My husband remembers building his boat for the Raingutter Regatta when he was a cub scout. He just pulled it out of a box (note to self: should snap a picture of that). Most people have heard of the Pinewood Derby, but the Raingutter Regatta is a little less known. The premise is: boy assembles and accessorizes boat. Boy places boat in water filled track. Boy blows sail to advance boat to finish with hopes of accomplishing this before his competitor.

Here's our story:

It was a GORGEOUS night for it.

Have I mentioned that sister has always wanted to be a "Pub Scout." Dad let her build a boat as well. Of course she customized it to be a water craft for her Littlest Pet Shoppe pup.

He won some and lost some. Event was a success. And did I mention that the

SKY WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!!

I think that he LOVED that he wasn't supposed to climb up there. He was grinnin' ear to ear the whole time.

A couple weeks ago we went beach camping at Doheny State Beach in Orange County. Southern California has such a nice variety of beautiful beaches. We stayed in tents and cooked over a fire, in a dutch oven, and on a propane stovetop. Three cheers for yummy and super easy BBQ chicken in the dutch oven and delicious fajitas from foil dinners.

My kids were filthy most of the time - filthy and happy. We went for a family walk along the shore, so I decided to snap a quick family photo.

I have been working on designing an album featuring my kids from this year. Most of the images are the ones I've featured in my Mine On Monday posts. Here are a few more favorites that will soon be sitting in my album:

Three years ago I abandoned the chain store photo studios. You have to understand, I faithfully brought my children to them for birthdays, Halloween, and annually for a group shot. I was consistent and diligent and am still grateful to have those regular captures of my children. But they didn't capture mine as I see them. I don't usually set my kids on a table covered in a black cloth and wave a feather duster in their face, so there was nothing truly genuine in the ending photographs.

My lil girl had just turned three when I set out on our first big photo shoot. I drove to Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena. Just before we went to the gardens I stopped off at Wild Oats to get some grains and organic sunscreen (which didn't work by the way). Something triggered my girl in the check out. I don't remember what. I do remember that I carried her back to the car kicking and screaming while all the other customers turned to stare. What ensued was the biggest toddler tantrum in our mother/daughter history. She was screaming, arching her back, and escaping her car seat. I pulled over multiple times to get her settled back in. Eventually I was in tears and called my husband. She was hysterical. I was hysterical. We certainly weren't going to have success taking pictures. I was afraid to get on the freeway with her climbing out of her seat. It was horrible.

When the storm was over, she appeared to snap back into the little girl I remember. She wasn't extremely excited about looking at my camera either, but I ended up getting an image for my wall. She has been my most difficult to photograph for years. When she turned five, we rounded a corner. She decided to accept my doughnut incentive program, and I agreed to make our photo sessions less than a millennium long. My butterfly emerged from her chrysalis. Look at her now - my most agreeable photo subject; my most beautiful little girl.

What's more interesting to watch - the amazing sting rays or the cute redhead standing on his head? Here's one vote for the redhead.

Absolutely enjoyed watching my blondie play his basketball tournament. Also was fun to be the only mom lying on the floor under the basketball hoop :)

Sweet Six Years. These images will truly be a capture of a little girl who is rapidly changing. She has loved pink since forever and I have been recently informed that YELLOW is the new pink. She's been waiting to chop her hair and I kept stalling until we got out to take pics. After the mini photo shoot she asked, "can we go to the haircut place?" What happened to that 9 lb. 4 oz. baby with the dark curly hair? She is blossoming right before my eyes.

Just over a week ago my daughter lost her first tooth. Her Daddy uses the flick-it-quick method and the tooth pops right out - at least after a few tries. Tonight she lost her second tooth. This time I got to try the flick-it method. Came out in one try. Check out her new grin.

M.O.M (aka Mine on Monday) post was forgotten. How do the Mondays keep poppin' up so fast? It's been rainy. I thought that would be great for his 2 year old birthday pics with his rain boots. Problem has been that the rain hasn't let up much and the skies have been VERY overcast. My Goose used to be excited to wear his "boo" (boots). When we were out in a muddy field tripping over stones and feeling the rain start pouring AGAIN, he didn't feel excited anymore. I was trying to keep my camera gear under my jacket while I scooped up a very wet and muddy toddler to stomp back to the car. That part wasn't so fun, nor was the clean up of cold wet child.

My oldest and youngest share the same birthday. We've already enjoyed a slice of Oreo Ice Cream cake and look forward to Baby Einstein cake tonight.

Pregnancy has been hard on me from beginning to end with an occasional reprieve in the middle. Recovery from pregnancy has been tough on me too. I even wished that I could have twins to save a pregnancy. Instead I have children who are capable of getting into twice as much trouble. This little one turns TWO on Monday. Is it possible that one so adorable could make as many messes as I claim.

Since my children are Californians and live without shoes or coats, it's an interesting experience when we travel to snowy country. How I WISH I had my camera on me when my toddler ran out in the snow barefoot, shirtless, with his buns peeking out from his sagging jeans. He was cruising to make it to the trampoline (which must have been frozen).

Instead we turn to snaps of my oldest hitting the slopes. He made a rather dramatic landing from his sled. None of my kids cared that there was no fresh powder - that all the locals weren't interested in sledding on rough and icy snow. But my kiddos had a ball.

The point of me learning to use my camera was so that I would have images of my own children. I wore them out by summer last year with my photography challenges and practice sessions, so I moved on to nieces, nephews, and friends. While all photography is fun for me, it's my children's pictures that I hang on my own wall. So when I read about the idea to do a "Mine on Monday" post from Amanda Andrews' photography blog, it totally appeals to me and I want to give it a go.

This photo was from a little date I had with my daughter. I presented her with tickets to Disney on Ice World of Fantasy a couple days before Christmas. Tinkerbell and the Fairies were highlighted at the event. I think my little girl is the prettiest fairy.