a bag of chips

Silliness and love.

I love these silly kids and these silly kids really do love each other.  I know they love each other even when Makena screams that Aidan bit her and Aidan says, "But mom she had her fingers in my mouth and I had to close my teeth." 

Sometimes she will go up to him and hug him for no real reason and he'll respond by kissing her right on the mouth.  Then he'll try to put a pretend spider on her head and she'll go running and shrieking away.  And at other times they'll feed off of each other in silliness frenzy that eventually will end with the two of them, spent and quiet, reading books in their tent .

They are something else, those two.

More recent faves.

Well, I said in a previous post that I've been busy.  Here's what I've been busy doing:

(Camera info:  Canon 20D, natural lighting, 85mm 1.8, AV and manual settings.)

I have been so blessed by all the amazing people I have met this year and for all of you I am truly thankful.  I've been given so many opportunities to experience a day in the lives of complete strangers and close friends and I'm humbled and moved each and every time.  What an honor.

And thank you for all your kind words about my photography.  It means the world to me.

It rained today!!!

Yes, this counts as big blog-able news.  It's been so long since we got any decent rain and the kids couldn't wait to get outside in their rain gear.  From these photos, you'd think it was near freezing, but it was only in the mid-fifties today.  A real cold spell!  And, despite my efforts to keep them dry, they managed to get soaked through.  Completely.

So, of course, my camera and I stayed safe and dry in the doorway and took some pics of my cold, soaked bigs (I have started referring to Aidan and Makena as "The Bigs" as I had found myself needing a word to describe the older two since Nadia is "The Baby") as they had some fun in the rain.  (Although from these photos you can't tell that they really had fun in the rain.  They hardly EVER smile for me anymore and bribery stopped working months ago to get their cooperation.  Instead what I get from them is grumpiness and whining.  Sheesh.  They're still cute, though.  I'll take what I can.)

Child of God, part II.

So, as promised, here are some of the photos from Nadia's baptism.

The day was perfect in so many ways:  God, family, a happy baby, beautiful weather, my hubby's corn soup and many more.  Nadia was happy and content the whole time during the ceremony and even smiled when the water was poured on her head.  She loved looking up at the stained glass windows in the church.  Throughout the day she was passed from person to person, many of whom were meeting her for the first time, and she barely made a peep all day, happily sleeping or smiling at the adoring faces of her family.

There were three baby girls being baptized and Nadia and another baby had the same EXACT gown bought at two different places.  And at the very beginning of the ceremony I'm gazing at my pretty baby in my arms when the priest comes and asks me the baby's name.  And I start saying a name that I realize isn't right.  I'm saying Makena's name and then I draw a blank.  Then I try to correct myself and I say Makena's name again.  Then I come back into my body and the planet righted itself  and I said her name right.  Finally.  I was so embarrassed.

Oh.  And that camera-shy smile?  Got it.

A child of God.

Miss Nadia gets baptized today.  We are all looking forward to this holy occasion surrounded by family and friends.  Photos from today's event will follow soon.

Busy, busy, very busy.

Holy cow.  Has it been THAT long since I updated here?  It's been crazy with holiday photo shoots and shopping and scrapping and and and and...well, you get that I've been busy, right?  K.

Nadia is now eight weeks old and I've yet to get her smile with my camera.  Believe me, I've tried.  She's getting to be quite the chubby baby, just like I like 'em.  Rolls, dimples, and jiggles in all the right places.   She's got her two-month appointment on Thursday and I have a feeling this girl has damn near doubled her birth weight.  Her last weigh-in was at five weeks and she was already 9lbs 3oz.  She LOVES the bath now and hates the car and car seat.  Without fail she will start balling within five minutes of leaving.  Hmpf.

Aidan is doing better at preschool and having better days with less trouble.  I love it when parenting practices start to pay off.  He's still adjusting to being four and a big brother to two little princesses, but he's still the sweetest boy ever.  EVER.

And Makena is quite the girlie-girl these days, although she has some moments when she wants to be the baby.  So she'll take off her tiara and crawl into my lap to drink her milk or pretend to cry.  And potty training is intermittent. But that's okay.  She's almost three and I'll take her being a baby for as long as I can.

My mother-in-law has been visiting from Trinidad and will be with us for the next few months.  It's great having her here.  She loves the kids and gives us all someone else to talk and interact with.  AND she cooks, does dishes and rocks at laundry.  It's a full but happy house these days.

December is my final month on the KMA design team.  I've been so fortunate to be on a team of such talented and fun girls and I owe KMA a huge THANK YOU for the opportunity.  So, thank you, Liz. It's been a blast. Here are some of my submissions for November:

(I guess this was white-background month.  Love those new American Crafts Thickers stickers.  FUN!)

Recent faves.

I have had so much fun lately at recent sessions.  Lots of beach and sand and fun, lots of lovely, beautiful people and family love.  Makes me all sentimental.  *sigh*

Here are a few of my faves from the past few weeks:

 

Six weeks.

Our baby girl will be six weeks (!!!!!) old tomorrow.  Today was the first day she was really smiling, and when she did the world around me just stopped and it was just the two of us, basking in each other's glow. She's also starting to get more vocal, cooing and screaching when she's wide awake.

I took these photos of her today.  No smiles caught on film yet, but it's coming soon.  I can feel it.

Camera info:  Canon 20D, 85mm 1.8 lens, AV mode, ISO 400-800, natural light.

My little buddy.

Little Vincent, whose adorable face appears in my portfolio to the left, just turned one.  And I am so honored to have the chance to photograph him again.  I've gotten to know Vincent's mommy and daddy, too, over the past year and they are such awesomely funny and caring people.  Love you guys!

See some more from their album here.

Camera info:  Canon 20D, 85mm 1.8 lens, AP setting.  Indoor shots 400 to 800 ISO, natural light, outdoor shots ISO 200.

Wow.

Check this out:

And you thought those people who set up roomful's of dominos to knock over were amazing...

There are no computer graphics or digital tricks in this film. 

Everything you see really happened, in real time, exactly as you see it.

The film took 606 takes. On the first 605 takes, something, usually very minor, didn't work. They would then have to set up the whole thing again. The crew spent weeks shooting night and day. By the time it was over, they were ready to change professions. The film cost six million dollars and took three months to complete, including full engineering of the sequence.

In addition, it's two minutes long, so every time Honda airs the film on British television, they're shelling out enough dough to keep any one of us in clover for a lifetime. However, it is fast becoming the most  downloaded advertisement in Internet history. Honda  executives figure the ad soon will pay for itself simply in "free viewings" (Honda isn't paying a dime to have you watch this commercial!). 

There are six, and only six, hand-made Honda Accords in the world. To the horror of Honda engineers, the filmmakers disassembled two of them to make the film. Everything you see in the film (aside from the walls, floor, ramp, and complete Honda Accord) is a part from those two cars.

The voice-over is Garrison Keillor. When the ad was shown to Honda executives, they liked it and commented on how amazing computer graphics had become. They fell off their chairs when they found out it was all for real.

Oh... and about those funky windshield wipers. On the new Accords, the windshield wipers have water sensors and are designed to start doing their thing automatically as soon as they become wet. It  looks a bit weird in the commercial.

And if you forgot to turn on the sound, or want to watch it again, just sit there and it will do it again for you!

Click here...   http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/honda.php