Photographer, maybe one day

Have you ever wanted something so badly that it literally hurts some days?   That is where I am with pursuing my photography.  I borrowed Bill's aunts Nikon D3100 and have not put it down since I have had it in my hands.  It has been great practice for me and I can not wait for the day I go and purchase my Nikon D5200! Here are some of the recent photos that I have taken this week with the camera.  I am loving this opportunity to learn more about the camera and try to figure out what kind of photography I want to do.  I know I want to have a studio and take photos of kids and families.  A lot of my pictures that I have been taking are of the neighborhood birds, I let my sparrows, that I raised go 2 weeks ago and I know they are still around, in the mix of birds that are here. After I raised the birds, I realized I have quite the love affair with birds.   

Our niece Brooklynn

Our niece and nephew 

To be 5 again...

As my nephew and I set out on a bike ride through our small town Coal City, IL to go to Dollar General and pick up AA batteries, I bet he never thought he would be sitting in a combine, on a farm, helping plow some corn.   We took another water break, probably our 5th one in 5 minutes and it was at a corn field where a combine was plowing the corn field.  We stood and watched as the farmer plowed the field and then spit all the kernals into the little bins.  Then the farmer drove the tractor over to us, opened his door "do you want to ride with me and plow the corn"?  I wish I had my camera to have captured his face at that very moment when he looked up at me and said "can I Ti-Ti"?  There he went, he got to ride and plow 8 rows in the combine.  When he was done and the farmer helped him out he came running down to me and said "that was the coolest ever".  He shook the farmers hand, said "thank you" and we rode off.  

  Collin and I do tons of stuff, tons of 5 year old stuff.  He is my best little friend.  

here we are at the park

A quick recap of  C and I, he turned 5 on the 29th of August, this was my picture tribute to the best aunt and nephew relationship ever. 

Birthdays all weekend

Phew!  What a weekend and it was amazing, it was a nice reminder how amazing my family is especially the family I married into.  We had a couple birthday parties to attend this weekend, one of the parties was my husbands cousins son, he turned 3.   I am a picture whore, I love to take them, print them, hang them and give them as gifts.  So I thought to myself  "what if we could get all the grand kids and great grand kids together for a group photo for Grandma Darlene (my husbands gram) and give it to her for Christmas"?  I messaged all the cousins a week ago and we figured that the day of "LJ's" party would be the best time, everyone will be together.   I set the self timer and we took several photos; one large group photo and then each family by themselves.  This is going to be an amazing gift for gram.  

Group shot of all the grand and great grand kids.

My husband Bill and myself.

From LtoR: Sister in law with our niece and nephew Center: Bill's cousin Randy and his family R: Bill's cousin Shelia and her family.

This is going to be an AWESOME gift for gram and I can not wait for Christmas!  We also celebrated our nephew's 1st birthday this weekend, his birthday was on Friday and he had his BIG 1 year old party today(Sunday).  

Brandon on his new 4 wheeler.

SMASH cake!!

We had a great weekend with family celebrating birthdays.   ...and for a quick apology; my laptop screen has gone out, then the laptop completely died, it will be getting a tune up at some point, until then I am sharing a laptop with my husband, but I promise I will do my best to post.