Daily Photo Challenge - Week 51

Wow, one more week to go - who would have thought!!  We started as a group of seven and lost only two along the way.  I must say I am so super proud of Mel, Jodie, Cat, Jacqs who have stuck to this goal for the last 51 weeks, and also to Carrie & James who gave it a bloody good crack.

Next time I post it will be a new year - 2013.  We are continuing with the challenge - this time with a group (so far!) of 21!!  We are doing things slightly differently next year - we are doing Challenge 52 - so one photo a week and we have also elected some themes for the entire year (completely voluntary to use of course).  Once everyone has their blogs established I will put it up for everyone to see.  If you are interested in joining please don't be shy.  The idea behind it is to get to know your SLR a bit better, but if you have a point and shoot you are still more than welcome to join as there is still plenty to learn in the way of composition etc.  We have a wide variety of photographers in the group - some complete beginners and others who are well established but all of us share the same goal and passion - producing some pretty cool memories.

Well done to my fellow seven photogs - bring on the last week of the challenge xxxx

Bath time

Buds

Stripes 

Tree Adventures

Reading Lesson

Checking for bogeys

My three favourite boys

Daily Photo Challenge - Week 50

Another week done and dusted.  Its been a busy week in our little household as the events of Christmas start to take hold.  We've had three very late nights this week - visiting Franklin Road on Thursday night, celebrating with our Smithy crew on Friday night, and celebrating Bryce's family Christmas last night a little early.  Watching Ash open Christmas presents last night was such a treat and I can't wait to see his face on Christmas Day when he sees what Santa has left behind for him.

As I come to end of this challenge I am anticipating what do to next year.  There have been a few followers of this blog who have expressed interest in doing something next year.  I'm proposing we do a 52 challenge - this involves taking one photo a week instead of one every day which is far more achievable!  And trust me if I can do this every day for a year, you can do it once a week for a year.  Are you in?  If you are message me :)

Flying high

Reflections

Rocking out at Mainly Music

No. 2

Franklin Road

Happy Face

T Ball

Daily Photo Challenge - Week 49

23 days left to go... a massive 343 days achieved!

This week was a pretty crazy one in Auckland - Thursday afternoon saw a tornado sweep through West Auckland taking lives and creating much damage across a fairly wide area.  Thank goodness we're north of the area that got hit, although at the time it was happening I was driving with both kids in the back of the car.  Ash was frightened - he kept saying he could hear the thunder and he was scared.  I told him he was safe as long as he was with Mum - little did I know what was actually going on.  The rain was like nothing I had ever seen before - literally a river raging across the road, and the wind made us feel like we were going to fly away.  When we finally got home both kids were fast asleep so after tucking them into bed I received a phone call from my mother to tell me that a tornado had been through and killed three people.  I felt very fortunate to be safe and with two of the most important people in my lives - fortunately Bryce was just down the road and was relatively unaffected (but also missed the area hit by about ten minutes).  Our condolences to those who lost loved ones and also those who are still not back in their homes due to damage.

On the photography front I finally took the plunge and invested in a new lens (thanks David!).  It is an 85mm Samyang lens which has been a lot of fun to play with.  They are relatively cheap but produce amazing optical quality.  Only catch is everything in the lens is manual - which when you have a quick toddler is pretty challenging!  I'm enjoying learning how to use it though even if I do miss the automatic focusing my much crappier lenses provide!

So all that said, here are my shots for this week :)

Zoo trip

New lens 

Xmas Tree

Back to the books...

Bokeh

Kumeu Christmas Parade

Gemma (see here and here for an earlier photo!)

Daily Photo Challenge - Week 48

Wow, the end of this week has seen us enter the final month of this challenge.  I can't believe how quickly the year has gone, and even though some days this challenge is like a thorn in my side I think I'm going to really miss it come December 31st!

This week I had a great week.  Apart from the little monster keeping me up most of the night, I really feel like I'm mastering this mum of two business.  Sleep deprivation is bloody hard, I thought I'd had it bad in the past but its nothing compared to now!  However Harry is just so dam cute he makes it worth it, especially now that we're really getting some gorgeous gummy grins.

His older brother is pretty cool too.  He's really starting to settle into his new routine of being at home with me and at daycare a couple of days a week.  He is still such a doting big brother, it is gorgeous to watch the two of them interact.  Harry adores Ash, watches him intently and talks and smiles at him constantly.  I'm sure it will be short lived as they get older so I'm appreciating the sibling love at the moment.

Here are this week's photos - I feel I had a fairly good week - home stretch now!

Smiley

Poser

Eyelashes

Teeny Toes

Road tripping to Grandma and Grandads house

Off the beaten track

Grandma Coles rocking the Christmas Parade

Daily Photo Challenge - Week 47

We are on the home stretch of this challenge now with just five weeks left.  And tonight I was going through my year's worth of photos and I feel so pleased that I have come this far.  It hasn't been easy, through morning sickness at the start of the year, to no light in the middle of the year, to being the size of a whale in recent times to dealing with a toddler and a newborn in the last few weeks.  But in spite of all this, I have a single photo for every single day, a memory whether it be good or bad - its a memory.

If you are passionate about photography, or want to learn to use your camera a little better I highly recommend doing this challenge.  It ain't easy, but dam its rewarding.

Here are my shots for the week - a mixed bag really with many being snapshots, going to try harder next week!

Harry loves his big bro

Zoom

Working on a tender

Post Bath

The coolest kid in town

Cole 

Dino Man

Daily Photo Challenge 44, 45 and 46

Yes I know its been a while...

My events from the last three weeks -

1. Traveled to Hamilton Island and back (northern Queensland for those not in the know!), where we experienced being held up at customs for drugs (kids meds), two random explosive tests, being locked out of our apartment by Mr A with Mr H fast asleep inside, and winning an award for our business - the best performing admin office in Auckland - nice to see some of our super hard work being rewarded!

2. Reached a feeding milestone with Harry - finally it no longer hurts to feed him

3. Learnt to never leave a toddler in charge of a shower head unless you want to lose your power for the night

4. Finally finding my groove as a mum of two

5. Visited my old workplace and A's old daycare - brought tears to my eyes to see him cuddle his old friends and not want to leave when he hasn't let me leave him anywhere since all my problems during pregnancy

6. Hit and miss for photos over the last three weeks - still in a haze of changing nappies, feeding and sleep deprivation

7. Enough said, here are the photos :)

Afro Man

Marina Views at Hamilton Island

Aim & Fire!

Views over Hamilton Island

Moon Rise

The little pirate

Self Portrait

Tiger

Watching Airplanes

Post holiday recovery

On your marks, get set, go!

The 'lads'

Brother love

Baby Giraffe

Watermelon

Learning to smile

Feast

Blind Spot

My work space

Grandma's fix everything

Happy Saturdays