Week 52 - You, at the End

Wow, what a difference a year makes!!! I am so stinking happy that I was able to do this challenge the WHOLE TIME... even though I was occasionally a few weeks late.. WHOOPSIES!! This started out as a fun way to help myself improve as a photographer as well as focus on taking some pictures of my growing girl. In the end, it turned out that I have had more fun tracking her growth and changes than anything else. I catch myself occasionally going back and looking at all of the pictures I have taken of her... it's the best thing I could have done haha!!! It's also so nice to know that so many friends and family actually keep up with my blog and enjoy seeing the pictures I post (even sometimes giving me crap when I haven't posted on time **cough**Kendra**cough)

I figured I should end the year with the same picture that I started with. While it doesn't really show how far I have come in regards to photography (I went back and copied my settings from January to take these pictures haha)... I love that it shows the difference in Avery from January until now! Because of the fact that I have so much enjoyed the documentation of Avery and being able to look back on all of the pictures, I am going to continue this challenge (or one like it) into next year. I mean.. why the hell not?? Who knows what will happen in the next year! They say after so many weeks of doing something it becomes a habit. I'm not sure how many weeks that is, but I am positive that it's shorter than 52 weeks. Guess I will just make this blog my habit now :) Here are the final images of 2014.

And finally, a comparison between January and December.. with my big growing girl!

January 2014                                                                                       December 2014

Until next year :)

Week 51 - Holiday Cheer

About... four months ago, Brecca and I bought these really awesome sweatshirts that said "This Girl Loves Christmas" on it. So, naturally, I had to get a matching onesie for the minion. It was a no brainer when it came to a Holiday Cheer idea... I wanted Brec and Avery in a picture together with their matching sweat(shirts)! Brec would need to be reading a Christmas book to Avery in front of the Christmas tree... it doesn't get anymore Holiday Cheer than that. Naturally, Avery had her own idea of what needed to happen while Brec was trying to read her How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Never the less, with low light, a brand new puppy and a busy toddler, we were able to get a couple of cute shots!

ISO 5000, 1/200 sec, f/2.0 

I also had to take a few outtake pictures as well! Seeing as Avery wanted to do ANYTHING aside from actually doing what we wanted her to do, she was busy putting cones on Brec's head and sitting in a teeny tiny box... the silly look on her face says it all!

I just HAD to add these as well.... because... they are funny! Our new pup and AJ... silly little monsters.

Now FINALLY, here is our yearly Christmas photo, all of us in our matching pants :) Merry (now late) Christmas to everyone!

Week 50 - Winter

YAY!! My gambling paid off.... I waited for today and it actually snowed! BIG BEAUTIFUL FLAKES!!! It started snowing while we were at the grocery store for our weekly Cheetos purchase (I  blame my Dad for my rekindled love for Cheetos) and I found myself crossing my fingers and toes that it didn't peter out before we got back to our house. It did the opposite WOO HOO!!! So, I bundled up the little monster and bribed my husband and send them outside so I could take a picture of them out in the snow. We also took the opportunity to wear our new little monster, Titan, out by letting him bound around in the snow. This post marks his first (and definitely not last) appearance on the blog. 

Once Buddy and the littles came in, I was scrolling through my images and realized I just didn't get one that I really wanted. There was no talking Buddy into going back out in the snow, but I didn't even have to bribe Avery, she all but ran out the door. Thanks to some changes in settings, I got one that I absolutely love! Little stinker even made my favorite face of hers!! 

ISO 1000, f/4.0, 1/800 sec

I just HAVE to post a picture of my thrilled and sexy hubby trying to entertain Avery and Titan while I tried to take a picture. I swear it wasn't as cold as he was making it seem in this picture.

These two love each other.... so stinking much :)

Week 49 - Sparkle

I sat down to look at my options for this week and saw "Sparkle" and "Winter." Seeing as I loved the idea of them both because I LOVE this time of the year, I looked ahead to see what next weeks was to see if I really had to choose. Lucky for me, next weeks was..... "Winter" and "Sparkle." Works for me :) I then looked ahead and noticed that it would be snowing during the week of "Winter"..... well, my iPhone weather app said it would be snowing haha. So, I decided to go the sparkle route this week, which clearly involved the tree and it's sparkly lights!

Avery is in this monkey phase right now where she has to jump and climb on everything. I just recently found her on my kitchen table... which she reached by climbing up the chairs. When she is on the couch, she likes to climb up whoever is sitting there and sit on the window ledge behind the couch. Other time, when she gets bored of the window ledge, she falls down in between the couch and the cushions, where she is in this picture. Here, I just happened to have my camera handy as she was watching a Christmas movie in her Christmas onesie in front of the Christmas tree :) It worked out JUST great!!!

ISO 8000, f/4.0, 1/50 sec

Week 48 - Thankful and Emotions

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After being three and two weeks late on my last two posts, I'm pretty pumped that I'm only one day late on this puppy!!! I'm counting it as on freaking time!!!! It also helps that this week's topic was a bit easier for me to complete. We were out at the ranch this week for Thanksgiving and were lucky enough to spend time with my family. Obviously, I am extremely thankful for that! However, what I decided to take the picture of was my mom and Avery decorating our big Evergreen tree outside of our house. I am so thankful for the relationship my daughter has with her Gramma and Grampa and for the time she is able to spend out at their house. I grew up there and loved every second of it and I love that she clearly feels like it's home to her too. She's so comfortable there and constantly wants to spend time with my mom and dad. I never thought I would be so happy about my little girl wanting to jump out of my arms and into someone else's, but when it's my parents and I get to see her grin from ear to ear, it just warms my heart and makes me so ... EMOTIONAL :) I'm also very thankful for decorating trees, evergreen trees and huge ornaments!!

ISO 125, f/4.0, 1/250 sec

Week 47- Technology

I keep trying to come up with non-obvious ways to interpret these topics, but 'Technology' and last week's 'Full' weren't that fun to complete. I, clearly, went with the obvious choice this week and took a self portrait with my tripod and remote of Avery 'helping' me edit some pictures! She was NOT thrilled that I made her sit with me, haha! Oh well... got a picture and am finally caught up with week 46 and 47!!!!!!!!!! WOOO- IT'S ABOUT TIME - HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

ISO 20000. f/4.0, 1/80sec

Week 46- Full

I cheated. I am so far behind that this is a picture from Thanksgiving, after the meal.. when Avery was FULL of Thanksgiving food!! I'm so far behind that just getting this post up finally is good enough for me :) Here she is... playing with the roll basket after dinner! And yes, her shirt says "Gobble til you Wobble"

ISO 20000, f/4.0, 1/250 sec