Wenderful 365

Day 180

2010-07-20T22:36:00.000-07:00

Just chillin'.This is my second son and third kid. He's a typical middle child. I've been making an extra effort not to let him get "left out" or "over looked". I was a middle child and I understand. He is sweet and kind and smart and thoughtful.

Day 179

2010-07-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

One thing I do like about living in Idaho is the sky. You can see for miles and miles and there's good chance the sunset will be gorgeous in the summer.

Day 178

2010-07-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

My friend and I found ourselves with 6 fewer kids than our regular 9 so we took the little boys out for dinner one night. Little boys make my heart sing!

Day 177

2010-07-20T22:31:00.001-07:00

I dropped my husband and brother-in-law off at the top of Big Cottonwood one morning so they could mountain bike somewhere far (I can't remember where they went). I brought along my camera because I knew it would be beautiful. And it was. But I really need a wide angle!

Day 176

2010-07-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

This gives me the heebie-jeebies! Too close for comfort!

Day 175

2010-07-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

Help!!!

Day 174

2010-07-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hogle zoo. The kids love this elephant because it squirts water out of its trunk. Perfect for a hot summer day.

Day 173

2010-07-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

The game of Life.

Day 172

2010-07-20T16:30:00.001-07:00

Play ball!

Day 171

2010-07-20T13:59:00.001-07:00

Typical teenagers. Too old for fireworks and eternally connected to a tech device.

Day 170

2010-07-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Kids! Don't do this at home!My husband is a sucker for a dare.

Day 169

2010-07-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

Launching balloons toward the elementary school. Shhhh....

Day 168

2010-07-20T13:24:00.001-07:00

Playing with a balloon launcher while we waited for the sun to go down and start fireworks.

Day 167

2010-07-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

The kids are all prepared with their bags to fill with candy from the parade. Not sure if Jack is giving me the "just shoot me" sign or not...

Day 166

2010-07-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

Every 4th of July we head to my sister's neighborhood where they have their own celebration. A pancake breakfast, a hometown parade, and a carnival to top it all off. This is her husband and daughter in their vintage red bug. My kids love it because anyone and everyone can be in the parade and they all throw out Sweet's salt water taffy and tootsie rolls.

Day 165

2010-07-20T12:51:00.001-07:00

A couple of Gleeks.Maddy and her friend had fun posing for me.My quick job of color selection leaves much to be desired but ...you get the idea.

Day 164

2010-06-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

A little bribery "round the horn" + a whole heck of a lot of hard work = my youngest learned to ride a bike! I didn't even have to teach him this time. :)Read more on my other blog.

Day 163

2010-06-22T18:36:00.001-07:00

Look what the kids brought home from a garage sale last weekend. Her name is Eleanor and she is an outside cat. But she spends a LOT of time inside. Sighhh...

Day 162

2010-06-21T07:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day!

Day 161

2010-06-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

This is what 5 days at camp will do to you. Poor girl.

Day 160

2010-06-21T07:53:00.001-07:00

We went to see Toy Story 3 opening day. It was awesome!

Day 159

2010-06-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

Part of a photography challenge. It must be because I have a house full of boys that my mind goes straight to the toilet when faced with a challenge.

Day 158

2010-06-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

Guess what was the favorite find at the sports store...

Day 157

2010-06-16T12:33:00.001-07:00

Jack's been getting ready for baseball camp this summer. The kid needs a pitching machine. For now, I'm it.

Day 156

2010-06-16T12:32:00.001-07:00

My baby graduated from preschool. There's a kindergarten teacher somewhere out there that has no idea what they're in for!

Day 156

2010-06-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

What day are we on anyway? I'm so behind!This is the beginning of our summer vacation. The kids are already bored so I broke out the mixer and we made brownies.You can see more on the BLOG.wenderful.com/2010/06/3495/

Day 155

2010-06-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

Decisions, decisions...

Day 154

2010-06-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

T-ball season. We have mixed feelings.

Day 153

2010-06-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

The annual water fight on the last day of school. All the parents meet the kids as they get off the bus and pelt them with water and silly string. There's always a street dance that night in the cul-de-sac. The neighbor is drenching Jack while his little brother is silly stringing him.

Day 152

2010-06-07T22:18:00.001-07:00

Last day of 6th grade. Jack got awarded Top Student in his team along with a Social Studies award and Best Action for his animotion video.

Day 151

2010-06-07T22:17:00.001-07:00

These two cousins are inseparable when they're together. Love it.

Day 150

2010-06-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors picked up this inflatable giant ball. There's a hole in one end so a kid and climb in and get rolled around the yard. The kids thought this was genius! You can pick one up at Costco for $30.

Day 149

2010-06-01T12:41:00.001-07:00

For Maddy's 15th birthday, she offered to give us all pedicures. What a fun girl!

Day 148

2010-06-01T12:40:00.002-07:00

My cute niece, Hayley.

Day 147

2010-06-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

My mom, sister and her kids came to town for Memorial Day weekend. Since we live in the country, we took them to see some newborn calves. It was like our own mini field trip. The kids even got to milk the big cow! We took the milk we got from the big cow and the kids bottle fed the newborn calves. Even my sister Tatertotsandjello got up close and personal with the calves.

Day 146

2010-05-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

OK. I'm cheating a little. But I liked all these pictures I took today at the playground. And I'm behind.

Day 145

2010-05-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Trying out the 70-200 at the park today.

Day 144

2010-05-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

I like the symmetry of this one.

Day 143

2010-05-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

I just realized I don't have many pics of my husband on this 365. Here he is "on a call" at the park.

Day 142

2010-05-27T20:18:00.001-07:00

T-ball started this week. I sure hope he likes it more than he liked soccer.

Day 141

2010-05-27T20:17:00.001-07:00

Trying out a LensBaby. Not sure I love it, although I love this shot.

Day 140

2010-05-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

The kids had a piano recital last night. They both did great! Maddy had her first vocal solo too. She was SO nervous and nearly backed out at the last minute. She has never allowed me to hear her sing. Ever. I was told in no uncertain terms that I could NOT look at her while she was up there singing and that I could NOT take her picture either. So I dutifully kept me head down and read my program the whole time. Since I have never heard her sing, I was expecting her to be "so-so". She pleasantly surprised me and did a fantastic job! She really has a beautiful voice. I was able to snap a pic after she was finished but you can tell by the look on her face that she was not loving it.(My quick PPing stinks!)

Day 139

2010-05-22T15:40:00.001-07:00

Will and I checked out Zoo Boise. It's a beautiful zoo, but it's lacking animals. And it was SO cold! You'd think the end of May would be warm enough for short sleeves, wouldn't you?

Day 137

2010-05-21T12:58:00.001-07:00

Our read-aloud right now. Tom just rescued the Jensen boys from Skeleton Cave. I loved this book when I was a kid. Add your comment

Day 136

2010-05-21T12:57:00.001-07:00

So, I brought one of the bunnies into the house to let it hop around a little yesterday. Well the dog and the 5 year-old chased it under my bed. We spent about 20 minutes trying to coax it out. We were finally able to scoot it out with a plastic bat. Lesson learned: don't let small rabbits loose in a house full of kids and an oversize puppy.. Add your comment

Day 135

2010-05-18T15:57:00.002-07:00

I don't want to send this fisheye back! Even if it does give me popeye arms. It's been so much more fun than the 24-70 I rented with it. (Although the 24-70 is a great lens too).

Day 134

2010-05-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

A Sunday evening at the neighbor's backyard. All the kids just adore Maddy.

Day 133

2010-05-18T15:56:00.001-07:00

Here's one of the six bunnies from the second batch. They're 2 1/2 weeks old now.

Day 131

2010-05-14T13:52:00.001-07:00

Finally! I warm spring day!

Day 130

2010-05-13T14:10:00.001-07:00

I'm in need of some new Scentsy bricks so I borrowed the testers from my friend so we could smell them all. I love Skinny Dippin, Mocha Doodle, and Flirtatious. What's your favorite Scentsy flavor?

Day 129

2010-05-13T14:09:00.001-07:00

Nothin' like a big ole box of goldfish and some 'Max and Ruby' to start your day out right.

Day 128

2010-05-13T14:08:00.001-07:00

Erik and I went to "Moms and Muffins" this morning at 7AM at the elementary school. Not sure who came up with that name but we had fun having breakfast together and reading. Love that guy!

Day 127

2010-05-12T22:15:00.001-07:00

I feel tallllllllllllllllll!

Day 126

2010-05-11T22:17:00.001-07:00

Guess who's trying out a fish eye lens...

Day 125

2010-05-11T22:01:00.001-07:00

I read to the boys at bedtime every night. We're reading Super Fudge right now. Then they stay up for another half hour. Will draws while Erik reads. They each have a night light. I love my boys.

Day 124

2010-05-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

Making use of the very last light of the day.

Day 123

2010-05-07T20:14:00.001-07:00

My kids (yes I have more than one) give me a hard time because their little brother makes it onto my 365 much more often than they do.Especially this one.SO I grabbed him and made him sit for a few snaps.Middle schoolers...such a joy.

Day 122

2010-05-07T20:13:00.001-07:00

We took a drive this week scouting out some spots for my upcoming seniors. This is on the site of an abandoned slaughterhouse. It was THE find of the day.

Day 121

2010-05-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

I'm totally playing catch-up.I have a good excuse though. Remember those baby bunnies we have (had)? Well, guess what I found in their cage three days ago? MORE NEWBORN BUNNIES! Yikes!!!So, we had to give away the original bunnies a little early. (They were weaned already) and I am now keeping watch over 6 new babies. Boy, those rabbits work fast!!! They will no longer be "shacking up", that's for sure!

Day 120

2010-05-02T17:40:00.001-07:00

Day 119

2010-05-02T17:39:00.003-07:00

Day 118

2010-05-02T17:39:00.001-07:00

Day 117

2010-05-02T17:38:00.001-07:00

Day 116

2010-05-02T17:37:00.001-07:00

hey! i am loving your posts on jenn's blog! i have a D40 & a D70...i still can't figure out how to change the fstop to blur the background? i would love your help!!

2010-05-02T08:48:00.001-07:00

Thanks! Well, I don't have either of those cameras but there should be an aperture button next to the shutter button that you hold while turning the dial. Not sure, since I don't know those cameras at all. If you still have your camera manual, it will definitely have instructions for aperture in it. I was amazed what I learned when I finally read my manual. :) If you don't have your manual, you can find all kinds of info on Nikons at www.kenrockwell.com. Good luck!

Ask me anything

Day 114

2010-04-27T22:34:00.001-07:00

I actually did not indulge, although I really wanted to. Two more weeks of eating a lot of cucumbers and chicken breasts. Sigh...But I could REALLY go for a mall pretzel right about now...

Hi Wendy, I'd like to get more into photography, but honestly never used anything better than my Sony point and shoot. What would you recommend as a "starter camera"? Thanks! Briana priesterspeace.blogspot.com

2010-04-26T21:35:00.001-07:00

I would recommend an entry level DSLR. Canon's EOS Rebel T2i or Nikon's D90. Both great cameras. I'm partial to Nikon, of course, but the best thing to do is to try each out at a camera store and see which one "feels" better to you. Good luck!

Ask me anything

Day 113

2010-04-26T11:57:00.001-07:00

"Sports-guy chest bump"From Modern Family. Love that show!

Day 112

2010-04-24T19:36:00.001-07:00

Four weeks down, four to go...

I love your photographs! Do you do weddings?

2010-04-24T17:18:00.001-07:00

I'm excited to shoot my first wedding next month! :)

Ask me anything

what kind of camera do you have?

2010-04-24T17:14:00.001-07:00

I shoot with a Nikon D700 and a D50 as back-up.

Ask me anything

I was wondering what you know about the 50mm lens v. the 150mm lens. Are they comparable? Which would you suggest? And why?

2010-04-24T17:12:00.001-07:00

I need a little more information to answer that. I have both the 50mm 1.8 and the 50mm 1.4 and love them both. The 150mm would allow me to be further away to capture the same image but I don't know what the aperture capability is so it's hard to know if I'd recommend it. The smaller the number, the more I'd recommend it. :)

Ask me anything

Day 111

2010-04-23T16:17:00.001-07:00

He was after me again!

110

2010-04-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors brought over two young horses to graze in our pasture. This one did not like me being in there with him. He kept trying to eat my camera. I think I'll stay outside the fence next time.

109

2010-04-23T16:14:00.000-07:00

Ice cream after school. Yum!

Day 108

2010-04-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

The eye doctor found out we have good insurance so she suggested I bring all the kids in for a quick check. It made for a great 365 opportunity. :) (He's 20/20, by the way)

Day 107

2010-04-20T13:24:00.001-07:00

Ahhh... finally some sunshine. Can't wait for those warm summer nights.

Day 106

2010-04-18T22:05:00.001-07:00

My daughter posing in downtown Boise. I met up with several other photographers and we had a day of non-stop shooting on Saturday. It was so fun!

Day 105

2010-04-16T20:29:00.001-07:00

Day 1 of The Big Diet. Believe it or not I have to stuff myself with foods like this for the first 2 days.

What are your favorite props? How did you go about collecting props? Where did you get the adorable faux fur that you use?

2010-04-16T20:20:00.001-07:00

I really try and make use of things around a client's home before I pull out my own props. I think it makes the images more meaningful to the clients. But I do like to collect fun props at antique stores, like the Pepsi crate I've used a few times. I love babies in hats too. :) Etsy is great for newborn props. The fur is actually a rug that I picked up at Hobby Lobby. I love blankets with interesting textures too. :)

Ask me anything

Do you use a seperate light meter or just the one built into the camera?

2010-04-16T20:15:00.001-07:00

I just use my in-camera meter. So far it has worked for me. :)

Ask me anything

Day 104

2010-04-15T10:15:00.001-07:00

After lots of headaches and complaining of double-vision, I finally took him in to get his eyes checked. He came out with these cute glasses. He was SO excited. Seriously. He's been wanting glasses for a long time. And I just thought he wanted them for fun since his friends have them. Mother-of-the-year award goes to me. Thank you.

Day 100 {Me Monday}

2010-04-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

Day 103

2010-04-14T20:28:00.001-07:00

I just love the light in my kitchen and the reflection I caught on the counter.

Day 102

2010-04-14T20:26:00.001-07:00

He loves these bunnies with all his might. I have to keep an eye on him. :)

Day 101

2010-04-14T20:25:00.001-07:00

Awww....

Day 99

2010-04-11T21:40:00.001-07:00

More and more and more bunnies. Look at those feet!

Day 98

2010-04-11T21:39:00.002-07:00

OK. So I lied. More bunny pictures. They really are just so adorable. This is George. They all fit in that pink Easter basket.

Day 97

2010-04-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

A typical day with my 5 year-old and I. I'll miss this next year when he goes off to kindergarten.

Day 96

2010-04-08T17:53:00.001-07:00

I promise. This is the last bunny pic for awhile. They just opened their eyes today and I couldn't resist. :)

Day 95

2010-04-07T23:52:00.001-07:00

I was finishing up an assignment for a workshop and he was supposed to be "gazing into the distance and contemplating". He thought I was a little Koo-koo. So glad I snapped this as he was giggling at me.

Day 94

2010-04-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

Do ya think there's a feeding discrepancy here?
The little guy is Steve, named by my 5 year-old son. And the big bruiser is Ringo, named by my Beatles-loving 14 year-old daughter.
Tomorrow is the day they're supposed to open their eyes.

Day 93

2010-04-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

A house full of boys = a house full of Legos. And most are not put together like this.

Day 92

2010-04-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

I only took three of the five out for this shoot. They may not look it but they're pretty fast at scooting around blindly. I was afraid they'd fall off the laundry room counter if I had all five out at once. They have more fur and seem to be eating pretty well so far.

91

2010-04-03T20:50:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter!

Day 90

2010-04-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

Pinewood Derby fun. Erik made a car shaped like an ice cream sandwich with a bite taken out. Erik and Will are racing each other. You can see them running down the track.

Day 89

2010-04-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

Spring is such a toss-up around here. One minute the sun will be shining and the next we'll have a full blown blizzard. In either case you can bet it will be cold and windy. Sighhhh....

Day 88

2010-04-03T20:46:00.001-07:00

From his Percy Jackson birthday party.

Has anyone ever told you that you look like Monica Potter from "Parenthood"?

2010-04-01T21:12:00.001-07:00

Never. But I'll totally take it! (I love that show BTW.)

Ask me anything

How long did it take for you to switch to manual?

2010-04-01T21:11:00.001-07:00

I read Bryan Peterson's book "Understanding Exposure" over about a month and practiced as I went. After that I just kept working on it. I'd say it took me three or four months to feel comfortable with manual to the point where it automatically started to "click". LOL

Ask me anything