!

Can't wait to see all the hands-on fun at iHeartfaces. You should go see too!

thoughtfulness

Shelly, such a thoughtful friend, gave me this gift as a thank you for taking her gorgeous baby's pictures. Shelly knows I'm saving for a camera, so she created this savings jar to help me. She even started my savings with a first deposit. Wasn't that just the most thoughtful thing!?  My rule is that if the money goes in, it can't come out until it goes toward a camera. For Valentines, Kent, thoughtful guy he is, contributed some money to my jar in lieu of flowers. Isn't that also so thoughtful!? Even the kids are in on it. I leave it in the kitchen and I've noticed they've been putting a few coins in every now and then. Thoughtful, huh?

I'm surrounded by thoughtfulness. I hope I can be thoughtful as well.

a morning funny

 

I'm grumpy, tired, groggy not much of a morning person, 

so I appreciate a good belly laugh first thing, to start the day off right. 

This morning, Kyler looked out the window at the cold, gray, rainy, gloomy weather and asked, 

"Mom, has it been six weeks yet?"

I said, "Six weeks since what?"

"Since Warthog's Day."

Bwahahahahahahaha.

models

No one is immune. No one, I tell ya...

 

...not the boy home sick from school yesterday,

...and especially not the beautiful neighbor, over for a playdate today!!

nope, not even the cat...

Chances are, if you come to my house, I'll sit you down and take your picture. 

(In manual mode, of course :)

mom's gone crazy

Kaden walks in the door, home from school. 

Instead of "Hi! How was your day?" it's, 

"Take your coat off, sit down, smile!"

i'm taking the plunge

 

(and it's a little scary.)

I'm locking down my camera and taking the full manual challenge.

I've been shooting exclusively in manual mode for a little while now, and I'm loving it, but I have a lot to learn. I've been stuck in an aperture mode rut that I haven't been able to get out of, but NO MORE!

The camera I'm saving $$ for has no auto settings, so I have to prove to myself that 

I can do it!

Today the big boys headed off to the ski slopes with Dad to try out their new snow boards, so I took the little boys to McDonald's and then on some photo taking adventures. 

(They were thrilled.)

 

McDonald's toys are the BEST!!

(And by the way, McDonald's playground is an AWESOME place for pictures...perfect lighting, lots of happy children, food, free wi-fi, and unlimited refills of soda. What more could anyone ask for!?)

We went searching for some northern exposure and found this cool old warehouse. (Okay, it wasn't north facing, but still...)

(I'm also trying to master the art of textures!)

 

  

  

 

The boys were acting a little goofy.

Wow! Kolby's shirt is a mess. Did I mention we went to McDonald's?

Sheesh! Did he get any 

in his MOUTH??

Doesn't it look like they get along so well???

(Ha!)

(This is the kind of shot I love but that Kent thinks I took by mistake.) 

They wanted me to get a shot of those cool old windows that look like they have bullet holes in them.

The boys suddenly got bored and would NOT pose for another picture. I just wanted one shot with the brick wall long and behind the subject, at an angle, but they were done, so 

I gave the camera to Kolby...

not exactly what I was going for, but for a four year old, I'd say he did pretty well! 

(I guess that's how I look from his perspective :)

Then we found this cool little cove that had some amazing fall color still lingering! 

It would be a terrific setting for a family shoot if I could manage to properly expose it.

Beautiful color really DOES exist in February!!

  

Climbing the tree proved difficult, as it was covered in slippery moss!

(Oh, and Ky says it smelled bad.)

So MANUAL MODE??? Bring it on! No more aperture mode for me!
(YIKES)