We hit the beach

Popping in real quick with a few photos I snapped last weekend when we briefly hit the beach.  Patrick promised the dumplings a quick trip toward the end of the day.  By the time we got there, a storm was starting to roll in.  The water was rough and the rip currents pretty bad.  Over a dozen people had to be rescued and, unfortunately, two of them didn't make it.  Needless to say, we didn't stay long and only went in to our knees.  Although it was quick, we all had a blast and got enough sand everywhere to make it look like we were there for hours.  And to say that Havi enjoys getting splashed in the face would be an understatement!

Mornings with Havi

Sunday mornings Patrick takes the bigger dumplings to church while I hang back at the house with Havi.   Once she's potty trained, I'll start taking her to Ms. Kathy's 3yo class and stay with her.  But for now, we hang out together at home.  She wanted a cupcake frosting for breakfast.  So I obliged.  At first, I actually fired  off a few shots with my film camera.  Then I decided to pull out my DSLR and shoot a bit longer.

 How cute is she?  She had the whole entire chair to sit on but picked the teensy tiny corner.  That nail polish on the table?  That was my promise to her after breakfast.  (But I broke my promise. Sorry sweet cheeks.)

 Between bites of her frosting, she played on the iPad.  Look at those darling puckered lips!

 Eventually she cleaned up and got dressed for the day. Then she decided to play in the sink.

I really cherish the times I get to spend one-on-one with Havi.  She's a good sport going to all her brother's tennis activities and Madeline's dance (and tennis too.)  So when I get to spend time with just her, I really love it, even if she likes to find trouble in the kitchen.

Another roll of film = another dose of daily

I finally got my scans from my second roll of 35mm.  It wasn't because the lab was taking long but rather because I was trying to decide where to send it.  Decisions decisions.  With so much other stuff going on,  I ended up sending to Richard Photo Lab again.  And once again, I was pleased.  I shot with Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400 again and surprised myself with the number of shots I took inside.  After looking all the images over, it's safe to say that Havi was my "go-to" subject.  This was likely the result of her brother and sister being too busy with other stuff to be patient for me in front of my film camera.  I didn't give Havi much of a say so.  lol  Anyway, I shot most of these images within just a few days.  So, I was not as cautious as I was with my first roll.  Yay for letting go.  Anyway, the images below are straight scans with my watermark added.  

She likes to play in her sister's room because it has more toys.

 Madeline and Havi were invited to a Frozen birthday party and were told to dress in shades of blue and white.
One girl complied.

 Have I told you that she likes to play in the sink? 

 Having a snack while getting in her brother's way so he can't hit the tennis ball...

 The dumplings found a caterpillar in the backyard when they were helping Baba with some yard work.  They were moving so fast, it was hard to keep up with them.  I was tempted to run inside and grab my DSLR, but then I decided to push myself and stick with my film SLR.

Madeline's facial expression is a riot!

 This shot cracks me up.  If you look closely in the background, you will see Caleb, the photobomber, practicing his tennis skills.  He is ALWAYS doing this...not photobombing, the tennis practice.

Havi loves to get into this little bag of golf balls in the garage, and she's not satisfied until they end up everywhere.   

Apparently, she woke up too early from her nap one day and decided the hallway would be a good place to continue it.

 And...she's at it again in the bathroom...

I have popped a roll of Kodak Portra 400 into my Nikon F100 but have yet to snap any photos.  I have been busy with other stuff, most notably ice cream making and camping related stuff.  But I really hope I can carve out some time to shoot a little too. 

Caleb is playing in a tennis tournament this weekend. So we will have a busy Saturday.

Have a great weekend!

Forever Family Day celebrations continued-Part 2

Day 3: The hotel we stayed at had a character breakfast for the kids, which included characters from the movie Shrek.  I must admit that I've never seen the movie.  Still, it was a very enjoyable dining experience for everyone.  Havi wouldn't get near Shrek, but she did wave good-bye to him! lol

 After breakfast, we headed outside to let loose a little.  Caleb brought along his camera.  So he and Madeline took turns shooting with it.

 Then the kids played duck-duck-goose.

 We went down to the pool before lunch, then ate our lunch poolside and stayed there till mid afternoon.  Then it was time to wash up and get ready for an early dinner, the Spirit of Aloha at the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World.  Our hotel had a beautiful atrium in the center.  So every time we left our rooms, we had to walk past the koi fish. 

 When we arrived to the dinner show, we learned that our seats were in the back.  No problem, I thought.  I would use my new telephoto lens to shoot the performers.  Well, the only problem with that plan was that my lens was back in the hotel room instead of my bag.  Boo!  So I had to use my Fujifilm with its 35mm lens equivalent.  So much for close up shots.

 At one point during the dinner, they had all the kids come down to the front to dance with the performers.

 Then the traditional dances began.

 Caleb was so impressed with the guy who performed with fire.  It reminded me of my summer camp circus days, as one of the counselors could juggle fire.  It's the real deal, people.

 We had such a nice time. The kids ate all of the items off the adult menu.  And Caleb really enjoyed the bread pudding.  Looks like I have another recipe to try.  After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and, in case we weren't stuffed enough, the kids enjoyed some frozen yogurt.

 The next morning was Michele and Lydia's last day.  We swam in the pool one last time and then ventured over to Celebration for some lunch.  Caleb had some salmon with a creamy roasted red pepper sauce. I was so impressed.  I'm happy to see his tastes are maturing.

 After lunch we walked over to the lake and spotted an anhinga just perched on the railing and hanging out.  All the kids gathered around to take photos.  And you would've thought I had learned my lesson from the night before and put my telephoto lens back in my bag.  But nope. That was still back at the hotel.  So needless to say, I didn't get too close to this hissing anhinga with my Fujifilm.

 Havi was a bit grumpy and tired and in no mood to take a photo with anyone.

We were so glad that Michele and Lydia could make the trip, even though it was cut short a day.  We loved spending time with them, and we're looking forward to heading up to Connecticut in October for Lydia's birthday.

Well, I hope you all have a great weekend.  After taking the last few weekends off from tennis tournaments, Caleb will be back on the courts.  Stay cool and have fun out there!