Playing around

Family and friends who read this blog will most probably know that I love taking photos. I have always loved taking photos. My parents bought me my first camera when I was 14. They thought they were funny as I unwrapped a dodgey plastic toy camera and tried my best to act excited and thank them. After they finished laughing, they gave me the real camera. A simple point and shoot one that I loved. Much of my teenage memories I have stored in albums from that camera. It died around 9 years later. I always wanted to get a good camera one day. I've always been the sort of person that thinks "that would make a nice photo" Up until we got ours just over a year ago, I tried burning memories of my kids faces into my head...didn't work too well. Job and I were both excited to be able to buy one when we sold our house in Melbourne. Now whenever I think "that would make a nice photo" I don't have to try and burn the memory into my brain anymore. I love playing around with the camera any chance I can. Life is very busy so I don't have as much time as I would like, but I take small moments wherever they come.
Recently a friend asked me to take engagement and wedding photos for her. I freaked out, then said yes. I am really excited for the opportunity. Having a real photoshoot to do is encouraging me to actually learn how to use the camera properly. I would love to explore photography all day everyday......but my family would starve..and stink.....   Plus I know my music is what I should be doing - I think my camera may be too much of a distraction.
Anyway! A few weeks ago I thought I'd have a play around, taking photos inside the house, trying to use whatever natural light I could find. Our dining area has a big window next to it that lets in lots of light so I asked the kids to come over and pose for me so I could learn. You may recognise this collage of JJ, I posted it on facebook weeks ago. He is so funny. I asked him to stand in front of the wall while I fiddled around with the camera. I love taking shots of him as he is so natural and such a clown. He makes himself laugh...

I made a collage of each of my cute kids. I have experimented with different editing effects for each one, trying to capture their personalities. Here's my Ben:

 Lani..

and Sisi..

I'm so glad I married Job, if nothing else he gave me beautiful children :) Unfortunately I can't take any credit as they all look like him! My gorgeous babies xx

Boys are disgusting!

They look pretty cute here right?

This morning I came back from my morning workout with the girls to find the both of them in the loungeroom, roaring with laughter as they each took turns burping and fluffing. Benny was completely in awe of JJs ability to break wind on demand. Benny can burp consistently for as long as he likes so the combination of the both of them is just ......gross!!! I told them they were disgusting and those things should be done in the toilet - so they ran off there to practice. I started making breakfast and burned the toast. It set of the smoke alarm. The boys came running out and I told them they had fluffed so much they set off the alarm. They were so proud!! Then their dad came out........actually I better not go there, will get in big trouble ;)

What is it with boys?? Are they all born like this?? My only wish is that they don't contaminate my sweet little Lani.

Monkeys!

Saturday was a good day..

...it was the day that Job finished his last assignment for Uni!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!

RELIEF!

I'm so glad - I may even be more glad than he is.

He needed to do a presentation at 10am that morning over the computer speaker...thingy...not sure how it works, but sort of like skype? Anyway, the kids and I were not allowed to be in the house. I guess he didn't think the noisy playing, yelling and screaming would help his cause? So we had to disappear for an hour.
I decided to take the kids to Bunnings. Always fun going there, especially on Saturday when they have kids craft and face painting.

JJ was aparently too cool to have his face painted. He didn't even want to take ownership of the heart frame he was decorating. He said he was doing it for Benny :)

Benny and Lani enjoyed the crafts too...

...and no one thought I was weird for taking photos in the middle of Bunnings! (ok, except maybe my kids)

We succeeded in wastuing an hour there. Job called me on the mobile and sounded elated that it was done. Yipee!! We all rejoiced, him at home and us in the Bunnings car park. The kids and I walked past the sausage sizzle stand on the way back to the car. We were all dribbling by the time we drove away and so decided to go past woolies and pick up some sausages for a celebratory lunch. We got home to find dad enjoying his new found freedom:

I was happy for him to enjoy it as much as he wanted to!! And he did - he hung out the washing, washed down some windows, swept the floor, brought in some wood and cleared our bookshelf! I know ladies.....I am spoilt!! I also got lots of hugs. Job is a very cuddly person who unfortunatley for him, married a cold fish! Haha, I do love him, I'm just not as cuddly :) He hugs even more when he's stressed, relieved or excited - come to think of it, he just hugs all the time.

So after all the hugging, we got to eating - yum!! Sausages and Mars Bars - best lunch ever. 

a few words from the happy chappy:

So now its a waiting game. Job checks the uni website frequently to see if his final marks have come through. He's passed everything so far, we're just waiting on the last two results.

After lunch it was playtime!

It was nice to see Job being able to play with the kids without the burden of school work. He's gone from grumpy daddy to fun daddy ;) Stacks on!!

Daddy was beaten up, squished and ridden on....

...while mum got more hugs and kisses :)

Around about this time, the Rogers called and invited the kids over to their house to watch the new kids movie Yogie Bear. We timed it so Sisi was alseep at the same time. Bliss! It was just the two of us...very romantic!! Except that it wasn't since we ended up cleaning as much of the house as we could while the kids were gone. Job was on a role and I wasn't about to stop him!

We finally picked up the kiddies when I realised we were running out of precious day light. I had been planning on taking some photos of Job for the last few days - I even had him grow his facial hair (he looks ruggard and sexy with it!) It was Saturday.. late afternoon, the sun was soon setting and I knew if I didn't get the shot, he would shave it for church the next morning and I'd have to wait for the next sunny afternoon when he had some prickles! We were delayed at the Rogers on account of Lani and Chelsea disappearing to the neighbours for a play in their backyard - unbeknown to us - and them! So, we finally had everyone in the car and I started hyperventilating as I watched the light quickly fade..  We got to the river (where we usually go to take the dog for a walk) and the sun wasn't shinning there. I got Job to drive accross the bridge (on the way to Hobart) where there was still some light. He thought I was just ridiculous while I was frantically saying "Stand here" "No...here" "Maybe there.."  It was fun. I love taking photos of my family and Job is so easy because we both get the giggles. Its hard to take clear photos thought when you're laughing. Anyway....here they are..

 

If you're wondering what he's laughing at....have a look..

Monkeys!

This is MY fav. What a handsome spunk!

So we let the monkeys out and they ran over for photos. I just kept snapping away. I love these photos. (Poor Sisi was still stuck in her car seat, haha)

So once they all got sick of me taking shots, we headed back to the river. The kids did what they do best - splashing eachother with water when its freezing cold....crazy kids!

I asked the kids to stand under the bridge for some photos and was suprised when they all stood there looking.....normal (minus the face paint of course) Usually Benny isn't interested in amusing me for photos. 

This time it was Sisi's turn..

Guess the photoshoot is over then..?!

Kids, Job and big boy fed the ducks

 I decided it was time to go when I couldn't stop my teeth from chattering. I think I was cold just wacthing the kids. They were also getting way too close to the water. They're used to jumping around on the rocks but since its been raining heavily lately, the river is up and there's a strong current. I could just see one of them slipping and knew I would be the one going in after them - - and I was way too cold for that, so it was hometime!

By the time we got the kids and dog in the car, the sun really did set and I was glad I had the camera on my lap. This is what it looked like driving home.

 The front of our house.

 When we got home, I had a cute little assistant help me make dinner - homemade chicken nuggets and chips. I heard him tell Job he is going to make nuggets and chips for his missionary companion :)

I am proud of my honey for getting through all the late nights and long days with his study. I'm even happier that now I get the computer back to blog and go on facebook, lol :) 



Boys and Girls

During the school holidays Kym and I thought it would be fun to have a boy/girl day. We swaped half of our kids with eachother. I took the four girls and she took the four boys. The idea was to spend the time doing fun activites that the boys/girls would like and to prepare some food to share for lunch. I picked up the very excited Roger girls and droppped my boys off. Kym took a picture of her kids waiting for me... so cute!

The girls were so gorgeous. They were so excited and had made a special effort (with their mums help) to have nail polish on and even a bit of make up.

Before we got started with some girly activities, we had fun with the camera. The girls enjoyed being silly and I had so many photos to choose from! When we finished taking shots Charlotte said "Aunty we can just take photos all day then go home." She's my kind of girl!! :)

                                      You'll have to agree that Chelsea makes the funniest faces!

We got started with some cooking. We made enough mixture to fill our little love heart cake tin with enough left for a few funny looking cupcakes. Lani spilt the flour, all the girls got messy trying to clean it up with their hands, then I found them eating and licking the flour off themselves....yuck!!

While we waited for the cakes too cook, I read some stories. These shots make me laugh as this is exactly what happens every reading time at our place. The kids start out on the floor, they like to mimic the classroom. As I read, they get closer...

...and closer!

Then we started on our craft activity - making pom poms! It involved lots of cardboard...

...and lots of wool.

It took a while to get the cardboard circles covered...

...and when they were, the girls had no idea how their woolen circle was going to become a pom pom!

Ta-da!!

It was nearly time to meet back up with the boys and have a late lunch so we quickly iced our cake and made some savory skewers.

The girls kept reminding me throughout the morning that I hadn't been 'made up' yet and we couldn't go for lunch until I had my make up and nail polish on. I looked so beautiful, must have been why people were staring :)

When we did arrive at Kyms, the boys were playing donkey kong (part of their boy activities) Thanks to Kymbo for taking some photos for the blog.

They had also made robots out of recycable containers.

Kym taught all the boys some awesome ninja moves from back in her karate days.

They also had a blast playing stacks on and making milkshakes for lunch.

Something went wrong when I transferred the photos from my camera to the computer and I lost ALL the photos I took at Kyms house - lunchtime with all the kids and Job, and the cool shots of Kym and the boys wrestling.......such a shame. I had some really funny shots of Benny squashing Kym - and Kym squashing Benny! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

We had a great day, its one we'll have to do every holidays.