Real. Life. Happens.

I can't take it anymore.

2011-05-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

The guilt. I can't take it. Every time I open my rss feeds there you are. My poor, sad, abandoned blog. Like the withering garden outside my front window (which I have also completely ignored this spring..) I know you are there but I just can't bring myself to pay attention to you. Yet tonight I find myself needing you again. Wanting to revisit you. I've missed you. So I hope you accept my sincerest apologies and can forgive me for the neglect.

Let's start fresh. It's spring. The sun is shining (not really but I'm sure it's there somewhere), the flowers are blooming (again, not really but let's just pretend for poetry's sake), and I'm feeling the blog love again. A lot has happened since the last time we visited. Too much to catch up on tonight. But I'll ease into things with some photos of my favourite wee nibs Kyla. Afterall, who can resist a baby? We visited her last weekend and she's just as cute as always.

And Kyla's entertainment for the evening - my offspring - older but none the wiser.

So there you have it. I'm back at it. Just me, my blog and my one follower (Hi Honey!)

Getting Down at Christmas

2010-12-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

Almost time to relax... the Christmas season is upon us. The kids are officially done school, soccer, violin and every other activity that has taken up all our time this fall. I'm so looking forward to some family time...time to relax, unwind and get down! It's going to be a great couple of weeks.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

DIY - How to make a Hermione Granger Wand

2010-10-29T22:47:00.000-07:00

Lily is a devoted Harry Potter fan. She's been reading the series since last Christmas and has just completed the 6th installment. Given this obsession, it was obvious that Harry Potter was going to play heavily into her choice of costume for this Halloween. After all, what nine year old girl doesn't want to be Hermione Granger? We have been gathering bits and pieces of her costume for a few months now but when it came to finding a suitable wand, we were stumped. A trip to Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley was out of the question and Michael's was clean out of vine wood and dragon heart string but we put our heads together and found a way to make a wand that looks pretty close to the real thing. Here's what we did.

What you will need:

wooden dowel from local hardware store
sharp knife
glue gun
paint
varnish
obsessed Harry Potter fan (typically 8 - 15 year old but the odd 40 year old too)

Consult with your Harry Potter fan to create the project plan. Once this is signed off, visit your local hardware store and purchase a long wooden stick.

Grab your sharp knife and whittle the tip of the dowel down to a dull point. WARNING: Sharpening the tip may result in younger siblings stealing the stick and attempting to use it as a weapon against the Harry Potter fan. Beware.

Grab the glue gun and start creating a vine pattern around the wooden dowel.

This will not be easy - especially if you have the Harry Potter fan sitting nearby inspecting your work. Try not to crack under the pressure.

Once you have the vine pattern in place, pat yourself on the back and take a break to wipe the sweat off your brow.

Okay, back to work. Pull out your paint - any old leftover craft paint will do.

This is a really good chance to get the Harry Potter fan involved. Hand them the paint brush, sit back and relax.

Once the paint has dried, slap some varnish on and admire your work.

If you are satisfied with your craftsmanship, invite the Harry Potter fan to conduct user acceptance testing. If you have met your deliverable, you will have gained the admiration of a very grateful Harry Potter fan - congratulations!

And you might even gain the attention of Luke Skywalker should he happen to walk by.

Torie + Mike

2010-10-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

It was the perfect day for an absolutely perfect wedding. The sun, the laughter, the love! Krysta and I had a fantastic time. Thanks for inviting us to be a part of your amazing day. xo

Dear sad, lonely little blog...

2010-08-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog:

Sorry I haven't connected in a while. Summer is here and we are having way too much to bother with you. No offense, but who wants to be inside online when the sun is shining and the beach is calling. I promise I will give you lots of blog love when the clouds return and the days are shorter. For now, please take this photo as a token of my love and appreciation.

Sincerely, working mother and professional juggler.

Weekend Away

2010-05-27T22:42:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here although you wouldn't know if from the terrible rain we've been suffering with the past few days. Last weekend we headed to Parksville for some R & R. I love this place...I always feel instantly better when we arrive in this tiny quaint town. It's so untouched in so many ways.

I spent my childhood summers in Parksville and it still has the same feel...family and friends on the beach, kids running everywhere until after the sun sets...sandcastles and bonfires...it's really my favourite place in the world. We had a great weekend just hanging out as a family...can't wait to go back.

Spring and new beginnings

2010-05-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

I've been ignoring this blog. I'll admit it. Things have been cloudy for a while and I just haven't had any motivation to blog or to take photos for that matter. But now it's spring... it's warming up..it's sunny again...and things are shifting under my feet. The clouds are finally lifting.

I picked up my camera last night for the first time in forever. How could I not with Miss Kyla in the house. I just want to kiss those cheeks and listen to her little giggles forever....

Mexico 2010 - Spring Break

2010-03-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

This year, the kids were off for two weeks during spring break. the first week we rode bikes, visited the local parks and just hung out. And the second week we headed to Mexico for some much needed family time together.

We stayed in a resort in Mismaloya just outside Puerto Vallarta. The location was perfect... tucked away from the craziness of downtown and nestled in an isolated part of the country side. We travelled with good friends and it was such a relaxing, fun-filled week. I'm so sad it's over.

Here's some highlights from my first fusion video ever!

Mt. Washington

2010-02-23T21:13:00.000-08:00

A little skiing...a little sledding...some hot tubbing...lots of laughter.

A birthday celebration...my youngest finally up on skiis and flying down the hill...taking my oldest up to the very top of the mountain for the first time...the best four days of the year.

I failed... again

2010-02-23T20:55:00.000-08:00

Well I made it to February but then the week from hell struck...student-led conferences, stomach flu and Olympic fever. Something had to give...turns out it was my creativity and along with it, my Project 365. Interestingly, I feel relieved. I didn't realize how much extra stress it was causing each day as I scrambled to be creative. I'm learning that photography can't be something that I force. If I feel like I have to do it, I don't enjoy it...it becomes yet another chore and I have enough of those... So I will admit defeat yet again. Oh well, there's always next year.

Pink Sugar Cupcakery

2010-02-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

It's liberation day! For those of you who don't know, Lily is anaphylactic to milk protein. Since birth we have always had to be so vigilant about everything she eats. Her entire life she's had to avoid any store bought goodies. Birthday parties, classroom treats, goodies at birthday parties... she's never been able to partake. Well that has all changed. Today I discovered the Pink Sugar Cupcakery. Every delicious cupcake is completely dairy-free. I emailed the owner to chat and she confirmed that they are all made with soy milk and milk free margerine. I want to hug her. Finally someone has come to our rescue. So tonight we sampled the merchandise and omg they are good. And watching Lily eat her first store bought cupcake ever was the best treat of all.. Thanks Pink Sugar Cupcakery... you will be seeing alot of the Wray family.

He's one lucky boy

2010-02-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

...no, not my son... the other soon to be 40 year old "boy" in my life. It's going to be one epic weekend. I'm happy I won't be there to witness the carnage. I just hope he can actually watch the games through those giant beer goggles.

All I ask is that he comes home with all his teeth and doesn't wake up to a tiger in the bathroom.

Rainy days

2010-01-31T22:18:00.000-08:00

Do I ever hate this time of year. The dreary weather is really getting to me these days. The long days stuck indoors is driving me bonkers. I'm running out of things to keep the kids occupied. I definitely think the friends of ours who decided to pack up and move to Costa Rica for a year had the right idea.

The bright side is that with each passing, dreary day we're getting ever so much closer to our trip to Mexico.. omg I just want to wake up and be there... this is how we passed some time on Saturday while it poured outside.. just playing around inside on a rainy day.

And then finally the sun came out so we headed down to the beach...of course she had to bring her purse...lol

iPhoneography

2010-01-28T21:43:00.000-08:00

So the gadget addict in my life, my loving dh, gifted me with an iPhone recently... and I have to admit it's changed my life....I'm officially addicted. Since then, I've discovered the world of iPhoneography. There are entire flickr groups dedicated to photos taken with the iPhone...and the post-processing apps available for this thing are endless. While I can't really say I'm in love with the quality or clarity of the photos taken with the iPhone, there is something about it that reminds me of the instamatic cameras of my childhood. And unlike my heavy DSLR, the iPhone is always with me... and as Chase Jarvis says, "the best camera is the one you have with you"... here's a recent sampling.

Project 365: Week 3

2010-01-18T21:37:00.000-08:00

Well I'm into week 3 of my Project 365 2010 and I haven't packed it in yet...so that's good. I wasn't prepared for how difficult this project was going to be. But I'm dedicated to it...not necessarily as a photography project but more as a way to document our lives over the next twelve months. My good friend and fellow photog Krysta passed along a great tip today on how to display photos from my 365 project. Thanks to the beauty of Flickr and Big Huge Labs I was able to create a mosiac for the past 9 days that links back to my photostream. I'll try to do this often as I go along.

1. 10/365, 2. 11/365, 3. 12/365, 4. 13/365, 5. 14/365, 6. 15/365, 7. 16/365, 8. 17/365, 9. 18/365

These kids of mine..

2010-01-16T22:57:00.000-08:00

...I love them.. and I love that they love each other...

Today we made "potions", went for a walk, played at the park and cuddled up to a movie. Just another Saturday. Saturdays rock.

Look out Shamrocks..

2010-01-05T20:49:00.000-08:00

...here he comes. Look what my boy and his dad came home from school with today. He couldn't wait to try the ensemble on for me. The most exciting part for C is that the shoulder pads have "Warrior" splashed across them. I have a feeling this is going to be "the" sport for him. After all, it's in his blood...

4/365

2010-01-04T16:29:00.000-08:00

Well I'm at it again. Project 365 take II. I thought the new year would be a logical time to attempt this project again. This time I'm going to focus on taking pictures that best represent the events of the day so hopefully I will have a wonderful record of our lives at the end of 2010.

Today it rained... it poured. A perfect day for ants on a log. This is my son's absolute favourite. The photo was taken with my new 50mm f1.4 lens. I'm in love.

My new addition

2010-01-03T21:05:00.000-08:00

Look what came in the mail this week! I finally received my B & H gift card from Pioneer Woman and I just had to get this baby. I already have the f1.8 and it stays on my camera 90% of the time. But this lens is even more incredibly sharp and I hear the "bokeh is beautifully creamy"...not sure what that means but I can't wait to find out!

More wee Kyla

2009-12-28T21:07:00.000-08:00

Just can't get enough of those pudgy baby rolls. Delicious!

Christmas joy

2009-12-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

This is the face of a girl who just got her first electronic present EVER!!! OMG. Thanks Auntie Kathi.

This is what the first day of xmas break looks like...

2009-12-21T20:48:00.000-08:00

Who knew you could keep chickens in Fairfield? You just never know what you're going to find on a walk around the neighbourhood.

She's here!!

2009-12-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

She's finally here! And she's pudgy and squishy and perfect. Oh my goodness I seriously can't handle her already. I just want to squeeze her all day and stare at her little chubby face. What an awesome early christmas present! Julie and I have been BFFs since we were my son's age .. I can't believe how long we've been friends. A lifetime. And I can't believe she's a mom.. finally. LOL I'm just so excited I can't even stand it.

So welcome Kyla.. we're going to have so much fun together.. I'm so glad you're finally here!!!

falalalala...lalalala

2009-12-16T21:07:00.000-08:00

Things are crazy right now. Parties, concerts, gifts to buy...the kids are bouncing off the wall about Christmas this year. And I'm not ready. I always think I'm going to get ahead of the chaos but each year it slips away from me and I'm stressed and overwhelmed by it all. Next week will be different. Next week they will be no more work.. no more school. It'll be just us..sleeping in..cuddling..watching xmas movies..just hanging out. Until then I will take a deep breath and try to relax and get through this last week.. here some pictures of our trek to pick out our tree this past weekend..

Torie + Mike Part II

2009-12-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

Spent some more time with Torie and Mike on Sunday. We braved the freezing cold and ventured on to the grounds of Government House. Despite the chill we had a blast. They are obviously very much in love. Can't wait to shoot their wedding next October!

Torie + Mike

2009-12-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

What a sweet couple! Torie and Mike are newly engaged local photographers who I was lucky enough to meet through my wonderful friend Liz. I am so thrilled to be shooting their wedding next October alongside my super talented fellow photog Krysta.

I had the great pleasure of attending their engagement party this past weekend. And if their wedding is anything like the party.. it will be nothing short of amazing!

Hurry up Baby!

2009-11-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

I really need to cuddle and squeeze you and kiss you and hear your sweet little baby giggles.. Hurry up will ya?! Get out of that belly!!

"The" flu?

2009-11-10T21:45:00.000-08:00

Who knows? All I know is that it's meant lots of time off lately for both me and the kids. Plus lots of movie watching and fort building. Hopefully we've seen the worst of it.

A casualty of the flu has been my 365 day project. It's tough to pull out the camera when the kids are feverish and cranky....not to mention their mom. I''ve vowed to start it up again tomorrow...

Halloween

2009-11-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

The kids had such a blast last night wandering the neighbourhood as the vampire twins. Here's some of the highlights from our Halloween festivities...

Some Exciting News!

2009-10-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

I mentioned earlier this week that two of my photos were selected as finalists for Pioneer Women's photography challenge...Well I was so excited and shocked and amazed and honoured this morning to discover that one of my photos actually won!!!! Wow... little ole me? really? I never win anything.. Wow. And if that wasn't enough, my screaming fans (literally...they were screaming when I got home..) greeted me at the door tonight with a beautiful surprise... Actually it was my loving other half who brought them home to me.. he was my biggest fan even before I became famous. Fame, flowers and the love of adoring fans....Life is pretty good today....

Rain boots, chickens and pumpkins...oh my!

2009-10-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. Fall always brings at least one trip to the farm. Every year one of the kids, if not both, gets the chance to visit Oldfield Orchards to learn about local farming, see the chickens, pick some apples and pumpkins and taste some local treats. I think I've been on this trip at least 6 or 7 times with the kids but it's always fun. This past week I joined C's kindy class for the morning. I think I might have mentioned once or twice on here how much I love fall. There's something about kids in gum boots and rosy cheeks running through the pumpkin patch.. it's just so awesome to see the excitement as they choose the perfect pumkin. I never get tired of getting out to the "country" at this time of year. It was a perfect morning.

Here are some of the highlights

OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!!

2009-10-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

Pioneer Woman is one of my favourite bloggers of all time. She's a blogger icon in the world of photography. Recently she started a photography group on flickr where she chooses a weekly assignment and members post their photos to the group and then she features her favs on her blog. Well I just about fell out of my chair tonight when I discovered she had selected not one but TWO of my pictures for her blog! OMG! I've been following her blog for years and to actually be featured on it is a dream come true especially when I look at the other photos she chose. Wow. I'm so honoured that she thought I was worthy to be in the same league with some of those other photogs. The first photo she selected was taken just last week as part of my 365 day project. I snapped the other pic last spring in Beacon Hill park. Check out her blog and see for yourself! And since they're on her blog I'd better post them on mine too!

Day 8

2009-10-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

Project 365 is proving to be more difficult that I thought. Especially since it is getting dark so much earlier these days and my D80 has not so great performance in low light...so here is day 8. Some fall foliage. Have I mentioned I love fall?

Determination

2009-10-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

My eight year old has it.. alot of it. She's such a quiet, reserved kid but if there's a competition, she tranforms into a totally different child... a fighter. Today she participated in the all schools cross country meet. She's been top girl in her grade for her school through all the meets this season and today was no different. But today she had a hard race. The route was longer, with lots of hills and she struggled. But she didn't give up.. she came tearing down that last hill, tears streaming down her face, crying as she crossed the finish line... but she didn't stop. She finished. It's not the ribbon that thrills me.. it's her spirit, that determination, that amazes me more than anything.

Fog horns

2009-10-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

Finally some rain yesterday. It poured. I love those days when you wake up to the rain pounding on the roof and soccer is cancelled so you just lay in bed all morning snuggling and sipping coffee. It's the perfect Saturday morning.

And then later in the day the rain stopped and the fog rolled in...the fog horns started up in the distance. I seriously love this time of year.

Project 365

2009-10-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling less than inspired lately with my photography. I can't possibly take any more pictures of my kids at the park..no one needs to see that. So I've decided to embark on a Project 365. I've been considering it for a while as a way to kick start my creativity..hoping to force myself to look for opportunities outside my comfort zone. So here it is, 1/365. It was a rainy day at home with one sick kid and one really grouchy one. This was just sitting in my fridge, mocking me every time I opened the door... I had to do something...

Marathon Man

2009-10-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the man accomplished his goal of running his first half-marathon before the age of 40. Inspired by daddy and recent victories at the school cross-country meets, my girl decided to sign up for the fun run. And not to be outdone by his sister, the youngest family member insisted on joining in as well. Team Wray made a great showing...next year it's my turn.

J + J Part II

2009-09-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist posting just a few more of my favs. Near the end of the day, we found this awesome part of the beach covered with graffiti and I tried to so hard for that grungey vintagey look that one of my absolute favourite photographers features so often in her photos. She has such a signature style that I am totally in love with...

Clearly I have much to learn... but Julie and Johann were great sports and we had a hoot..

Julie + Johann = ?

2009-09-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

Julie and I have been bffs since I can remember. We were born two days apart in the same hospital and have basically been friends ever since. Johann is her soulmate and the most wonderful, patient, loving man...a perfect match for her somewhat fiesty demeanor :-). And now they are expecting their first and I couldn't be more excited for them! I was lucky enough to be given the chance to photograph them recently and despite the bees we had a blast. And I just can't wait until Christmas when I can take newborn shots of miss nibs!

I couldn't possibly pick my favourite shot but here are a few ...

"Special" Saturdays

2009-09-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

"What can we do that's special"... that's what I wake up to most weekends. My daughter has high expectations regarding her weekend activities. When I was that age my parents would chuck me out the door in the morning and tell me to come home when the street lights came on. Well, maybe not quite like that but still.. most weekends we just played in the yard or at the park. But my daughter expects more. More fun, more adventure, more more more. Now there are days when the house needs a good clean or the yard is a mess..and that's when we tell her to beat it and find something to do on her own. But some weekends we cave in and we're always thankful we did. This time it was a trip to the breakwater. It was a beautiful day and another great adventure...and I guess we have her to thank for that.

A walk in the woods

2009-09-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well...not really the woods, but a pathway on the outskirts of one of our fav parks. Clearly I took waaay too many pictures of flowers this season. Here's yet another.

More Parksville

2009-09-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that my kids are big High School Musical fans (and seriously..who isn't?) So while we were away on our weekend they spent the better part of an entire evening dancing on the deck and perfecting the jump from that final scene in HSM 3. And then Cameron took it to a whole new level..jumping everything...rocks, stumps, starfish..

Here's a few more favs

Parksville

2009-09-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

It wouldn't be summer without a trip to Parksville. We headed up island last weekend looking for one last weekend at the beach. The weather was awesome. We had luxury accommodations at a new resort called Sunrise Ridge and it was spectacular.. the kitchen was enough to make me want to move in. We ate, swam, went for nighttime walks, played tons of minigolf and generally vegged. It was a great family weekend and a great way to say goodbye to summer. Here are some of my fav moments.

Eight

2009-08-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe she's eight. She's changing in every way right now. More confident, stronger, wise beyond her years. She such a quiet, kind, reflective creature. As a baby she hated to be held close. Always had to be facing out..checking out the world around her. And I see that in her still. She's so observant, inquisitive, eager to learn.

She's going into Grade 3 in a few weeks. It's going to be a big year for her. I so badly want to freeze time and keep her eight forever... but I also love watching her turn into this amazing human. I took these on Monday at our favourite secret hiding spot. I'm so lucky she picked me to be her mom.

My garden...

2009-08-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

August always feels a bit sad to me. Summer is winding down, the nights are cooler, the shadows are longer. The flowers in my garden are starting to die off :-( it's time to start cutting it all back. I'm so not ready for fall. I dread the shorter days. I want this heat to last forever. So here is a tribute to my garden as I say so long to it for another year.

Sharpay and Ryan

2009-08-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

Lily has been "dying" to watch the High School Musical series and I've been holding off because I'm desperately trying to keep her from turning into a tween too soon. Well we finally caved last week. I'm embarrassed to admit I am now a closet HSM fan.. is it totally inappropriate that I have a crush on Troy Bolton? seriously...he's one hot wildcat. LOL. Anyhoo.. now we have the music too and the kids have gone crazy for it. All day long it's playing. In the kitchen, in the car, and I'm secretly in love with all of it but I would never admit that to the kids. So today we hit the beach and instead of Lily and Cameron coming along, Sharpay and Ryan Evans decided to make an appearance. The shades stayed on the entire time.

Some more macro love

2009-08-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

While we were on Galiano we discovered the Galiano Oceanfront Inn and Spa. This place was awesome! We took a walk through the grounds and stumbled on this beautiful peaceful garden. The flowers were amazing and I couldn't resist grabbing my 50mm f1.8 for this shot. If I had a proper macro lens the result would have been much closer but for now, I'll work with what I've got.

Galiano

2009-08-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

I'm such a gulf island newbie it's ridiculous. We've lived here forever and I have never been to Galiano. Back in the winter while sitting inside on a dreary day we dreamed up the idea to camp at Montague Harbour on Galiano this August. Sounded like a great idea. When the time came last weekend we were a bit hesitant. Pit toilets, no direct access by car to the site.. hiking in camping gear for a family of four? not so much fun. But we decided to give it a try. Omg this place was incredible. it's like a secret sanctuary only the cool people know about.. and clearly that wasn't us. LOL Our site was huge and perfectly located close to the beach...the views were amazing...white sandy beaches...warm water ...stunning sunsets. We shared the beach with a huge group from Vancouver who have been going there for 6 years straight. They were hilarious.

So yet another great island treasure discovered this summer. Maybe B.C. is truly the best place on earth?.. what if gordo was right all along?...hmmm

Summer

2009-07-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year. The warm summer nights...just hanging at the beach until the sun goes down. Living so close to the beach, it's rare to have a night without wind. This past Saturday was one of those rare nights when it's warm and still and you can smell all the scents of summer in the air. My sister was in town so we decided to have an evening picnic on the beach. I've been dying to try to capture sun flares in my photography and I finally got the opportunity to really stretch my creative legs with my trusty 50mm lens and my new 35mm f1.8. I love so many of the shots it's hard to narrow it down to my few favs..but here they are. Happy Summer!

Port Renfrew

2009-07-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend exploring Port Renfrew and I was completely blown away by it's beauty. How did I not know about this place? We stayed in little fishing lodge with our great friends. The kids explored tide pools and washed up treasures while the parents enjoyed some bocce on the beach. We feasted on fresh crab provided by the owners of the lodge, and watched the fog rolled in as we sipped wine on our own private deck. Seriously, it doesn't get much better. One of the highlights was the drive home through the Cowichan logging roads. Amazing!

Pool Party!

2009-06-17T19:22:00.001-07:00

We spent Sunday with some great friends who were generous enough to invite us up to house in Mill Bay for an afternoon poolside. What kid doesn't love an outdoor pool? They spent hours in the water and the men spent what I'm sure seemed like hours launching them into the air and seeing who could make the biggest splash. It was hilarious. And it gave me a chance to test my camera's performance at some seriously high shutter speeds. Thanks M and R for a perfect afternoon!

Batman and the Puppy at the fair

2009-06-08T19:26:00.001-07:00

The annual spring fair was held at the school a few Fridays ago. So much fun...reminded me of being a kid in school. The bouncy castle, cake walk, balloon toss...the one chance you get all year to throw stuff at your teacher.. lol.

The kids had a blast. The highlight of the night was the pony ride. I've been nagged constantly about riding lessons ever since. But it was worth it to see her face when she stepped up on that horse for the very first time. What a moment. Well worth the 45 minutes we spent waiting in line.

Batman and the puppy were beat by the end of the night but it sure was an awesome time.

Macro love

2009-06-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

I've been falling in love with macro photography lately...following many macro photographers on flickr and in the blogosphere. I am desperate to get my hands on a proper macro lens for my Nikon D80 but in the meantime I've been playing around with my current favourite lens (although that's constantly changing... my tastes are fickle) the Nikon 50mm f1.8. This lens is incredible in so many ways. It's tack sharp, offers up amazing depth of field and is super fast in low light. So I gathered up my stuff and headed to a local park recently to try my hand at some macro photography which basically just means I tried to get really really close to some pretty flowers.. and here's the results of that outing. Happy spring!

The Best Aunt Ever...

2009-05-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

The kids beloved Auntie came to visit this week, the whole purpose of the trip being to spend the day with her special nephew who recently turned five.

His special day included a trip to the toy store, lunch at his favourite restaurant and an afternoon in the garden where they worked hard to decorate every inch of our concrete walkway. What a great day...what lucky kids to have such an awesome Aunt...this is just a glimpse of what I came home to that day...

A weekend away

2009-05-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we hopped on the Clipper and headed to Seattle for a mini holiday. So much to see and do. Space Needle, Pacific Science Centre, Pike Place Market, a little shoe shopping. We sqeezed it all in. We went down with our good friends who we frequently travel with. Nothing like a hotel hallway martini party after the kids are down :-D.

Here's a few highlights...

Play Ball!

2009-05-11T12:42:00.001-07:00

Every Saturday morning, neighbourhood families descend on the local ball field for a spring tradition. I grew up across from a baseball field and it brings back so many wonderful childhood memories to watch my kids get involved in the sport. The smell of hot dogs and fresh brewed coffee mixed with the fresh spring morning air. What a great way to start a Saturday.

This week my daughter's team, the Merry Blueberries, played the Sooke team .. all boys I might add .. the girls played hard and showed those boys a thing or two!

Next it was my son's turn. It's his first year playing Tball and luckily he's got daddy as a coach to keep his eye on the game. I think his favourite part is kicking up dust in the diamond but he's got a great swing and can really whack it out of the park when he wants to.

Best of all we get to spend a beautiful morning in the fresh air with our friends and neighbours.. and I have to say, nothing beats those ballpark hotdogs.

5 years ago today...

2009-05-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

5 days late... after 1 1/2 hours of labour ... I became mommy to the most wonderful boy in the world.
He has the sweetest heart and gives the sweetest bedtime kisses ever.
His idol is his big sister who he adores and looks up to and also loves to torture .. he knows just how to push her buttons.
He loves to make people laugh (especially the ladies).
He has the most amazing facial expressions and tells a story with incredible gusto.
He can deliver a one-liner like no one I've ever known.
He love bugs and digging in the garden.
His favourite pass time is playmobil.. he can get lost in his room for hours playing with his castle..it's a dream come true for me because I also share his addiction..LOL.
He LOVES preschool, and his teacher carol...but is so excited about kindergarten next year.
He knows how to rock out and plays a wicked air guitar in the back of the car on the way to preschool every morning.
Myrah is his best friend...he only has eyes for her and is so unhappy at preschool unless she is there.
When he grows up he wants to be a "gentleman" so he can marry her.. he also wants to be a police man, a pirate and a knight.

I just can't believe he's 5.

This was taken just hours after he was born.. when he met his sister for the first time..

And when he was a year old.. on mother's day...

And when he was three.. hanging out with me on a fall day...

And most recently during spring break .. he is my knight in shining armour..

We celebrated his birth with his favourite dinner -- waffles with strawberries, blueberries and whipping cream...and bacon of course. He cleaned his plate.

Happy birthday my sweet boy. I love you with my whole heart.

"Everybody wants to be a cat!"

2009-04-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the pleasure of painting faces for the long awaited theatrical presentation of Aristocats at my daughter's school. What an amazing show it was! So much talent! The entire school took part. It was a joy to watch...and what a huge feat for those dedicated teachers that made it happen. A memory my daughter will have forever. Here's a little inside peek...

Speaking of spring...

2009-04-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

Every morning on our way to school, we pass the most beautiful spot. It's just a patch of grass along a winding road flanked by oak trees on both sides but in the spring it's covered in daffodils and wild flowers. I've been meaning to stop there and get some pictures of the kids so a few saturdays ago we grabbed our bikes, I grabbed my camera and we rode a few block over to it. My daugther, as always, was keen to have her picture taken but my son was having none of it ... oh well, there's always next year.

Sunday afternoon at the beach

2009-04-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful spring day... the kind we've all been waiting for. Grandpa popped in for a visit along with the rest of the clan so we gathered all the kids up and hit the beach. Every time we come here I am reminded of how lucky we are to live so close to paradise. The kids had such a great time with their cousins...kicking off their shoes and running barefoot in the surf. Summer is just around the corner...

My first post on my first blog!

2009-04-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Okay. here I go...doing what I said I never would...jumping into the world of blogging! I have spent countless hours pouring over so many amazing photoblogs and after some gentle coaxing from the girls, thought I would take the plunge and start one up myself. This blog will be for personal photos of my two perfect kids, the love of my life and our family. I love to capture real moments through my lens and now I will have a way to share a piece of my life with the one or two people who stumble upon this. LOL.