Moving On

Am I still in your feed reader?  After 4 years? Well, I've moved on, Internet. I am blogging here, if you're interested in following along at home.

The Moment

This is how we spent all day yesterday:We watched, excitedly all morning long. We monitored various news channels and web sites, we Facebook-ed and Twittered. Our kids waved flags and danced around. And we celebrated a new day.

I Really Want to Title This, "Dude!" and Then Give You a High Five, but That Might be Too Nerdy

50mm, f/2, 1/125, Nikon D700 (not mine), SOOC except for yogurt removal from her face

See those eyes? And that creamy skin? And that awesome exposure? Well...for me it's a photo that had me literally jumping up and down because I was so excited by it. I've been working on my exposure and focus lately through my 365 project and I really feel like I'm making some progress. I'm also going through a massive photo re-org to clear some hard drive space and have a workable catalog of photos. This process has been really interesting since I am looking at every single photo I've ever taken. I get to see how far I have come, technically, compositionally, and how much more comfortable I am with my camera.
I'm getting there...

Click over to Mother May I to see other inspiring photographer's Best Shots today.

Just Me.

Self Portraits for Theme Thursday. Click through to The Land of K.A.

Who Are They?

My little family has settled into a nice little rhythm. My babies are old enough now (and have enough new toys from Christmas) that they entertain themselves pretty well and play with each other pretty well. We are getting back into the daily routine and eating good food, carving out enough time to get grocery shopping in and cook together. After the holidays we're back to early bedtimes and regular fruits and vegetables. They are learning to clean up their own toys and help around the house.
Jack even took it an extra step when he was working on earning another car:

He cleared his dishes from the lunch table and then pulled a chair up to the sink, rinsed his plate and cup, then washed them by hand and set them with the clean dishes.
You're welcome, future-daughter-in-law.

And then this one:

She chose to wear pants and not a dress for the first time in months. And she let me braid her hair and left it alone for several hours.

Who is she?

2009

I want to clean out my basement already.
I want to plant a more successful vegetable garden-more of the things I know will grow.
I want to use my treadmill.
I want to play with my kids more. I want to not say, "not right now, I have to..." so much.
I want to complete a 365 photo project.
I want to hang photos on my walls.
I want to get more family photos out of the computer.
I want to sell or publish a photograph.
I want to shadow a professional photographer on a shoot.
I want to study under professional photographers.
I want to rent some cool lenses to try them out.
I want to go away with my husband with no children again.
I want to take care of him.
I want to live each day gratefully.

2008

I turned 29.
I have been married for 6 1/2 years.
I have embraced my jeans and T-shirts mom uniform and added crocs.
I joined a camera club.
I read Understanding Exposure. And read it again. And again.
I read countless photography books from the library.
I have been inspired and humbled by the talent I've been watching in Flickr.
I have embraced RAW.
I photographed sunflowers and daisies, my favorites.
I hung some photos on my wall.
I made a quilt.
I painted my children's bedrooms and my bathroom.
We bought big kid furniture...no more cribs or changing tables.
I planted a vegetable garden and ate lots of yummy BLTs.
I planted several herbs and made delicious batches of pesto.
We built a playset and spent lots of time outside.
I bought a treadmill and a Wii Fit.
I exercised sporadically.
I fell in love with good German food.
I fell in love with good German beer.
We budgeted our money successfully (until the holidays) and found that it's not so hard.
We bought a minivan...the most glorious vehicle known to man.
I reconnected with lots of old friends on Facebook.
I have loved and mothered my little family.
I am more wholly and completely myself than I have ever been.




2007