New toys

Sylvia is now old enough to enjoy opening presents. Said enjoyment didn't last long enough to get her through the pile of presents we stacked before her unaided, but she did tear through the first few like a banshee and only had to be coaxed through the last couple. Well, and through the middle when she found the noise-making toy from Grandma Hasterok--at least until that toy quietly disappeared.

I'm not sure how we're going to get the new outfits, stacking toys, play phone, cookie cutters, and everything else my little girl accumulated back to West Lafayette, though I'd guess the post office will be involved somehow.

I knew what I was getting, thanks to my email address being on the account at B&H photo, but that didn't stop me from being very happy with my brand new 70-200mm lens. It's so cool. I put that thing on my camera and it looks like a serious camera, especially with the hood on. I only played with it a little bit today--Sylvia's VERY interested in the camera and getting pretty grabby--but I'm looking forward to playing with it more. In fact, for the LMPIA blog I've been attempting to run in my copious free time, I may have to dig up friends in the Lafayette area and ask if they'd be willing to pretend to be models for an hour or two so I and the other participants can play around and practice. I so wish I'd had this lens for Philip and Kelley's wedding. I did an okay job, but there were definitely some shots I wanted (like the ring exchange, the first kiss, and some better pictures of them holding hands, for starters) that just weren't possible with the kit lens. Sigh. I never knew I actually liked wedding photography until *after* I got married. I'll probably never do more than take pictures at weddings of friends and relatives, and I'll probably never be paid, but it sure is fun.

Anyway, I'll post pictures of Sylvia tearing through the wrappings when I can, I promise. This blog has far too many words, and far too few pictures on it of late.