Baby #4

So for those of you who think you've missed out on some BIG McEntire family news - you haven't.  I just got a new dSLR camera and it's my new obsession - along with the fact we paid more for it then we did Kirra (we had great insurance then) it might as well be kid #4.

The day after the camera was delivered to my house I went to a nearby camera store to get filters and cap keepers for my lenses and I asked the man at the store if he knew about photography classes.  He told me the UNM & CNM have classes - I knew that I always look at the semester catalogs, but with three kids and a YW calling I have never felt like I could dedicate so much time to a class.  Then he gave me a little brochure for a local professional photographer who gives classes.  I called him as soon as I got home and it happened that he had started a class that week, but was willing to give me a make-up class so I could take the course.  It was awesome!  I learned more about my camera and taking pictures than I would have learned in a year by myself.  And he also does Photoshop classes so when he is home from an on-site shoot I'll be headed back to learn more!

Here's some fun things we did in class - 

Just a normal strand of lights hung up and turned on in the dark.

 

 Same lights - moving the camera in circles while leaving things open longer.

Zooming in while taking the picture.

The teacher drawing a heart with a flashlight.

Drawing a heart again with no flash.

The last class session he had a model come in and we got to work with lighting, shadows and different effects that would help us take better pictures.  I'm still learning - but I got a good start!

Kevin & Aspen

Spring Break started early at our house with a visit from Uncle Kevin and (almost) Aunt Aspen.  We were excited to have them stay with us for the weekend.  They arrived late Thursday night and then on Friday we went to the mall to get Kevin a shirt to wear while I took engagement pictures of him and Aspen.  I scored and got some new sunglasses while we were there and then we headed over to David Castle's Gold & Silver Exchange where Kevin and Aspen picked out an engagement ring.  It was a lot of fun to be there while they did that.  I think Kevin about died when I said, "Great!  Now I can take your picture while you propose!"  He's proposed a few times to Aspen, just in silly ways and not with a ring, so she just says No - and I think its great she's making him do it right.

We went up to Elena Gallegos open space area to take their pictures - the maiden voyage of my new dSLR camera.  There weren't as many good pictures as I had hoped, but Scott said I am being too hard myself since I have never used a manual camera.  After pictures we headed to Macaroni Grill for dinner - the kids loved when we go places with waiter and waitresses and Kirra always comments on how nice they are to serve us.

 

That's an electrifying hand hold!

I titled this one 'Sun Baby'

Kevin being. . . well, Kevin.

Now this is something I think is so much fun!  I love doing invitations and any other announcement type things.  I put this picture collage together after Kevin and Aspen left - and once I get good at Photoshop things like this will be even better!  Kevin told me he and Aspen liked it - though they want some pictures that are taken with a little more 'green' instead of our NM desert brown.  

Can't imagine why? :)

On Saturday Scott headed off to his Hispanic league soccer game and I got to sleep in until almost 9:00 - yeah!  Then we all got ready to go to the zoo and when we got there we realized that going to the zoo on the first weekend of spring break, coupled with it being the first nice weather weekend might have been a mistake.  It took us a half hour to get in!  We enjoyed a fun jaunt around the zoo, the kids loving to throw all the old bread I brought at the ducks and fish.  Scott joined us as we were going through the Cat Walk area.  Kirra and Kade both had soccer games so we raced out to the car and changed them into their uniforms - Scott taking Kirra to her game and the rest of us going together to Kade's game. 

Kade's big news of the day was a goal he scored from almost 1/2 field.  He pumped his arms up and down so many times with a huge smile on his face because he knows a goal means a pack of Starburst from Daddy.  We headed home after soccer games and the boys went down for naps while I started getting dinner ready.  Not too long later Kade and I headed off to his t-ball practice and Scott made funeral potatoes and BBQ beef ribs for dinner.  It was delicious!

Kevin and Aspen had to leave on Sunday morning and the kids were so sad.  They wanted them to stay for a long time! It was so fun to get to know Aspen better - her honesty and openness are a breath of fresh air .  She and Kevin seem really happy and we are looking forward to having her around at all our family functions from now until forever.

3-13-11

Blue Eagles

My new camera is going to be the death of our hard drive!  It's too easy to take TONS of pictures.

Our girl LOVES soccer and she's pretty good at it too.  We're doing a soccer/softball test run this spring to see which she likes the best, though I have a feeling she's not going to be able to choose.  I asked her the other day what her favorite sport was and she said, "Skiing, oh and soccer, softball, swimming, basketball, running - is there anymore?"  This girl loves everything she tries and she tries her best at it all.  She's quite natural at soccer and is a good leader for the girls she plays with. The dynamics on the field are quite different when she's playing vs. sitting on the sidelines.

GOAL!

The Start of an Era?

Kade LOVES baseball!  He has been hitting and throwing balls for as long as it was physically possible for him.  We debated whether or not to put him in t-ball this year since he's not quite five. . . but I knew he'd love it and he certainly has.  Kade's first game was the first time I used my large zoom lens and it was so much fun.  I only saw 1 1/2 innings and took 97 pictures.  Some of those were for a friend who has three boys on the team so at least they weren't all of Kade.  

Here's our little pitcher.

!

 This is when he realized I was at the game and taking pictures of him.

 Not the first celebration. . . nor will it be the last.  He likes to showboat a little!

 Thank goodness he doesn't have a problem using a purple bat.  Uncle Nick & Brett got this bat for Kirra last year, but Kade just thinks he's cool because he has his own bat.

 Swing Batter Swing!

 The camera works so fast it can capture so many things I couldn't with my point-and-shoot.

 

  He looks so cute in his baseball uniform.  For some reason he ended up with a medium sized shirt that is more like a night-dress on him, along with medium pants.  We at least could return the pants and he'll just wear the size smalls Kirra wore last year.  The medium pants came up to his chest and wouldn't even stay up there.

 This is what our spring will be like. . . Keian having dirt baths at the field.  He and Sadie had a great time playing in the dirt - they are exactly the same age.  Both born on October 23, 2008.  Keian often reminds her "I am bigger."  "I'm the biggest."  "I'm taller than you."  "Let's measure."  Our boy is all about being bigger than somebody.  He comes up to me at least five times a week and says, "Let's measure" - but much to his chagrin Mommy is still taller.

Kade's coach and his wife are totally gung-ho and practices have been great.  These little boys are really learning!  They had this huge sign printed with all the kids names - I'll get a better picture another game.