Many opportunities for a photo op!

So it was Raeya's 2nd birthday on July 31st with a Mickey Mouse theme.. so much fun! Raeya had a great time playing with her bubble gun and I had a great time taking over 500 photos! How did I manage that?! Well with a digital camera it sure isn't hard. But I am starting to actually use my DSLR as it should be.. manually.. even manual focus.. I kept getting the exposure wrong but for the most part it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

Poor Rob burnt his hand on the lawn mower but he was a real sport, bandaged it up and carried on like nothing happened..

Whenever Raeya got tired of opening gifts, she would play with her ball or dance with anyone who would dance with her..

Then Jen and I took Claire aka: Panda, to Beacon Hill Park where we pet the goats (and they tried to take a nibble of Panda's hat and Jen's shirt) and saw the other animals.. miniature horse and pony, crazy chickens, alpacas and a pot bellied pig.. great day.. until my battery on my camera died.. you'd think I would have recharged it after Lisa and Justin's wedding.. no such luck.. thank goodness for the battery pack or I wouldn't have taken the great shots that I got!

My friend is back... Hello camera!

It's been a while.. three years to be exact.. since I have really been into my photography. Recently I shot my niece-in-laws wedding and the bug is back!!! Yahoo!! Without even knowing it.. I missed it so much! My girlfriend Sandi helped me with the wedding.. we do most weddings together and have a blast doing them!! We get such different angles of the same subject and they both turn out so cool!

Of course when I was really into my photography I was also up to date on all the camera equipment which I lost touch with.. now that I'm back I've already ordered a light scoop, photoshop elements 8 and yet another photography book. I've also been checking out various photographers blogs and then I did the mistake of checking out the pentax website and saw it.. the Pentax K-7   the camera I have been waiting for.. the DSLR that also shoots HD movies! Now the decision comes should I wait for the next version or bite the bit and buy this one? Do I need another DSLR? Hell no! I have two already but it's new and improved! While I wait and ponder it over.. I will be happy with my current camera and the beautiful shots I can take with it..

Girls Girls Girls!!!

As most people, I wear different hats.. the sister hat, daughter hat, friend hat, cousin hat, social worker hat but no hat means more to me than the auntie hat. I have 6 wonderful nephews and with each one.. I wished for a niece. Don't get me wrong.. I wouldn't trade a moment with any of them but there were occasions when I would dress up Rob and Jarrod like girls.. could explain a few things....

I am also so lucky to be a surrogate auntie to all of my friends children.. my first "niece" was my girlfriend Sherri-Ann's daughter Tianna.. such a sweetheart!! She's already 14 now and probably not really that into cute little dresses and cute toddler toys.

One of the happiest days of my life was when my nephew Rob had his first child.. a girl! Raeya (a made up name that was influenced by a Mortal Combat video game I think).. so cute and let me tell you.. I went nuts with the cute clothes.. then came two of my best friends who both had girls.. Claire and Ally.. and then my nephew Geoff had Charlotte. I love all my nieces and nephews.. the blood and the surrogate's but I'm telling you..

I am truly loving the girl thing these days!!! Being an auntie is the best job in the world.. love them, spoil them, and give them back to their parents!

Love you all Matthew, Geoff, Rob, Jarrod, Kelly, Luke, Joshua, Raeya, and Charlotte.. and my surrogates Katie, Tianna, Samson, Claire, Adam and Ally!!!