Playing with the camera...

So the more I get into Pinterest, the more ideas I get about photography and the more motivated I get.  I'm still trying to learn everything I can about my camera, lighting, backgrounds, positioning, editing and much more.  I still have A LOT to learn!  However my best learning comes from doing so it is a good thing I have a little guinea pig to work with at home.  Due to the winter weather and the inability to really do much photography outside at this point, I decided to get something set up in our house.  I opened up the blinds from the sliding glass door (for some natural light), pushed our kitchen table out of the way and set up "my studio".  I had a white sheet that I threw up as a backdrop and set my guinea pig up to get to work.  She was quite playful for awhile, but was done within about 20 minutes. Good thing it was just a practice round!  So after many adjustments with the sheet and using big work bench clamps from Shea to hold it up I decided I wanted to research some other options.  Shea and I found a photography background stand set including 3 muslin backdrops (black, white and green), and a lighting kit on Amazon.  It arrived last week and I look forward to unpacking the kit and getting it all set up.  The problem is space...looks like Larkyn's play area downstairs may have to be sacrificed for a bit. The great thing is it all packs up really easily and could be taken from place to place if needed.  I have a tripod and remote as well so my hope is to use all my resources over the next couple weeks to take some maternity photos before this big belly goes away!  Oh, how I look forward to the infant photo shoots.  Hoping for a cooperative baby...

 

Some silly shots...

Zoo with Grandma Debbie...

Grandma Debbie came to visit us for the weekend so we decided to take her to the zoo on Saturday morning.  We saw many baby monkeys hanging on their Mama's tummies or backs.  We also saw a very pregnant Mama monkey with a baby in her belly.  Larkyn enjoyed showing Grandma the birds and reptiles of the Tropics Trail.  We finished with the dolphins, sharks and fish in Discovery Bay.  Larkyn enjoyed putting her hands in the water just above the Sting Rays...YIKES!

 

On Saturdays during the winter months there are many opportunities for kid crafts and activities.  We sat down for a bit so Larkyn could create a card for her daddy.  We cut out starfish, sharks, and dolphins to color and glue on the card.  

She was more interested in the supplies than actually creating the card!

 

Later in the evening, Shea, Larkyn and I met my mom and her friend Scott and some of his extended family at Cadillac Ranch in the Mall of America for dinner.   Larkyn was very social that night and got playing a game with beaded necklaces with a little girl and boy next to our table.  No relation or knowledge of who they were...just fun people to be around I guess!  She also enjoyed jumping on the inflatables that surrounded the mechanical bull until she got kicked out with the rest of the kids!  It was fun getting to know Scott a little more this weekend and meeting some of his family.  We would have loved to have stayed to join in the fun on the rides at Nickelodeon Universe, but our little lady was pooped, and it was time for bed! 

New Year's Eve...

Another New Years, and another great time with the Steinert's.  We had a delicious dinner, enjoyed play time with the kiddos, pajama time and some adult time before ringing in the new year.  Shea and Mike played their share of ping pong and Katie and I joined in for a few games of doubles with our hubbies.  Mueske's dominated the Steinert's again, but fun was had by all:). 

 

Luke and Larkyn interact a little more together each time they play together.  It is so fun to see how much they have grown up.  They enjoyed the bucket, getting in and out, sitting in it and hugging each other.

Pajama time with the kiddos...

Pizza Night...

 Just before New Year's some neighbors came over for "pizza and playtime".  We enjoy these opportunities to get the kids together to play and have some adult conversations with others.   Especially in the winter time when we feel we don't see anyone!  Anna became a big sister in early December of baby Hudson, Hailey's younger brother Hayden is already one year old, and Jack and Joey will have a baby sister in June!  (I'm writing this in February, so Hayden turned one mid January and that is also when the Kunze's found out they were having a girl!)

Apparently the challenge during playtime was to see how much they could take out and not actually play with.  Seems like a good idea to me...

"Peek-a-boo Hayden!"

She seems to like the buckets.  

Must be something about dumping everything else out to make a mess and the comfort of sitting inside...

Playdate with Hannah and Melanie...

 Over Christmas Break we went to visit Hannah and Melanie (Chris and Jessi too).  Hannah was on day 4 of no diapers and going potty on the big potty!  We were so proud of her.  She even called us after we left to let us know she went poopy on the potty!  Yay Hannah!  

In between trips to the bathroom Hannah and Larkyn played a bit and exchanged gifts.  Hannah enjoyed her playdough and tool kit.  I'm sure she'll get great use out of the tools working with her daddy!

Larkyn watched with her daddy as Hannah opened her gifts.

Hannah helped open a book for Melanie.

Hannah was a great helper in collecting the paper Larkyn ripped off.

Larkyn loves her alphabet puzzle.  She is great at matching up the letters to their correct position.  She is even able to point out the L for Larkyn, T for Tracey, and X for xylophone without help!

The girls exchanged thank you hugs with each other...

Reading books...

 

Going grocery shopping...

And posing for pictures...

 

Shea got some Melanie time too...

Christmas in Iowa...

We made it down to Iowa around 1:30, just in time for lunch with my mom, sisters and brother-in-law.  We were banking on the idea that Larkyn would take a nap on the way down and wouldn't need one in the afternoon.  Well that didn't happen!  Luckily she ate pretty well and was preoccupied by family and gift opening for the majority of the afternoon and wasn't too crabby...yet!

 

Around 4 we were off to my aunt's house for my mom's side family Christmas.  We tend to always have a family activity of some sort and this year was the Nativity/Christmas Story.  My aunt gave each person in the family a role or character to play in the story.  We had 15 minutes to go through the house and come up with a costume.  I was given the role of Mary, Shea was Joseph and Larkyn was one of the angels.  As you can see from the pictures below, our family got quite creative.  Gotta love the red sleeping bag Inn Keepers and one of the 3 kings...King of Clubs to be exact!  

Can't forget our little angel...the good and the evil!:)

My Uncle Randy decided it would be a good idea to take our family photos in ugly sweaters this year.  So between raiding our Grandma Barb's closet and a few extras the pictures turned out great!  The best was hearing my grandma reply how cute a sweater was after someone was saying how ugly it was, or when Chad put on his blue sweater and gram says "well I just wore that this week!"  Shea's sweater was one of my favorites...shoulder pads and a nice view of his mid-drift.  Though Luke's sweater with the mock turtleneck and kitties probably topped them all!  We had a great time celebrating Christmas together. It is always fun getting together with everyone.  28 people, 1 dog, and counting always makes for an entertaining time!

Larkyn made it until just after 7 before Shea packed her up to take her home to bed.  Without a nap, she did well, but was surely fading fast.  The two of them went back to my mom's for bed...well Larkyn went to bed.  Shea put on his cheese head and cheered the Packers on to victory!

Monday morning we went over to my dad and Vickie's place for brunch and a Christmas celebration.  Larkyn was spoiled yet again with all of the wonderful gifts.  She loved her new purse, headbands and clips, as well as some puzzles, coloring books and new desk. 

 Larkyn spent most of her time loving on everyone and bouncing from one person to the next. Pretty sure she enjoyed the holidays with her family!

Christmas at home...

We attended our first Christmas service ever at Hosanna!  We have been out of town for many years on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and finally made the decision to stay home this year.  It was a very low key couple of days and we absolutely loved every minute of it.  We began our Christmas celebration by attending a Christmas Eve service in the afternoon.  Larkyn loved seeing the live manger scene and the animals up close after the service.  We saw sheep, a donkey, camels, chickens, and more! 

Not sure how close she should get...

The miniature donkey...

Checking out the sights from the seats...

After Larkyn's nap, we hung out and played at home.  We made a beef roast and broccoli latkes for dinner.  After dinner we headed downstairs for a movie and popcorn night.  Larkyn loved the movie "Polar Express" and sat for at least 45 minutes of it as she enjoyed her popcorn.  She still enjoyed the second half as she brought toys from her play area to the living room and sat on the floor and watched.

After the movie, we came upstairs to set out cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer.  We captured the moment on video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqktwnmD9Yg

Shea and I were both up for quite some time before Larkyn finally woke up.  I think she may have slept longer, but we woke her up at 8!  She was excited to see a new table and chairs waiting for her by the tree downstairs.

"Thank you, Santa!"

Larkyn started with her stocking-stuffers and discovered some new cups from Santa.

A new book about colors...

We couldn't go on until the cup was clean and milk was put in it.

We weren't sure if she was just overwhelmed or really hungry, but Larkyn wasn't interested in opening presents beyond the stocking.  She kind of just sat there as you can see below...

Then she just laid there...

Once Shea and I started opening some gifts too she felt a little better about opening more of hers.  What a nice girl...she didn't want to leave out her parents!

"Oooh, Minnie slippers!"

Shea loved the gift he got from Larkyn..."Cheese Head Baby!"

She wanted to give it a try too...

We had a great first Christmas morning at home with Larkyn.  If only we didn't have to rush off to Iowa around 10!  Next year we need to consider staying at home longer so Larkyn can play with what she opened.  Poor thing was whisked away after opening all of her fun gifts!