The Lensbaby Project.

I am so excited to share a project that myself and several other photographers have been working on this month. I recently got a Lensbaby Composer Pro with Sweet 35 optic, and the Edge 80 optic. These lenses can be amazing and really aid in creativity, but are also way more difficult to use than a regular, auto-focusing lens. Fun, right? Several women on a photography board I am a member of decided to start up a little project. Each month, I'll be posting my favorite pictures from the month taken with my lensbaby, then will link up to another photographer's work who is also participating in this challenge. :) Without further adieu, my January lensbaby project: 1.

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Please follow the link to see fellow Lensbaby artist Heather Nordell of My Kind of Wonderful Photography! Enjoy!

Our Thanksgiving

I never seem to be able to keep up with editing pictures, blogging, etc. I don't know how people do it. Either I'm horrible at time management, or I'm doing something horribly wrong. It literally takes me forever to cull through images, edit, resize for the blog/facebook, then upload to smugmug and import them here. I need to find a better way.

I've also been wanting to put my pictures into a storyboard for easier viewing, as well as to save me some time uploading a dozen individual pictures. I found a free plug in for this and have been playing around with it. These pictures are barely edited, if at all, and are thrown haphazardly into these storyboard templates, so bear with me.

Okay, so Thanksgiving 2012:

Micah had to work the day before, so we did school, then worked on the sticker books my Mom got them.

Noah hung out on the floor in the dining room while we played, then Sarah joined him.

I must have been particularly lazy with the picture taking this day, because this is all I've got.

Thanksgiving morning, we got the kids bathed, dressed, then headed to the kitchen to make cinnamon pie crust rolls. My Gram used to make these with the leftover dough when I was little. They are SO good that Micah and I will whip up Gram's secret pie crust recipe every once in a while JUST to make them.

This storyboard is really a mess. Hannah's flipping through one of my recipe books, Noah's hanging out in the bouncer, and Micah's rolling out the pie crust. No rhyme or reason to this one, I tell ya.

After our pie crust cinnamon rolls were baked, we headed to Gram and Pap's. It was so nice out that we walked down. I love when we get surprised with a few warmer days this time of year. As long as we have a White Christmas, I would much prefer these milder temperatures!

Hannah really wanted to help Pap with the turkey, so we got her bundled up again and she and Sarah headed out to the yard.

We actually cook our turkeys under garbage cans. I know that probably sounds strange, but we've been doing it for as long as I can remember and it is SO good. The meat literally falls off the bone, and it gives it the most subtle smoked flavor. It is so delicious!

The girls followed Pap up into the yard. The picture of him holding the garbage can with a stick cracks me up. Apparently, there is a HUGE brown spider that lives in his shed. If you know my Dad, he HATES spiders. To avoid one climbing or falling on him, he retrieves the garbage can with a stick. haha

Checking out the can...

After my Dad got the turkey on, the girls played.

After we got the turkey set up, we took the kids home to nap, then headed back over to Gram and Pap's for Thanksgiving dinner.

I promise the girls ate more than corn.

After dinner, Noah hung out on the couch. LOOK at his sweater! He isn't wearing them here, but he was also sporting tiny black loafers. :swoon:

Biggie yawn!

We got one of him smiling!!

After dinner at my Mom's, we headed to Aunt Cheryl, Uncle Gene, and Grandma's house to visit.

We didn't leave until almost 10:00, and the kids were exhausted, but we had such a great day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Family Pics

Last year on Thanksgiving, we took a family picture on a whim because it was really warm and sunny, and we were all dressed up. I set up the tripod in the back yard and we snapped a few until we got a decent shot. This was pulled from facebook, so if the quality is iffy, that's why.

This year, we planned it all out. The weather was supposed to be beautiful, so we picked out outfits, got the kids ready, and headed to our friends' house for pictures. I got so many that I love. Micah is getting really good with the camera (including nailing focus at 1.4!) so I was able to jump in and get some pics of me with the kids...or, ahem, Noah. Hannah and Sarah weren't really that interested. ;)

Look how much different the girls look! Oh, and we added another family member! ;) There are like a million pics, and I didn't put them into a storyboard or anything, so be prepared for image overload. I told you I fell in love with a ton!

I SO love this one of my boys...

I know this isn't the best picture, but it shows just how little they are. ;)

Haha, Sarah's face.

Poor Noah was just done...and you can see my tripod in the back. Whoops.

Afterwards, we went to Panera for dinner. The kids were SO good. Micah and I were obviously feeling invinsible, so we went to the mall. Sarah started flipping out about half way through our trek, so we did what any *good* parent would do. "Hey, you guys want to go to Toys R Us? Okay, then stop crying and we'll go."

The crying continued to an all-out tantrum, but we went anyway, because Hannah was being so good. Worst.Trip.Ever. We left thirty minutes later, me exposing myself to nurse Noah IN the store, Sarah screaming and throwing a fit, and Hannah trailing behind with her new toy. Never again. But at least we got family pics, right?

Happy Thanksgiving!