Welcome to my blog!

My super awesome husband gave me a super fabulous camera a few years back and I've been hopelessly obsessed and have driven my children crazy with, "look at Mommy" and "you can have a piece of candy if you let me take 5 pictures", ever since. Here are just a few of those moments I steel away from my uber cute kiddos, and a few more moments I occasionaly get to take of other people...to the relief of my family. I do love to practice on anyone who will let me, so if you would like your picture taken let me know!
****************************************************************************************

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Peter and Kristian

My brother got married!!!

We are all so excited for them. They live in Louisiana, but got married out here in California. So exciting! They are off to the Cook Islands and then to Vegas! And while they're off having a tropical vacation I'll sit around here editing photos of them. This one my cousin Kim took. She's becoming an excellent photographer. My photos to come...



Congrats you guys!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Mommy's Perspective

I was holding Abby thinking about what a sweet cutie pie she is and wanted to get that perspective captured forever, so I pulled out the camera and gave it a try. It doesn't look exactly like what I was seeing, especially because the side of her face was by the bright window which made it pretty bright in the picture, and I need arms about 2 inches longer so I can hold her far enough away to get the camera to focus. But besides that...it kind of worked.


And, once again, I can't decide on color or black and white.


Black and White?


Or color?

She's got those fingers in her mouth a lot. It first I thought she might be teething early, but still no teeth, so I guess she just really likes to chew. I'll have to keep a large supply of gum around in the future.

Now I'm off to find an arm stretcher.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Late Holiday Pics

Happy Easter...last month. I always love dying eggs with the kids and getting out decorations and celebrating. And this year we did our egg dye over at our good friends the Hanbergs with their daughter and cutie pie granddaughter Rebekah. It's tons of fun to do with friends, and even better when you don't have to worry about the mess at your own house. I was dumb and didn't bring my camera to that, but I did get pics of the kids all dressed up in their Easter church duds.

Grandma Susie bought this gorgeous dress for Madie. It's for Easter and for Uncle Peter's wedding. And it's super cute!


I didn't actually get Jared anything new to wear this Easter, but he was excited to dress up in his man-sized tie that Grandma Tibby got him last year.


And the kids together. No, he's not trying to choke her. That's what he does every time I tell him to take a picture with his sister. He's pulling her in close.


And our cutie pie baby girl. Imagine her with a super cute big huge flower headband on that chubby round head of hers.

It was darned cute!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Holy Cloud Burst Batman

You know how rain almost never shows up in photos?

Well, check this out.



It was poring buckets!

So my kids ran out in played in it. But not before Madie had the chance to change into her swim suit.

Silly girl.


Then Jared ran and stood under our broken rain gutter where the water was poring down like a waterfall. I didn't get a picture of that, but it required a towel and a change of clothes.

Silly boy.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Squinty Eyes

Nathan helped me round up the kids (he even helped get them dressed) and find a nice flowery spot to take some springish pictures of them. Of course because I was hoping to get some pictures of the three of them together, Madie was in the worst mood ever, well, not ever, but was kind of grumpy and only wanted pictures of her by herself. I go into any picture taking experience of my kids (they've got WBPCS, wanna be photographer's child syndrome) with very low expectations, so I wasn't all that disappointed.

I was also practicing shooting in full sun. I avoid it like the plague, but I thought maybe I should actually face my demons and learn how to do it right. I don't think they turned out too bad considering my total lack of experience at it. Except the squinty eyes. But being that I can't physically force them to open their eyes all the way, I'll just have to live with it. I wouldn't want to make pretty portrait faces in all that sunniness either.

A happy moment.






I don't know what this is, but it's sure cute.


He was trying to be moody like Madie, but he just couldn't do it.




She was being photographed by herself, and was on the verge of dancing.


It looks like she could be smiling here, but she was really mad Jared was in the picture.


And our little one. I'm totally in love with her. And mad at myself for not coming up with a good way to pose her until after this little session. I can picture it now...a wicker basket, a soft blanket just brimming over the top, her lying on top with all that brilliant yellow behind her. Oh well. I can still stare at her chubby little chin lying on the not-so-cute brown blanket.


Jared loves her too.


And so does Madie, but maybe not at this moment. She was, after all, stealing her shot.


Overjoyed to give me an excited pose all by herself.


Squinty eyes from that darned sun, but still cute, in my humble mommy opinion.




I would have loved to get more pictures on this old rusty farm equipment something-or-other, but Madie was giving my the stink eye the whole time.

Monday, May 11, 2009

I Heart Hair

Madie is so full of emotion, good and bad. It's a roller coaster living with her, which is kind of fun and occasionally frustrating. She has very strong opinions, like what to wear. And her favorite thing to wear is this.

I have to pry it away from her just to wash it. And remember, it's only just now spring. This has been going on all winter. Apparently she "likes to be cold". Crazy girl.

She is also very picky about her hair. Sometimes she just wants it down. Sometimes she brings me 10 rubber bands and wants them all in her hair. She did that once and I accidentally figured out how to do this.

So I took a picture so I can replicate it in the future.

Looking Kinda Like You

Pictures are cool because they freeze moments in time and we can look back and remember. Except sometimes there are pictures that you think, "Iiiiuukk?!? That looks nothing like me!".

These look nothing like my girls. Well, they look like the girls, but don't really look like what they look like. Like you know who they are, but you don't think, "Ah, that looks just like them".





This on the other hand, is what Jared looks like half of the time.

He's full of great expressions, and usually in his pajamas.

Friday, May 8, 2009

The Girls and I...

...I find myself saying that all the time.

The girls and I will be back to pick you up from preschool later.

The girls and I will stay home while you go with dad.

The girls and I went to Target today.

The girls and I...hangin' out at home.






And on a side note, I've noticed a lot of baskets full of clean laundry in the background of my pictures. I totally don't mind separating laundry, throwing it in the washer, switching it to the dryer...but that darned folding and putting away. I dread it. No good reason. Just do.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Get Rich Quick

I know most people who aren't looking for an excuse to drink to excess on a week day or are in elementary school and looking for an excuse to pinch people don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but our family feels it's our road to the high life.

...There's something wrong with that sentence, but I can't figure it out right now with my sleep deprived mind...

See, we have this plan, this brilliant, genius plan to capture a leprechaun and force him (in the most humane way possible)to tell us how to get to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I was never able to do this during my childhood, so I'm passing on the family obsession to my children. And remember, Jared is a kinda sorta genius, so I just might just live out my retirement in excess. Because he'd share of course. He's that kind of kid.

So we build this trap out of a box and put shiny objects under it to attract the little guy (or gal). I have a feeling our lack of leprechaun bondage has something to do with the inadequacy of this idea, but in the next few years I'm sure Jared will come up with a new genius plan for a much improved trap.

Madie wasn't so into the building. She chewed on her Fancy Nancy barrette instead.


We invited the kids cutie pie friend over to make her own trap.


Here Jared is testing it out. I think he was a bit sceptical, but he was willing to roll with it.


And he was right to be sceptical. No leprechaun this year. But we did scare him so bad he ran straight for the door dropping a trail a loose change behind him.

What the Heck, Dad.


Why are you holding me by the shoulders?


Mom?

Help.

My Kinda Sorta Genius

Jared built this Lego duck and for a sec I thought he was a super genius and came up with it all on his own, then he showed me the picture of it on the Lego box and I downgraded him to kinda genius. But still, wow Jared! Good job!


He is really so creative and is always coming up with crazy things to do. And he has this weird obsession with "recycling". Not, lets throw that garbage in the recycle bin and let the garbage man haul it away to be reused as a plastic bottle, recycling. It's more of a hey look, I have this fruit snack wrapper and we can make it into a book about community with pictures I colored for grandma, kind of recycling.

That has nothing to do with the Lego duck, but a lot to do with his creative genius mind.

And he's a show off.


And when they're not fighting, he's really good about helping Madie be part of the fun too. They built this together. I don't know what it is, but she was proud.

She was sick here...look at that poor poofy face.


They're even better Lego creatures when they sit on top of your head.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Hey Mom...?

Jared asked if he could give Abby a new nickname. Imagine his high mickey mouse voice in a super sweet, I'm trying to get something out of Mom, tone. "Can I call her chubby cheeks?"


She was born so tiny and skinny and now look at her. And it's all in the cheeks. She has the regular baby pudge on her thighs and a little round belly, but her cheeks are super pinchable! And if you pinch them, she will laugh. I love it!

We Heart Mrs. Greene!

Jared goes to the best preschool! We love it. We love the teacher. We love the kids. We love all the art projects they do. We love that they bake something yummy that starts with the letter they're working on to bring home and share with Mommy ever week. I even love her house and drool over it a bit every time I drop him off. But mostly I love the preschool. This coming Thursday (Jared's 5th birthday!) they are having a mother's day luncheon. I can't wait!

They made this little get up to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday.