Christmas and the New Year

When people have asked me how my Christmas was this year, my response has been -

'Great. In fact, pretty much perfect.'

And I hold to that. It really was a great Christmas.

I loved the whole season. I listened to a whole lot of Christmas music - which always makes me happy. However, I have a method when it comes to Christmas music. It's simple. Don't listen to Christmas music on the radio. That's the stuff that drives me nuts. Some of it is way too schmultzy and cheesy... etc. On my phone - I have only songs I like, versions that I like, by artists that I like. It's perfect. I also avoid all the awful consumerism-focused commercials on the radio that way. Speaking of which, I almost never watch live TV anymore which means I get to miss all of those awful commercials on TV too. Which, I've decided, really helps me not get annoyed with how 'me, me, me, this is what I want' this season can be for some people. So yay for that.

That being said - I happened to get some really nice gifts this year. One of them was a canon DSLR from my parents. It's one gift that I'm going to be contributing too because they cost more than what my parents spend for Christmas. That being the case, my mom asked me a couple of weeks before Christmas if I would be interested in getting one and contributing toward it and I said - YES! I had actually looked at getting one before... but they are really expensive so I decided I'd wait. I waited and now I don't have to wait anymore. I've already really, really enjoyed it.

While the battery was charging I told Harper that the last camera I got was also a Christmas present and since I had been sitting at the hearth and he was on the couch across from me, he was the first picture I took on that camera. He said I better not mess with tradition -

2008 -

2011 - (a la george costanza)

then I hooked up the telephoto lens. this was as 'unzoomed' as it got.

I took another - as zoomed as it goes - picture, but I'll spare Harps the posting of that one. 

Next came Annikki and I messing around with it

I had to auto-focus this one since without the flash the face was too dark for the camera to really focus on. Not bad detail, eh?

candid of Annikki -

always-available photography subjects -

Katie's and Neil's cat that we were watching for a couple of weeks while they were out of town visiting their families -

my first official outing with the camera - temple square -

I've gotten a shot similar to this for the last few years. I love this view -

this is, unfortunately, the back of the nativity, but the red reflection was seen a lot better on this side of the water -

next outing - BYU v. USD -

my nephew and I had some fun messing around -

And now it's the New Year. I'm looking forward to 2012. I have a feeling it's going to be awesome.

Happy New Year!