OUR BLOG HAS MOVED!

Hey all, the blog has been a little quiet for the last few days because we've been preparing to move it permanently to a new location. Blogger has served us well for over two years, but it's time to move on.

So, I've built Rachel a shiny new wordpress blog that lives on her domain.  There are a lot of cool things about the new blog:

1. Really big pictures
2. Categories.  Now if you just want to look at posts about Harriet, or Photography Tips, you can.
3. A neato flash header thing I made that shows off some pictures of Win and Hattie and some professional work.
4. Every time you refresh the page, you get a new picture of Rachel! (Well, to be truthful, I've only uploaded 5 so far, but there will be more.  Go ahead, refresh your browser a bunch and see how long it takes to see all 5!)
5. This site gets hit alot and linked at quite a bit. Now Google will love RachelHendersonPhotography.com a lot more. And as I often say, who doesn't want to be loved by Google?

Please change your bookmarks, and if you link to this blog, please change your links to the new address.

So, without further ado:  here's the link--and waiting for you on the other side are two new posts including a really cute video of Win counting and new pictures of Hattie smiling.

blog.rachelhendersonphotography.com  (you don't need to type 'www')

See you there!

And More Reading

As you know Win loves to read. He also loves to climb our step ladder. What could be better than combining the two? The addition of a talking camera perhaps?



I thought that this one was cute....and for kicks.

3 times a day

Anybody else have a favorite letter?

I don't know much about child development, other than what I see my kids doing. Maybe this is right on track, so don't spoil my bragging if it is. Jared and I are pretty impressed with Win's love for books, numbers and letters. He can distinguish the difference between letters and numbers. When he sees a number he usually starts counting, "1, 2, 10, 5" style. Lately he has had a love for the letter B. He can identify a capital B on any page. If I'm reading him a story and there is a capital B he will stop me to point it out. Here's a little sample. I just picked a random page in a new book. He isn't even 2-years-old.

This video has been brought to you by the letter B.

Sometimes Things Get a Little Messy

I'm not telling who splattered his oatmeal on the wall. I'll let you guess.

Sharing

Winfield really loves to bring his toys over to Harriet for her to play with. She likes the concept, because she always smiles at them. I think she is a little confused about what she's supposed to do after smiling at the toys.

Mary

Harriet and I spent some time on Saturday visiting my friend Mary. Before Win and Harriet I directed the activities program for a local assisted living center in Holland. I LOVED that job. In the process I developed close friendships with many of the residents, Mary in particular. I hadn't gotten over to visit her since Harriet was born and I wanted to introduce them before Mary's birthday, which is in 2 weeks. Mary is old, very old, and she doesn't mind me saying that because there is no arguing. Mary is so old that she has an 80 year old daughter. Mary is about to turn 101. She doesn't look a day over 80 and her mind is as sharp as it was when she was 50. She is amazing!

Last year I posted a picture of her that I took on her 100th birthday. When I told her that her picture was on the Internet she just laughed. I think that she thought that she was mini-famous because she is on the Internet. She is.

Kicking Back with Some Christmas Reading

You don't have to have followed this blog for long to know that Win, like his dad, LOVES books. Here he is reading some of the new books that he got for Christmas. He's even reading a book that was given to Harriet. I don't think she noticed.

Mommy Daughter Shoot

Today we took advantage of a lazy Saturday and some decent winter light and did some Mommy-daughter shots. Here are a few:

So Pretty!

New Lens

I got a new really fun lens! For those nerdy, techie, number loving types like myself it's a 50mm 1.4. Basically, it takes pictures with really fuzzy backgrounds and it's great for lower light situations.
It's great for taking pictures of feet,
hands,
and eyes. Yup, those eyes are that big and that blue. Everyone who meets Harriet comments on her large blue eyes.
She got a little sick of being my model.

NetRivet Web Development

Most of you probably know that I've been in a transition phase the last month or so. I've ended my time on staff at Lakeshore Vineyard, and now I'm in the process of building and running a small web development company.

Well, my website, www.netrivet.com is up and running, and I thought I'd let you all know so you can browse over and take a look. Click here or on the logo image below to get there. If you or anyone you know has a need for a new or redesigned website, let me know.

Also, if you have a website or blog and want to link to me, that would be super appreciated! Google will love me if a bunch of you link to me, and everyone wants to be loved by Google, don't they?

Snowy Day part 2

Winfield's been doing his best to get me to take him out in the snow again. He starts by dressing himself in his snow gear. He then brings me my coat, hat and mittens. I think he forgot something this time.

The Snowy Day

Our friends Steve and Lindsay have the best taste in children's books. For Christmas they bought Win The Snowy Day. It's a classic. This week he has had his own snowy day experience.


He tried to catch it with his tongue.
He threw it.

He got it on his face...
..and learned that it isn't easy to wipe off.He trekked all over the yard leaving Winfield tracks behind him. His tracks look remarkably similar to a mountain range.


He ate 3 icicles, stayed out for an hour and a half and came inside because my toes were too cold to stay outside anymore. I think that he could have lived out there for several days eating icicles and smashing snowballs.

Today all of the snow is gone.

Harriet gets a little attention too.

This picture of Harriet is pretty cute. She's sitting on her Aunt Janna's lap and looking at cousin Chloe. She's really smiley and this picture really captures her look.

Luke LOVES Harriet. Even over Thanksgiving he would run over to her and pet and kiss her every time that she woke up from a nap. In this picture he is giving her one of his precious cuddles while his older sister Chloe holds her. Chloe wasn't quite in the moment like Luke was.

Cousin Fun Over Christmas

Win and Harriet's cousins LOVE visiting Grandpa Goose and Grandma Jan's house. It's like kid heaven. They have toys, a big bathtub, beds to jump on in the basement, a model train that chugs around the Christmas tree and usually plenty of cousins for playmates.

Here's Chloe focusing on giving color to a Hello Kitty book.




She got blue nail polish in her stocking. She was very careful with her nails all week-something that I have yet to learn how to do.

This is Ezra, the 5-year-old and oldest of the cousins. He is a real sweetie who loves to play with his 4-year-old sister Eden.

Kiah, who is almost a year older than Win, had fun making a little snowman and throwing snowballs.




Win and Luke had a battle of wits over Connect 4. I think that black player is winning.

It appears as if the Connect 4 needed a little bulldozing.

This rare image was taken by Grandpa Goose.