Still Here!!!

Just a quick note to let you stalwart followers know that I'm still here and blogging...it's just on a little hiatus right now. I've been working soooo hard on my camera class that it's taking up all my free time. I plan to update like crazy in the next couple of weeks.

This upcoming week is our last week of my 4 week course, so it should be fairly light (I'm thinking...and hoping :)) so I'll try to get some posts in during the week, and after then, I should be home free and a blogging queen!!

I tried to upload a few pics to hold ya' over, but it's not uploading right now for some reason....I'll try again tomorrow! Have a great night and Happy Halloween Eve! ooo-wahahahhh!!!

Photography 101

As some of you already know, I am taking an introductory photography class online to learn how to use my new fancy camera. I've NEVER taken a photography class in my life (not even one in high school) so it's all new stuff to me. I've already learned soooo much in just this first week, but Luke is learning super early to run (in his case crawl) when he sees Mommy pull out the camera! It seems like this week it's been around my neck every waking moment...maybe even when I sleep, but if Brian asks, I'll deny it ;). I'm just trying to get my money's worth ;)

So I'll post the pictures I've put up on the website for critique on that weeks assignment so y'all can see the difference in pictures as the weeks go on too! It's a 4 week class so fingers crossed the last week ones will look professional! haha! Okay, maybe not professional, but WAY better than they do now!

Just a little info...this class is teaching us how to get out of the 'auto' mode on the camera and teach us how to adjust the settings ourselves. This lends itself to hopefully clearer and sharper pictures. So this past week was the very beginning...turning the camera to 'Manual' mode and learning how to adjust the 3 main settings. Next week will work on focus, I believe. 

So here are the 4 pictures I turned in (she specified more...like locations/lighting and appropriate settings...but in the efforts of not boring you...I'll just share the pics!). I got pretty great reviews! I was SUPER nervous, but feel much better now after the critique!!!

this one's just an added bonus...I thought it was cute!

I'm super excited, but extremely tired! Every spare second I have I'm on the website trying to learn more! It's become such a fun, but frustrating hobby! We'll see how they turn out next week with even more knowledge!!!

Pumpkin? What Pumpkin? I Don't See Any Pumpkin!

I've been anticipating going to a pumpkin patch since I was pregnant with Luke! They always seemed like such fun from looking at other people's pictures. So I asked around and got a couple of suggestions of good one's in the area. The one we went to was small, but served it's purpose...lots of photo ops! Unfortunately, we didn't get a family picture, so you know what that means...another trip to the pumpkin patch!

I had the perfect outfits in mind for Luke and myself and had instructed Brian on appropriate coordinating colors he could choose from for great pictures. Then it turned warm...shoot! I had picked a flannel shirt for Luke...that clearly was not going to work, but I still wanted to go to the patch. So I adjusted (slightly disgruntled :)) and chose something else and off we went.

This patch, like I said, was kind of small, but it was nearby and Luke was already kind of grumpy (you'll tell in the pictures...not too many smiles were given up). So fingers crossed we'll head a little further this weekend to a bigger one that I think even has a petting zoo.

one grumpy gus!

hmm...what am I sitting on?

such a big guy...standing on his own!

checking out the pumpkins

mommy picture!

I absolutely love Fall. It's my favorite time of year! I love decorating with hay bails, pumpkins and gourds, lanterns...I could go on (I'll post pictures of our decorations soon!). So this was a dream! A sea of pumpkins... 

Luke had fun exploring the pumpkins.

It was funny to me to watch Luke check out the pumpkins...even though we didn't have big ones at home yet, I had put a bunch of small ones in a bowl on the coffee table. He played with them for a second, but now couldn't care less about them. Suppose it's because he can't use the mini ones to help him stand! :)


We just couldn't resist it...

Then we found a pumpkin just as big as Luke! He really liked this one! I tried convincing Brian to buy it, but we opted for one a tad smaller!

I think I'll try...

this piece!

Of course EVERYTHING still goes in the mouth, so why not a pumpkin stem? He's getting the top 2 teeth in now, so we're back to drooling a ton and putting anything and everything in the mouth!


They did have horse drawn 'carriage' (not sure that's what I'd classify it as, but whose judging?) rides, so we couldn't pass that up. But first we had to pet the horses!

Luke, as usual, took a minute and a little encouragement to pet the horse, but did really well after he got comfortable.


Then it was time to get a wheel barrow and pick out some pumpkins. Guess who got to go for a ride...

I'm pretty sure the wheel barrow ride was his favorite part of the day! We picked out 3 pumpkins...one for Daddy, one for Mommy and one for baby Luke.


Luke picked out his own pumpkin!

I'll take....this one!

So these won't get carved...we'll hang onto them through November (for Fall decorations, of course!). We'll pick out a 'carving' pumpkin at the next patch (and hopefully get some smiling pictures!).

Weeeee!!! Fun at Gymboree with Daddy!

Whew! Almost caught up...almost! So a couple weeks ago Brian was able to go to Gymboree class with us. He was super excited because I had told him how much fun it was and tried my best to describe what we were doing, but he needed to see for himself! So it was off to Gymboree we went! 
 
We do so much there such as singing and a lot of physical activities. It's definitely a work out for me because there is a TON of lifting Luke...and he's no tiny baby anymore! They change the 'theme' every 2 weeks and rearrange all the equipment to keep it interesting for all involved. The week Brian went, the theme was 'small things' so the physical activities were centered around getting to and exploring small objects (of course not too small!). Activities include (that you'll see in the pictures) pulling to stand, crawling, climbing and sliding. Also watching small things fall from a bridge (which he LOVES to drop things and watch them fall now...especially when it includes morsels of food falling to an adoring and anticipating doggie named Buddy Jack!).

Since these pictures, we've actually moved Luke into the next stage as 10 months is the age minimum for 'level 3'. Even though he's the youngest in the class now, Brian and I feel Luke not only needs to socially interact, but he also needs to be challenged. The majority of the level 3 kids are walking already, so we feel Luke will be more motivated watching those kids because he's so observant. In fact, he wasn't crawling on all 4s (he was inch worming, as I call it, on his tummy) until he saw a little girl in the level 2 class who was on all 4s and he started that day...and hasn't stopped! He's so stinking quick now! It's definitely one of those bittersweet things for me because he's already so independent that I'm sure walking will only encourage that and it's all just going SO fast!

So, as usual, we had a great time that day and I was excited because I got to take several pictures (as usual! haha!)!

the tunnel!!! We now have one at home too!

singing time

tummy surfing...Daddy had fun!

finding 'little things' (the theme that week)

air shapes were a big hit too!

must...

get...

DUCK!!!!

parachute swing...we don't have one of these...yet!

weeee!!!

baby soccer action shot

ka-pow!

bubble time!

one of my favs!

under the floating parachute

his new friend...hehehe!

 It was a great 'Gymboree Day'!

Slides and Tunnels and Swings...Oh My!!!

We are loving our house so much! Just a few more decorative things to get and hang up, but all in due time. Well, then there's our bedroom. It needs a little TLC, but that furniture, like our bed, is going to be nice (which means on the costly side) so for now we'll just make do. 

I digress...

One of the favorite things about our home is there is a park right outside our back yard gate...literally. The houses here on base are set up such that several homes' back yards/fences (I'd say probably 10 total) form a circle-ish shape and in the middle is a park. This way it's off the street and not too crowded, as the entire base is set up like this so there are many, many parks!

Luke really enjoys the park...at least the aspects we can take him on! Our park is an older one, but we were told it is going to be 'upgraded' in the next month or so. The newer ones have the plastic equipment, which is way more fun! So for now, the parts we enjoy are the tire swing (hopefully the new one will have regular swings), the slides and a super fun tunnel.


The first time I put Luke on the slide, he wasn't quite sure what to make of it (I, of course, had my arm around him the entire time), but after several times, he seemed to really enjoy it. Brian said the other day Luke went down all by himself!


Here's a few slide pictures:

huh?...not real sure about this yet...

okay, this could be fun...

yeah, I think I like this...

let's do it again, Daddy!

After several times down the slide, it was then over to the tire swing. Luke definitely wasn't sure about this experience, but after a little while and us saying, 'weeeee!!!' he seemed to like it.

who's having more fun? Luke or Daddy?

Brian's...ahem...graceful dismount...ha!

After dizzy-ing the little guy up, it was time for the tunnel. This was Luke's FAVORITE thing! He had so much fun going back and forth. He'd come out one side, we'd turn him around, and he'd crawl right back through to the other side. After this trip to the park, we bought Luke a tunnel from Gymboree Play...pictures to follow in the next post. For now, though, here's the park tunnel...

on my way...doing the bear walk (on his feet)

concentration near the end of the tunnel

I made it!...now turn me around so I can do it again!

Finally, there's a little section with a BIG steering wheel (big for the little guy, that is!), so we decided to go ahead and let him drive...but just this time! haha...only kidding...he can drive this the whole time we're here!

checkin' out the neighbor's back yard!

And that's what's right outside our back gate! So much fun!