New gear.

I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day.  Mine was pretty memorable.  I was treated to a special gift--the new camera that I have coveted for quite some time.  Buying the camera right now was not the plan, actually.  But the price on this particular body dropped significantly this week.  And Charlie, bless his heart, knows when to nudge me when necessary to pull the trigger on certain big-ticket items.

To be clear, I have no problem whatsoever buying small-ticket items.  Lots of them, in fact.  And I am smart enough to realize that this is perhaps at the very root of my issues when it comes to taking the plunge on large budgetary line items (because, you see, it means indulging in fewer small items...you might think 8 years would be plenty of time to adjust to a responsible, family budget.  But you'd be wrong. ).  I have agonized over car purchases, dining room furniture, sewing machines, ect., ect., pro-and-conning them to death...questioning whether the item was it.  And then, even after I'm convinced it is indeed the one, I settle into a comfy holding pattern to make sure I get the best price.  I usually score amazing deals but it can take forever!  And considering how much I use a camera (daily), I agreed that it made sense to jump on the current sale now (though this does mean a yarn diet).  

I almost hugged the UPS driver when he delivered the camera today--it is hard to explain how excited I am about it.  I know that the twelve inches behind a camera, i.e. the person operating it, makes the real difference and I am working on that.  But it sure doesn't hurt to have great tools.  Especially ones that allow you to capture sharper images in low lighting situations (hello, night time crafting hours).

Here are some random shots, straight out of the camera.  To be sure, it is a camera that I do not know how to fully operate--these were the first images taken.  

Some knitting that has visited my lap on and off since Saturday.  It is a birthday hat for someone special...

Max's current grin...he's lost many teeth, but this is his first front one (you can see the gap if you look for it)...

And funny William, who insisted on assembling and delivering a few more of his leftover Valentines (he wanted one addressed to himself)...

So there you go.  Just some every day moments that make up my world.  Happy Valentine's Day!  I'll be here, taking a ton of pictures.  More than usual, even. 

Sandra