ModestGeniusXL

Top Captures of 2011 : #1

If I was still doing that "And the Winner Is" category this one would be unveiled as this week's entry.  Come on now....anyone who remotely knows me at all had to know that this was going to be the top pick.  The  moment I saw the photo on my camera's LED I knew it would be #1.  In fact, it may have very well been this photo that inspired the thought to even have a list of favorite photos of 2011.  But allow me to expound on it even further...

Mom reads my blog on a regular basis.  Probably because she knows I'm not a phone talker.  Therefore, she can gather more about what's happening with me by reading my entries rather than an uninformative phone conversation.  Which means she saw me writing about my upcoming trip to Bloomington as Thanksgiving was approaching.  So she knew how much I was looking forward to taking pictures of the family.

See..that was all strategically done on my part.  Remember how I mentioned earlier that my sister Teandra isn't big on taking pictures?  Mom isn't either.  She will do it for me on occasion since I am her oldest child and only son.  However, I need to give her enough notice to get ready.  I figured by writing about it days before my actual visit that that would have been plenty of notice for her.  Indeed it was.

When it came to the day that I started taking pictures of the family, Mom was all gung ho for it.  In fact, I would venture to say she was a little giddy.  She had an outfit to wear, hair did and everything.  If you look closely in the photo you can see the twinkle in Mom's eye sparked by her excitement to have the pictures taken.  Actually, you don't even have to look that close.  You can see in the glow that she's emitting in her expression.

Something else occurred to me at that time.  Mom and Dad had not had any professional pictures taken of them in quite a while.  It's been so long that I can't even remember the last time.  You would be hard pressed to find any of them around the house.  Sure, there are plenty of candids of them at events and/or on trips, but nothing in a professional studio setting.  That made it even more special that I was the one to secure such a photo upon my visit.  You'll have to excuse me while I pat myself on the back for that minor accomplishment.

That was not the only reason this photo is at the top spot.  It's also there because I just flat out love any picture of my parents together.  Whenever I see a photo of Mom and Dad together I am instantly reminded of how they have always been there for me throughout the years.  Not just for me but for my sisters as well.  Not just for us either but also for other family members.  Each of them providing the quintessential traits of what it takes to be a great human being both individually and collectively.  There have been no greater role models for me than the two of them.  Hey...what a great name for their photo...

 

The Year in Television

So what's going on with the show on the boob tube this year?  Where did that phrase even come from?  When you think about it it's probably more applicable in our day and age than whatever era it originated.  I'm sure we see a lot more racy things these days that would have never seen the light of day back then.

Anyway, I will have to admit that I wasn't overly impressed with a vast majority of what I did see on tv this past year.  It had nothing to do with the fact that I didn't get a chance to watch as much tv as I normally do.  Even when I dvr'ed I ended up being disappointed.  Like once reliable shows such as "The Office" falling off dramatically when Steve Carrell left.  However, I was still able to salvage a top 15 list from what I did watch...

15.  Parks and Recreation
I have to give them props for keeping Rob Lowe and the other dude in the show for this long and not losing anything.  In fact, it probably helped them.  But nothing close to the boost that their other storylines were giving them.  Marrying Andy and April produced pure comedy gold.  So did Tom's side gig of an entertainment company.  The show just kept surprising from a new angle every week.  If you haven't seen it yet then do so and TREAT YO' SELF!

14.  Community
If you watch Joel McHale's other show "The Soup" you caught how he kept mentioning in the last few episodes that NBC is putting "Community" on hiatus.  It makes no sense that a show this good has to go away while we have continue to be tortured with something like "Whitney".  I really wonder what goes thru tv execs heads sometimes.  At the very least they could have given us a show with just Abed and Troy to whet our appetite during the alleged hiatus

13.  Archer
I almost missed this show every Thursday because of a glitch with my dvr.  It kept wanting to not prioritize this and would instead re-record repeats of "The Soup".  Quickly solved that problem.  As far as cartoons go this is hands down the best one on tv at the moment.  For adult cartoons anyway.  "South Park" has fallen off a bit, and joints like "American Dad" and "Family Guy" aren't even in the same ballpark.  I'm going to need them to make longer seasons though. 

12.  Glee
Yes, the self-proclaimed Gleek and former Swing Choir member himself really does have this show down this far.  They brought it on themselves.  I said early on that they need to improve the music to get that show back to where it once was.  Well that and get away from the depressing storylines they were doing.  They slowly moved away from both of those issues but not far enough.  And if they were smart they would stop putting everybody and their mom in that school.  It's starting to get like the island on "Lost" where folks just keep popping up out of nowhere.

11.  Sons of Anarchy
I meant to watch this show from day one but missed out for some reason.  Then I thought I might as well not watch at all since I was three seasons behind.  But then I figured I've started mid-series with shows before so why not.  It worked out pretty good for a minute there.  It was quite the interesting season with Rockmond Dunbar on board.  Then they had to go and ruin it with that wack season finale.  The only reason I'll watch again next season is to see how they attempt to redeem themselves. 

10.  Harry's Law
They took a HUGE risk this season by getting rid of the brotha and the blonde girl on the show.  Especially with it being only the second season.  I guess they figure better to do it now than later when we get too attached to them.  The only reason it worked is because Kathy Bates still makes the show.  And for the longest time it was the closest thing I had to fill that "Boston Legal" void.  Until another show came along that we'll get too later.  If they ultimately get back to getting the community around the law office more involved with the episodes again then this show could yet move back up.

9.  Modern Family
These folks still remain my favorite non-dysfunctional family on television.  Makes no sense, right?  Well when you watch the show it really does.  They are normal people but they really aren't.  Most of what they do is always out of love for another.  It's just done in such an awkward manner sometimes that it's hard to tell.  Until the end of the episode.  And the journey they take us on to get there continues to be a hilarious one.

8.  Friday Night Lights
I was going to say that it's hard to believe that this show is now off the air, but it's really not.  Not when you consider that it was on NBC.  The same network where we now know they have a habit for axing good shows because they have no common sense.  I'm glad that FNL lasted as long as it did.  Considering the fact that it was based on a high school football team, it had probably run its course anyway.  I found myself watching the last season wanting to see more of the old familiar faces AND storylines.  So bravo to them for going out with a bang instead of hanging on too long.  But I'm still mad that they didn't bring Smash back for that series finale.

7.  Leverage
Speaking of FNL, it's still so good to see Voodoo (Alec Hardison) thriving in another role.  In fact, it seems like this role as Aldis was the one he was meant to play.  I have to be honest though...I keep waiting for that one episode where Eliot runs into the one cat that he can't take out within a couple of seconds.  Let's see him lose for once.  Let's see the team fail just one time.  And not on purpose either.  They almost make them all too perfect as anti-heroes.

6.  How I Met Your Mother
I altered my own rules for this countdown just for this one.  I know...big surprise that I'm not playing by my own rules, huh?  I'm watching this one in syndication and it's regular new shows.  The ones in syndication are by far away the best ones.  I'm able to see how much hilarity I missed out on when the show was fresher.  Still, the new episodes are no slouches either.  They aren't enough to be a top 10 show by themselves, but fortunately for them they don't have to worry about that problem

5.  Franklin and Bash
Remember when I was talking about that show I needed to fill the "Boston Legal" void?  Well hello "Franklin and Bash".  It doesn't even bother me that it's more than far-fetched that these two could operate as attorneys in the manner in which they do.  So what if it's almost like they run their practice not a whole lot different than a stereotypical college frathouse?  It's Zach Morris (yes, that will always be his name to me) and Breckin Meyer.  Do we really expect either of them to play any other type of role?

4.  The Walking Dead
Out of all the shows that I do watch where the season finales are crucial this is the only one that delivered.  Easily the best season finale I've seen in quite a while.  And that's saying a lot considering all of the writers from the first season were replaced.  Allegedly.  Unfortunately, there were a couple of episodes here and there that were hit and miss leading up to that season finale.  At least they righted that ship at the end.  Now I am once again looking forward to the next season which is just how it's supposed to be with a good drama.

3.  Happy Endings
I seriously can't get enough of this show.  As far as sitcoms go they seriously knocked it out of the park with this one.  You know how some shows will have that one quirky friend who's the constant on the show for an off the wall laugh?  Well they made the entire cast like that on this one.  Why didn't anyone ever think of that before?  Perhaps someone did but the writing wasn't near as clever. 

2.  American Horror Story
The ONLY reason this didn't take the top spot for best show of the year was because of that disappointing season finale.  The second to last show was actually better.  Maybe they should have ended it there.  It was bad enough that they were adding more and more ghosts to the house throughout the season.  I've already said I'm not a fan of that style which I now call "Lost-writing".  I'm going to forgive them for that though because the entire season was on point up until then.  Every show was a new twist better than the next.  Can't wait to see what next season with a new cast and location will bring.

1.  Tosh.0
I just checked last year's countdown to see if this one really did repeat.  It most certainly did.  That's a feat that hasn't been done on my lists since "Friday Night Lights" in its prime.  So Daniel Tosh should consider himself in some pretty elite company.  To be fair, this lofty ranking was helped in part by Tosh's stand-up I also saw this year.  You can appreciate his jokes an antics on the show even more when you see him uncensored.  The fact that he continues to push the boundaries every single show and doesn't care at all when he actually steps over them is what makes this show so funny in the first place.  But again...I'm going to need them to make longer seasons.  Lord knows there is plenty of internet fodder out there to keep this show busy for a while.

Top Captures of 2011 : Honorable Mentions

Before I bless you with that number one pick (yes...I said bless) I decided to give everyone a quick glimpse of the other captures that were up for contention.  Some folks have been patiently waiting to see where their favorite image would land in the countdown.  As I mentioned before, they couldn't all make it. And there were so many great ones to choose from that it was not an easy task trying to make eliminations.  But you're all winners in my book.

So I decided to make a quick slideshow of the other photos that just missed.  Please note that these are in no particular order so don't read too much into which one is first and which one is last.  There are 31 photos in total.  For those of you that have the patience to sit thru the entire slideshow then you are in for a treat!

 

Top Captures of 2011 : #2

This picture still gives me a little bit of a chill each time I look at it.  It evokes so many varied emotions each and every time.  Yet every time almost seems as though it's the first time I'm looking at it.  Such a surreal feeling that I still don't want to believe that it's true.  That's just so incredible to me.  Here we are 6 months later and I keep thinking that the next time I go to Popoo and Grandma's house that Popoo will still be there.  Even though I know he has moved on to a much better place.

I know I stated this before in an earlier tribute to Popoo before, but it's definitely worth repeating.  I did not ever want there to be the day that Popoo wouldn't be here with us any longer.  He was one of those one constants that I always enjoyed having in my life.  I could always count on going to Kansas City and visiting Popoo and Grandma's house in the Quindaro neighborhood.  Always seeing his face light up as soon as I entered their home.  Hearing his quiet laugh as if every visit was my first.  For someone that doesn't smile much at all, Popoo never had any problem getting a smile from me.

Attending Popoo's homegoing was a very odd sensation.  It was something that I was anticipating due to how sick he had been.  I knew it would come at a time that I had XL-Images under way so that I would be able to accurately memorialize the event.  Yet it was definitely something I was not looking forward to.  Would I be able to focus properly knowing the real reason I was there?

I was on my game for the most part during the day.  I knew the event would be one of the few times that so much family would get together that hadn't seen one another in a while.  Therefore, I wanted to make sure I would get some great photos.  Unfortunately, I discovered that I forgot to properly adjust my light settings after leaving the cemetery.  As a result, most of the family photos that I took at the church afterwards didn't come out anywhere near how I would have liked them.  At least I was still able to get some incredible ones beforehand.  Including this most important one.

Popoo's homegoing was the first time I had been to one where they did the whole flag presentation thing.  I just wish they had gotten it right the first time so the flag didn't come undone.  Regardless of how long it took them to get it right, I took the opportunity to capture the precise moment it got to Grandma.  I was strategically located outside the tented area so I wouldn't be intruding on the moment.  I utilized my telephoto lens to zoom in at just the right time.

It dawned on me the moment that I snapped the photo why this particular image was so special to me.  All the time that I have known Grandma and I never fully appreciated what a strong woman she is.  Her rock of nearly three quarters of a century was gone.  Family all around her was visibly shaken with emotions overcome by the enormity of his physical absence.  Yet she remain visibly unfaltered.  I don't know what was crossing her mind at that moment but to me it was like she was soaking in the fact that she had just become the family's rock...

 

A Year of Passing Thoughts

I was going to forego this particular post this year.  Only because doing that countdown of my top captures has been so time consuming.  I didn't see the need in sprinkling something like this in there which could air a little bit on the depressing side.  But of all the years for me to pick to neglect it, this was not the year.  Not with one of the most important people in my life transitioning home.

So here we are again at another year's end reflecting on some of the notable passings.  There were some pretty significant ones out there too.  Although none more so than my Popoo.  Sorry celebrities but that's just the way it is.  In addition, every year I do this list reminds me that I'm blessed that I'm not on it.  Although if I was on it then how could this list get done?  You know what I'm trying to say. 

Anyway...here's the folks that moved on this past year.  As usual, you can click on the name to be magically transported to the original entry where I posted about their passing.  May everyone here rest in peace...

Pete Postlehwaite, 64 (character actor)
Bill Erwin, 96 (character actor)
Jack Lalanne, 96 (fitness guru)
Len Lesser, 88 (actor - Uncle Leo)
Dave Duerson, 50 (Chicago Bear legend)
Jane Russell, 89 (actress)
Clarice Taylor, 93 (actress)
Popoo, 93
Gil Scott-Heron, 62 (poet and musician)
Jeff Conaway, 80 (actor)
Randy "Macho Man" Savage, 58 (WWF legend)
Robert "Tractor" Traylor, 34 (former NBA baller)
Geraldine Fearror, 75 (politician)
Elizabeth Taylor, 79 (actress)
Nate Dogg, 41 (hip hop legend)
Sherwood Schwartz, 94 (television producer)
Armen Gilliam, 47 (UNLV legend)
Lorenzo Charles, 47 (NC State legend)
Norma Lyon, 81 (Iowa State Fair butter cow lady)
Peter Falk, 83 (actor)
Clarence Clemmons, 69 (saxaphone legend)
Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, 63 (former Black Panther)
Jack Kevorkian, 83 (Dr. Death)
Patrice O'Neal, 41 (comedian)
Chester McGlockton, 42 (former NFL baller)
Heavy D, 44 (hip hop legend)
Joe Frazier, 67 (boxing legend)
Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, 89 (former civil rights leader)
Vesta Williams, 54 (R&B singer)
Annette Charles, 63 ("Grease" actress)
Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith, 66 (former NFL legend and actor)
Amy Winehouse, 27 (singer)
Heather Lacey, 38 (former co-worker)
Steve Jobs, 56 (Apple founder)
Al Davis, 82 (Oakland Raiders owner)

 

Top Captures of 2011 : #3

I have grown to love marathon shoots.  Although they tend to be physically taxing they are SO worth the effort.  That's one of the reason I have dubbed them "marathon shoots". It really comes down to a law of averages type of situation.  It's just more likely for me to get more great captures out of several shoots rather than just one.  

So what is a marathon shoot some of you may wonder?  It's when I schedule several mini-shoots back to back in a 4+ hour time slot.  Usually the "mini-shoots" involve just one look (outfit) for a half hour session.   I will work to get as many different poses in as I can during that half hour.  As long as the subjects are on time for their session and easy to work with then things work out great.  That has been the case with every marathon shoot I've had this year.  Including the one that yielded this capture.

There were actually more than a few things that had to come together to pull this photo off.  First and foremost was a 'model' who could make it work.  That's where JB came in.  His mom Tanya signed him up for one of the slots in my marathon shoot.  Lil dude was a complete ham.  And that was not a bad thing at all.  He gave off just the right amount of attitude for the camera.  There's a big difference between cockiness and confidence.  His confidence shined thru brightly.

Then there's the outfit.  What you see here was not entirely JB's wardrobe.  It so happened there was another guy there for an earlier shoot who had the leather bomber jacket and aviator shades.  The pics he took in them were cool and all but something told me the look would have a bigger effect if JB was sporting it.  I could not have been more right.  JB owned that gear like it was his from day one. 

There was also the issue of the lighting.  The whole purpose of this particular marathon shoot was for me to get more experience working on different lighting techniques.  It was something that I had struggled with early on when using darker backgrounds.  I was able to achieve just the right ratio here though.  Props go out to to my friend Jaye who was assisting though.  She tweaked the set-up just a little bit right before this shot.  Then she held the reflector in the right spot to get the perfect exposure on JB's face.

Another thing was just a little bit of luck.  I realized with the first photo I snapped that the glasses were acting as mirrors catching anything in them that was in front of JB.  Including me.  And the first photo also captured Jaye as well.  It gave me the idea of putting Tanya in that spot instead.  I knew that I could always edit out everything else in post-processing so that the only thing you see is Mom checking out her son.

There are some captures that I instantly fall in love with the minute I see it on my camera's LED screen.  But that's only part of the test.  Some of my images look awesome on that small screen but not not quite so amazing when I put them on my 17-inch laptop screen to edit.  That wasn't the case with this one.  I was so enamored by this photo that I immediately knew this was one of the pictures I wanted on the animation for the front page of my website when I revamped it.  Sometimes you just instantly know when you got a good thing.  Feels good to be right...

 

Top Captures of 2011 : #4

Remember one picture ago when I said I would be speaking more on that photo style very soon?  Bet you didn't think it would be this soon did you?  Anyone with an iPhone may already be familiar with the technique.  There's a popular app known as ColorSplash that let's you do this.  Pretty fun to mess around with although not the best quality if you want to use the pic somewhere important.  Wait...am I getting ahead of myself again ?  I think I am.  Let me backtrack as usual...

The 'model' here is Susize.  She's another friend that I met on The Book thru mutual friends.  I am always looking for individuals that have unique looks that I haven't worked with before.  Susize fit the mold perfectly.  She had a look that resembled a mix of a Kim Kardashian and a Nicole Scherzinger.  Except a down to earth version of both.  Of course I couldn't pass up the chance to work with her on a shoot.

I will admit that I was a little leery as we got closer to the date leading up to the shoot.  I mentioned before that I sometimes have bad luck with TFPs when it comes to the folks actually coming thru.  Some will either no show on me or cancel last minute.  One of those will usually happen in the instance where I've never worked with the person before so there is no working relationship in place.  I was hoping this wouldn't be another one of those times.

However, I had more faith in Suszie because of the fact she seem more genuinely interested than the most.  I could tell because as it was getting closer to the scheduled date she would send me an occasional idea of some of the poses she had in mind.  That was just what I wanted to see.  She would be one of those folks coming with their own input to help the session go even better.  I knew then that I was going to like the results.

Most of the folks that I work with will show up with a wardrobe to select from but not quite sure which outfit to wear.  Or maybe what pose will work with what outfit.  Susize already had the dress for this one when she pulled out these shoes.  The minute I saw the bottom of those shoes my eyes lit up.  I instantly had this particular look in mind.  I even told her what I was going to do so she could appreciate it also.  However, I don't think she fully grasped how epic it was until she saw the final product.

The thing with the whole ColorSplash technique is some folks use it just to use it.  I like to utilize it to add context to pictures.  You saw that in #5 spot and now again here.  The red was already going to stand out on its own had I left the entire photo in color.  But by changing it to black and white it adds more emphasis.  I had her in just the right pose to maximize the technique into just the commercial look I wanted.  Although I have never been a fan of the color red, this picture is proof positive that sometimes it can be my friend...   

Top Captures of 2011 : #5

There are still a few types of shoots I would yet like to add to my portfolio.  One of those being a maternity shoot.  I have faith that one of those is coming.  Probably a lot sooner than you think.  And when I get that first one done as a TFP all those that slept on the same offer are going to be sorry they missed out.  But until then, it's the main missing project I want to get under my belt.

The other is senior photos.  The ironic thing about this is I know a lot of folks that have kids old enough to be seniors.  A lot of folks.  You would think that some of them would be looking for good deals for senior pics.  Or at least checking to see what a brotha has to offer.  Heck, I've already seen some that have went elsewhere without so much as a nod my way.  Or maybe they have checked my product and also noticed that I don't have any seniors in the port. 

I found a loophole to change that fact.  Doing photos of youngsters that aren't seniors but could pass as such.  My son Elijah would definitely be one.  However, he's all the way in Texas so that poses a problem.  I was fortunate enough to get approached by a friend of mine here who had a son who could also fit the bill.  It just so happened that House (for those of you that don't know him, that's not his real name.  It's just what everyone knows him as) was looking to have some pics done for his son who missed out on his football pictures.  All types of ideas started running thru my head.  Yet another perfect situation where the client and I could both benefit.

One of the first ideas I had was one that I had been plotting for a while.  One that was nearly up for contention to were it not for how tight this picture is.  It was a simple shot of Javi (the 'model' here) holding the football at the camera.  The football would be out of focus while the rest of him would be.  Mainly his eyes which would have that look of weathered determination.  I have to admit that that picture did turn out kinda hot.  It jsut didn't have have the kick this one did.

This one came about when House said he wanted to get a picture of the back of the jersey. This pose instantly came to mind.  Mainly because it was something that I would have always wanted to do for myself if I had the frame for it.  And if I had played football. I just has that air of confidence about it.  It's compounded even more by the fact that I utilized the perfect location to accentuate the look.  Even more again by the color splash technique where only the "V" on the helmet is in color.  We'll get more into that style on the countdown VERY soon so I won't go into detail here.

So was the mission accomplished with these stylistic pics of young Javi?  Was it enough to have folks look at the port and realize that XL-Images can get down with some senior photos too?  Well the phone hasn't been ringing off the hook with those requests just yet.  Just as I do with the maternity pics, I also have faith that the senior offers will come eventually come in also.  Maybe folks just to be reminded again of what I can do.  Maybe seeing this image on the countdown will do just that...

The Year in Music

Is it possible to have quite an interesting year in music while at the same time having a very predictable one?  I guess that would be the epitome of the diversity in my taste of music.  No other way to explain why I was feeling so many songs with Ike Jr. in them then have a song about zombies in the same countdown. You can thank good ol' Turntable for that.  Most of these cuts I probably would have never heard of it wasn't for that site.

So once again I spared you all the trouble of doing a little blurb about each song.  You could always click on the archive titled "The Soundtrack of My Life" to the right and find the original entry for each and every one of these.  Not feeling that ambitious?  Well you can just click on the song itself and be magically transported to the YouTube video of the song.  I warn you...not all of them are the "official" video so view at your own risk.  But at least you could hear the sounds that have been permanently ingrained in my heard during the course of this year...

Celebration (rmx) - Tank f/ Chris Brown & Trey Lorenz

 Rolling in the Deep - "Glee" Cast

Yes - Musiq Soulchild

 Make Me Proud - Drake f/ Nikki Minaj

Stay - Tyrese

 Far Away (rmx) - Marsha Ambrosious f/ Busta Rhymes

I Can't Make You Love Me - Tank

Love on Top - Beyonce

Another Round - Fat Joe f/ Chris Brown

Ni**as in Paris - Jay-Z & Kanye West

Aston Martin Music - Rick Ross f/ Drake & Chrisette Michele

Hold My Hand - Committed

Marvin's Room - Drake

Re: Brains - Jonathan Coulton

We All Try - Frank Ocean

 

 

 

 

Top Captures of 2011 : #6

Remember when I said that you should probably get used to seeing my family in the countdown?  Or something to that effect anyway.  So yeah...I was pretty serious about that.  Those of you that may get sick of seeing pics of them you should probably consider yourselves fortunate.  There were more family pictures that didn't make it into the countdown that could have easily bumped a photo or two.  Just  imagine if this was a top 100 instead of only 32?

Anyway, it should be obvious why this photo is here.  Now that I think about it this is the most recent professional picture I have of my three children.  I really should have many more of them.  However, it's difficult to do when Elijah and Mariah live so far away in Dallas.  That's why I made sure to make the most of it when they are in town no matter how brief it may be.

This one came about because they were going to be passing thru Des Moines on their way to Cedar Rapids.  It was earlier this year in March.  I can't even remember what the trip was for that their mom had planned for them but the timing was pretty fortuitous.  It also happened that Mom and Dad would be in town during the same time.  I was going to be able to spend a few hours with the kids before they left and they would get to see my folks at the same time. 

The minute I found out the schedule I made it a point to reserve the IKONIX studio.  I wasn't about to pass up the perfect opportunity to get some first rate photos of the shorties together.  I didn't know when such an opportunity would ever present itself again.  At least in a studio setting.  Which reminds me that it was also another occasion that mad props are owed to IKONIX owner Tom Woolery.  It turned out that Elijah and Mariah arrived to town a little late. Tom was okay with me starting a little later than scheduled.  It only worked out because no one had the studio scheduled after me but it was still nice of him to be flexible.

This particular family shoot yielded a ton of great pictures.  Yes I know you have noticed that familiar theme in a lot of these single digits in the countdown.  Now you see why it was so difficult to narrow down the final spots.  In this case, it was because it was more than must the group shot you see here.  There also a great shot which included the shorties PLUS Mom, Dad and myself.  It was actually a decent picture of me.  However, I just wanted more of the focus to be on the kids at this particular spot.

These three always take such great pictures together.  I think it's more than just the fact that they're all so photogenic.  I've come to realize that there's a certain energy that contributes to their collective photo-taking as well.  It's the fact that they don't get to see each other that often because of that horrible distance.  Therefore, when they get together you see this smile on G's face that is the most genuine one he ever has.  He finally gets to be with his older sister and brother.  At that particular moment all is right in the world for him.  I know exactly how he feels...