'Tis the Season.

Mondays, Thursdays and the occasional Tuesdays.

Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Fam Pics

A couple of months ago we had the opportunity to get some family photos made with Brooke Davis Photography {as seen in the updated blog header and kid shots on the sidebar}. She had quite the lively bunch trying to reign in 2 2 year olds {one of which was NOT having it the majority of the time}, a 4 year old, a 6 year old, and 2 stressed parents! She pulled out all the stops, shaking her fanny, dancing a jig and singing her heart out, all in the name of getting smiles. It worked!

This is my all time favorite picture EVER of my crazy brood...

The "brothers" pictures melt this mama's heart to pieces...

I am mush...

Killin me...

 The whole fam...

 I like to call them "The Planned Children"...

A little Pinterest idea made possible with enough people to spell the right word...

Despite tears and meltdowns, many a candy cane bribe, and multiple location changes, I really didn't think a single picture would turn out. That's why I leave it to the PROFESSIONAL and she rocked it!

All de fishies of de sea...

For Christmas this year, my parents bought Georgia Aquarium tickets for all the kids and grandkids. We had not been in six years which was 5 grandchildren ago, so it was a treat to watch the big eyes as they saw whales, sharks, penguins, dolphins, sting rays, and fish of every color swim just inches from their touch.

 

Tiny Miss had some whiplash after a day filled with staring straight up! She couldn't risk posing for a pic with her handsome cousins for fear that a beluga whale might drop on her head.

Even the youngest of the bunch couldn't take his eyes off the fishies.

I asked him if he could come to my house. He said no.

Quiet boys. Amazing.

Why not drop a 4 year old into a tank full of sting rays?

We decided in our dream home plans, we're going to add an aquarium wall like this one. Hours of entertainment and a great threat to misbehaving. "Listen little dude, do you need to spend some time in that wall with Jaws? I didn't think so. Now go stare at him and think about what you've done."

A day with cousins is a day well spent.

Thanks Meme & D-Daddy!

The Birthday Boy.

Buster Boy is FINALLY 5 years old. We have been waiting on this milestone since the womb. 5 years old means he can officially play baseball on a real team. 5 years old means he gets to go to kindergarten. 2 things he's been not-so-patiently waiting for.

So, we asked him what he wanted to do on his big day...play baseball! The g-parents and Aunt Laura arrived for the day to make the teams a little more even and the Hansons took the field as well.

 

If he's got nothing else, he's got the look...

The players in the field seem a bit distracted and without proper equipment like gloves...

Grape juice breaks are a necessity in this south Georgia December heat...

After the Braves won, we hit Chick-Fil-A for lunch and then went home for tractor cake and ice cream.

It seems as though we may have gotten a little more than ice cream with our tractor cake since the candles were blown out with a marshmallow shooter full of spit. Yummy.

The rest of the day was spent flying up and down the street on his brand new bicycle. With the occassional grape juice break of course.

Happy Birthday Buster Boy! This 5th year is going to be HUGE for you and I can't wait to be with you every step of the way. I love you, handsome. :)

*Thanks to Big Sis for providing all of the pictures for today's blog from her own camera.

Bokeh.

Bokeh is the blur, or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out-of-focus areas of an image, or "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light." {wikipedia} 

I'm obsessed with it.

I got my fancy shmancy camera a year ago and still don't know the half of what it's capable of. I do know it's better than a point-and-shoot but beyond that, I haven't captured all the goodness. Mainly because I don't know or understand ANY of the terminology despite reading countless "helps" and "how to's".

But bokeh?

Ah, you are my love and I WILL own you soon - just give me some more time and practice.

Here's my first subject. Sit. Don't move. Let me take 750 pictures in a row until I see some light pops behind your head.  Who cares if your face is dark. I got my light pops.

Subject number two is falling asleep after only 400 shots. No fun blurry lights but I got more light on the face!

Tried to focus on my lens cap held out in front. Something wacky happened and I'd like to say I know exactly what, but I dont. I'll take it though. Got my blurry light pops!!

 

Oh look, she woke up. But I still haven't figured out how to get a person AND a tree to look the way I want at the same time.

And Subject #2 is officially bored and giving me the peace out sign. Thanks yo, cuz it got me some popping lights.

Triumphant at last!!

Innermost thoughts.

Just a boy and his cows.

"I see purple! Do you see purple? Why is your shirt pink? It doesn't match your jeans. Do you love purple? I love purple. I love pink too. I have pink jeans. They match my toenails."

Just a boy and his daddy. His favorite worship song is "Oh no you never let go..."

These boots were made for walking, and that's just what they'll do...

Holler Ween

We outdid ourselves this year with costumes. Probably because I'm super mom. Take Wild Man for example.

Not just any mom will send her child out trick or treating like this. We call him "Backwards Man who uses his shirt as a napkin". Points for creativity. He's also called "Man who pitched a fit and threw his Buzz Lightyear costume down and stomped on it repeatedly"...hey, whatever works. When Dude is happy, WE'RE ALL HAPPY!

"Woody" here had a last minute change of attire too and became "Farmer Rancher Man" because Farmer Rancher Men wear baseball hats, not cowboy hats (like, per se, the one that was bought for him FOR THIS SPECIAL OCCASION...but whatevs).

He has waited 365 days to ride this car again. And his backside is about all we saw as he screamed down the road whipping into driveways like he owned the joint.

 Secret Agent {Wo}Man and Ballerina were also last minute additions to the costume wars discussions that ensued for weeks prior to Halloween. Ballerina was originally going to be Minnie Mouse, then a Princess, then Tinkerbell until finally landing with this minutes before take-off. Secret Agent {Wo}Man was originally going to be the Pixar Lamp but unfortunately I showed WAY TOO MUCH excitement over the possibilities of the COOLEST COSTUME IDEA EVER and she then opted for all black. Avoiding attention. She is not my daughter.

And this last gem of a pic was sent to me by Brooke who's gorgy boy is front and center. I thought nothing of it until I looked at the back right side and noticed why she sent it to me asking for a caption.

Perfect summary of the night.