Little Easter Bunny

So a big thank you to Gaga (Michael's mom) for the bunny ears used in these & to Aunt Wendy for passing this pretty dress to the girls.  I guess you all know by now I can't help myself when it comes to using little props for pics of the girls.  Here are some of my little Easter bunny.  I took these as the sun was rising in our yard & the light was pretty (around 9 or 9:30 AM).  For my photography friends: used shade white balance to get golden hues in pics, removed dark circles under eyes, smoothed skin--I used a blur tool set to 8 for blur size, color corrected & increased contrast.  Hope you enjoy & have a wonderful day!

I grant you the background is not ideal, but love the golden haze

Nature Girl

I don't really think these pics need much as far as an explanation goes....Jessica is 2!  Anyone who has had a 2 year old will understand when I say that.  Girlfriend just loves to be "au naturale".  At the end of each day, this is how we find her.  She is usually running down this sidewalk and back up stark naked.  She thinks it's great fun & giggles all along the way.  For an OCD mother like myself, this just screams injuries in all the wrong places, but as I have to keep reminding myself, I've got to let her be a kid while she can.  Enjoy some pics of our nature girl--she's going to kill me one day when we pull these out at her sweet 16!

We always laugh with how skinny her little legs look in comparison to her huge head/hair

She just loves to go "au naturale"

Back lighting adds an artistic effect, don't you think (totally being sarcastic, it's just funny)

Who could ruin her fun??

Our poor 80 year old neighbors must think we are horrible parents :)

Springtime

Today, something different....some pics of Spring in our yard.  Also, a little poem by Robert Frost.  Truly, Spring is my most favorite time of the year.  Beautiful/sunny weather, gorgeous flowers & trees blooming (yes, this means allergies also, but still pretty), and Easter is just around the corner. Enjoy & have a wonderful weekend!  (In case you're wondering I don't own a macro lens, I used my little 50mm f1.8 $100 lens to take these--not too bad, right?)

A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost

OH, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orcahrd white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends he will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill. 

Our Weeping Cherry Tree...love this thing

Northern Magnolia Tree or is this a gardenia of some sort?? It smells good.

I thought this was a neat pic b/c you can see the fuzzy surface on the bud

Used a f2.2 for limited Depth of Field

More Weeping Cherry

Good depth of field pic...just sayin'

The grass even has blooms...many, many allergies

No clue what this is, but pretty color

I took this one morning as the sun was rising, this is ground cover

There is just something about a daffodil that says Spring

Virtually the same as above, but light was so pretty I had to include it

Also, here's a bonus pic of the girls sitting on my Gran-Gran's blanket enjoying a beautiful spring time sunset.  This blanket is over 50 years old & I'm sure Ms. Pauline is looking down on her great-granddaughters & smiling.  To me spring time always makes me think of my Gran-Gran--I guess b/c she loved to garden & be outdoors.  There will be more to come with this set of pics....I've got more editing to do!

Jessica was attempting to hug Ella--she now likes the baby so much, she will not leave her alone...guess I got what I asked for ;)

Who needs a pool....a hose is just fine!

We have (thankfully) been having beautiful, warm weather the last few days and I am so grateful!  The girls just love to be outside in the sun, so they're attitudes have seemed better than ever.  A few days ago Ms. Jessica had a great time playing in the hose, so much so that I don't even know if a pool will be necessary this summer.  No seriously, she was entertained for approx. an hour with our hose in the backyard.  Here are a few snapshots of little Ms. Jessica playing in the beautiful weather with the hose.....looks like Spring has finally Sprung!  These have no fancy editing, just a little girl enjoying herself--ah, the simple things :)

In the greenery

I don't know if I've mentioned or not, but the ground cover at our house is a great place to take pics of the girls.  Ms. Ella (& Jessica, too) just love getting in the middle of the springy stuff.  They think it is funny for me to put them in the middle of it & let them play.  Guess I'm a bad mom b/c there could be spiders or bugs, etc. lurking, but A) I don't think they could really get hurt sitting amongst this stuff & B) they are entertained by sitting in it, so hey, what the heck.  It's kind of like a natural pack & play. Here are a few pics of Ms. Ella sitting amongst the green ground cover modeling one of the ribbon roses I made for her.  Odly enough, Ms. will wear a headband, just not a hat--strange, but I work this to my advantage!  Enjoy & have a wonderful day!  My next task, taking pics of both girls together sitting in the greenery.

Look at the drool

Focus is not as sharp as I would like, but the expression is so her

That's a pretty fancy headband for the backyard...oh well :)

Yay, mama, I like spring!

Focus a little soft, but loved her position in the frame