Shooting in manual

I've always been a little scared to shoot in full on manual mode with my camera. I've been using the semi-automatic modes and just got comfortable there. I decided to practice over the weekend and a light bulb finally went off in my head. *Ding!*

Here are a few of my I'm-finally-starting-to-figure-it-out pictures





I know this one is slightly blurry, which really bugs me, but it's just too sweet not to include!



I've also been working on indoor pictures... in manual mode...



I sure am glad I've got the best little models that will help me practice!

9 month old

All I can say about this 9 month old is wow, those eyes!! I just wish I had a picture of her Daddy because there is no denying who is her father!

She is such a sweetheart and I loved all the different faces.

Like this...



Such a happy girl







Seriously, this is straight up Daddy....







Um, can you say Nikon advertisement?





And a few more funny faces...

5 Years!

I love birthdays. Always have! We just celebrated another birthday and I just cannot believe that my baby girl just turned 5!

Here's a look back at last her fourth birthday.

I suppose her Daddy and I have started a little tradition of taking her downtown to spend the day with her on her birthday. We went last year too. This year, I picked her up after school and took her downtown for a trolley ride. The weather was nice and she got to enjoy some two-on-one time with Daddy and me.















I love this girl so much!

Famous

You mark my words.... this kid is going to be a performer one day. It's in his blood. His granddad is a professional musician, his uncle is a professional musicion, not to mention his dad, other granddad, great granddad, and even more family members are all musicians. When we get together with family there's always some sort of "pickin' and grinnin'" going on.

Bubby made up and performed his own song the other night and boy, is he serious about it!

Ruby

I've been meaning to post pictures of this cutie, but with two birthdays and one huge birthday party in the way, I got a little sidetracked!

Whew, it was hot that day, but I had such a good time following her around watching her explore.





She's apparently had this bear since she was in the NICU almost 2 years ago.



She didn't want to put it down. :)







Isn't she just the sweetest ever?

Cheerleader

We signed Kiki up for cheerleading and she had her first practice last week. All I can say is that there's really not many more adorable things in this world than watching a group of 5 and 6 year olds learning cheers for the first time. Next time I'll have to take my longer lens so I can get some close-up shots!





We are the big dogs
You are the little dogs
Big dogs...



Little dogs...



Go Tigers!

Happy 2nd Birthday!

This might just be the longest post ever! Last year I did an entire birthday week of pictures for Bubby's big day. This year his birthday post may be a little belated, but not for lack of content!

I love going back and looking at the posts from last year. Boy has Bubby changed (and I've changed too as a photographer). See here, here, here, here, and here.

We started the weekend off with a visit from Meemaw, Sambo, Uncle J and little cousin Z. We had cake & ice cream to start off Bubby's birthday weekend.







He tried hard to blow those candles out, but just couldn't get it.



He literally pulled Kiki over to blow them out for him!



Here's a little known fact about Bubby. He's obsessed with guitars. It was a little white one that has different buttons that each play a different style of music. Now he's taken over Kiki's toy guitar that she got from Santa two years ago. It's hot pink with yellow butterflies and has real strings. He carries this thing around the house day and night. He watches the Wiggles in concert and strums that guitar. He also "practices" when his dad plays his bass guitar. Maybe he'll be one of those prodigy kids playing guitar at 5 years old!

Here are a couple of videos of my prodigy child:





This kid even eats with this pink guitar. Won't put it down!



So we surprised him with his very own boy guitar with real strings. It's black with red graphics. Now he won't put it down! (I'm so mad that this picture turned out blurry. Stupid indoor lighting! But you get the picture...



He's playing it while Barney's (gross!) on the tv in the background.





The morning of Bubby's birthday I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk. Which meant do you want to walk around and let me follow you while snapping pictures the whole time. He happily said yes, even though he really wasn't feeling well. He's had a little cold this week. Not fun on your birthday!

We started off on this same bridge and actually wearing the same jeans as he wore in his one year pictures (here). They actually fit him now (but not for long, they're 18 month jeans). He was a chunk back then and a little squirt now!





Then he started getting mad at me



Until he noticed a bug



See that bug?



He's still a little annoyed with me



This is his leave me alone pose



But he's not too mad



Now he wants to go home



Dat way Momma



Hooooome (look at those lips!)



Uh oh, he's giving me his evil eyes.



Ok, let's go Bubby



Unfortunately we cleaned for the rest of the weekend. Because the big party is this Saturday! Bring on the water slide!!!