nifty-fifty

I played with my new lens (50mm f/1.8) today for the first time today and I AM IN LOVE!  Now, I definitely need to explore to figure out how to nail the focus with such a small focal length, but will you take a look at that bokeh!?

I'm used to shooting with no wider than a f/5.0 and I was exploring with a f/2.0 today, which means that much less of the picture is in focus.  If you notice the bottom picture, I was trying to get the focus on the eyes, but it landed on the nose (with a moving baby, it'll take some practice to nail).  The picture is still totally adorable, it's just different than I was trying to capture.  Look how creamy it looks, look at her little mouth!  Her eye color is spot on, and her little hair...ahh!

I CAN'T wait to play more tomorrow! Nate has Regions with Ultimate this weekend, so I got a babysitter so I can take myself on a date with my camera.  I'm thrilled about it!  4:00pm tomorrow can't come fast enough.

beginnings of "THE FIRE-PIT"

My parents are building a fire-pit in the back yard.  Personally, I think we ought to call it the "steak-pit" in reference to Father of the Bride.  But regardless, any project is a hoot with my family.  They literally were debating the exact location of where everything should go for AT LEAST an hour and never came to a solid solution:)  But, the benches are now made, and my only input is that we can't rid of the trees with the ivy climbing them.

sibling love

Every time I see these two together I realize again and again how Heavenly Father's timing is always right.  They were meant to come to this world close together.  They love each other so, so much.  In fact, I try to do "special time" with each child every day where we do something one-on-one that they want to do.  I have the other child set up on my bed with books and puzzles to keep them entertained for the 10 mins I'm spending with the other child. I thought this would be amazing and that they would eat it up.  Instead, they ask where the other one is the entire time they're having alone time with me.  E always says, "ah, mom, Bud can come, that way he doesn't have to be alone in your room!"

It will rock B's world when E goes off to preschool.  He literally doesn't know what to do when she's not around (it really has only happened a handful of times).  They are buddies in every sense of the word.  Don't get the idea that it's always rainbows and butterflies...in fact, E bit B so hard last night it broke the skin and E has B's teeth marks in a bruise on her chest.  (We're seriously working on that little problem!) but when I ask them if they want to have their own bedrooms, they both start crying and begging to be with each other.  I always tell Nate that they had to come close together because B was in Heaven missing her so terribly that he couldn't wait any longer.

I'm so grateful that I had the faith to say yes when I knew another little spirit was waiting for our family. I was terrified to handle another pregnancy with a baby to take care of, and I battled with that prompting for 5 months before I was finally willing to listen.  How grateful I am that I did-that I was willing to follow a better plan than my own!  They are perfect and bring us so much happiness.  I'm so grateful for their differences and how I've already seen them helping each other through the things that are tough for them.  I'm forever grateful that they will always have a friend at school, and a cheerleader through every big event.  I can't wait to see them grow and take on this world!  What will these little faces do for our world?  Their potential is limitless and fills me with such a sense of responsibility to raise them right.  We love our kindred spirits.

lovies

In our family, we say "lovies" a lot.  It means you are sending love to someone.  Akin to the act of blowing a kiss, "lovies" is the verbal form of blowing kisses.  It means you love that person a whole lot.  And there is nothing better to say with this photo than that.

This girl lights up our life.  She is strong-willed, confident, loving, kind, caring, smart, coordinated, funny, witty, fun, challenging, patient and so many other things!  Lovies, E!

goober kisses

While this is not the greatest photo of all time, I needed to post it to remember.  One day I set up the camera to get a great self-portrait with J and I.  And then, J did what she does best, grab my face/hair, and pull herself toward me violently with a wide open mouth to give me the most slobbery, snotty kisses you can imagine...and I love it with all my heart.

I wish the composition was a little different, that you could see my eyes, that the lighting had been better, that the focus wasn't off.  But I love the expression on my face and her little hand grabbing me.  I love that you can see my dimple (a sure sign that it's a real smile).  I love that my hair is all messy from her pulling and grabbing at it.  I love that she's kissing me so hard you can't even see her little face.

So, yes.  I wish it was different.  But it's also oh, so perfect the way it is.

grandma's piano

We have my grandparent's old piano in our home.  Every time I sit down to play, I can see my grandpa sitting in a chair nearby, his cozy sweater wrapped around him, toes tapping along.   How many times he asked me to play for him while I was growing up?  I don't know that I'll ever sit down to play without thinking of him.  The piano has been such a blessing to my family as music fills our home.  I'm proud of the emotion this photo portrays...beauty, music, memories, love.

B loves all things "bad guys" and while I don't want to ruin the beauty and emotion of the photo for my memory, I need to remember what was REALLY happening in this photo.  B was pretending to be Ursula (from Little Mermaid) thus, he's wearing a sweatshirt for his pants, the arms and hood were his tentacles.  And he was POUNDING the piano and singing/yelling at the top of his lungs "Po Defortunedant ZOLS!" (poor unfortunate souls) This went on for a good 15 minutes with me giggling away.

Yummy Lighting

I'm not an enormous fan of the color on the walls in our bedroom (I'm more of a bright and light girl myself), but I can't paint it because just check out the mood it adds to photographs.  This is with no editing.  I need to get those kids in their more often:)