Mothers Day Weekend

I feel like this blog needs to be broken down in subcategories because there is too much to write. So here we go:

Camera Fun!

I hung out with my dad on Friday and after having some quality one on one time, we went through his camera/equipment collection. FUN! There was a lot I wanted to get my bogger picking fingers on but in feeling rushed to head to out La Nita’s we called the camera hunt to a close. I did however borrow a polarizer lens and lens hood combo he got with a Nikon F3 set he has and it turned out awesome! Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a polarizer! In the ranch pictures I could definitely tell a huge difference with color and contrast. The photos needed very little touching up. It also provides for a fun circular frame to the pics that I had fun with. I’m not quite sure I’m gonna give it back right away. Here are some examples photos:

I don't know who taught her that ;-)

I also had my brand new Macro/Wide Angle/Fish eye lens (all in one) that I finally got to try at the Ranch too.  I am a total macro lover. Since the first picture I took of Smokey on the Minolta with a micro small lens cap, I’ve been hooked. I found this deal on this lens that was originally $129.00 for under ten bucks and I was wondering how it would perform but I was impressed. Check out my favorites with it:

Kaelyn learns how to Pee outside.

Peeing outside is awesome. If I was a boy, I’d probably whip it out and pee outside all the time.  When you are at the Ranch you have no choice to pee outside which we all dismiss as another awesome attribute to the Ranch, until you bring a newly potty trained 2 ½ year old up there and you realize it can be a problem.

We should’ve brought the princess potty chair but we didn’t think about it. I took her up the hill to the “bathroom” and showed her how we do it. You should’ve seen the look of confused horror. Where was the pretty princess potty? This is SOOO not cool!

Finally my mom helped her and even though Mama said it was okay to peepee in the pull up if she wanted to but, she declined. I think my mom played a little game of “aim” with her and told her to aim at the toilet paper she laid out and it worked!

I captured this picture after she successfully pee’d outdoor for the first time in her life.

Haha. Classic. We were all very pretty proud. She’s officially a Ranch Girl.

Guns are so awesome!

I wish we could go shooting more often. Sadly, it’s pretty expensive, even though, just getting to shoot a couple rounds suits me just fine. My brother brought his .45 and Colt Revolver (.38) and we had fun blasting some targets he had made. I’m actually a pretty good shot with a .45. Andrew really helped coach me because he could see a lot better where I was hitting on the target and helped me even out my aim a little bit. I tend to pull down and to the right and he goes down and to the left (probably because he shoots left handed and I’m right). I hadn’t shot a handgun in so long and I was surprised how much I liked it. What a ridiculous amount of power behind one of those things. I wouldn’t mind having one of my own. Last time I asked my dad for a gun he gave me Pnut for protection so I guess that was my clue to stick to knives and mace and a barking Chihuahua for now. It is still something I am considering though.

She always rests her hand in my lap and I will continue to document it with pictures because it is the cutest thing ever.

Baby thinks bullets are cool!

Psh, I don't mess.

My first round with the .45 Pretty dang good huh?

This is one of my favorite shots of the day because you can see the gun powder smoke around the gun. Awesome.

Cutest little country girl I know.

Yes she is cute 24/7

This was an awesome time. She came over and sat down like that on my belly and wanted to feed me the Teddy Grahams. We were bitting off the teddys heads and laughing about it. She was having so much fun.

Horsie Love

Buff Mama shot

Horsies and Bullets

Wood peckers winter savings.

A view from different angles

I'm pretty sure there is a spot in heaven that looks like this.

Little girl...big world

We stopped to admire this little colt and her mama. They were all so sweet. My nikon had already died so I took these with the iphone. Shes just so cute!

 View of the wild flowers

Kissy faces on the way to the ranch.

Baby, where’d you learn to sing like that?

Little Kaelyn never ceases to amaze me.

While we were enjoying some frozen yogurt at Forte on Friday night, Andrew noticed a karaoke set up in the corner. Being that we are the only one’s there (hanging out with John and Amanda too which worked out awesome), my mom and brother hop on it. Andrew sticks to country and I do my version of Marilyn Monroe’s, Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Kaelyn loves this. Every time she gets to hold the mic she says, “MOMMY!” in this monotone voice that emphasizes the EEE at the end. It was so cute. After a little coaxing we got her to sing “Tinkle Tinkle”. She sang the whole song at least twice and at one point you can see her do the hand motions. She loves that song.

It’s moments like that I love to able to share with her. She saw Mama, Auntie Amy, and Daddy singing at the microphone in front of everyone and she wanted to do it too. We all joked that there is no doubt where she gets it from. Lol. No doubt (enter double dose here as well haha)

 I can't comment on this....its an inside joke

 Babies, Puppies, Oh MY!

 tinkle tinkle lilllle staaa

 "Gone"

 Me dancin Kaelyn figuring it all out.

 Kaelyn learns she loves picking the toppings off the frozen yogurt. haha

Some more pictures of me and Kae.

 Can you see the love in her eyes?

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day was nice. My mom and I started the day with a run around Bear Creek with my old running pal Jen Jen. I started running with Jen Jen back in the day (07' maybe?) when my mom first dragged me out to run the creek and now she is doing her 2nd Half Marathon at the end of the month. It’s really awesome to see her addicted and living a healthy lifestyle. My mom and I then hurried home to get ready for a service at Gateway. I was really disappointed my brother and fam wasn’t up and ready to attend with us being Mother’s Day and all but I’ll take the extra brownie points for being with my mom’s. I really enjoy getting in a Gateway service when I am in town…especially with my mom. We then hung at Andrews before heading out around 3:30pm. The day I am scheduled to return home is always stressful on me. I start getting anxious hours in advance and nervous. It did help that my mom came half the way with me. Dick headed down to Visalia Saturday morning so I drove my mom down there to drop her off with Dick and then the 3 of us joined his parents for dinner at The Depot. I enjoyed the partial break in the trip but I was starting to get sleepy (especially after a full belly). I arrived safely at home after 10pm and was greeted by my little fuzzy faces. I missed them a lot.

I captured this picture of Kaelyn running around the house in my shoes on Mother's Day. Yes, my shoes. I love this picture because she is blurred as she runs from me (I think she thought I was going to make her take them off) and all that is in focus is her little foot, in my big ol' shoe.

Good times with the family...I really couldn't ask for more.