Real Life Photography

Last weekend, we tried desperately, multiple times, to get a somewhat passable picture of all three cousins.

We TRIED.

And failed.

I started out with high hopes, thinking that perhaps we might even get a smiling photo!  Nice genuine smiles!  After all, Cole is so used to being in front of the camera, he smiles easily on command.  Only two little ones to smile - that's easy for a pro photographer like me!

Haha.  Hahahahahahahahaha.

Ok.  So about the smiling thing.  Maybe they all don't HAVE to smile.  Maybe they can just all be looking at the camera.  They have cute, adorable little faces whether or not they are smiling, right?  I can get three kids to LOOK at me, all I have to do is be interesting enough to attract their gaze for a split second while I release the shutter!

Hm.  Ok then.  Well... so that's not going to work.  All right.  Plan C in motion.  I'll just settle for all three kids SITTING on the sofa.  They don't have to smile.  They don't have to even look at me - we can be all artistic in this photo and have a "candid" moment, right?

Well, not THAT candid.

Yup.  Not even Photoshop can make any of these work. 

But at least the point of photography is (partly) to capture real life, right?  And this is DEFINITELY real life!

Train Park!

Auntie Meg and Uncle Stu and Baby Rowen came down for a visit during the long weekend.  We were so excited they were here to celebrate Cole's birthday with us - plus we had time for a couple more adventures!

Let me tell you, it was NO easy task trying to get out of the house while working around three kids' eating and sleeping schedules... pretty much as soon as one child got up from a nap, another one was heading down!  But we did manage to make it to our lovely little train park one afternoon:

 Uncle Stu photobomb!

 

 

 

 

 Rowen wasn't too sure about it at first, but warmed up at the end!

 

 

 

 

 Chase was a total rock star, just chilling in the stroller!

 

 

 

Good times with the cousins!

Photographer's Assistant

Cole is my little budding photographer.

Every time I whip out my camera to take some photos, Cole runs to get his camera.

"MOM, I THINK THE LIGHT IS BETTER OVER HERE!"

"SMILE CHASE! SMILE!"

"'DIS ANGLE IS BETTER, MOM!"

Cole's Fourth Birthday Party!

We had SUCH a blast at Cole's fourth birthday party!

This year, he chose a LEGO themed party and I had so much fun with it!

The invitations:

 

LEGO peanut butter and jelly:

  

 The favors: crayons with LEGO pencil sharpener:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Auntie Meg lent her expertise to the Lego cake:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The kids all LOVED the Lego piñata!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Opening so many lovely gifts from our family and friends!

 

 

 

 

 Chris and I got Cole a big boy bicycle with PEDALS! He was pretty excited :)

 

 

 
 Happy Fourth Birthday to my little man!