{Non Traditional} Family Photos

Attempted to get some quick pictures of the four of us while we were dressed to impress (doesn't happen often around here unfortunately).  SO before heading to church on Christmas Eve and with my Moms help, we got some non traditional pictures right there in my folks driveway. Forget the typical family photo, all smiles and bows, we like to keep it real.  I'll happily frame an outtake over a Brady Bunch photo any day.

Some of the pictures I got while checking my settings, positioning and lighting ....

After handing the camera over to my mom ...

We thought it would be sweet if Chris gave me a peck on the cheek.  Of course he made fun of us by kissing me as slow and gross as possible.  Haha, so inappropriate.  

Jokes on you Chris!  Oh, it's so nice to have him back.  Lastly the winner ... Happy Holidays from our crazy family to yours!



Tree Farm

A little late, but a collection of photos from our trip to the tree farm to pick out THE perfect Christmas tree for Grandma and Grandpa Conant's house.  More decorating the tree pics to come ....

Love this one of the entire family trying to get Juliet to warm up to Santa and get in the picture ...

And all of us together in one photo at last.

Decorating

If feels a little bit more like Christmas in Eastern Washington with the snow, recordings of Great Grandpa singing Christmas carols and playing the piano and the many decorations going up at GG's house.  Love this time of year ....

Waiting

Waiting for Daddy to arrive at the airport ... not an easy task.  Especially when your mother is overly anxious and gets you there 40 minutes before he's due to land. 

Cookies With Santa

The girls and I ventured to the Supermall today with some very old, dear friends of mine and their kids for Momtopia.  My girfriends and their girls (a total of 8 girls plus one little girl on the way) joined the chaotic crowd at "cookies with Santa" where the kids each enjoyed a cookie and a carton of Smith Brothers Farm milk (the milk I grew up on from a local dairy) while listening to Santa himself read 'T'was The Night Before Christmas'.  After cruising the mall and playing on the indoor big toy, we hit up the balloon stand.  Juliet was all about her yellow (she got to pick the color) balloon on a stick.  A balloon on a stick is pretty genius if you ask me.

Tongue

I don't know if Violet just isn't sure what to do with her tongue, or it's just unusually big for a baby.  When she was tiny she use to gag on it all the time even when she was just laying there.  Recently she's  been sticking it out at anyone and anything.  She will suck in her top lip with her tongue over and over and it makes the loudest smacking sound.  It's hilarious to watch her. 

When her tongue isn't hanging out of her mouth and her soon-to-be teeth aren't bothering her, she's pretty much all smiles.

Attempting Low Light Photography

Since my Dad was hard at work raking the yard yesterday evening, I decided to take Juliet out to jump in the piles of leaves.  Since sunset is around 4pm here, (crazy I know) I figured now is as good a time as any to start practicing low light photography without flash; I actually decided to force myself to go outside my comfort zone and practice by making it my weekly theme on my 365 project.  My pictures always have seemed to take a hard turn downhill whenever attempting to shoot outdoors after sunset, along with my confidence.  These are still a little grainy.  For instance the second picture was one of the last I took; by this point it was really dark out.  It's still too grainy for my taste and was my first clue that it was time to move indoors.  The more I know about my camera and shooting in manual, the easier it is to adjust what I need to make things work.  Practice, practice, practice.  Juliet had a great time, whether or not the pictures turned out.  As it should be.