Explanation for Scarcity

I know, I have been more scarce than usual here on the blog, but we have been busy with a bunch of miscellaneous projects. For some reason, I feel like explaining the circumstances...

First, the tiling unearthed a plethora of random, un-enjoyable projects including but not limited to painting, precision trim work, cleaning and freshening in many areas. The trim has been the biggest deal for me. First I had to plan it all - I had to figure out just what pieces of trim we needed for each of the 3 projects I was planning for and for a few repairs to existing trim. Then we have to take the whole fam-dam-ily to the Home Depot. Then it takes me forever to deliberate over how to make the most of the length of each piece and how much we need total of each style of casing, molding and baseboard. Then Mark barfs all over himself and the floor, right there in the store. Then I am humbled by the Home Depot employee who comes to clean it up. And I mean crying-all-the-way-home-humbled. It's okay, I deserved it. I sent her a thank you and apology card. Then I realized I was so distracted I didn't buy nearly enough wood for all the projects. Then we had to take the whole fam-dam-ily back again to the "last time I barfed" store, as Mark calls it. Then my generous, patient husband had to stain all the wood for me. NOW I am working on cutting and installing. And each one of those steps takes me a couple days or more to wrap my mind around, pack up kids, get to stores between naps, and maybe actually have time to work on things. Anyway, I will bring you each project as I finish it.

Sounds exciting, right? NOT! So, you can see how I have been busy, and can imagine how I don't have much blog-worthy material to work with. But, since you sat through that sob-story, I do have these kid pics to tide y'all over while I prep a few posts...

Mark's drawing and penmanship has been improving...

That was a dirt bike...

And that was a boy, mommy and daddy...

And that was a wagon. Decent!

I tried to get some smile pics of Susanna yesterday...

Okay, I have to work on my skills - photographing infants is not easy. Turns out it is pretty tricky to bounce a baby on your knees, hold a camera, look through the viewfinder and coax a smile out of a 3-month-old. This is why you see all those pictures of the peaceful, sleeping newborns, and then skip on ahead to the 6-month-old sitting up photos! Kristel, I have to take pics of your little gal before she gets squirmy! =)

I also tried out a pic of the kids today that I had been brainstorming...

I gotta work on it. Mostly I want this lens so I can get better bokeh. And I think I will just have to wait till the little gal can sit up and is more into smiling. Finicky little things, aren't they?

Well, that's all, folks. More soon!