My Passion...

Photography!!! It has become much more manageable, yet more uncontrollable, since I got my Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I am still ages away from knowing all that I can about the camera and what it can do for me, but I am LOVING being able to take 50 snaps of the kids jumping on the trampoline and pick just ONE to print!! That in and of itself has increased my abilities tenfold. Then when you add the Sigma 0-300 telephoto lense to the package, I am finally able to take some of the nature shots that I've always wanted to but couldn't. It's a wonderful feeling. So I thought I would share some of my favorite photos with you, from the time when my inspiration to further my interest was born (we named her Bella).

There are some wonderful baby pictures that I will share first. Bella has always been such a happy girl. She was a very easy baby. I was layed off of my job 2 weeks before she was born. Best thing that ever happened to me! I worked at a chemical plant and was on shift work. If fact, I was getting off of midnights, leaving at 7 am when they pulled me aside and told me I was the first to go with the sale of the plant to GE. It was a sad day in the fact that I was leaving a family of people that I adored - some of the best people that you could ever hope to work with. That still makes my heart ache to this day. But since then I've always said that you can't chose to give up a job that can support your family, but you can chose not to go find another one. I spent many days at home with my new baby girl setting up photo shoots and getting pics of my beautiful baby. Most of them were taken with the camera that was purchased using the money that people I had worked with had raised for us that first Christmas after the layoffs. As I said, wonderful people - words cannot say what they still all mean to me. These are some of the shots that I got of my little photogenic girl back then with my Canon Rebel Ti film camera. I think my favorite photo of all time is the one of Bella with the ant on her hand. It seems like it was just yesterday that me and my little girl were taking walks every day, playing in the yard under our trees out in the country where we lived, and just making that everlasting bond that gets us through everyday life. Now, in just 2 1/2 months, that baby of mine will be turning 5. She is reading just about every word that she comes to, developing a healthy attitude and independence, and asserting her dominant nature over her also dominant-natured little brother. She loves her baby brother best (because he can't dissagree with her yet!!), and she is a wonderful help to me every day. Next I will post some pictures of her at an older age...







Every time we went for a walk, which we did a lot, she had to have a flower - preferably a daisy - to hold. She never ate them, never tore them up, just held them...









And here's my girl with the ant on her hand. I love B & W!