May 27: Week 21

I didn't take a lot of photos this week.  I'm blaming my lack of passion this week on the gloomy rain, I just don't feel as inspired with dark and dreary overcast days as I do with sunlight.  However I did intentionally keep my camera close at hand on Friday and got several photos of our daily routine knowing that with summer vacation coming our routine will be changing and I want to remember what life is like with a 3 and 5 year old.  My 3 year old still naps (most days) and I had to wake him up to get ready to go out to the movie theater for our family date to see Kung Fu Panda 2.  He was so peaceful I couldn't resist grabbing my camera to get a photo (or two, and then he woke up!).  I wish I could take a peaceful nap on a Friday afternoon!

Week 20: May 18

I took my kids out with the intention of getting a few nice photos of the two of them together on one of the few sunny spring evenings we've had lately.  I even compromised and let them help pick out what they wore (ok, all I got to pick were Ethan's jeans and shoes...) and bribed them with a McDonald's Frozen Strawberry Lemonade that I had a freebie coupon for.  The lighting was perfect, the golden backdrop was gorgeous, and my kids....well let's just say they weren't in the picture taking mood.  Sure they sat (relatively) still for me.  They even gave me a few fake smiles.  But this photo is the one that makes my heart sing.  This photo wasn't taken while I was begging for some real smiles, nor was it taken while I was making a terrible joke.  This is just a moment I caught of the two of them just being themselves.  When I look at this photo I see the relationship between them and the love that they have for each other.  This is real.  And I have to say I like it better then the "perfect" photos of them happily smiling at the camera at the same time. You just can't stage love.

Week 19: May 10

I have no idea what this yellow flowering bush is but it's growing behind our house next to some blackberries and poison oak and I think it's kind of pretty.

I photographed the same bush last April...

Week 18: May 3

We've been enjoying the bursts of sunny weather the last few weeks and I'm thrilled to be able to take my camera outside!  Ethan's big grin is because he's only allowed to play with his Dollar Store badminton racket and birdie outside and since the weather was pretty we were all outside watching him play.

Week 17: April 30

We spent the last few days of the month in Idaho visiting family.  The weather was beautiful and I enjoyed having a new backyard to roam around in during the "magic hour" to get this week's photograph!  I love hyacinths, I need to look up how deer proof they are to see if it's worth trying to grow them in our yard (i.e. deer buffet).