68/365

Not a great day around here. Very busy and things just didn't go my way. So you're getting a shot that a friend took and I played with:

color:

67/365

Happy Birthday to me!
My parents sent me flowers and I went all wild and crazy with both a square crop and close up:

I took pics specifically for this project yesterday with the intent of practicing with the 580. I tried a few with the Sto-Fen and just don't like it as well. I complained about the skylight effect but it just dulls everything down to the point I'm not sure what I'm doing (even moreso than without it). I put a giant white coloring book up beside him in an attempt to get some catchlights (hello, amazon.com, I need a reflector!):

Christmas

I got gift cards from Amazon.com for Christmas and was able to swing a 580EXII for Christmas. I mostly just bounced off the ceiling for our Christmas pics which seems to give this skylight effect but I was so happy it arrived in time!
It was a great Christmas, for real. My dad gave my big kid a Lionel Polar Express train and it made for the quintessential Christmas moment. I hope the recipient remembers it as along as the giver and the observers:

59/365

Another snow shot. Winter went from novel to miserable in one day. We got about 8" of fluffy snow at about 20 degrees on Thursday. Then a few more inches yesterday paired with 40 mph winds and windchills around 40 below. My weatherbug thing tells me it's -2 which is the 'warmest' it's been in 24 hours. We might hit 10 by Christmas. Blech!
Out my front door yesterday:

Fun in the snow on Friday:

56/365

Oh.My.Goodness.
So.
I've been busy doing Christmas cards. I've just done a few this year but they've been extremely customized. Lots of revisions. But here are the first three that came in. The last one is Tess' beautiful photography!:

And the best news we've had in a while, not only are swimming lessons over but the little guy did great! Thursday, 12/11/2008:

Skip to Sunday, 12/14/2008, where suddenly we find ourselves in South Bend, Indiana contemplating a transfer to a new location:

Then home Monday in time for the big preschool program:

And today, 12/17/2008, we get a Secret Santa gift just as I had the kids dressed in their Christmas outfits for an attempt at some shots for the 2009 family calendar:

48/365

Let's start with Saturday...we made pretty ornaments:

And Sunday we got the tree:

Monday, I was dissed as the tooth-brushing assistant in favor of the big brother!

And today, for Eric, I took a shot out our back door. Just wait; it will be whiter in a few weeks!

44/365

I had to count on my fingers to get the number. 44 is close enough!
I was a fun mom for about 20 minutes today as we used window markers (love those things!) to draw a Christmas tree and presents on one of our sliding glass doors.

and a bonus because the expression cracks me up: