My new lens / 24-70mm f2.8

I have had a very exciting week this week with the arrival of my new lens. 
I finally managed to part with the money and bought myself a second hand
Canon 28-70mm f2.8 lens that I have been dreaming of, for what seems like
a lifetime now...well a few thousand photos at least!!.  Agh, I was
getting so frustrated with my basic stock lenses....what I was seeing
in my head, was just not being reciprocated through the limited capability
of the lens, and it was SO darn frustrating!.  I researched buying
second hand lenses and it seemed a very viable option considering that
real photographers are always updating equipment, and they also know
how to look after it.  So I decided to stop dreaming and just go for it......


Can you tell the difference????!!!.  Yes, of course you can because it is
INCREDIBLE!!.  (sorry, still very excited here!).  Just look at the
clarity....and the bokeh....oh how dreamy......

Can you see the wisps of Summers hair?.....yes, of course you can, because that
is the difference between a quality lens and a not so quality lens!

 

And that tree was always so frustrating in my pictures of the kids playing
in the yard, it is so big and intrusive that you would wonder if I was
taking a picture of the tree or the kids !, but now...it just blends into a background,
*sigh*....

So, I'm am off to keep playing and learning
(with a VERY big smile on my face)! x
(thankyou Summer for being very obliging on this day)

Fathers Day....

Hi there all, hope you had a lovely Fathers Day and shared

a grand day with the men in your lives.  We took a 

drive to a little pub called the 'Brushgrove Hotel' which 

is on Woodford Island between Laurence and Grafton.

It was a great old pub with lot's of character right on the water.

We even got to share the day with our big girl.  Summer

bagsed (?) sitting next to Che..... you can't half tell how happy

she was by that smile, can you?  And Finny was chuffed

looking beside him and having his big sisters there!

This monkey was determined to climb the pole.

These two caught up on some sleep, typical teenagers!

We discovered this gorgeous old church called 'ST JUDES'.

It was precious, but not used anymore so very rundown.

Mitch is holding his hand to where we could see watermarks

from previous floods on the inside of the church.

We had a grand day.  It's always good to get out

and discover someplace new, isn't it?. 

A portrait....

' Franks Hat '

Wearing his great grandfathers hat...his namesake...and asking me
questions about him.  How I wish they could have met......

Tenterfield day out....

We had a lovely day in Tenterfield, and thankfully it wasn't too cold.
Of course we rugged up preparing for chilly weather,
and then found ourselves peeling off all the layers thanks to the glorious 
sunshine.  But, our feet never seemed to catch up in the warmth
department!.  I knew I should not have worried about fashion
and kept my uggies on!.

 

Tenterfield has so many beautiful houses and buildings.  It's lovely to
see a town centre with historical buildings preserved so beautifully.  I will 
certainly be taking the camera back one day and try to capture some
of these great places.

Pencil Pines are just so iconic to this area....we don't see
them at all where we are, but 40mins up the road, they are everywhere.

Grand old houses......

and even grand old cars!

Fields of gold......

and my very own ray of sunshine!.x
(she wouldn't let us go op shopping without her!)
It was such a grand day....good for the soul....and we had a successful
scavenge, even accidentally stumbling across a garage sale....on a Wednesday....
by a collector.....who's selling up!.....Does it get any better?? x

Baby it's COLD outside.....

Jeez....what is going on???.  I thought it was over....but, no, we have had a week
of severe frosts.  There has been ice everywhere these past mornings.
The bird baths have been frozen, Finny slipped over on the grass just walking,
because of the frost, and the trampoline with it's black surface
has been white.  Oh dear....please let that be
the last of it.......

 

 

Tomorrow I am off with my Aunty Barb to Op Shop
at Tenterfield.....yes, I am heading somewhere even colder!,
but the lure of the Op Shops is calling..... 

Around here....

Hi there friends....I just thought I would share
with you some things we have been doing around here.
Summer has a new collection going at the moment....
CACTUS......

Bunnings have been selling some  miniature
cactus in very cute little pots.  Cleo and Summer
found them on a Bunnings shopping trip
and have been cactus crazy ever since!.

For Cleos Birthday summer gave her a couple of new
cactus and made her a great cactus card.

Summer picked up this sweet little cacus pot from the op shop
just after she started collecting

And for her birthday Troy & Bec gave her these amazing grafted
cactus.  They have the most amazing colours and shapes,
and she has named them all!

The boys have been building their cubby, and having a grand
ole time in the bush. 

 

 

 

And of course Minecraft is still a big hit.  Especially since
there is an updated version just released.  I don't think
this fad will be over anytime soon!.
So what have you been up to?

14 & 11....

Happy Birthday Logan & Summer.
14 & 11...Wow...*sigh* , where has the time gone?
We are so very proud of you and so glad to be
your parents.  You are truly great kids whom
we love very much x