two

We were going to do something different for Eli's two-year pictures.
Go somewhere we've never gone before.
Remember the big barrels I mentioned when we took Jonah's pictures, but we didn't go there? I had decided we would indeed go there after church on Sunday for Eli's new pictures; the sky was overcast so it wouldn't be too bright, and it was just a block from the chapel. Even though it's been done before, it would be new for us, and I was kinda excited about that.
But there was a problem.
We went to the property as planned, and I was just getting into position, telling Eli to say "cheese", when this mist of tiny of bugs rose up all around us! Smaller than gnats, these insects also plague us near our home on occasion, but I'd never seen them in such quantities. And they bite! I'm pretty sure some got in Eli's eyes right when I was taking the picture, then we made a run for it. I spent the next ten minutes trying to brush the microscopic pests out of my hair and off my clothes. It was annoying, but I was even more annoyed that we couldn't take our pictures as planned!

























Since he was already dressed how I wanted, we still took pictures that day...just in the same tried and true spots we've been for all his sibling's photos. We went to the stairs, and the rodeo grounds. Like any two-year-old, Eli had a hard time holding still for these and we didn't get many good ones:

A.



I like the top two, though the left is a little blown out
(dark in the face and too light on the wood!)

All of our really good pictures so happened to be in the same place where we took Jonah's good two-year-old photos. I imagine it's greatly because he can't get off the stool where I set him (though he tried) and the light is filtered pretty good, even though the sun was going in and out of the clouds. This first group has most of my favorite pictures. Especially the top two! I have a hard time picking between them: the left one has a sweet smile and perfect lighting, the right one is his really mischievous grin.

B.



This second group turned out good too. Joseph's favorite is in this group; he likes the bottom left one the best. As for me, I think the top left is fun (he was asking me to get him down)...and the bottom right is his "model" look.

C.

























We then came down from the rodeo place, and walked over to the red shed where we took Josh's pictures last year. I figured his shirt would work well with it. we got a few cute ones, but he didn't want to stay put for very long.

D.






 

Finally, we walked under the pow wow area, where I hoped to get a few with the nice grass around him. We got one where I got him to hold still by hugging the pole, but then...



























this happened. Stinky cat! Eli was obviously done, though he did find a nice leaf that came from who knows where.



Yes, he's stepping on the cat's tail in the next to last photo.

At least Eli had fun! And didn't get scratched up like the last time he met a strange cat.

Oh, and if you were wondering, no, Eli doesn't have a bruise on his forehead- its some kind of birthmark! As far as we can tell, it appeared around his first birthday, though it took us about six months to realize it wasn't just a bruise because it never went away. Yeah, we're observant like that.

Which one do you like?