Friendships, Photography and Fun - Favorite Photo Friday

{Beautiful Natalie, just after being photographed by her mom.} 

 

If you read my previous post you'd remember that our friends (Grace, Liam and Natalie)

visited us for 5 days, (here from Florida).

Grace (mom) had a new 35mm lens and wanted to take it out for a try.

She already knew plenty about light and how her camera worked.

Her photography is beautiful.

I did show her a couple of things...one of them being as far as what I do to get children

to relax and have natural smiles and expressions in photos.

And it's not hard...we have conversations, I listen, we talk and I ask questions.

Many times the best expressions are between the talking (and that's my opinion).

Natalie did awesome by the way!

Grace(mom) also wanted to get some photos of Liam and Natalie

and then Liam by himself.

I'm hoping in a blog post she'll show some of those adorable photos

that she captured.

My husband Dan was a great assistant as far as distracting the two boys while 

Grace, Natalie and I were working on photos.

Dan and the little boys took a walk around the back of the park and found some

big sticks. They started making what looked like a tepee.

Eventually the girls joined in.

The kids called it a 'nest.' As in a birds nest.
The girls added leaves and flowers.
They were all so cute together making this thing, and
it was serious business for everyone.
The boys had to choose just the right stick.

While they were here visiting, we went to the Madison Farmer's Market,

 Grace(mom) and I went out to dinner by ourselves, 

they helped us celebrate my Grace's 10th Birthday on Monday 

and they got the grand tour and saw  Southern Wisconsin's

rolling hills, beautiful barns and farmlands.

Oh...and cows of course. ;)

In the evening time the kids raced around the backyard playing tag with neighbor children

and they caught fireflies. Fireflies don't seem to be in Florida I guess.

Of all those things, I think this one...with our 4 children building that funny 'nest' was my favorite time

and I'll always remember how much fun we all had.

In our quaint little corner of the United States.

I call it 'Mayberry.'

And it really is.

Thank you Grace, Liam and Natalie...you made some wonderful Summer memories for all of us.
Maybe next time...Florida?

Liam (5.5 yrs.), Will(6.5 yrs.), Grace (10 yrs.) and Natalie (9.5 yrs.)

Love those sweet smiles!