Sunday, August 19, 2012

Sunday Snapshot - "My girls"

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Nikon D300
lens 50mm 1:4
F/2,ISO 200, Exp. 1/250

After a week where I felt like I was chasing my tail and getting nowhere fast, by Friday evening, I really needed a change of pace and scenery.

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So.....I dropped everything, put a note on my computer saying 
"I'm outta here baby", grabbed my camera and the family and headed to the park. It was about 6:00 pm and we had the place to ourselves again. (We're late eaters....it's just the way we roll.)
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So....in between jumping and swinging and running....I was able to grab a picture or two.
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OK....so, I admit.....this one scares me a bit. We were just wandering near the water below, down this little path and I said - "turn around babe" and this is the look I got.
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And then this one.
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And to restore my vision of my little monkey baby girl - she just as quickly jumped into this tree and I was thankfully brought back to the present reality.
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And not to be outdone.....my second monkey had to have her turn.
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( I have some really fun shots from our little outing that I'll post on Tuesday. The girls pretending to be performing on the very stage where Steven Tyler and Aerosmith had their outdoor concert a few weeks ago......just a mile from our house.......yes....that's what I said.)
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I posted this (below) on Facebook this week. Thought I'd share it here too.

Something special happened tonight. After a week of (mama pulling her hair out) the girls fighting more than loving - this mama was getting a tad discouraged with the whole scene. After dinner tonight the girls were both enjoying a Toblerone
chocolate bar each and as Dahlia was about to pop the last triangle into her mouth....she dropped it!....On the floor!!! (Oh horrors.......had Daddy not been around we may have enlisted the 5 second rule but alas....that did not happen.) Wailing pursued as I rolled my eyes and wondered how to fix....yet another earth-shattering trauma. Then.......a little hand reached out and offered Dahlia her very last piece of chocolate. Dahlia gleefully grabbed it, took a tiny bite and handed back half of the last piece that Milana had offered her.

Peace is now restored and I have suddenly forgotten all the drama/trauma of the week. It's all good!

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This was Dahlia's face the very moment I mentioned "hey.....let's go get some chocolate".

Happy much?


Joining Stef and the other photogs. Check 'em out!
Ni Hao Yall

Have a fabulous week!

That's my plan.


Sunday, August 12, 2012

Sunday Snapsho t- "Birds and the.......flowers!"

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Besides kids and art, music and flowers, food and eating(....wait...I'm thinking) decorating, sunshine and photography and lot of other stuff.........
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......I also love.....birds. I just find them fascinating. 

I mean, have you ever wondered just how many feathers cover their bodies? And....what the heck are they thinking about when they cock their head and stare you right in the eye?
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There were dozens of these birds all over the floor when we visited our little nature park greenhouse.....almost stepped on a few.
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And for awhile...the place was quiet with almost no one else around. I almost felt like I was trespassing on their turf.....so I was happy they let me stay awhile and cooo to them as I clicked away.


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Ok....so maybe this one was starting to tire of the visitor with that big black thing beeping and clicking away.
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So...I gave my feathered friends a break to capture some of the fauna and flora......which was equally fascinating.
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Ni Hao Yall

Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: 28-75 mm f-2.8 macro
75mm
f 2.8
1/125
Metering center weighted
 
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Hoping everyone has a wonderful start to the new week.

Stop and smell the flowers this week....and look up....you might just see a little bird flying by.

Don't miss it!
xoxo



Friday, August 10, 2012

Favorite Photo Friday - " Milana's Gotcha Day! "


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August 9th is Milana's Gotcha Day! And we are 3 years home with our littlest munchkin.

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And in 3 years, Milana has gone from almost shutting down and not even walking at 22 months (!!) to this - spunky, bright, charming, grabs your heart tight and will not let it go - child who has found her rightful spot in our family and in this world.
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It's been quite a ride.

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To celebrate our Milana's Day, we went out to dinner with our dear friends who share the same special days. (Our 2 families traveled to China twice together and both our 2 daughters share the same gotcha days. And, if you don't know our story......our eldest girls were from the same place and knew each other since infants and are best friends ever since and our littlest, while not from the same province, still share the same day and they too have become holy terrors best friends!

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It really is a fairy tale story that we ought to write one day. Such a rare bond that very few people share.

(Joining Lisa and friends at The Long Road to China.)
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(Now...about that first picture at the top...the family one. I get asked a lot how I manage to get everyone in the same picture with me in it too. So....here's the madness recipe. Set up the scene, warn the troops...." it picture time!" WHAT? AGAIN? , get someone to sit in the sweet spot so I get my focus....oh....camera is on tripod of course, put the camera setting on delay shooting - 8 seconds, press the shutter, yell "sckoosh over so I can get my bum in.....here we go....now smile!!".

And that's it!

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Another year has passed with this most interesting child in our midst, who lately just makes me stand back in delighted wonder at just how she is blossoming.

From "cling-on" child who lived on my right leg for over a year to "Miss Wild Thang" to " get ready world...cause Milana has arrived" so brace yourself .

She is all that and soooo much more.

She's our love bucket......
.....our beloved daughter! 


Sunday, August 5, 2012

Sunday Snapshot - "Our favorite park"

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Though we don't go nearly as often as we'd like....when we do get to our favorite nature park - it never disappoints

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And it's especially great when we get to share it with our great friends.

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My friend Helen and I  have brought our kiddos to this park since the first ones were wee little......in strollers. We will never tire of it....as long as the kids don't. And there's no sign of that happening anytime soon.
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There is just so much to see and do....and it's practically in our back yard.

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This was just a sprinkling from our visit the other day. I'll try and post more later this week.

Joining Stefanie and some other great bloggers for this Sunday Snapshot post.

Ni Hao Yall

Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: 28-75mm F/2.8
Aperature:  f/2.8 - f/8
Shutter: 1/160 and faster
ISO: 200

Happy Sunday!
xoxo




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Hi, I'm Wanda. I am a happy woman, wife to Danny for...oh....lots a years and finally Mom to THE most adorable little girl from Hunan, China - Dahlia. And now we have been blessed again with another daughter, Milana, from Zhejiang, China. (The 2 best things I've ever done!) We live in the Montreal area. After a loooonnngg wait for Dahlia's little sister Milana (pronounced - Mee-lana, like banana), we finally brought her home in August 2009. Dahlia came to us in Nov 2004 (at 20 months of age)and a year later we began the application for another baby - at the time the waiting period was around 8 months. Almost 4 years later (say what!?!)we, at last, brought Milana home. This began as the story of our journey to bring Milana home and life with her big sister, Dahlia. It now continues as we live as a family of four!
God. My (growing) family. Hangin' out with my girlies. My wonderful friends (you know who you are!). To laugh (out loud and a lot!). Music. Painting. Hugs. Long chats with my buds. My garden. To read (ha...when I can!). Sunshine. Spring, Spring and more Spring. Building things. Cooking. Decorating. Parties (ahem). The internet. Life. Movies. A.I. Dancing with the stars. So you think you can dance. Travel. Umm..did I say laughing my head off. Oh Gee...everything actually!!
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