I've got a whole lot of NOTHIN to blog about

But I need to post so my sister doesn't scold !  Just kiddin Cheri.  You know I love you more n' my luggage!  Grandma Cookies gave me some great photography tips this past week and I've been regularly harassing friends at our weekly park day.   Here are a few of my favorites.

Seriously, what is it about beautiful children?  I try to take picture of other things and I just can't do it!  And then I dream about what I could do with these pictures  if I had photoshop.  Which I don't have. Because you can do really cool things with photoshop.  Which, did I mention, I don't have?  And wish I did?  Oh..sorry bout that.  Movin on....  Anyway, enjoy the pictures.  These children are glorious!

Grandma Cookies

Hey, it's no secret.  And I'll admit.. I'm shameless about it.  If you invite your grandma here to watch your kids and then run off to someplace really cool, like Boston or something, then I'm sorry, but she's mine!  My kids and I had a blast this week with Grandma Cookies and we're incredibly sad to see her go.  Today we took her to the butterfly house and walked a few nature trails.  Grandma Cookies, if you're reading this, do you have to go?  We'll give you all kinds of love and take you to the beach again if you'll only stay another week! *sniff* *sniff* 

This is for you Cheri!

There's just not much going on.  

I'm sorry!!  

Um..I've had a cold? And cough.

It's cloudy outside.

But I still got a sunburn today.

Besides, if you want me to post more often then you need to come visit me and spice up my life.  Like only you can!

Aren't sisters awesome (even when they scold?)

This is Sarah and one of her friends.  I like the way their white shirts look against the white sky.

Emergency Preparedness Fair

The kids and I hit an Emergency Prep Fair today and I gotta say, it was surprisingly cool!  There was food, friends, and tons of stuff to look at and explore.  We had a blast!  I had no idea there were so many varieties of emergency vehicles.  In this one they simulated a fire and helped the kids escape through a back window.  There was smoke and everything.  Did I mention it was really cool?

We got up close and personal with several fire trucks.  The kids got to crawl around inside, outside, and all the way through, touching whatever caught their fancy.

And this!  This was my favorite part.  Honestly? I think I'm in love.  I now long for a pure bred blood hound of my very own.  Just look at those ears and that adorable, droopy face!  These dogs were absolutely amazing.  They had kids crawling all over them  and could not have looked more content.  
Meet Taffy.  She's had a long and illustrious career with the O.C. Police and is now in partial retirement.  The officer with her said she never gives up on a scent.  Ever.

And this is Sonsee-Array with the velvety ears.  She was absolutely beautiful and I wanted to take her home with me.  Sarah thought she had too much slobber.   City kid!

Here we have a little dress up going on...
And this of course was the kids favorite part.  Face painting.  She makes a darn cute butterfly doesn't she?

Over all, a really great Saturday.  And we are now a little wiser in the event of an emergency.   Oh, and I want a blood hound with velvety soft ears.

Nikkor 35mm 1:1.8G lens

I got a new lens.  Here's today's attempt.  My next goal? I'm going to figure out manual light metering.  Not sure why pics taken seconds apart can look so different, but I think it has something to do with the way my camera is metering.  Yah, definitely metering.  Nothing whatsoever to do with my incompetence, ahem.. I mean ability.  

My city kids have farm girl roots.  Can you tell?