Debbie's Photos from our Day on the Lake

This is pretty cool... I just discovered that I can do this with Kodak Gallery albums! These are Debbie's photos from our fun day on Lake Norman. She got some great close up shots that I couldn't get because I don't have a zoom lens for my camera yet.
(Just click on the link below, then click on the yellow 'Play' button. To get back to the blog, just click the 'Back' button on your browser.)
Kodakgallery.com Slideshow

October 2010 Update:  I just discovered this apparently does not work anymore.  Kodak Gallery must have changed something.  Sorry!

Weekend Trip to North Carolina

Finally, I'm getting a chance to blog about our trip to Mark and Debbie's last weekend. It has been a busy week, and I just got around to figuring out how to download the pictures from my new camera to our computer. I have to admit I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with all I need to learn about the camera and also my new Photoshop software. I know it will take time, but I can't help but want to know everything NOW. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite first pictures I made with my new camera. Some were taken on "Program" mode, and for some I actually set the aperture and ISO speed myself.

Before I get to the weekend, I have to talk about one more thing I am really excited about. We finally got a new garage door opener. You might think that's not a very big deal. But believe me, it is! Apparently, the previous owners of our house never even had any remote controls for the garage door opener. It was some ancient Sears model... very noisy. Anyway, since they never had remotes, that means we haven't had remotes. So the only way to open the garage door was to use the wall-mounted button INSIDE the garage. And we've been living with this for 3 years! I haven't been parking in the garage because it was just too much trouble. Picture this... go into garage, open garage, get in vehicle and back out of garage, walk back in garage, push the button to close the garage, and then run like you're being chased by a wild boar and do the limbo under the garage door to get out before it closes. Enough said... We now have remotes and a keyless entry panel on the outside. Hooray for us!

Now back to the weekend. Mark and Debbie live north of Charlotte, NC in Mooresville. Fenn loved having the girls dote over him the whole time. Let's face it, Fenn loves having any pretty girl around, whether they're a cousin or not. They had a big day on Lake Norman planned for us. On Saturday morning, we rented a pontoon boat and spent a good part of the day on the lake. It was Fenn's first time on a boat and his first time to swim in a lake. Yes to both grandmothers... we DID in fact put that baby in that lake! He had on a life vest and was with his daddy the whole time. He loved it! And I was surprised that he relaxed enough to lean back and float on his back.Everyone except Fenn and mommy rode the tube. It was lots of fun to watch. That night, we all went out to Lancaster's BBQ, where they have some awesome BBQ and yummy hushpuppies. Sunday morning came and after a big breakfast, we had to load up and head home. The weekend went by way too fast. We had a great time!

A few more photos...

Why Mommy is so excited...

I am so excited about something, I just have to share. I have been wanting a new camera for a while and really wanted to venture into the world of Digital SLR cameras. I have always loved photography, but have never really done anything more than just use a point-and-shoot camera or the "full auto" option on my Canon EOS Rebel G 35mm film camera. I few times I actually experimented with manual settings, but didn't really know much about aperture and shutter speed. And I never bought a decent lens for my Rebel G ~ just used the cheap lens that came with the kit. Good intentions... but I digress. Now I'm getting more serious about it. One reason is that I'm tired of missing so many of Fenn's expressions waiting on my old point-and-shoot digital to actually take the picture! Another reason is that I'm spending a small fortune on professional photographs of Fenn. If I can start doing it myself, that will pay for the camera and any other lenses and equipment I purchase in the future. My new camera, a Canon Rebel XTi EOS Digital SLR, just arrived yesterday. And my lens, a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, should arrive today. And I'm hoping the memory card I ordered will arrive, too. I did a lot of research online to determine the best "beginner" camera and lens, and I knew I wanted to stick with Canon. The new Canon XSi came out recently as the new and improved replacement to the XTi. Because of this, I was able to find the XTi at a pretty good price. I'm hoping to start taking my first photos this weekend while we're visiting Dan's sister. Next up... I'm hoping to take an online photography course in the fall. And hopefully I can finally learn how to use the manual settings on my camera. I'm not necessarily looking to start a new career with this. But if I got good enough, and it blossomed into a small business, that would be fine by me. If I had a few paying customers from time to time, that would be great. But that's a ways down the road. In the meantime, I hope to learn as much as I can and take pictures of my family. Be on the lookout for new and improved photos of Fenn. Hopefully no more washed out photos (like the one above) due to an unnecessary flash. I swear, those built-in flashes really know how to suck the life out of an otherwise good photo!

Fenn at Eight Months Old

This is Fenn at Eight Months. This is the eighth installment in the "12-month onesie" series. Check out how tight the onesie has become! And we have 4 more of these to do. (Be sure to check out the link in the right-hand margin to see ALL of his "12-month onesie" photos together.) We went to the doctor on Friday for a re-check (after his 2nd ear infection in less than a month), and Fenn weighed 20 lbs. 14.5 oz. There have been lots of big changes over the last month. Some highlights are: He holds his arms up to be picked up. It's not a big gesture yet (like indicating he wants you to pick him up). But when he sees you approaching him, he'll put his arms up to make it easier. Still not crawling yet, but he can now hold the crawl position. And he'll do the little "rocking" motion... so it's close. For now, his methods for getting around involve maneuvering around on his belly, rolling over, and scooting across the floor on his bottom. As I mentioned in an earlier post, he sleeps on his tummy now. And he loves to stand up (with assistance, of course). But over the last week, he has started trying to move his feet. So he definitely knows that's going to be the way to get where he wants to go! He sits up like an old pro now and moves from a sitting position to his tummy with ease. And when he's flat on his back, he can almost get up to the sitting position without help. If he's leaning against a pillow, he can get in the sitting position without a problem. His newest forms of communication involve the "Baa Baa" sound and shrieks/screams of joy. The kid definitely has a set of lungs on him. He is fascinated with Petey; watches him intently whenever he's in the room. Oh, whenever he sees the TV remote, he grabs for it and trys to play with it. As I mentioned way back in June, he got his left and right Lower Central Incisors shortly before he turned 6 months old. Well, last week we noticed his left Lower Lateral Incisor has broken through (Thursday, Aug. 7th). And the right one is bulging and shouldn't be too far behind. Also, his right Upper Central Incisor is just a couple of days from breaking through. We can see a little bit of white, but it hasn't broken through as of this morning (Monday). And, the left one is also bulging and shouldn't be far behind. So right now, he has 3 teeth. But he'll probably have 6 teeth within the next few weeks.

A couple of sweet things he's doing right now... When I arrive at daycare to pick him up, he'll smile as soon as he sees me. The other day, I was looking through the door (glass french doors) and he was playing on the floor with Will and Charlotte. He looked up and saw me through the glass and gave me the sweetest little smile. Another thing is when Dan is on his way home from work, he'll call to let me know he's on his way. I'll put the phone up to Fenn's ear so daddy can talk to him. He'll smile as soon as he hears his daddy's voice and then will have this serious look on his face (like he's concentrating on what daddy is saying). Then he'll smile again, pull his face away from the phone, and then look into the phone as if he's wondering how daddy got in there! I just love watching him grow! (I usually only put in one "onesie" shot, but I kind of liked this other one, too.)

Caught with His Pants Down!

How we found Fenn yesterday morning...

Dan had already gotten Fenn up and fed him. Then he put him back in his crib so he could shower. (Mommy was still sleeping.) When I got up, this is what I found. Fenn was apparently having a blast playing in his crib!

Just 29 More Days til....

...College Football is here!!!!

Go Dawgs!!! Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof!

War Eagle!!! Go Tigers!