sweetest niece

 

My niece Lia, age 4 1/2, came over this Saturday to have a sleepover with her cousins (my daughters). Her dad brought her to the door dressed in a light pink sweater and brand new pink sparkly shoes. Her hair was even brushed ... I was impressed. Sometimes daddy's just don't know how to dress their little girls, but this time she was picture perfect. I got out my new camera and told her I wanted to take a few photos. I pointed the lens down at her feet and she said, "These are my brand new pink shoes!" We went outside and she smiled so sweetly, and I captured a few great face shots before my girls came outside ... then they were off running! I was so happy to at least have gotten a few great photos! When I edited this photo, the pink hue just made sense. Then I showed it to Lia and she said, "Where's my color?" So I showed her the original and explained the process. I don't think she was impressed, but I'm going to frame this for her in hopes that one day she'll remember!

flower girls!

 

I found these adorable dresses at Target on clearance ... sizes 3, 4, and 5! How did I get so lucky? I knew they were perfect for photos of my girls and their cousin Lia! This was taken in my backyard around 5 p.m. or so. Lia normally likes to wear pants (even under skirts and dresses), but when she's with my girls she just loves wearing matching dresses! So cute. I wasn't sure how getting photos of all three of them would work, but it was easy because they are just SO HAPPY together. Lia just enjoys spending time with them, and Kyler really makes her smile and laugh. It's precious. And it shows in this photo! 

playground!

 

I'm not sure how I got this shot because they were a little wild on the slide ... and Kyler kept saying that Brielle was choking her ... but it's nearly my favorite of them all! Oh, to be that young again!

lazy days ...

 

This was tougher than it looks to take! I had to keep positioning the girls so that their heads and bodies were the right angle ... then I was fussing at them to open their eyes, which they said they couldn't do because the sun was too bright. But they endured my demands and I just love the open space of grass on the left hand side. Beautiful!!!

great sisters

I just got my new camera on Monday and this was taken on Friday at Project Swing, a playground in downtown St. Augustine. We went after school to play and go to a "Rally for Education" at an adjoining field. The girls took a little break in this tube. I love that they are holding hands, and that Brielle holds up her left arm in both shots. 

tree climbing

Boys love climbing trees! These were actually taken in late 2008 with my older Canon at the Mission of Nombre de Dios, off San Marco Avenue, in uptown St. Augustine. The first is my nephew Lial, who thought the tree was so cool ... as did Bryan, a son of a friend in my MOMS Club. 

favorite clovers

Brielle loves picking flowers and finding clover in a field. She's also the queen of "don't take my picture, I'm busy and don't want to smile." So this was perfect. She was so busy that she didn't even take notice of me clicking away. 

sun-drenched Kyler

The sun was streaming in at Project Swing, and Kyler is always ready to pose for the camera. She and I are so much alike ... I have photos of myself when I was little ... posing the entire time. She also has my attitude — I am sooo happy when I am happy, and MAD when I'm mad. We are optimistic on our best days, and pessimistic on our worst days!