Happy Birthday, Mia!

My niece, Mia, had her third birthday party this past weekend. Here are some of the pictures that I took. She is so much fun to photograph - very expressive.

We're back!

We had an amazing time on our trip. We managed to hit three parks in two days - Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. The cruise was very relaxing - especially after such a hectic two days at the theme parks. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Cinderella's Castle

Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom

Mike sporting his 3-D bug eyes for "A Bug's Life" in Animal Kingdom.

Neat picture of Mickey on one of the floats during the parade in Magic Kingdom.

Our cruise ship.

The Flying Dutchman from "Pirates of the Caribbean" - this is the actual ship used in the movie.

When we were in Nassau, I saw this boat called the Amber Jack. Of course, I had to take a picture.

Leaving on a jet plane...

We're going to Disney World!

Soon, we will be heading to the airport for our adventure to the land of Mickey. We've been waiting for this trip for over a year. I must thank Mike's parents, Barb and Rich, for taking all of us on this fabulous vacation. They are very kind and generous and I am lucky to have such great in-laws.

Since a post isn't a post without a picture, this one is for you, Heidi. Thank you for checking in on our house while we are gone. You and Brent are great friends. Mike and I are lucky to have you!

I will pick up with the letter J when we return.

I is for interesting shadows

I love finding interesting shadows. Believe it or not, this is a picture of the light coming through our deck and shining on the support beam underneath. I am really excited that it turned out this sharp. I had to use a pretty slow shutter speed and actually held my breath so that I wouldn't move at all while taking the photo. Definitely an interesting photo.

H is for hole

So, I know this one is a bit of a strech for H, but I could not think of anything. Even if I had thought of something brilliant, I would have had to find it, take a picture and wait for my film to be developed. Given that, you all get H is for hole.

G is for gate

I am pretty much a homebody. This one is again from the park in my neighborhood. After we get back from our trip, I hope to venture outside of my neighborhood to find some new subject matter.

F is for fire hydrant

We just got back from the College World Series (CWS). Even though I am not a huge sports fan, I really enjoy going to the CWS. The atmosphere is awesome and you can't beat a Goldberg's burger.

The fire hydrant isn't CWS related. Just another photo from the park.

First haircut

Miss Lola got her first hair cut today. Even though she looks very pretty, she still doesn't like to sit still for the camera. However, these pictures do a good job of capturing her personality. She is a little silly, a little sassy and very sweet.

E is for Emma (of course).

Naturally, Emma had to make another appearance for the letter E. We had some fun playing with bubbles.

D is for door.

Another one from our journey to the park.

Now for something completely unrelated to photography. Mike and I leave for our Disney trip on Wednesday! We are both very excited and in desperate need of a vacation. Lola will be staying with my mom.

C is for caution.

There is a street that comes to a dead end by the park in our neighborhood. I tried to play with angles to make the picture a little more interesting. I like it when people ask, "What is that?" It means I have made an everyday object something special. That is my favorite part of photography. It makes you find beauty in the ordinary.

B is for bench.

Working my way through the alphabet. This is at the park in our neighborhood. I love the moss.

Even more Emma!

Emma and I had more picture time Monday afternoon. She is such a good (and patient) subject. How could you resist those cheeks, amazing blue eyes and red hair? Thanks again Emma...you are my muse. Also thanks to Mr. Erickson for the use of his camera. Enjoy your beautiful granddaughter.

A is for alligator.

I've decided to work my way through the alphabet. This is one of those little animal rides at the park in our neighborhood. Mike, Lola and I journeyed to the park last night so I could play with the digital camera. Not only did I have a lot of fun taking pictures, but Lola was absolutely pooped when we got home. We got to enjoy a nice, calm, sleepy puppy for the rest of the day.

Miss Emma, Part Two

Emma and I had a chance to try taking some pictures together again. This time, I was able to use a digital SLR. I am officially hooked. Of course, it does help to have such a cute subject.

All in a row

A baseball stadium is full of repeating objects - the cup holders, seats, stairs. The control freak in me loves the neatness and order that is evident in a mostly empty stadium. After the game, things weren't as neat and orderly.

Happy accident?

So, I did not intend for the picture to come out this way but I think it sort of works. Rather than looking at it as a failed portrait, I could see it as an artistic shot...if I dare call myself artistic.

Miss Emma

Here is my first attempt at photographing a toddler. This is Emma. She is almost 18 months old. Things didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. I did learn a lot though. First, toddlers are especially active after being stuck in a high chair. Second, early evening sun is not very easy to photograph. Third, I really need to get a digital SLR.

Thank you for being my first human subject, Emma. You are the cutest!

Hard at work.

We have these huge peony bushes in our backyard. Some of them are blooming. I caught an ant in action working on this one. If I remember correctly, ants help make the peonies open.

Take me out to the ball game.

On Sunday, Mike and I headed to Kansas City for a baseball game. In addition to a pretty painful sunburn, I got some great pictures at the ballpark. I thought these would be great pictures to hang in our kitchen. My husband drinks Pepsi and I am a Diet Pepsi girl.