eat your heart out...emma

emma practically issued a full on challenge that I wouldn't post these pictures.

I don't want to.

I couldn't find the camera cord.

I am tired.

But I am still doing it out of spite. So there!

the test.

Which soft serve ice cream is mo' bettah?

Contestants:

Maceys or Sonic

the results: Maceys. Hands down.

Now we enjoy...

photography class assignment: favorite picture

so i'm a bit behind in my class, but i'm still determined to post all of the assignments...

this assignment however, is our last so i'll have to do a little catch up later. we're supposed to link up our favorite photo...i had lots to choose from, not because they are excellent photos but because i've just had a lot of fun trying to work my camera.

here's one of my favs:

jane loves bunnies and she LOVES her bunny hat so it was perfect that easter morning was just cool enough for her to wear it to the easter egg hunt.

photography class assignment #6: LOUD

this assignment is still in the works...i have so many LOUD moments or things i could take a picture of...this is a picture of elle at lunch time. meal times are always LOUD at our house.

photography class assignment #5: QUIET

the only time my house is ever quiet is when everyone is asleep...i tried to sneak into rooms before they woke up. no such luck with this one being asleep, but she was just waking up and was very quiet... didn't move at all!

i was shocked that i was able to take a picture of jack sleeping. he is usually wide awake if he hears anyone breath. but we had been up late the night before and he just snoozed away as i tried to get pictures from different angles. it was fun playing with the different settings - still pretty dark in the bedrooms so i was using an iso of 1600. but i do like the light shining in the window behind jack. oh the joys of sleep - too bad kids don't ever realize how great sleeping in can be until it's too late.

photography class assignment #4: OUT

this assignment took us OUTside...i tried forever to find a perfect day when the kids were all clean and dressed in nice clothes, hair done, completely cooperative...but the opportunity never seemed to surface so alas, here are the little raggamuffins playing OUTside. i was using an iso of about 100 or 200 - it was pretty cloudy. f 5.6 and around 1/640.

jane in her princess dress with her hair in a ponytail because sleeping beauty always has her hair in a ponytail, hmmm... jane's hair is obviously not meant for ponytails.

elle being her cute self...

little miss elle turned 1

ok so while i'm waiting for the sun to come out to finish a few more photos for my class...i'll throw a few pictures in from elle's birthday party. i know this is over a month late, but THANK YOU to all who came. i really can not believe she is so old! we almost celebrated in the bathroom just for fun... :)

for dessert - cookies and milk

for games - guess the amount of candy in the jars and guess elle's age (in months)

some of the guests... we were lucky to have grammy and papa and g and pompom in town

elle and her birthday cake...

elle and her birthday cake without the fondant elephants - much better :)

elle and the family

photography class assignment #3: IN

So this next assignment's theme was IN....i had a hard time deciding what to take a picture of so i just walked around the house taking random pics of anything. this first picture is funny because the sippy cup on the floor is not IN focus but the blanket in the background does seem to be IN focus. i didn't know i could do that! ha, ha...i need to practice!

and of course the next photo wins because it is a picture of an IN-n-out hat. works, right? I tried to keep the IN in focus, but i obviously got more of the palm trees :) This one was hard for me to find the good balance point. i think i had to make my shutter speed really fast for some reason. and the back ground is totally black. i really need to practice these INside photos some more!

iso400 f4.5 1/800

photography class assignment #2: NEW

Our second assignment for the photography class was NEW... sooooooo i decide to take pictures of the NEW additions to my bedroom.

Jane:

i know this picture isn't the greatest - i actually thought it would turn out really blurry, but since i'm still in learning mode, i thought i'd post it anyway.

Jane's books and friends:

again, i completely forgot to write down what settings i used. i need to remember next time!

i'm thinking since it was a cloudy/snowy day outside and my bedroom doesn't have the best light, I probably used something like this:

iso 800

f 5.6

1/something (?)

photography class assignment #1: OLD

(i know...shocking to see a post from the butlers... ha, ha. if anyone still reads this. )

So last christmas, I won a nice camera. (awesome, huh!?!) BUT i honestly have no idea how to work it -- so i decided to sign up for a free online photography class that a fabulous lady is teaching. As part of the class, we have assignments and today's theme: OLD. So here are my very first photographs:

DON'T JUDGE!

i don't remember any of the setting i used...still learning what they even do/mean!

i think something like:

iso 400 (or maybe 800)

f 5.6

1/60

hopefully i'll be learning a lot more over the next 30 days (and probably blogging a bit more too.)

christmas with the sorensens

christmas party at julie and dereks beau-ti-ful casa.

fun, fun night with a lot of people...including the ghost of christmas present apparently.

every family was in charge of a talent or song. christian spontaneously jumped up to provide ours. for a moment, i thought we might have a child prodigy. turns out he is just brave. and cute.

12 days. local kine. tutu runs this show, ya.

cody's talents are so envious.

so are kims'

42 chocolate covered almonds: $3

Christian's face as he ran up after winning: you know.

Christian's real guess: 42 hundred.

Jenny guessing for him: permissable.

live nativity

i haven't quite mastered the art of taking pictures using a "inside of a barn lighting,"

so in the words of our boys: " you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!"

blurry picture--a very-excited-to-see-lambs Jane

blurry jack. one of 5 chillin camels

some family in alpine hosted a live nativity at their home last weekend. i am sure you went because the line was 100s and 100s of people long. i thought they were waiting for the indiana jones ride at disney land. there were barn animals, bethlehem residents, singing "angels," roman soldiers, and a very reverent and sweet scene with the holy family.

if you know them...tell them thank you, thank you, thank you.