Our Hos

I'm moving!

2010-05-21T20:58:00.002-04:00

Blogs that is. I haven't been happy with my blogger blog for a while now. I really don't know code and how to change the appearance. So now you can find me at Wordpress.

Please follow this link from now on and remember to bookmark it!

itsthesweetthings.wordpress.com

Kitchen:Before and After

2010-01-14T19:11:00.002-05:00

I've been a bit busy this week working on a project that I've been wanting to get to for a while now. When we first bought our house (It will be a year of living here next week!), I really liked the red walls that were in the living room and kitchen. The thing about red though is that one can tire of that color pretty quickly. I believe we painted the living room a few months after moving in and now I have finally painted the kitchen.

I don't have a great pic for the before. I thought I had a pic I had taken when we first moved in and that is why I didn't take a "before" shot. Luckily I was able to grab a screen shot from our house listing's virtual tour. It actually didn't look much different than this before I started painting! The sellers had left us the table and the the pictures on the wall when they moved.

So, as close to" before" as I can get....

And here is what I did!

The green is "Stem Green" by Benjamin Moore and the gray is "Edgecomb Gray", also Ben Moore. There was a little drama with the paint because both colors were lighter than they appeared on the swatch. The green is actually very close, but the gray either looks almost exact or very different depending on the light it's being viewed in. After agonizing over it, I decided to keep it....at least for now. My lesson learned is to try out the sample paints that they now sell! Lighting makes ALL the difference! Even on the paint swatches!

So, aside from the paint, I also recovered the fabric on the chairs. This fabric was my whole inspiration for the room. I LOVE it! The stainless frames were bought at Target several years ago. The prints inside are pics of grass that I had taken last summer. I love they way they look in the frames and against the green wall! I also bought a new and rather large scale Thomas O'Brien clock on clearance at Target to fit on the small wall by the basement stairs.

This pic shows off the fabric better. I wasn't quite done with the chairs when I took the pictures (that is why there are only three chairs at the table), but wanted to take pics while the light was good.

This shows off the gray and the new clock a little more. I still want to replace the brass door knob for a stainless knob on the basement door.

This is the actual kitchen area. The change isn't very dramatic here since there isn't much wall. Just the area above the cabinets. And yes, my kitchen really is as tiny as it appears! LOL! Someday, I would love to get stainless appliances. That is probably a long way down the road though!

It feels good to have another room under my belt! I love how much brighter and airier it feels now! My next blog entry will most likely be from my next project, which is Addie's big girl room. I can't believe we're about to get rid of the crib!!!!!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T20:44:00.002-05:00

So another Christmas has come and gone. I think it's safe to say that the kids had a GREAT one! My house now looks like a toy store exploded and keeping the toys contained has become a never ending battle. It's so worth it though. Aidan told me numerous times that he had the "best Christmas ever", and that makes all the craziness go away and spreads love across my heart.

So, here are some total snapshots from our holiday. Nothing fancy. It's very hard to take pictures of kids in a room that is dark and about 12 feet wide!

We celebrate Christmas Eve by having dinner and then the kids open the presents that their Grandma and Grampa Hosking send them and the presents from us.

Aidan was VERY excited to get this Imaginext castle.

Believe it or not, Addie was excited about new clothes!

Aidan wasn't as excited about his new pajamas.

Addie loved her new books.

He's such a goofball!

Then we open presents from SANTA on Christmas morning...

Addie LOVES her new baby crib. LOVES IT! She's feeding one of her new dolls while wearing her Dora Backpack.

Aidan loved everything.

We also went to my parents house where they got even MORE!!!! The kids had such a great day. So much fun and so much to keep them busy!
Here was Addie earlier today playing with her Kai Lan doll.

And Aidan, as I often see him...

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family!!!! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and wishing you a fabulous New Year!!!

My Addie Joy

2009-12-17T11:38:00.003-05:00

This girl is so funny. Last week she came into the kitchen dressed like this...

According to her, she was "Glamorous Princess Kitty Cat Addie".♥

The funniest part is that AIDAN is the one who set her up with this ensemble! LOL!

And for a new pic of her that I LOVE! I had taken this one a while ago. It's been sitting here waiting for me to get to it and I'm so glad that I did! I remember the two of us were hanging out on the floor of the family room being silly. I remember the way she was looking at me and took a picture. This is SOOOOOO Addie.

And because it looks equally nice in B&W..

Christmas service

2009-12-14T23:22:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was Aidan's preschool Christmas service. Those little kids singing are so cute! Aidan did much better than last year. He actually sang! Here is a snap all the way from the back row!

Afterward we got a photo opp for the kids in his classroom...

Addie and I even got a pic together!

Baby Chase, 6 days old

2009-12-05T09:50:00.003-05:00

Look at this cute little guy! I got to meet sweet baby Chase earlier this week. His mom is the beautiful Jenny who's pictures I took here.

This little cutie definitely gave me a run for the money! Hard to believe when you see this sweet little face!

The little guy couldn't help it. He just wanted to sleep without me messing with him. I can't say I can blame him one bit!

He was his happiest when he was with his mommy and daddy. They just love him so much.

Congratulations to Jenny and Jerry. The three of them make such a beautiful family!

Five Years

2009-11-22T22:44:00.004-05:00

First off I want to apologize to family members for not posting many pics of my kids lately. Things have been so crazy busy, especially these last 6 weeks that I can barely keep my head straight. I promise to catch up with some back photos soon! To make up for that I'm about to get real sappy. haha!

Five years ago I became a parent. My sweet Aidan made his way into the world via C-section on a cold November day. When I arrived at the hospital, I remember feeling excited, scared, happy, unsure and a bit overwhelmed by what was going to happen when they wheeled me into the OR. Well, I've been through those feelings and more over the years.

I don't know what it is about your child turning five. It's definitely a bittersweet milestone. It seems just like yesterday that I was holding a little baby in my arms. Then he started crawling, then taking steps, then talking. Was it really that that long ago? And more importantly, how am I old enough to have a child this age? :WINK:

Now I look at him and am so proud of the boy he's becoming. He's long since been a baby or toddler. Gone is the Preschooler, he's a kid. A KID! The thought just baffles my mind. He's such a great boy too. So loving and sweet. So smart and funny. My heart swells when I think of him and I love him with every breath I take.

OK, enough with the sappy thoughts. Here is a little slideshow of the last five years I put together. Mind you, most of these are from the old point and shoot camera days, a couple studio pics, and a few fumbles as I learn photography. I laugh and smile looking through them, because no matter what, he's my boy. ♥

Happy 5th Birthday Aidan!!!!

The Pollard Family ♥ Sneak Peek

2009-11-16T19:22:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I got together for a little shoot in Mt Clemens with my friend Lisa and her family. It was a fairly quick session since the kids weren't quite in the mood for the camera. Hey, who can blame them!

The one shot I got of everyone together!

Here's Sethe! He's a very funny kid and my Aidan just loves him.

And his little brother Ethan. He was a bit tired, but I'm so happy to get this great smile from him!

Thanks for coming out Lisa! I had a lot of fun exploring a new location and hanging out afterward!

Due on Turkey Day! ♥ Maternity Sneek Peek

2009-10-30T23:53:00.004-04:00

The other day I got the opportunity to shoot the adorable Jenny and her loving man Jerry. They are such a sweet couple and love each other so much. This shoot is a bit of a milestone for me since this was the first time I met them! Jenny works with my brother in law, Matt and he pointed her in my direction. I'm so glad he did, because this is my favorite session to date!

Aren't they just the cutest couple?

Jenny is seriously pretty...and one of the cutest pregnant women I have ever met!

It was a BEAUTIFUL fall evening. The weather was PERFECT!

This was all Jenny's idea. If you can't see the tag, it says, "To:Mommy and Daddy, From: God" So cute!

Thank you so much Jenny and Jerry! I appreciate your patience with me while I figured some things out. This was a great experience for me and I hope you love your pics!

A little early Halloween fun!

2009-10-18T22:32:00.002-04:00

So last week the kids and I met up with my parents and my sisters family camping up at the KOA near Port Huron. I'll be honest and say that I'm not normally a huge fan of KOA type campgrounds, but this one is really cool! Not to mention less than an hour away. Anyway, every year they have "trick or treating" for the campground. The whole campground is filled with kids and decorations and it's just tons of kiddie fun.

This year, Aidan is a Ninja for Halloween. I'll be honest and say that I'm disappointed that he's not being something more "cute", but his heart is set on it. I have to say, he does look pretty tough....which if you know Aidan says a lot!

Miss Addie is a witch. A good witch because she's so cute. And to make it sound even cuter to her, she's a princess witch. She just won't keep her hat on. ;o) Here she is with not one, but two suckers while trick or treating. That's my girl!

And here's Uncle Matt! For those without young kids, he's dressed up as DJ Lance Rock from Yo Gabba Gabba! This is a favorite kids show of MINE! Haha! But what is even cooler is that he was very into character and all the little kids loved him.

And we can't forget his lovely wife and my little sister Aunt Kim! I think she's one cute kitty!

Here we have Addie hanging out with her Grampa Wilkins. I need to make a mental note and take more pics of the kids with the grandparents!

Aidan got tired of wearing his mask. I actually like his costume much better without it. And doesn't he look like he's up to no good here?

This is a very typical face that I see very often from Addie. She's no doubt voicing her displeasure about something. Always drama with little girls, but still so very cute!

It was such a beautiful day. I love fall days like these...

When we got back to the campsite, I tried to get pics of my parents dogs for them. I really really love this pic of their crazy dog, Gretchen. I curse myself for cutting off her little paw at the bottom! Darn it!

Addie just loves this dog. Not the best focus,I admit, but cute nonetheless...

This is Molson. He's getting up there in years! If memory serves, he's about 13 or 14 and isn't doing the best health wise.

Check out this smile!!!!

Of course I can't forget my little cutie nephews! Here is my little Oliver...look how big he's getting!!! I love love LOVE his blue eyes. ♥

And who can forget Elliot? I've mentioned this before, but this little guy gives me a run for the money! Seriously, I tried to take a picture of him and what does he do? Scream and run away! You'd think he was one of MY kids! LOL! Somehow, I managed to get a shot of him on the campground train. I count my lucky stars that I got both eye contact AND a smile!!!!!

My newest favorite pics of the kids.

2009-09-23T22:20:00.002-04:00

OK, so I probably say that a lot. I'm OK with that. That means that I'm taking better pics each time, right? While I'm not saying these are photographic perfection, they're my kids and they are perfection to me.

Here is my Addie Joy, just hanging out on a ride on toy. I tried getting a little funky with my processing on this one. I hope it worked!

And my silly boy Aidan. I love this, because it' "him".

And lastly, one of the two of them together. I just love this. Now, I can't tell you how hard it is to get the two of them both looking at me with nice expressions. Then add that it's even more hard to do what I mentioned without their hands and legs all over the place. I've attempted to take a similar shot to this earlier this summer and failed. I can't tell you how many more I took with this attempt. Not one perfect keeper. So, I had to do a photography secret. Let's just say I had to do some swapping. I took and cut out a shot of Aidan that I really liked a few frames up and pasted him into this pic. There's a little more to it than that, but I have to say, I think it worked!

First day of school 2009

2009-09-16T12:44:00.002-04:00

So Aidan started back up to school this week! He's now in the 4 year old Preschool program, going 3 days a week. I still can't believe he's getting so big!

While he was excited for school to start, he wasn't too happy about me taking his picture to commemorate the event. As you can see here...

I have at least a dozen more with this same expression.

Still annoyed with me....

Then I think he figured out that if he just smiled, I would leave him alone.

The Snyder Kids

2009-08-23T14:57:00.002-04:00

Meet Jillian, Jenna, Nathan and Nolan. They are the awesome kids of an old high school friend that I've reconnected with on Facebook. I admit to being SOOO nervous about this shoot. Aside from my own kids, I've only ever shot a single child. Here I was jumping into FOUR kids... definitely a big change of pace for me! They were SO good and I really had so much fun working with them!

Katie got a chance to get in on this one. She's such a great mom.

The girls had some fun jumping around.

Thank you so much Katie and kids! I had a blast working with you guys.

Little Northern Michigan vacay

2009-08-13T23:28:00.004-04:00

Even though it was a little vacation, I have lots of pics! So, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Last week we got back from Clear lake Resort, up in central northern MI. We had fun and it was nice to get away. It was the perfect distance too. Not too far, but far enough! I was pleasantly surprised that Addie did GREAT in the car. This is the girl that complains about the car ride to Target. A huge thank you goes out to Grandma and Grampa Hosking for the portable DVD player for the car. Definitely eased the pain!

So, here is where we stayed. It was..ummm...cozy. Actually it wasn't that bad, tight, but not bad. Well, the bathroom was a bit of a challenge. We'll just say that not only was it tiny, but the showers were lightning fast!

But, how can you complain when you wake up to this view every day?

Here we have Jim and Aidan getting ready to go fishing. Aidan was so excited to fish and I think Jim was just as excited to take him.

But miss Addie and Zoe were not happy that they weren't invited. Here they were just staring out the door watching the guys fish.

Here are they guys, doing their thing.

While the guys were fishing, the dew on the grass caught my eye and I thought it may be neat to take a pic. This isn't exactly how I hoped it would turn out, but I still like the color and clean feeling.

As many of you know, this summer has been dubbed the "bummer summer" since it's been a bit cooler than in previous years. With the weather up north being a good 5-10 degrees cooler, we were a little disappointed that there wasn't much beach time. It actually wouldn't have been too bad it wasn't so windy. Jim and the kids braved the weather to swim a couple times. The kids (especially Addie) love the water.

She LOVES the beach.

Digging in the dirt is her favorite part.

I don't know what Aidan was doing here, but he was having fun!

He loved looking for sea shells. I know, freshwater lake, no seashells. But he found a bunch of snail shells. He was pretty excited about that!

Even Zoe had fun!

Then we rented a pontoon boat for a couple hours. The kids really seemed to like it. Again, it was a little cooler than we would like, but it was nice and peaceful. Here the kids are enjoying ice cream candy.

Then the guys decided to try their luck at fishing again.

And Addie gave boat driving a try.

She finally got a chance to fish and LOVED it! She took it very seriously!

I don't know what she's doing here, but you can sure tell she loved being on the boat!

Aidan gives his best pirate impersonation. No, he's actually squinting from the sun, but he sure looks cute!

I was obsessed with the clouds over the lake. It was at this time I wished that I had a nice wide angle lens. I just love those big sky shots. I never get the opportunity to do that at home!

Then a rare thing happened. I handed Jim my camera in auto and had him take a pic of me with the kids!

I love this pic of Aidan. It was just one of those moments I was sitting down, playing with my camera when Aidan sat next to me. I said "Hey Aidan!" he looked at me and I snapped. I just love his eyes here. I didn't touch them in Photoshop either (except size/sharpen for web). Every once in a while I nail my focus and get so excited! And Look, you can see Addie in the bokeh!

Annnnd, here is our deck view from our last night on vacation. The first couple evenenings were too overcast to give much color. So pretty!

That was our little get away. I can't say it was exactly relaxing with the kids, but it was a nice change of scenery!

The princess and the piggy

2009-07-31T23:19:00.002-04:00

Addie is one funny girl. She's so very girly but so messy at the same time! For her birthday, her Aunt Kim and Uncle Matt got her this adorable dress up outfit. She just loved being a princess. That is until she looked up at me with wide eyes and told me she wanted to "fly in the sky". Poor girl, I think I devastated her once I told her that although she had on wings, she couldn't really fly. :o( She promptly told me to take the dress off.

Here she is BEFORE the flying request.

On the flip side, the girl is so darn messy when she eats! I literally have to strip her down so she doesn't destroy her clothes. I even have to make sure her hair is pulled back, because it often ends up caked if I don't. Food ends up all over her face, hands, body, sometimes the booster chair and floor. Aidan was no where near this messy and stopped wearing a bib long before he was two. This girl would much rather eat with her hands....especially if it's food like pudding, yogurt or apple sauce. This shot doesn't do the true mess justis. The washcloth I used to clean her up was covered!

Little Tiger

2009-07-28T09:07:00.003-04:00

Last week, Aidan started Tae Kwon Do. We thought now would be a good age to join. He's in need of some discipline and help following direction. This is a fun environment and boy, does it wear him out! Here is a quick snap of him in his outfit.

Blog under construction

2009-07-20T09:05:00.002-04:00

Ugh, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my blog and am temporarily in chaos mode. I want to give my blog a bit of a face lift, but I'm not very technical. I don't understand a lot about computers. Just the basics that get me by. One of the main things I want is for my pics to show up bigger. I thought I figured out how to do it, but my landscape oriented photo's got cut in half. So, for now I switched to this very basic Blogger template, since it allows my bigger pics to be shown. I hate it though. It looks so blah and unprofessional. Another item on my blog wish list is for me to allow categories. This way if I refer someone to my blog for session work, they can find it among my personal posts. My friend Kelly from Blissful Chaos and Kelly Gorney Photography
pointed me in the direction of a template that I can install that I think will fill my requirements. She used it on her photography blog and it looks fab! The problem is that I'm clueless on installation! And with these two kids, I never have a few hours to set aside to figure it out. So, if I want to do it, then I'll have to have a night that I can stay up until the wee hours.

My next problem. Should I keep my photography and family blogs together or separate them? The are pros and cons to doing it each way. The biggest con will be having to keep up with two blogs. I struggle at times with keeping this one fresh. So, two may be over my head. Then again, I won't have to worry about posting more snapshot type pics on a family blog. I won't have to worry about potential "clients" (can I say client's since I'm not close to being in biz?)seeing snapshots and think that's a representation of my work. Ugh, anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts. Family, do you mind seeing my session work? Speak up, come out of hiding! I need your opinions! Haha!

A little neighborhood shoot

2009-07-19T14:53:00.005-04:00

So, I took the kids on a little "shoot" around the neighborhood. NOT EASY!!!! Normally when we take walks around the neighborhood, I note little pockets that I that I think will be good locations. Unfortunately, these are all near the road and it's crazy hard to watch both kids, especially Addie while I'm shooting Aidan. So, I was very rushed during most of these and the kids weren't feeling it.

First, there is this cool red building that I think is and apartment. There are two cool doors in the front, but unfortunately they face east, and we were out in the evening.... or the sun was on the other side.

But I got these and I think they're fun.

One way to know you kids hate when you take them on photo shoots? Subtle signs...or more specifically finger signs. Think Aidan was saying something here? Hahaha! I still like it though.

Then I got this one of Aidan. This makes me swoon. As many goofy faces and unusable pics I get of him...then I get one of these. ♥

As much as I love that, I love it in B&W even more.

Then we walked back down to this tiny park at the end of our road. I don't know why they call it a park, it's more a overlook to the lake. There are a couple benches and some sporadically placed flowers. It's a nice little place!

Here they are, checking out the lake. Aidan was actually looking for dead fish. Silly boy.

Then I got this one of Addie. Same place, but somehow the angle I got this at made this itty bitty teeeny tiny park look like a beautiful field. And oh yeah, this light! So pretty!

Some of the kids in the back yard

2009-07-15T23:05:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago we were just hanging out in the backyard and I got out the old camera and took some shots. Love them. Love the kids.

When did he get so big?

Just a quick snap of Addie with her brothers football. At times she can really be a tomboy! Here it looks like she's about to say "Go long!"
Love her expression here! ♥

Aidan's last day of school

2009-07-06T22:20:00.005-04:00

Aidan's last day of 3 year old preschool was....well, over a month ago. I'm way behind on my pics, but I'm catching back up! Here is he is with one of his teachers, Mrs Dodge. Don't ask me about his funny expression. I have absolutely no clue. :shaking head back and forth: But hey, the kid makes me giggle and this is all him. And with his other teacher, Mrs Dunaway. His expression goes from goofy to just plain bored. Believe it or not, this kid really does love school. Really.

More enthusiasm for you. I think by this point he just wanted to go to McDonalds. Oh, and I know you really can't tell in the pics, but that thing on his head is an alligator hat. There was a little last day of school performance and all the kids were wearing these cute hats!

Addie gets to hold a real baby

2009-07-01T23:01:00.003-04:00

Ahh, the party prep is over. Now I can catch up with some pics that have been hanging out on the computer, waiting to be posted. So, bare with me for the next few days while I catch up and add updates!

As I've mentioned before, Addie just adores babies. Loves them and is quite obsessed. Well, we had baby Lennon's second newborn shoot at our house and Miss Addie napped through most of it. But when she woke up, she was so excited to have a real live baby in our house! It was the cutest thing while I was working with a sleeping Lennon and she was singing "Rock-a-by Baby". So sweet!

When we were all done, Nate and Lyndsy let Addie hold Lennon. I know that made her day. Here she is, holding a REAL baby.

My Addie Joy turns two...

2009-06-29T23:14:00.009-04:00

She's no longer a baby. *sniff sniff*. For some reason her turning two is hitting me hard. She's getting to be such a big girl and is loaded with personality! It's weird to think of her turning two. We announced our pregnancy with her on Aidan's second birthday, and I guess the realization hits that we're "done". That's OK though, because I would seriously need to be committed if I had to announce another sibling, so I'll cherish these moments.

In honor of her turning two, she got to have a fun Birthday party in our new backyard! With the finances being a little tight, we had to keep it simple. I did make these fun Ladybug Cupcakes! Aren't they fun? Chocolate chips were used for the dots, Mini Oreo's for the head and licorice for the antennae. The best part was that it was easy. A cake decorator I am not!

Here's the birthday girl running around the backyard. She had a few wardrobe changes.

Aidan and Addie taking time to entertain their new cousin Oliver...

He's such a goofy boy. I love him! ♥

But he's quite handsome!

As we were singing "Happy Birthday". It was too windy to keep the candles lit!

Licking frosting off the candles.

Now, if you ever wonder where Aidan gets his goofyness, here is evidence that it's not from me....

Opening presents....

Aidan isn't crying, but it does look like it here. He must have had something in his eye.

Still opening...

Grampa Wilkins opening Addie's newest favorite baby. She's so excited!

She seriously loves this doll. Thank you Nate, Lyndsy, and Lennon! It was a HUGE hit!

My friend Lisa's youngest boy, Ethan....

Ethan, Sethe, and Aidan...

The elusive Elliot who is SO hard to photograph! This boy will give any photographer a run for the money!

I think the party was a success! We all had a lot of fun and the weather was perfect! Happy Birthday to my Addison. My sweet little baby is becoming a girl!

Lennon, Part II

2009-06-22T19:44:00.005-04:00

As I said before, our first session with Mr Lennon was cut a little short. That's the beauty of photographing little ones...(including toddlers and kids), it's all dependent on their mood! This time, Lennon was feeling his inner model and we got some fun shots. I think we now have a nice sampling of pictures!

I think this is my favorite. I just LOVE it!
Love his little baby smile....

The expression in this one is the best! Looks like he was keeping his eye on me! ♥

Thank you again Nate and Lyndsy! Lennon is such a cute guy and I had SO much fun shooting him! Hopefully we will be seeing you again this weekend and I should have everything ready! :o)

Meet Lennon Michael! Sneak peek!

2009-06-19T23:41:00.005-04:00

A couple days ago, I got the opportunity to meet sweet Lennon Micheal. He is the first born son of one of Jim's good friends, Nate and his wife Lyndsy. I'm so excited I got the opportunity to take his first portraits!

Look at that little foot!

Love his adorable little mouth in this one!

Because Lennon wasn't feeling the photo shoot for very long, we didn't get all the shots we wanted. We will be shooting part II tomorrow! Thank you Nate and Lyndsy. It was a pleasure to work with Lennon, and look forward to shooting more tomorrow!

Only because I can't help myself...

2009-06-08T23:21:00.002-04:00

I'm posting another pic of Oliver. I'm quickly finding how hard it is to balance editing pictures, and still manage household work and kids. So yes, I'm still editing pictures of Oliver. Today, while Addie was napping, I worked on this shot. I have so many of Oliver sleeping, but I realize that we need to see his pretty eyes. I'm sure Kim will love this one! And I'm finding that I just love newborns in black and white. Just so simple and clean.

Oliver's big photographic debut

2009-06-03T22:03:00.003-04:00

So, last week I got my first opportunity to practice on my newest nephew, Oliver. I admit to being crazy nervous just before hand. Both of my kids would've NEVER allowed me to pose them around like this. I had no idea of what to expect. I'm pleased to say that little Oliver was just perfect! Of course we did have one mishap when he pooped all over his mom just moments after taking off his diaper! Oh well, I guess it broke the ice because it was smooth sailing afterward! Love that little foot!

Look at that little pucker! Kim, I think you have a little charmer there!

A new family member

2009-05-31T09:08:00.003-04:00

I'd like to indroduce yo to our newest nephew, Oliver Thomas. I've been busy and haven't had the chance to post about him earlier. He was born on May 13th and is such a sweet little guy. Here he is the first day I met him, less than a day old!

Here he is with his proud daddy...or Uncle Map as Addie calls him!

Pics from Olivers Newborn session coming up soon!

A conversation with Addie over some oranges

2009-05-17T11:08:00.003-04:00

Have I mentioned how cool I think the video function is on my camera? It's really fun! While I didn't necessarily consider it a selling point when I bought the camera, I enjoy having it. I just wish the quality of the upload to my blog was as nice as the video is out of camera.

Addie and I were sitting at the table eating oranges while Aidan was at school. I was flipping through some pics I took, and decided to record Addie. It's nothing very exciting, but I think she's a funny girl and I enjoy her silly conversations.

The Cummings Family Maternity photo shoot

2009-05-07T19:10:00.004-04:00

Yay, my first ever sneak peek! This is my little sister Kim (38 weeks pregnant), with her husband Matt, and their little boy, Elliot. I got to shoot my first skill building session with them a few days ago at Heritage Park in Taylor. I love this park. It has so many cool places to shoot. It's also where they got married! I wish it were closer to my home! I would shoot there All. The. Time!

Here are Kim and Matt on the front porch of the chapel they were married in.
I thought this was fun!Mr Elliot is a bundle of energy. He wanted nothing to with pictures. He wanted to RUN and PLAY! Needless to say, this is how it went when I was trying to shoot him. I did get super lucky and got this shot. I LOVE it! I hope Kim and Matt love it as much as I do!I love this one. The girl is all belly!Another favorite of mine. So sweet! Matt is an awesome dad.This was great Kim! I really had fun and learned a lot! I can't wait to meet Oliver and do his newborn shoot! Not much longer!

Warm weather means time to practice

2009-04-28T22:18:00.006-04:00

Now that we've been having some nice weather, I've gotten the itch to really get back and commit to bettering myself in photography. I'm also trying to really get to know my camera. I have a little maternity session with my pregnant sister and family coming up very soon.

These are a few I took yesterday...

Just some of Aidan playing in the backyard.

I even practiced on the cat! I've had this cat forever, and don't think I've taken pics of him in YEARS! That's mainly because he hides from the kids all day. Hey, at least he gives me eye contact! Haha!
And miss Addie has become very uncooperative around the camera. She refuses to look at me if it's up to my face. So, I snuck a couple while she was on my bed watching cartoons. Wow Wow Wubbzy to be exact, it's her favorite.

I'm so glad I did. Because I got this shot. I just love everything about it. I never print out pictures I take, and I might get this one in a pretty good size. She just looks so lovely, and grown up, and the light was perfect.

"Formal" living room Before and After

2009-04-23T14:30:00.007-04:00

When we first moved in, I liked the red accent wall that the sellers had. I thought it was perfect since we already had a red couch and accessories. Heck, red is probably my favorite color! However once we moved in and got our furniture in, I just wasn't digging it. The room was just too dark and heavy. So, I was thinking of a color to brighten it up, that worked with my red couch. A little light bulb went off in my head and I thought gray, if done right, would give me just the look I was going for. I was surprised that it didn't take anything to sway Jim, who was also not feeling what we refer to as the "peanut butter" colored walls and the red wall. YAY!

So, I set out and after looking at probably 50 different gray color swatches, I chose Benjamin Moore's "Stonington Gray". It's such a great color name, because it makes me think of Jim's parents....they live near Stonington, CT!

So, here is the big "before" pic. Red accent wall on the left, "peanut butter" everywhere else...including the trim!

Here is a nice shot of the chairs against the red wall...

Now here is the after......with new WHITE trim!!!!!!

I moved the furniture around a little and found these awesome throw pillows that pick up the colors in the painting above the couch at Target. Also new curtains... well, sort of. New rod and sheers. I bought some new red grommet top panels, but they were too short. These were the red curtains we had in our last rental. I think they work just fine!

Before: couch against "peanut butter" wall...

After: Just a chair. OK, this wall needs some work. Maybe a new side table? Oh and looking at this pic makes me realize I need to lower that painting a little!

Before: View when you first walk in...

After: A whole new look!

I have to say, this is a big transformation! Lots of work too...I'm STILL (13 days later) working on painting the trim in the hallway! The realities of painting when you have young kids, I guess! There are still things I would like do to the room...or stuff to buy, I should say!

-New rug, this one was the sellers and I'm not a huge fan.

-New chairs (or better yet, all new furniture). These chairs are just some cheapies we got from Target a few years ago. If you were to get a closer look, you would see all the stains on them. They just look dingy!

-New throw pillows to brighten up the chairs in the meantime.

-Maybe a side table or small shelf for next to the lone chair. That little area needs some pizazz!

-New lamp, plus a floor lamp. I had that little leopard print lamp since college! Haha!

-Repaint the front door. Now that I painted the trim a nice bright white, it looks dingy

-Install crown mouldings.

Addie and the alligator

2009-04-17T19:31:00.003-04:00

This is just a little video of Addie and me outside today. Just playing around with the video feature on my camera. I hate the way I sound, hate it! So, ignore me and watch my silly girl! :o)

Oh, and just adding that the video quality is much poorer on here than on camera or straight on the computer. Must be due to downloading to the site.

A bunch of randomness

2009-04-02T17:22:00.008-04:00

So, I've been really slacking on the blog. It's more that I've been slacking on editing pics. I had a bunch that have been hanging out for a couple weeks now. Nothing too exciting, but this is what's been going on over the last couple weeks....

Aidan's room is finally complete! It's been almost done for a little while now, but I've been bad about finishing some touch ups and getting everything hung on the walls. It's good to FINALLY have a room in the new house completely done. Well, almost completely. I still need to get a valance for his window.

Even though it's only a few posts below, here's the before (just after moving in)....

Annnnnd the after....His dad's contribution to decorating. I'm not 100% sure about these Ikea hanging things, and may move them to the basement. The cork board showcases his school art projects.Now I'm working on mine an Jim's room and will hopefully be posting pics of the finished product soon.

The weather has been getting better and we've been getting some chances to play outside. Just some random shots of the kids in the yard.

Addie got a new swimsuit as a gift from a friend of mine. Makes me so excited for this summer! Here she is modeling it.

Jim and I made a yummy dinner known as "Beach Shrimp". It's SO good! It's Shrimp, Italian dressing, garlic, butter, parsley and lemon. YUM!

And lastly, here is Mr Aidan. It's hard to see here, but he's playing a video game on his dad's i-touch. When I saw him there on the floor playing, it struck me how grown up he's becoming! They don't stay babies for long, that's for sure.

Happy Birthday, Jim!

2009-03-19T15:38:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was Jim's birthday. The big 3-8. We didn't do very much. He grilled up some steaks on his grill, and we all just hung out. We had a nice relaxing day, though. I got him a Ice cream cake from Coldstone Creamery. It was SO good and very festive! I couldn't resist taking a couple pics....

So, I got a little something today, and I really like it!

2009-03-13T22:36:00.009-04:00

A beautiful new NIKON D90!!!! This camera is fantastic, I love it almost as much as I love my kids and husband! Haha! This is a lot of camera compared to my trusty Olympus E500. It's definitely going to take a bit of getting used to, but I definitely think once we get to know each other, I'll be taking some fantastic shots.

So, a little of what I did today, right out of the box....

Aside from a couple shots of my kitchen wall, this is my first shot. Not perfect, but not bad either! Aidan's such a goofball, I think his reaction was, "Oh great, another camera for Mom!" I think that's fear in his eyes.

And another one. Both of these are straight out of the camera (SOOC). Me thinks Aidan's logic goes a little something like this... "make the silliest face possible and she'll eventually leave me alone." He was right. Haha!

So, He obviously didn't want to be my Guinea pig, which leads me to harass our Zoe instead. I did play around in Photoshop on this one just a little bit. Her fur reflect the light so much that I had to bring some of the black back.Then I notice my camera manual on the arm of the chair I'm sitting on and decide to play with focus. I need a lot more work on this, but I am just over the moon with this Depth of Field and bokeh! I've been DYING for bokeh, I'm not kidding!

Lastly, I took this one of Addie after dinner. It was getting dark out, which normally puts a stop on taking pictures. Instead, I turned on her light and got this one at ISO 3200! My other camera doesn't go that high, and if I went higher than ISO400 or 500, the pics were pretty much garbage. You can't really see it at this size, but there still is some grain, but what an improvement! And yes, I did a little bit of photoshop on this one too. She still had some pizza sauce on her face from dinner that I couldn't just leave there. :o)
Anyway, these are my first pictures with my AWESOME camera...oh and the lens is awesome too! It's the Tamron 28-75mm. I love it! I can't wait to post more pictures! Yay!

Since I've only been posting house pics lately...

2009-02-28T23:07:00.006-05:00

It's been brought to my attention that I haven't shared anything but house pics in a LONG time. True. I've been a bit caught up with working on things here and have been neglecting photography. Speaking of working on things....I just painted Aidan's room and will be sharing pics after I hang stuff on his walls and take them. That is a "whole 'nuther post' though! In the mean time, here are some random pics I've take since we've lived here....

This is the first pic I got of Aidan after we moved in. I think I got a little over excited about the brighter light in the house because I think I may have overexposed his skin. It's not looking quite right.
And here is silly miss Addie making a funny smile for me....
It's me! I took this for a self portrait challenge on a board I belong to. I tried a different look to my processing. It's good to experiment!

After my self portrait, Aidan actually ASKED me to take this pic! The pose was all him!

I love it even more in B&W...And just a cute pic I got of Addie being difficult while I was trying for a photo shoot. She's getting much harder to photograph, which makes me sad. I'm hoping it's only a phase.

And a close up shot I got of one of the roses Jim got for me on Valentines Day.

More pics of our house

2009-02-18T10:39:00.005-05:00

I've been bad about taking pics of the house. I think it's because I just can't keep a single room clean! Lord knows I try! I'm just outnumbered by these kids!

Anyway, here is our bedroom. We just got the bed this past weekend. Jim and I are seriously in love with it! We got the mattress at Costco for a great price.http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11312888&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US I was completely nervous about getting this one because they were stacked high in the store and we couldn't try it out. It got some great reviews and I'm really glad Jim was confident enough to get it based on them. It's seriously is a little piece of heaven! The bed and dresser are from Ikea.http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/11731/ I was also nervous about getting a bed that you have to put together. I've gotten plenty of other furniture from stores that require you to put it together and it's usually that cheap particle board. This is real wood and seems quite sturdy! I love the look and you can't beat the price!

So, for our room, we still have some work to do. We still need to get a duvet, hang stuff on the wall, get matching bedside tables, and get some accessories. We're also debating on changing the color. I really like the yellow/gold, but it's the same color as the family room. We're also thinking of changing out the mirrored closet doors.

Aidan got a new bed! Same deal as us, mattress from Costco and bed from Ikea. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/07468/ Again, we're very happy with this purchase! He's doing great in his big boy bed too. Who can blame him? It really is cozy!

Now all we have to do is paint, which will be pretty shortly. I just got him this cool quilt from Target. Love the colors! Here is his room now.

Finally in our house!!!!

2009-01-24T23:44:00.007-05:00

OK, so we're in! It hasn't been drama free, to say the least, but we're here! We still haven't closed yet, if you can believe that, but we should early next week....God willing! We love this home, we REALLY do. Jim and I are both so happy. We still don't believe this is real. The kids really seem happy too, which of course makes us happy too. I guess there is a whole lot of happy in the Hosking house right now!

Here are the first pics that I'm sharing. I have some of the house pretty much empty, but I won't bore you all with those...plus I'm just too lazy to upload them. Unpacking has been such a PROCESS! Ugh! I'm still emptying boxes and trying like heck to get it all organized. Today, I worked on Addie's room....

Obviously, I have work to do. You can't tell here, but the wall are kind of a mauvey pink and I plan to paint them a lighter airier pink. I haven't decided If I want to keep the chair rail or not. If I do, I'll paint it white. The curtains were the previous owners. I plan to change them too. The couple items hung on the wall are just temporary. Just borrowing a couple nails already in the wall.

This is Aidan's room...

Excuse the boxes, I still have a few more to unpack. His room is also a little messy, but you get the idea. Jim and I actually really like the orange walls, but Aidan wants blue. It's his favorite color. I'll hopefully start painting his room soon! We also need to put his new twin bed together and buy a mattress. His cousin will get his toddler bed. Then just hang stuff on the walls!

And this is the family room....

The color is a little off, our couch/chair are actually a plum color. See the kids watching TV? Ha ha! I love the color of this room, so that won't change. Just need to hang more up on the wall. So far we just have our new canvas from Ikea up.

I'll get more pics up soon! Just need to get more boxes out of the way! Oh, and because I can't resist here is my little Addie Joy eating some yogurt this morning. She's so silly! I was just playing around with the camera. Having a house with light is so nice!

Our Christmas

2008-12-28T00:06:00.006-05:00

Welllll....it was an interesting Christmas. We all got the flu bug going around. Poor Jim came down with it on Christmas Eve. Then on Christmas morning Aidan had it. It was so sad to see him mustering up all he had to open the presents that he was so excited for the day before.

Here the kids are on Christmas Eve. We open presents from Jim and I, and from their Grandma and Grandpa Hosking. They had so much fun opening their presents! Oh, I know these snaps are not great at all. I just wanted to capture the day, so I used the on camera flash and just shot.

Addie LOVES clothes! It took a while to get her to open more presents because she was so excited over her cute new outfits!

Aidan helped her open her doll. I think he really dug it. This may be blackmail when he's a teenager.

Aidan liked his clothes too! I don't think he was really that excited, but he gave me a smile anyway!
I know for a fact he was excited to get this one. :o)
On Christmas Morning, my poor Aidan felt soooo bad. Look at my poor guy. This kid LOVES toys, he goes crazy for them. It was hard seeing him like this.

At least Addie had some fun.
She showing off her super cute new purse. What a big girl!Then we went to his other grandparents house. Aidan was feeling a bit better by this time. He's opening presents with Grandma's crazy dog, Gretchen.Addie just looked cute and that's all I can say. She's the cutest little girl there is!She LOVED her new trike! This thing is pretty cool. I can't wait to take her out in it!Then a bit later her cousin, Elliot came by. I love this. They are finally starting to interact a bit more!

OK, that's all I'll share. Of course, I have tons more, but this is more than enough! Ha ha!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree....

2008-12-24T12:37:00.004-05:00

Last night I realized that I haven't taken any pics of our tree this year. Our poor tree is decorated a little top heavy this year since Miss Addie thinks ornaments make great toys. I decided to play around with lighting a bit and put this together.

Cristmas progam

2008-12-14T20:52:00.004-05:00

Aidan had his first Christmas program for school today. It was just too cute! Preschoolers are just too funny! Aidan of course was his typical goofy self. He participated some, but he was mostly being a bit silly. Of course, I have photographic proof!

Just disclaimer. These are photographically bad! It was dark in the church, so I had to shoot at a very high ISO.

Here's my boy. As you can see, he was highly enthused to perform on stage.

Just because his look is so priceless, here's a zoom. Like I said quality is bad! I also love the expression of his buddy, Ayden.

Aidan and his buddy, Ayden were fooling around and being silly. I wish I was able to capture that on the camera because they were pretty funny. He's definitely his father's son!

This one is just priceless to me. I don't know what was going on, but this is my interpretation....

The kids are all singing a song in the pews. Aidan looks like he's about to whack his friend on the head, but gets stopped by Mrs D. He looks like he might be in some trouble! LOL!

It's been a long time!

2008-12-02T21:19:00.003-05:00

Wow, I haven't posted in almost a month! I have two reasons for that. The first is that we've been pretty busy. Obviously, we've had Thanksgiving, but we've also had Aidan's fourth birthday! I can't believe my little boy is four! He's been looking forward to his birthday ever since Addie's turned one. That's been six months! He was so excited to have a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. I have pictures that I'll share at a later date. If that weren't enough excitement, we've also been house hunting. Those that know us, know how badly we've wanted to purchase a home of our own. It's been one of those things we never thought would happen. On a whim, we went to a open house for a home we've been eyeing. I instantly fell in love. Even better was the fact that the dream of owning wasn't as far off as we had thought. So, we've spent the last few weeks looking at homes. Most of them were awesome homes, but we just couldn't get over the first one we saw. It just suits us so much. So, this weekend we put a offer on it! After a little bit of back and fourth, we came to an agreement. I'm actually a little nervous posting about it here because we still are going through the oh so fun process of getting our mortgage together. I just don't want to jinx us! So, hopefully friends and family can keep your fingers crossed and send us positive thoughts!

The second reason I haven't been posting as much is because my beloved camera is giving me a bit of trouble. I have a couple problems. One of them is that I have a couple pictures from Aidan's B-day trapped in camera without a way to come out to share on my computer. I hopefully have that problem solved for now. There are still a couple issues that remain. Hopefully after all this home excitement and the Holidays pass, I can take it in for servicing! I just hope that it doesn't cost so much to fix that I need to find the money to buy a new camera. I would be so sad without it!

Photographer in training

2008-11-08T10:23:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, I had my camera set up on a tripod in the living room. I can't remember why I stepped away, but walked back in to the room to Addie looking through the viewfinder. In my eyes it was just the cutest thing! She was pretty serious about it too! So, I quickly found my old crappy P&S camera that I gave to Aidan and started snapping. Ugh, I had to use the flash. They were too blurry without.

See those lines? Yeah, that's from the crappy camera.

This one is my favorite! Look at her looking through the viewfinder. What a little pro!

An unexpected shot of Aidan

2008-11-06T22:01:00.005-05:00

Today is what I'm assuming will be the last nice, warm day that we'll have for several months. It's what my mom always referred to as "Indian Summer". I don't know how PC that term is today, as I haven't heard it used in ages. I took the kids down to our neighborhood park to drink it all in. I really wasn't intent on getting pics of the kids, but was trying to get a pic of myself. (I'll explain this in another post at another time. Ha, ha!) Anyway, the three of us were heading to the wagon when Aidan stops by a tree and says, "Do you want to take a picture, Mommy?" I was a bit shocked! "Well, yes! Of course!" He was even taking direction! The only problem was, I still had to keep my eye on Addie, which was a bit distracting. Anyway, this is what I got.

I'm kicking myself for not getting the light in his eyes and the focus can use some work, but I still really like it. If I had known he would willingly let me take his picture, I would of put something a little nicer on him. Jim says he looks a bit like a rag-a-muffin. Oh, and he's not mad....this is just his GQ tough guy expression. ;o)

A Holiday card sneek peek of sorts

2008-11-05T21:09:00.004-05:00

This is an outtake from my "session" of taking pictures of the kids for our Christmas card. If it had Jim in it, I would consider using it. But, as often the case, Jim had to sleep before work. Speaking of not having Jim there, getting these shots were such a challenge. This is very pretty park with a pond in our city. It's not the most kid friendly place to say the least. I had to watch Addie like a hawk while she ran around like a maniac! It made getting pictures soooo challenging! Anyway, here are the three of us!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T22:58:00.004-04:00

We had the best Trick or Treat weather tonight! It was in the 60's...almost unheard of for Halloween in MI. The kids had a blast. Aidan did pretty good going house to house, and Addie found her love of candy. I think she had a sucker in her mouth most of the time we were out.

Here are a few snapshots from before we left....

Getting them to smile for me is nearly impossible.

Until Aidan started making funny faces at his Grampa standing behind me!
Getting ready to go Trick or Treating is serious business!

Ready to go!
'

A couple MORE of Addie

2008-10-19T10:20:00.003-04:00

Can you stand it?

We haven't been very exciting this fall. My car is still out of commission, leaving us with just Jim's truck. Unfortunately, the truck is not family friendly at all, so we've been stuck with doing family things around the neighborhood. Yesterday, I just took the kids to the little park down our street. I'm trying to practice and take as many pictures as possible right now. Soon it will be winter, which will have us stuck inside with little lighting in our cave of a house.

So, here are a couple of Addie. She's looking so grown up these days! Definitely not much baby left in her! Aidan was busy running around with a friend he met, so none of him this time!

I'm loving this one, though looking at it now, I need to fix the vignette. And in B&W, just for fun.

Just a couple of Miss Addie

2008-10-17T21:31:00.006-04:00

I was just outside the other day, practicing a bit on Addie. While the pics aren't perfect, she sure looks cute! I couldn't resist posting them here. I just can't say no when her hair is in piggies!

"I'm not upset. I'm just looking at this tree."

2008-10-12T23:05:00.002-04:00

This is what Aidan said earlier this afternoon.

Aidan got the opportunity to go camping with his Grandma and Grampa Wilkins over the weekend. He had so much fun, which is no surprise. After they dropped him off at home, Grandma and Grampa stayed for a little visit and I got to hear all about the fun they had. When it was time for them to go, we all walked out to say our farewells. I could tell that Aidan was sad to see his Grandparents go. I was talking to my mom when I hear Aidan say, "I'm not upset. I'm just looking at this tree." Awwww... I turn my head to see my poor boy was tearing up, with his face in a tree. He was so sad that his fun weekend was over, and that he had to say good-bye. I've never seen him hide his tears before. It was both funny and heart breaking at the same time.

I guess it's another reminder that he's growing up. He's a big boy and he doesn't want anyone to see him cry.

Such a scary boy!

2008-10-10T22:49:00.004-04:00

Since Aidan doesn't have his costume yet, I still wanted to get a fun pic of him for Halloween. So, I told him to be scary and this is what I got. I love it!

This is just an outtake, but it makes me chuckle. I promised to take Aidan to the ice cream shoppe at the end of the block as a bribe for letting me take his picture. (So bad, I know! ) Anyway, Addie wanted in on that action so bad!

My little monster

2008-10-07T22:46:00.005-04:00

Just got Addie her Halloween costume today! She's a little pink monster and looks absolutely adorable in it! She actually enjoyed playing in it too (so much that I had to hide it in her closet!)! I have to return Aidan's costume. The store didn't have his size, so I got the next size up and it just didn't work. As soon as he has a costume I will post pics....if he'll cooperate!

For now, here's the cutest little monster you've ever seen!

Victor turns 4

2008-09-23T15:19:00.010-04:00

Sunday was Victor's 4th Birthday party! It was just me and Aidan this time, since my car is on the fritz. Addie got to hang out at home with Daddy. It was actually very nice to relax and have fun with only 1 kid! Victor had a nice party. I can't believe he's 4 already! Every time Victor's Birthday rolls around, it reminds me that Aidan's Birthday is just around the corner. I can't believe that I'm about to have a four year old!

Speaking of Aidan, I think this is a record for me on pictures taken of him. They certainly aren't portraits, but at least he gave me the time of day!

Here he is hanging out in the bounce house.

This is Victor's adorable little brother, Logan!
This is the look I get when I say, "Hey, Aidan!". He's clearly annoyed.

The Birthday boy opening presents with his mommy!
Aidan is checking out one of Victor's toys. When there are toys around, he has no self control.

Rachel's little sister, Delaney with Logan
And one last picture of Aidan. I can't believe he's going to be four in 2 months! Where has the time gone?

Aidan starts school

2008-09-10T09:31:00.004-04:00

It's official, he's my big boy. Aidan had his first day of preschool yesterday! He did great!

We had a little drama in the morning. He was still tired since he's normally a late riser. He's like me, a total grump when tired! He didn't want to wear the shirt we had originally picked out the night before. After a bit of drama, he finally decided on a sweatshirt from last year. It was a chilly day anyway, so we went with it. Once he was dressed and his daddy fixed his hair, he started getting excited. Since the drama put us a little behind, I only got these quick shots.

Doesn't that backpack make him look so much older?!?

Drop off went very well. We just walked into his class room and he went off to find someone to play with. All I got was a quick "Goodbye Mommy!". I guess that was good for me, since a drawn out goodbye would've surely made me cry!

I went home, put Addie down for a nap and next thing I knew, it was time to pick him up. I got a little emotional watching the little ones walk out one by one to be greeted by their parent(s). When Aidan came out, he greeted me with, "Hi, Mommy! I missed you!". I got a little choked up, but didn't shed a tear!

I had promised him we would go to McDonalds (or "Old McDonalds" as Aidan calls it) for lunch if he was a good boy at school. He was, so we had a little lunch date. I had to ask him every question under the sun to find out about his day. Through my questioning I learned....

-He played with Play-Doh, but they only had yellow

-At recess, he played on the pirate ship and it has two slides

-He didn't sing

-He did pray

-He had Goldfish, milk, and a cupcake for snack time

-The kids are nice

-There aren't blocks in his classroom (I actually think there are)

-He got dirty at recess and had to wash his hands

-He's not the only Aidan (that's new to him since he hasn't actually met another Aidan yet)

So funny! I also think he has a little crush on one of his teachers. Last night he was playing with one of Addie's toy phones, and was pretending to talk to Miss Dodge! He was telling her that he would see her tomorrow. How cute! Yup, I'm a proud Momma!

Through Aidan's eyes

2008-09-06T20:49:00.008-04:00

The other day, I decided to let Aidan have my old point and shoot camera. It's old and on it's last legs anyway. It was an idea I've been toying with for a little while now, but wasn't sure if he would even be interested. When I asked him if he would like it yesterday, he jumped up and down and got very excited. I showed him some basics....basically to frame up his image and snap the shutter. He surprised me! He loved picking his subject and shooting.

Here are a couple of my favorites that he took (and there are a lot)! I did very minimal editing on them since they are his images. I only cropped a few and sharpened/sized for the web.

Orange Ball. See the Goldfish cracker in the upper left corner? :o) Animal crackersThis is a pic of the TV during a Pop Tart commercial. LOL!This is my shadow! Here's his tricycleThis is my favorite of the bunch. This is his neighbor friend, Patrick, peeking over the fence from his backyard.
I like this capture of Addie. I was letting her sip water out of my glass. But I think he was trying to bust her here. Little stinker getting into the cabinets as always.

This one while I was making dinner. The secrets out....this is what I look like when we don't go anywhere. Nice hat!Here he managed to get a pic of someone I haven't been able to in ages....his daddy! Poor guy got assaulted by the camera as soon as he woke up!
Not too bad for a first timer, huh? Jim and I were pretty impressed, considering he's not even 4 yet! Now he keeps saying that he's a photographer. Silly boy! :o)

Our ever exciting Labor Day weekend

2008-09-02T10:59:00.009-04:00

OK, so not really. Jim has been working tons of hours, and truthfully we may have seen him for a grand total of 5 hours all weekend. It's something we're getting used to. So, our weekend was pretty much like any other day. I did get the kids out and about on Sunday. We went to one of our local parks/beaches that we've never checked out before. The kids didn't swim because the lake had tons of seaweed along the beach. Aidan actually tried, but kept saying that he was sinking in the muck and seaweed. That's one thing I don't like about this lake. It really isn't suitable for swimming. It's such a shame, because I love to swim, and I think the kids would too.

Addie had some fun in the sand....

And so did Aidan!

They even had some fun together!

After the kids were done playing in the sand, we went over to another portion of the park. This is a place I've been meaning to attempt photographing them for some time now. It's a cute little pond with fountains and pretty landscaping. Unfortunately, I didn't get too many great shots. It was very hard to shoot and make sure that the other kid wasn't going to fall in the pond. I also really struggled with the lighting. It was just too pretty and sunny...which gave me shadows no matter how hard I tried to avoid them.

I did get one shot of the kids together. I so wish Aidan would give me eye contact! For now, I'll settle with this.

Addie in the gazebo *sigh* If only the lighting was better (or if I at least knew how to work with it!)....

For now, I don't have any to add of Aidan, but this makes me smile. I was trying to get a shot of him by the bridge when Addie started to run off. He took off and grabbed her hand to keep her safe! He really does love her!

I'm really hoping to get the opportunity to go back in the evening hours when the sun isn't has harsh. Maybe even Jim can come and join us! He actually has a day off this week!

A little visit from Aunt Kim and Elliot.

2008-08-27T13:36:00.006-04:00

On Sunday, we had a little visit with my sister Kim, and my nephew, Elliot. For some reason I never get pictures of the kids together! Addie took a nap while Kim took Elliot and Aidan to the park down the street. When they got back, she was still napping. I swear, one of these days I'll get some cute cousin pics! For those that don't know, Addie and Elliot were born 2 days apart.

Here he is! He's sure getting to be a big boy!

And here's my little sister. Skinny girl here doesn't have to work out or watch what she eats. How did she get the good genes?

Just another trip to our neighborhood park

2008-08-19T23:21:00.013-04:00

We went to our little neighborhood park yesterday to kill some time and let the kids play. I admit, I had an ulterior motive. I wanted to play around with my camera and get some cute pictures! Winter will be here before we know it, and we'll be stuck inside this dark house with bad lighting. I struggled with the bright sunlight, shadows and active kids. While I didn't get anything fabulous, I got some of my kids having fun.

Here is Addie running around. She headed straight for the slide. She was so cute trying to climb up it.

And here's Aidan, being Aidan. Silly boy loves to give mommy a hard time when she has her camera. Do you see what I'm dealing with here?Then I tried to get a picture of them together. OY! I did somehow manage a couple of shots of Aidan having fun on the slide. I even think they kind of turned out!

And there's this on of Addie that I'm loving. Actually, I'd love it more if she didn't have that shadow across her face. But, I think she looks so pretty here. Then, Aidan decided that he was done. Reeaallly done.

A story board for Addie

2008-08-12T13:23:00.002-04:00

Nothing too exciting. I just made my first storyboard of some pics I took of Addie the other day. We were just hanging out in the front yard, and I thought she was cute carrying her favorite dolly around.

Sleeping Aidan

2008-08-10T12:06:00.008-04:00

At least he was right before I shot this pic! Aidan is in a current bad habit of needing to sleep with the light on and the door open. Trust me, nobody in the house (including his little sister) gets any sleep if we don't indulge him on this! So for now, we're going along with it.

Anyway, I just got him down to bed and I walk by his room and see him sleeping like this. Book still up and everything. Only he was really sleeping, or at least dozing. His eyes were closed right up to the moment I pressed the shutter button on the camera. I obviously need to work on my sneaky spy skills.

Look, it's me

2008-08-08T13:39:00.004-04:00

I've had these just sitting around on my computer for a couple weeks now. Since my kids and husband are over being my models, I resorted to photographing myself. It's not easy! It's hard to guess where I should be lined up and how my angles look. Not to mention that I don't have a remote for my camera. So I set the timer, then try to position myself in the frame and try to look natural before the shutter snaps. Then I run back over to the camera to see that I didn't cut myself off and am in focus. In doing this, I had a lot of funny expressions that I won't dare show anyone!

So here I am. I tried giving them a more edgy look. Because you all know, I'm sooo edgy. LOL! With an exception of a couple little things, like my super white arms, (that I probably could go back and fix if I really wanted to), I'm pretty happy with them.

Just playing around

2008-08-07T23:18:00.007-04:00

I downloaded a cool new Photoshop action from one of the websites I visit. It's called Cindy's Periwinkle Haze. I haven't really been playing with the camera much lately, so I thought I'd try it on a couple of older photos that I thought it might look cool on. Let me know what you think!

Just to show the difference, here is my original color edit of Addie in the bathtub at around 7 months old. Actually, looking back, this is shortly after I got my camera and photoshop. I can see lot's of stuff I could go back and fix, but that would be a whole different postHere it is with Cindy's Periwinkle Haze Action and a little bit of sharpening. Kind of different and neat. She looks kind of cold though, don't you think?

Here is one of Aidan on the beach. On this edit I went for a vintage look. I've actually always liked this, but I figured what the heck.So, I totally re-edited the original and added the Cindy's action. Notice something missing that my other edit had? I also attempted to clone out that blue bucket that's been kind of bugging me. I normally say that I'm a sucky cloner, but think I did a good job this time.
And tried it on a black and white pic of my nephew, Elliot. This was my original B&W edit.and with periwinkle. I also tried a different crop. I like them both, but it definitely gives a different effect.

Logan's First Birthday

2008-07-29T11:37:00.006-04:00

Sunday was the first birthday of my best friend Rachel's little boy, Logan. She and her husband, Vic had a great little party for him. Being the scatterbrain that I am, I brought my camera, but forgot the memory card! This was especially disappointing since I forgot my camera for my sister's wedding the day before. Anyway, I'm so happy that Vic (who is a great photographer) took some pics of the kids for me! Thanks Vic!

And one pic of Aidan. My silly boy spent most of the party inside playing. Here he is actually outside. Both my kids loved this golf toy, though. If I find one, I'm getting it! And I can't talk post about Logan's big day without at least one pic of him! I stole this off of Rachel's Myspace page...I hope you don't mind, Rach! I think this is probably one of the cutest cake face pictures ever!

Beating the heat

2008-07-16T14:04:00.008-04:00

Yesterday I took the kids up to Memorial Park. They have a nice splash zone and playground for the kids in our city. The kids had a good time running around the splash zone, then Aidan decided he wanted to play on the playground equipment. Of course, I had to bring my camera along for the trip! I always feel like a bad mommy when I get home and realize I take more of Addie than of Aidan. I guess that's because she's right by my side, while Aidan is running around. I do have to admit that I was a bit snap happy because of how cute she looked in her swimsuit!

My Aidan

2008-07-14T01:03:00.006-04:00

I got Aidan to cooperate (at least a little) for a mini photo shoot today. As I've mentioned before, he's not a big fan of the camera. Today's trick was asking him what his favorite candy is. It sort of worked. I found out today's favorite candy is Nerds. The problem was he avoided eye contact like the plague. I actually got lucky with this shot, and am quite pleased with it! I can't decide which edit I like better, so I'm including both.And while my focus was pretty off on this one, I love his expression. This is just "him".

A little bathtime fun

2008-07-05T21:55:00.004-04:00

Last night I was giving Addie her bath and she was just having a blast! I haven't taken a picture of her at bath time in ages, so I grabbed the camera! She gave me this funny face. We call this her "Chuckie" face...you know the doll from the movie "Child's Play"? This is a more mild version of it, but she does it all the time!

It's fun to be one!

2008-06-30T22:51:00.014-04:00

Well, we survived Addie's first birthday! She was such a good girl, and really had such a good time! Her party was all such a whirlwind, but I like to think it was pretty successful! I didn't get much opportunity to take pictures, but thanks to Vic for getting these while we opened presents!

I was playing around a little on Photoshop. I think I kind of like this effect for this pic!

She really liked to look at the pictures on her cards. So cute!

She was pretty excited about this one! She wanted to start playing with it right away!

One of us opening presents together. I really feel like I look like such a goober here! Yay! A sand pail!

On to the cake! She did pretty good! She was a bit slow to get into it, but in the end she made enough of a mess to warrant a bath. Her mess paled in comparison to her brothers though!

My first attemp at selective color. It's OK, don't know if I'll do it often.

And just to show how her big brother didn't mess around! Oh, and this pic's quality is horrible! I can only find it saved to my Photobucket and it loses something being saved back again! Obviously, Aidan never had red hair!

2008-06-24T00:46:00.001-04:00

A tribute to my Addie Joy

2008-06-23T22:58:00.007-04:00

It's going to be a busy week getting everything ready for my little princess's first birthday, so I'm going to post this now, while I have a little time on my hands.

Reflections on this past year....
This was probably the craziest year in my whole life. Even crazier than after Aidan was born...by far! From the moment I found out I was pregnant, it's been a whole rush of feelings and emotions. Excitement, fear, joy, pride, anxiety, love, frustration, tired, depressed, bliss, angry, pensive, tested, amused, overcome. I think that just scratches the surface of the roller coaster that I've experienced. My poor husband! But for all of this craziness, when I sit down and look at my little girl, my heart fills with such love and pride that I can't even put it into words.

From our first days in the hospital, we began our bond. On our third night, Addie was in the nursery so that I could (attempt) a decent night of sleep. About an hour or two after falling asleep, the nurse brought her back into my room because she was fussy and needed a feeding. As the nurse was handing her to me, Addie's eyes lit up once she saw me and stopped crying. It definitely struck me, but when the nurse said "Awww! She loves her mommy!", I knew it wasn't just the pain meds or lack of sleep talking. My little girl loved me, or at least recognized me, and it didn't matter how tired I was. My heart swelled with love at that moment.

Once home, it wasn't easy. No one expects it to be, but I think it took me a bit longer to adjust. There was the colic, then Jim had to switch shifts (which was so very hard for me), and I was diagnosed with a case of post partum depression. Never in my life had I ever felt so alone. Meanwhile, there was Aidan. He did such a good job being a good boy through the chaos. He has his moments, but he really is a good brother and I am so grateful. Then one day, Addie smiled. That smile lit up the room, and my spirits. Looking at her sweet little happy face at that moment made it all worth it.

Through the months, we had our ups and downs. We got through it though. We have all come together as a family and made it work. Addie has become such a fun, sweet, and beautiful girl. She makes me laugh and smile all day long. She is my social butterfly (at least as long as me or Jim are in her sight), my princess, my little monkey and a diva. I'm so proud of her and love her more than I can say.

Now, I'm sitting here on my bed. One year ago I was probably laying on the same bed, so nervous about adding another member to our family. Now we've done it, we made it to the first year and it is the most bittersweet feeling in the world.

Kim's shower

2008-06-16T22:13:00.010-04:00

The other day was my little sister's bridal shower! It was a coctail theme and it turned out just beautifully! The weather was beautiful, but a little on the hot side. With all the storms and rain we've been having lately, I'll take it! I can't believe that her wedding is just next month! I had to bring Aidan and Addie with me because Jim had to sleep before work. Luckily Aidan was just awesome. Addie was a bit of a handful, and wouldn't let mommy do much but hold her. Unfortunately, the shower was right smack in the middle of nap time. Needless to say, I didn't get very many pics. Worst of all, I didn't get any of the happy couple! How bad is that? But, I did get a few...

Here is the bride to be with Kristy and Cassie. Kim is the first blond on the left. A good looking group of girls, wouldn't you say?

A nice solo shot of Kim! Isn't she just so pretty?

Mmmmmm...yummy food! I probably should have eaten before posting these, now I'm hungry!

Pretty, pretty party favors. The martini glasses were decorated in Kim's wedding colors. Guests could fill their glass with Margarita or Cosmopolitan, then take their glass home!

Yummy margarita!

Of course we can't forget about the cute kids! This is my nephew, and Kim and Matt's sweet little boy, Elliot. He's such a good little boy, and was just having a blast running around the yard.
I don't know what he was thinking about, but Aidan sure was pondering something! Oh, and look at his hair! Jim had put hair gel in, and styled it nicely. This is what it looked like by the end of the day!
Here is a very tired Addie. This was just before we left, and she slept the whole ride home!

The motor city

2008-06-16T21:38:00.008-04:00

On my and Jim's 5th anniversary we went and hung out downtown Detroit. The Red Wings just won the Stanley cup, so there was a parade. I got lots of pics, but we were in a spot that most of them were distracted by the media. I did get these of Nick Lindstrom with the cup!

I also took some random Detroit shots. It's actually something I've been wanting to do for quite a while. Even though Detroit may not be the nicest city, there really is some cool stuff there! I would have loved to take a bunch more, but seeing that it was a day to spend with my hubby, I just took some of the area we were hanging out at. I'm now kicking myself for not taking a pic of the bar that we met at. We actually went in and had a few drinks. I thought it was kind of fitting!

Memorial Day

2008-05-30T11:10:00.006-04:00

The clan headed up to Northern Michigan to meet my parents for some camping this past weekend. We stayed outside of a tiny town called Harrisville, right off of the Lake Huron coast. The weather was chilly, especially off of the lake. We did have one nice day to enjoy the beautiful beach though. Even Zoe, who has never been in the water got in on the fun! Oh, and look closely at the pic of Jim, Aidan, and Zoe by the sign. Jim is holding a glass container (Jack Daniels for those wondering) and the obvious dog. We are such rebels!

There is this cool lighthouse just outside of town. I practically had to beg Jim to go so that I could take a few pictures!

This old boat was right next to the lighthouse. I love the decaying look of it.

And a fun shot of Jim and Addie. I kept trying to get a pic of them with the lighthouse behind them. It probably would have worked if Jim would have been more patient and followed direction! Hmmm....could that be where Aidan gets it?

Oh, and this is just a random cute shot of Addie hanging out back at the camper. It reminds me of Dr Evil in Austin Powers....."one meeeellionn dollars! Bwaa haa ha!"

A challenge project

2008-05-30T10:43:00.004-04:00

I took these the same time as my last shots of Aidan. I'm not the best about getting pics up right away! Anyway, the challenge was "something yellow". Aidan and I headed down to one of the Marinas in search of a yellow boat. Because it's been so darn cold this spring, many were not in the water yet. I came across this yellow sailboat still parked on land....

And, not a part of the project, but a common sight/nuisance around here is the Canadian Goose. If you look closely in the background you can even see Canada! I wonder if he knows he's on the wrong side of the lake?

Aidan...The Anti-Model

2008-05-23T16:40:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I thought it might be nice to get some good pics of Aidan. I've been wanting to go to one of the marinas to take pictures anyway. The problem is, Aidan seriously hates when I try to take his picture! My biggest challenge is just getting him to look at me! Here I am begging him, singing to him, being silly....I almost resorted to telling him some inappropriate jokes just to get him to crack a grin! Kidding of course.
OK, I think this one is actually kind of cute!
This one is actually a mistake, but I just love his expression and pose.
Ahhh..... my one nice shot! He's such a good looking little guy! Seriously, how can I not take pictures of him!

Carnival

2008-05-18T21:29:00.009-04:00

Yesterday the whole family walked down to the Carnival at St Joan. It was nice to get out as a family, because it is something we rarely get to do. Of course it was all about Aidan, and he had a blast!

He is too cool for us, he insisted on wearing his sunglasses the whole time!

He's such a goof ball, he sat like this the whole time! Nothing like a relaxing train ride. The kids behind him were pretty cute too!

He saw these Spiderman prizes on the midway and he had to have one. Forget the rides, it was all he wanted! I wish I was able to get a better shot, but the kid was too quick! I finally got a shot when he told the vendor "I did it, give me Spiderman!". Yeah, that's my boy...insert eye roll here!

Showing off the coveted loot...

Addie and Logan sitting in a tree....

2008-05-15T16:41:00.005-04:00

I'm late to upload these, but they are so cute! Last week we had another play date at Rachel's house. Addie and Logan look so cute together...I think they make a cute couple! OK, so maybe I'm rushing it, but how cute are they?

And I'm in love with this picture of Logan. This kid seriously has the most beautiful eyes! So I added both the B&W and the color because they are just so pretty!

Zoe

2008-05-13T16:58:00.005-04:00

I thought I'd introduce a member of our family that I haven't really photographed before. This is our dog, Zoe (AKA my third kid). She's a lab/Shepherd mix...or mutt if you will. She's a great dog, but very hard to photograph! Her coat is shiny and very reflective. In this pic it looks like she's looking at me out of the corner of her eye, but she's really looking straight ahead. Her left eye is discolored...it's half brown and half white with the tiniest bit of blue. I thought that maybe she was blind in that eye, but apparently she sees perfectly well!

swinging

2008-05-11T15:08:00.008-04:00

I pulled the swing out of the garage. I think Addie actually enjoyed it! I love the look of concentration on her face in this first pic!

Aidan got a little jealous of his sister in the swing. After all, it was his first! Unfortunately, he's gotten just a leeetle bit big for it! He still has fun with it though!

Practice, practice, practice...

2008-05-03T22:03:00.002-04:00

I'm a little late to post this, but still thought I'd share. On a warm evening a couple weeks ago, I took the camera out into the backyard to practice with focus. One of the many things I need to work on is Depth of Field. After many, many shots, these are my favorites. The wrought iron is from our back patio. I like the distressed look.

A playdate

2008-05-03T19:47:00.002-04:00

Victor
Logan

Last weekend I got the kids together with my good friend Rachel and her family. I wish I was able to get pictures of all the kids together, but unfortunately it's tricky to take pictures and watch over two little ones! I settled for a couple individual pictures.

Oh well, better luck next time!

Signs, signs, everywhere are signs...

2008-04-17T20:22:00.008-04:00

On a message board I frequent we do photography challenges. This week is signs. I really enjoyed this one! I loaded Addie in the stroller and we headed down Mack Ave. It was such a beautiful day, the warmest of the year so far.

A sure sign of Spring

2008-04-12T13:24:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful day yesterday, and the temperature made it to the 70's! Since the backyard is finally drying out, I took a peek to see what needs to be done. I came across a little cluster of Crocuses. I just love the colors!

Here is the same shot in Black and White. I think I may like it more because it looks abstract and shows off the texture of the old leaves (which I need to get on the ball and rake).

Our first visit to the park!

2008-04-06T23:16:00.000-04:00

The weather if finally getting warmer! Today we took our first trip to the neighborhood park for this year. Aidan had a blast. He got the opportunity to blow off some steam and go crazy. He just looks so big playing on the equipment! He even befriended another little boy. For those that know him, this is a complete 180 from last year. I'm so proud of him!

Addie had fun to, at least I think so! She loved watching her big brother run around. However, she was not a fan of the swing. Mean mommy for leaving her in there to get a pic! She also got to sit on grass for the first time. She was really unsure of it! She came around though and was fascinated with it.

When the boys are away..

2008-04-06T16:27:00.001-04:00

Jim and Aidan took a little trip to Connecticut. Jim attended A job fair for the Hard Rock Casino in Florida. They also were able to visit with Jim's parents. This is great for Aidan since we don't get to see them very often. The trip was successful. Jim got the job, but we still aren't sure if we have the means to move to South Florida. Aidan also spent some quality time with Grandma and Grampa Hosking.

I stayed home with Addie. We didn't think she would travel very well. I actually enjoyed our alone time very much! It was surprisingly peaceful, and a much needed break for me....that is if you consider caring for a demanding 9 month old and cleaning house a break! LOL! We were able to have some much needed mommy/daughter time. I used some free time to get some pictures of Addie. She's getting so big, and her personality is really coming out! It's also getting to be a challenge to get a decent shot of her as she's becoming more mobile!

While taking pictures, I realized that I haven't had a picture of me and her alone since she was born! I actually love this, even though I'm not wearing makeup!

A boy and his Bike

2008-04-06T14:56:00.000-04:00

It's finally getting warm enough to play outside! Aidan got the opportunity to try out his new bike. Ok, so he couldn't figure out how to work the pedals! I still love that he looks a bit badass.