Wednesday, February 19

Fun week

Valentine's Day!  We had Zach's sister's family over on their way back from Disneyland, and they stayed and helped us get our party together.  Our friends who are also in the surgical program came too, bearing more decorations and Valentines.  Also in attendance were 7 or so kids from our homeschooling group. Our third and probably last Valentine party!  From now on they will do parties at school, I'm sure.
This group is one of the last pictures I took with my almost-dead Fuji S2.  I have missed so many sweet shots because of that poor old thing's failure to shoot.  Declan's first smile, first step. Smiles on Halloween, Christmas.  It was like shooting with a cell phone-- waiting for the dang thing to finally click.  Zach took pity on me and used what was left of our tax refund to get me a new camera!!   I've been drooling over images I've seen posted... I could tell technology had far surpassed what I could eek out of this 10-year-old Fuji.  Everytime I saw images I was really impressed with, I asked what they were shooting with.  Always the Nikon D7000.  So we got a used one, and I am in heaven.  And chomping at the bit to shoot people.



Like this kid! He is 15 months old today!  Our first climber. If you come to our house and see toddler chairs turned upside down, now you'll know why.  He has learned how to take off his pants so he can get better traction and climb up the slide.  Doesn't know how to slide down yet, so that's fun. :b  He did learn how to go down the stairs on his own, however, so that's a little less worrisome spot of the house for us.
  My biggest fear now is the couch.  He climbs right up, and looks like he'd climb right over the back if we let him. ( I knew I'd be less than thrilled about our tile for this very reason.  Oh, well someday we'll be able to afford a place with linoleum- haha.)

Is this camera not amazing?!?!  I just can't get over it.






Sagebrush Ranch Kids Camp, Monday. When we went last year Bree got so sunburned after three days we couldn't continue, so instead of a refund they gave us credit.  It worked out well, since we were the only ones who came to camp this day.



  I am in no way endorsing this place- the help is extremely unprofessional and inattentive.  They do make sure to use the right equipment and are extremely cautious about where and how they ride, so I felt comfortable letting the kids stay, but they have no business calling it a teaching experience.  If the horses weren't so old and docile they'd be in big trouble.

On the flip-side, when you have more laid-back authority, you get more autonomy.  So when they weren't being ignored, the kids got to ride on their own, instead of being led around while adults held the reigns.
 (Notice how there are no adults in this picture.  The pre-teens who seem to be running the place thought I'd left, and walked so far ahead of the girls that they were out of sight.)



 It was worth it. :)