For twenty-four years my family has made
Valley View Farms a part of our Holiday traditions. When Patrick and I married we decided to not run out that first Christmas and purchase enough ornaments to fill a tree. Our first tree had just three ornaments, a tacky blinking gold star on top and colored lights. It was just a small table top tree but we loved it. That's the way it has been every year since, we add one ornament for each family member. After Thanksgiving we drive an hour to Valley View Farms and everyone gets to pick their ornament for that year. You never know what your going to come home with. Add to that the homemade treasures and we now have a tree overflowing with ornaments and a life time of memories. Last year Patrick suggested we do something else, the kids vetoed that idea. I am glad. It is magical for me to unwrap each and every ornament and remember when and why it was purchased or made. This year we had three generations there. Ian, Christy are now picking ornaments with their son for their own Christmas tree. While Kate and Matt choose their first joint ornament that will hang on our tree until they have one of their own. I hope that as our lives change and our children find their own way that this is a tradition that continues.
© Michelle Hines
(these are much more interesting when viewed larger... just click the photo)
This man is the love of my life! The center of my world. He makes me feel special every day. His love is unconditional. I am so very lucky to have that kind of love and support in my life. He has loved me through better and worse, richer and poorer, taken amazing care of me at my sickest and rejoiced with me in health. One of my biggest hopes for my children when they were growing up was that that would someday find the kind of love that their father and I share. I believe they both have. Today, and everyday, I am so very thankful for my husband and my family.
My Christmas present arrived today! Yes, I know it is Thanksgiving, but I get to have my gift early so I can practice using it before Christmas morning. I got an external flash for my camera!!! The Nikon SB 600 Speedlight. I have not looked at the manual or even read up on how to use this type of flash. I took it out of the box and put it on the camera and took these shots in my kitchen under CFL lighting at night. I bounced the flash off of the ceiling and had the diffuser (another Christmas gift) on the flash. I am thrilled with the results. Normally my pictures taken at night in my home have a yellow glow... not these. I have a lot of reading and practicing to do but I already love my new toy!! Poor Patrick, Sophie and Max had to endure my immediate excitement and constant flashing.
There is a photography website that I visit occasionally to learn more and to see what others are doing with their cameras. Every week they post an assignment. This week's was fun. The subject was kinetics, basically while taking a photo your camera or parts of it should be in motion. They even suggested throwing your camera to get a neat shot. NOT! The photo above is my entry for this assignment. In the living room where I work there is a print showing a fall scene. I love the colors. That is what I used to create this photo. I focused in tight on the print and zoomed out while rotating my camera then I bumped up the color saturation just a bit. I will definitely be spending more time playing with this idea.
Oliver, 10 weeks old.
