…Grumpy McGrumperson
Dislikes: Smiling in photos, getting out of bed, empty countertops where bananas should be, throwing leaves in the air, blowing his nose, and Mommy’s affinity for her camera.
Likes: Soggy shoes, smelly pumpkin guts, stealing his sister’s milk, applying mascara to his toe nails, waking his sister up, growling, breaking crayons and snuggles with mommy after a good cathartic grumpy episode.
“Humph! I NO Grumperson!”
I am missing the leaves in the mountains this fall. I can feel them changing without me. My sister Lindsey loves this quote and I have to say, I am inclined to agree.
I have been experimenting a lot with my photography lately. Some of it has been a complete fail but good experience. I have decided I need a graduated filter for some of the stuff I like to shoot and some of it I need Photoshop so I can merge several exposures into one photo using HDR so that is productive right?
That one is straight out of the camera. It was that pretty. The 50mm lens isn’t nearly wide enough of an angle though. I still love it but I will be renting a 10-22mm lens for a beach project I have over the Thanksgiving weekend.
We took off for the beach for the day last Saturday. I love when Alex is all "wanna go to the b.e.a.c.h.?" We spell a lot you know, to mess with the kid's heads. And so Alex can learn how to spell in English since it is his second language. And so I can learn how to spell in English, since I can't spell to save my life and I am supposed to teach my kid how to read now. Someday when Ella can read I will go through all my blog posts and edit all the sentences that start with “And” because that is a no no, right along side interchanging there, they’re and their. You know, so she can’t accuse me of bad grammar.
Random Aside: It is incredibly annoying trying to teach a five year old how to sound out words when there are about 9 million sounds an A can possibly make in the English language.
So we went to the beach. I did not have hurricane force winds this time so I got to take some photos! Woo hoo! Most of them are overexposed but I like it. It is where I am. I wanted to see their (correct usage of their) eyes so overexposed in that sunlight was the way to go. 
Nice hair. I see your mother doesn’t want to cut your hair. As usual.
Okay so I like the exposure on this one pretty well but you see her arm on the right? See that blue line tracing her arm? WHY?
That is Nate focused on getting away from that wave quickly.
This one is cute. I took him home with me.
Daddy always builds a big pool for the kids when we go to the beach. He is awesome. Nate prefers his dugout pool to the waves anytime.
Ella loves the waves now and has a ball with it. Sand in every single place possible. I didn’t post the ones of her picking her sand wedgie.
She kind of reminds me of Ophelia in this one - except less dead and more relaxing in the sun. 
Have a nice day!
Fall is on the way. Cool air has moved in, the spiders are spinning, the leaves are changing and I am a happy girl. Here is a little reminder of the miracles you can find around you every day if you just keep your eyes open. Have your camera handy, stop to appreciate it and then take a photo or twelve.
You guys! I helped shoot a wedding!
Melanie (my cousin) of Rethink Real Photography asked me to help shoot a wedding last weekend and miracle of miracles it worked out where I could soo... Here are some from the day!
I was asked to focus on the groom, groomsmen and some details. I could post more but these are some favorite from the day. The groom, okay all the males were GREAT! The groom was confidant, fun, relaxed and knew he looked good. He was so fun to shoot!
This guy, him I did not pose once. 100% naturally smooth.
So. much. fun.
Dear Nate,
Stop with the fit throwing. You will not win. Ask your sister.
With love,
Mommy - aka THE ENFORCER
This dress... oh this dress. It makes me so happy.
That is my daughter two weeks ago on her first day of Kindergarten. She had a fabulous time that day and she was wearing the dress I wore on my first day of kindergarten right after we moved to the Netherlands in 1985. Over the years my mom saved some key pieces from my childhood for me but I thought she had given them all to me when my daughter was a baby! Mother's day this year she pulled out this sweet little number for Ella to wear (if she wanted to) on her first day. (She still has some tricks up her sleeve!) Ella's approval was immediately solidified when she discovered - it spins! It fit like a glove.
This dress brings back a flood of emotion and memories. I remember waking up in the sunny little pension before we had even moved into a house overseas, walking downstairs to a truly amazing continental breakfast - European style in my beautiful dress and seeing my sweet little teacher's smiling face the first day of school. It makes me think of my beautiful mother packing these treasures away carefully and hauling them around over oceans and within houses not nearly big enough to find storage for these, not really. It also makes me think of my own sweet girl spinning in the front yard no longer a tiny little thing curled into my arm.
I love her new funky shoes, not matching the dress but her own personal touch on the outfit. She felt confidant and ready to conquer the world that morning in that dress and those shoes. Great day, great dress, great memories!
Here are some more shots from the day... Today You Became Old. An Old Old Kindergartener.
Also can I get a high five for all of these photos being straight out of the camera with no editing!
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