We are Family

My mom says I'm too hard on myself when it comes to my pictures.  I like them, but I want to LOVE them.  I'm good at taking pictures, I want to be great.  I know how to take pictures, I want to know more!  I can't get enough which is why I'm taking a class :)  Which I can't wait for!!!  

My family has done the classic Christmas card pictures in front of the tree pretty every year since my older sister was born.  A few years we have done something different but mostly the only thing that changes is we have more ornaments on the tree, and we are all older!  Also, many years my parents haven't been in them because of the busyness of the season.  So this year we decided to try and get them done early!  And since I've been taking pictures, I decided to try it with my awesome remote shutter!  

I was a little stressed because we didn't have much time so I was focused on getting as many pictures I could in the time we had, but I wish now I would have focused more on my camera settings and poses.  But it was a great experience for me!  I would have enjoyed it more had I not had to be in the pictures so I could focus on taking them, but it was fun.  

So I don't really like to many of these pictures, but I know my grandparents will love them :)  

This is for sure the best picture I got!  Everyone looks great and the lighting is good!

This was a favorite of mine, except it was too dark!  This was one of the last pictures we took so the sun had gone down, and it just wasn't bright enough for me so I cranked my ISO up to 1600 which made it really to grainy and just yucky.  But from far away, and in black and white, it's not bad!

This one is a weird angle, I don't know what I was thinking!  I don't like the angle but everyone looks good!

This one would have been better but I don't like that Jake got lost awkwardly stuck between the parents.  And had the left side looked happier it would have been better ;) 

I really like this one!  It was a little dark at this point, but I just loved the green wall and biker guy!  Also, we thought it was funny that Jake had bubble's coming out of his head :) 

So there ya go!  Family pictures 2012!!!  I'm excited to get more practice taking family pictures in the future and learn as much as I can!  Individual shots to come!

Baked Kale!

Here is a yummy, healthy snack idea!  Baked Kale!  It was the best 49 cents I've EVER spent! 

I have been hearing about Kale for a while now and just got around to trying it.  I still want to try it in a salad, and maybe in scrambled eggs and a few other things but I enjoyed it baked!  It reminds me of spinach, not much of a flavor.  But baked, so yummy!

I bought it at our local farmers market grocery store and I got a huge bundle of it for 49 cents.  Then I washed good.  

And tore it into little pieces 

Poured a little olive oil over it

A little salt

Threw it in the oven for about 13 minutes

And....

TA DA!

Baked Kale!  I chose to eat them plain, but I think they would be really good with something, I'm not sure what yet but they need something.  I also baked them a little too long and a few on the edges tasted burnt. 

I'm excited to find new ways to eat this amazing fat fighting, antioxidant, vitamin filled veggie!  

Fall day?

I live in Michigan, our weather is crazy!  It changes all the time!  24 hours ago I was wearing shorts it was so warm, and now it's snowing!  It's insane!  

Last week, we had a warm spell and got a few 50-60 degree days!  So, we took full advantage of some fresh air and sunshine and took a walk to the park!  This time I took my dslr.  I have been wanting to capture the boys playing in the park for a while now.  It amazes me how much these boys love to be outside!  They are park junkies!  It's pretty awesome and keeps them busy and happy for a long time!  I enjoyed capturing them in their happy place!

He had a blast playing run from the camera so I captured lots of sweet laughs and smiles as he tried to run away!

Climbing, his happy place!  I got lots of sweet smiles from him too!

He loves the park all the more now that he can walk!

And of course we had to have fun with the shutter remote!

Check out that static hair!!

Big brother helping little brother up after he fell

Hopefully this is warming to look at as we sit in our warm houses while it's snowing and blowing outside.  I think, it's safe to say, it's officially fall and nearly winter!  I'm so excited I captured one last fall day at the park with these kiddos before the cold!