I am having so much fun

with my new camera!! Murphey was 100% successful in plotting to surprise me with a new camera. He definitely had an accessory in his father, who had me convinced he was confused and beginning to lose it. Murphey had to field a phone call from me, telling him that I thought his father was confused, and he did it without blowing his cover! I am super impressed, and think that I may have taught him something over the years we've been together. I can read him like a book, and he can't even hide sneaking a donut on his way home from the grocery store from me.

Two weeks ago on a Friday, we were busily preparing our house to host my friend Ginger's baby shower, as well as some out of town guests. I had been cleaning and organizing all day and was FILTHY. When he got home from work, a thunderstorm was about to happen, and I wanted to plant some tomato plants I had just bought. Murphey and Nora are very excited to garden this year, so it was a special moment for them. Little had I realized, but Murphey had been repeatedly encouraging me to take pictures in an attempt to get me to notice the brand spankin' new camera he had snuck into my camera bag. My arms were covered up to my elbows in dirt and I started to 'clean' them by vigorously brushing them together, figuring if I got all the loose dirt off I could use my camera. Thankfully I realized that wasn't a good idea and I ran in the house to get some latex gloves to pull on so I could snap a few quick pictures. When I got back outside, I opened the camera bag, only to find a new camera. My first thought was, "This isn't my camera bag. What has happened?!?!" Then I realized what he had done.

So here are the first few pictures I took with the new camera. Murphey was hurrying to get the plants in the pot and Nora was nervous about the oncoming storm. I was so excited about the camera I'm surprised I could even hold it still to take a picture.
And tonight I was fortunate enough to capture one of Nora's exorcist tantrums on camera. To her credit, she is coming down with a cold, it was bedtime and she was not feeling well. I said something like "Let's go upstairs and put your pj's on" and she reacted by throwing her head back, getting a look of defiance in her eyes and then hurling the toy she had in her hand at me. She did not throw it, just hit me with it. I couldn't help but laugh, because the look on her face was so twisted. (oh, and yes, she is wearing jeans and long sleeve layers, because I don't think the high even made it into the 60's today. It is June 2 and I wore a coat and longed for a hot beverage all day. What's even funnier, is that she went swimming in our outdoor pool yesterday at dinnertime. The weather here is so odd!)