A Little More Sunshine

Luke and Ally go way back, so even though Ally is uncomfortable with most children, she puts up with Luke's hugs and sweet, "I love you Ally"s.

Who doesn't love working with a pickax that's bigger than yourself?

Considering sprinkler problems in Auntie Sarah's backyard.

Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors!!  Grammy's fondest wish.

Picnic in the Reedley Park.

Trying to catch minnows.  This boy was undressed as soon as he saw water.

Everybody loves you John-Mark, you can stop being so adorable.

To wade or not to wade, that is the question.  Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous name calling (lily-white legs!!) or bare legs against a river of troubles, and by opposing, end them.

She's got it, she knows it, yeah yeah yeah.

We all thought we were rolling up our pant legs so they wouldn't get wet.  We didn't take into consideration the splashing four-year old who, every few minutes, came running up to us through (his) hip-deep water.

We later figured out that the poles went inside the tent...what kind of ridiculous tent-designer designed a tent you have to be inside of to erect?!

Seamus's turn on the family heirloom rocking horse.

Luke says, "I wanna show you my skateboard tricks, Plain 'Ol Grammy!"

*LOVED*

VERY bold.

For sure it was warm enough to slip and slide in California, while in Manitoba there was confectioners sugar scattered all around...it was sugar, right?

California So Far...

We are one week into our California trip and I have just had four rolls of film developed!  This trip is totally digital-camera-free.  It is somehow freeing to know film is all I've got, I do my best, I catch the moments I can, and I let the rest of the moments live on simply in memory. 

My cousin's wedding (the excuse for the trip), was the first wedding I've attended in a long time where I wasn't working, so I took what I considered a bit of a risk and brought only the Pentax K1000.  What fun I had!  And the anticipation of getting film developed only increased my delight when I discovered I had done a pretty great job even without the reassurance of an instant-view LCD screen.  So fun.

We're having a good time, although Seamus is having some trouble adjusting to the time difference (especially since we keep waking him up and hauling him off to do fun stuff!).  And in our remaining week, we have plenty more fun stuff, so perhaps by the time he gets adjusted to the time change it'll be time to go home again.  Poor kid. 

So far on this trip we've gotten to see Aunt Carol and Uncle Phil (Seamus and Aunt Carol share a birthday among other things like their appreciation for dark chocolate), we've attended a wedding, visited Plain Ol' Grammy, seen tons of family, made the wedding programs, went to Bravo Farms, Simonian Farms, played in the water in Grammy and Grandpa's backyard, finished shingling the roof of the shop, listened to a thunderstorm and rain on the patio's tin roof, played with innumerable dogs (each of whom Luke claims to love the best in the world), and eaten lots of great food.  I'm not sure what could be better than eating great food with people you love...except maybe having ALL the people you love in one place at one time.  

We miss you Derek!

 

Less is More - Film: Part 2

I am enjoying these film photos so much that I don't think I'm going to be able to stop (even though my pocketbook is saying otherwise!).  It's just SO GOOD.  My children are so dang cute, my husband is smokin' and Wow, I look good on film too!  The suspense is exhilarating, the expense is debilitating but the results are gratifying.  Maybe the expense will be what curbs my enthusiasm and keeps the junk out of my shooting.  Maybe shooting less will keep me honest about my skill, and encourage me to grow/learn faster.  Maybe instant gratification isn't all it's cracked up to be.  Perhaps less is more, after all.  

Baby Faces

Luke

Seamus

Laura

Derek

People are always commenting on which parent or grandparent a baby looks like.  So we finally have all our photos side by side for you to compare.

    Personally, I think Seamus looks a lot like me as a baby.  But I suppose the comparison also has a lot to do with which photos you look at, because in a different baby photo of mine I thought Luke looked exactly like me.  And when I look at Seamus in his car seat while we go for a walk, I always think he resembles Derek.  But in baby photos Luke looks more like Derek as a baby...especially when you can see his chubby thighs.

    Derek commented on my baby photo that I look a lot like my great-grandma Ada.  We could play this game all day!

    I suppose each of our boys look a little bit like each of their parents, who look a little bit like each of their parents, who look a little bit like each of their parents.  

And in the end, they look a whole lot like themselves.

Developed!

Film

Oh film. 

You make my Pentax jump 

through flaming hoops of glory,

Make me proud.

Make me remember.

Sue Sorensen in her office at CMU.  This was the day I did the author's photo for A Large Harmonium, her first novel.

 

Wieners!

Visiting Norman and Ann in Rosenort.  Norman and Ann are in our care group.

Playing in the fountain at Bethel Heritage Park on one of our last really hot days.

A surprise photo!  My first belly shot - from my first pregnancy!  The beginning of the roll was from four years ago.

Baby Luke on the left,       Baby Seamus on the right!
Same roll of film.

Baby Luke - a little older.

Mara's birthday cake.

The Carl Man.

Jumping on the trampoline at Mara's birthday party.

Jack and Luke at the Morden Farmer's Market

We have such good oral hygiene at our slumber parties!