my boy

I love this photo.

it was just hanging around...

begging to get shot.

Oh! through the lens of my camera, what did you think I meant?! ;-)

quite an eye

I love this shot that Faith took, quite an eye, quite an eye...

a homemade photo shoot

TWe were supposed to have our family portraits/photo shoot taken last month with a fabulous up and coming photographer, but due to Ron's recent hospitalization we needed to cancel the shoot. I was bummed but hopefully we can get in next time she visits Maine, I'm telling you this girl is amazing and we were lucky to get a sitting. Then today as "luck" would have it, (I do not believe in luck, but don't have another word for it that fits right now.) I was taking our trash to the transfer station today and drove past this field full of sunflowers in full bloom. On the way back I decided I was going to go home grab some clothes, the kids and my camera and make our own photo shoot. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful location and to have it so close by is a blessing as well. The sun was at a great angle and a nice gentle breeze kept things cool. We all took turns photographing each other and enjoying the shoot. And just as "luck" would have it we were done and leaving a full 5 minutes before the sign on the gate said they close this road... We got to the sign and the gate was already closed! What?! Fortunately we were in the car and managed to drive under the gate and go home. Why would the sign on the gate say they close at one time and already be closed before that time?! UGH! Anyway here are some of the 150+ pictures we took this afternoon. What do you think!?

The one at the top is one of my all time favorites! I cherish this time because I know that it won't be too long before he won't think holding Mommy's hand or picking her flowers is cool! So I soak it up now.

test pictures from the new camera

Alright, I admit, I like to take pictures! The poor little camera was just about worn out from all the pictures I've taken in the nearly 6 years I've used it, having used it nearly every day. This I blame on Ron, as he said to me in conversation a long time ago that "you can never have too many pictures of your kids." I think I took it to an extreme. Oh well, when I am old I can look back and see what a wonderful life we had and I'll get to see my children grow up all over again and it will be wonderful! All that being said it was time for a new camera, this new one has a longer life battery (I assume they mean under normal conditions) and nearly 4 times the mega pixels and a heck of a zoom! It arrived this afternoon and I promptly got the battery charged so tonight I could just goof off with it and took like 79 pictures checking out the different settings, options and lighting, and only slightly blinded the family. Here are just a few I popped off... It's AWESOME!!! And we paid cash for it which makes it even better!

fishing with Daddy

Ron took the kids fishing Friday after he got home from work, they didn't catch anything but had a great time. Faith took most of these pictures, I think she may have an eye for this!

I love these two shots, top and bottom, Faith took them and I think she did a heck of a job!

decide for yourself

The other day my sister asked me if I thought my mother hens were or looked happier now that they were mothers, oddly enough this is not an odd part of our lengthy conversations on any given day. I have to say both of them do. I was reading a blog a long time ago and came across a picture of a Buff Orpington hen looking so proud and happy at a chick I felt inclined to print it off and it is hanging in my kitchen, I look at that and a smiling goat when I need a smile. It's just a really great shot. So I hoped that with all the chicks hatching here I could capture a picture with a similar feeling. How'd I do?

Oh, on another note, the broiler I've marked, and subsequently named Mark -sick huh?) and been weighing to capture his growth is now up to 13 1/2 oz. and we only picked them up 2 weeks ago as day old chicks!

* Promise, this is the last chicken post for a while.