A Visit with the Man in Red!

Molbak's Nursery.
Best thing EVER!
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We discovered Molbak's last year from a friend.
Santa just hangs out by this huge Poinsetta tree in the middle of the building.
He stands there and smiles and waves.
The kids can go talk to him...he gives them a candy cane...and then he will sit with a picture with them.
You get to take your own pictures.
You can do pictures of just the kids...or do a family shot. People even bring animals.
There hasn't EVER been a line...and Santa is simply not scary when you can approach it like that.

The kids told Santa their lists...and he chatted with them for a few minutes...

Then we got these AWESOME shots!

This is the first picture of Makylie with a genuine smile with Santa.

The first year she was not uneasy AT ALL.
It was also the VERY first year that Karman wasn't in the Santa photo. I had wanted her to be in the yearly photo through high school...but this year that wasn't possible.

Then he chatted with the kids again.

Tyler, was in a little bit of heaven.

To him, Santa is a superhero...so I think he could have sat there with Santa all day...

Just to be in the presence of Greatness! :)
The other nice thing about the nursery...is that there are all kinds of beautiful backdrops to take pictures in front of.

It would be a wonderful place to bring people for a photoshoot.

Usually, there are huge gorgeous Christmas trees to take pictures in front of as well...but we ended up going late enough in the season this year, that they were all gone.
The kids were kind of not feeling super cooperative, at the point of random pictures.

I was having to bribe smiles out of them. :)

Considering what was going on in our lives at this very point...

It was a VERY nice day spent enjoying each other and focusing just on what needed to be focused on.

Definately, one of the highlights of the season.

Especially for the kids! :)

Merry Christmas!

My First Grader....

My baby!
So NOT a baby anymore...

I am not normally a school picture fan...as I have no control over the outcome...
I mean I usually like them, but not often love them...

It is usually a forced smile...messy hair...or dirty clothes...

This year though....
OH MY
Love Tyler's........
it is just a picture of a picture of course...
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He said the photographer told a joke about a spider.

Apparently it was funny. :)

Love the real smile, and how adorable he looks!

*(Karman got retakes...hopefully they will be great too!)

I finally did it~~A new camera!!!

So after LITERALLY months of research....bugging everyone I knew about what camera they had...buying one camera and returning it and going to Best Buy OVER and OVER and OVER agian to "play" I finally decided and bought my new friend!

I made the jump to a Digital SLR! I ended up getting a Canon XS 1000D. This was just the best match for all of my "wants". I have to say...I am in love! From the very first picture I took!

Yup....my first picture. By the time I had the time to open it up and play....everyone else was in bed. :)

Can't wait to figure out photshop now!

Now, I am sooooo looking forward to the tulip festival this year! I am already contemplating my shots!