Overboard on pictures and lens talk

I just couldn't stop shooting pictures yesterday when I got my 50 mm lens. I've been wanting one for so long. They are great for portraits.

Ok so this isn't the greatest portrait. I wanted to aperture wide open to get the fuzzy background. Didn't focus on his eyes very well, more like his nose. But I love his expression.

 Great for low lights. This was in the evening indoors. No flash.

I love how sharp the pictures can be.

Ashlyn watching the kids play in the water.

 Yes, I paint her toenails (when she holds still enough)

 First taste of watermelon. This is her not-so-sure-about-this look

My new favorite picture of Ashlyn

 This is a different lens.

 

We love watermelon.

 Chawna came too. I followed her kids around a little bit too yesterday. Her girls are little monkeys. I couldn't believe how easily they climbed those tree. Must be the Tongan in them.

 

 

 

Sickies

I am the only one who hasn't been sick in my family. We've got never ending snot and coughs. No fun

On a lighter note, I got my new camera lens today (happy early birthday to me, ok, it is more like, Happy Mother's Day, Birthday, and Anniversary) and had so much fun with it today. I will post some pictures tomorrow.

OH! And, I started month 2 of Insanity today. Oh.My.Gosh. If I am not in tip top shape by the time I am done, well, then there is something wrong with me. I am feeling stronger after month 1, but not leaner. Maybe month 2 workouts do will do the trick.

Dallin's birthday party

It was actually a birthday party for all the June birthdays in my family. There were 6 of us with birthdays in June. We had a barbeque at a park. 

 Dallin loves bubbles but can't blow them so I got these that have a straw on one end that you blow through and then the wand that you just wave around. My beauty.

 Tanner and Li filling up squirt guns.

 Chawna and Li. She is the cousin doing Insanity with me.

 I think Ashlyn looks like Nate in the picture. The eyebrows maybe?

 Tanner and his cousin, Joel

There were over 30 of us there, I should have taken more. This is why I want to come back to Oregon: so much family here. It is great. I am actually going to be sad to leave Oregon this time. Last time we were here I was anxious to get back to Idaho. We'll head back mid July.

Jacie's wedding

My cousin Jacie got married today. It was beautiful. I took a few pictures. I don't think I would like wedding photography very  much, unless it was all candids. I watched the photographer set up all the traditional family ones, and that would not be fun.

The brides maids and flower girls. Tanner was dancing with the flower girl on the left for a while. It was sweet. When it was time to go, he said "No! I want to keep dancing!"

 Jacie and Sam

 

 A drunk lady got her hands on Ashlyn and didn't want to give her back. I am glad mom made her sit down before she could hold her. :) Speaking of drunk, Dallin had his first taste of alcohol. I think Dallin just picked up someones cup of spiked punch. We don't know how much he drank. He didn't get sick or tipsy, so probably not much. 

Ashlyn was kind of grumpy. Giving everyone faces like the one on the left side.

 

Rodeo

Nate has been wanting to go to a rodeo for a long time. He plays rodeo with the boys all the time. He lets them pick if he is a bronco or a bull and he bucks or broncs for 8 seconds. They LOVE it. Dallin wasn't too interested in a real rodeo. He liked playing on the bleachers more. And there was a Premiere West Bank bear that was walking around that he was obsessed with. Had to say hi about 5 times. Tanner liked the rodeo though.

Before we went in there were activities for the kids. They got to go on a pony ride.

 Get their faces painted and make sheriff badges.

 Look how cool this black widow is. She did a good job.

 It wasn't the best night at the rodeo, only because no one was scoring any points. There were maybe one guy from each event that actually scored points. Oh well, it was fun to watch still. The rodeo clown had to be quite the comedian to keep the crowd entertained.

Forgotten about pictures

How did I forget to post Easter pictures? I guess it was because we came to Oregon a couple days later.  We did lots of Easter egg hunts that weekend. This one was at the Hinton's house. Christie had a fun time planned. Egg dying, egg hunt, Easter bunny masks.

Bandana skirt

Ashlyn is the baby doll I never had. I didn't have dolls as a kid, at least none that were really special or that I dressed up and played with all the time.

Ashlyn is my doll that I play dress up with. And she is special to me. 

I made this little bandana skirt and corkscrew bow thingy, and put buttons on her onesie. I am not a great seamstress, but I love to make clothes for her. I WILL become a master seamstress someday. Ashlyn may have to wear a lot of my experiments, but through her I will learn. :) 

I plan to become a hairstylist on her too. Poor girl.

My settings on my camera were off, that's why the pixel-y look. Hate that.

Moalas

Here are two shots I took of my cousin's kids at the park last week.  You can see more on my photography blog.

Quirky

Bad hair day.

  Nate found Dallin like this one night when he went to check on him before we went to bed.

 Showing off.

Boys at the park

We went back to Bear Creek Park to take some pictures of my cousin's kids. I will post some of those later. I got these of my boys. They found the creek and couldn't resist playing in it even though it wasn't really warm.

 

 "Alright. Listen. I didn't want to have to do this. But you leave me no choice. Here comes the smoulder." Flynn Rider-Tangled (In case you didn't know.)  I love Dallin's smoulder.

 

 

Touch a Truck

The community put together an activity called "Touch a Truck" where they brought together all kinds of cars: fire truck, garbage truck, race car, tractor, police car, semis, etc. The kids got to go inside and push buttons and explore. It was pretty fun for them.