Valentine's Day Week

Tuesday was Valentine's Day and the kids had lots of fun at school. They each had a Valentine's Day party and gave treats to their friends.  For Valentine's Day I woke up super early and made the kids a special breakfast of heart shaped pancakes. They each got a stuffed toy and a little heart candy. We kept it simple.

Carmen attended Lola's 4th birthday party this past weekend. It was a princess party of course and she dressed up for the event. She had a wonderful "girly" afternoon. While the girls were at the party, Papa, Gianni, and Abel went to see Star Wars in 3D.

 Both of my munchkins are doing well. Carmen had a little trouble at school this week and we are trying to teach her the importance of honesty and that she needs to take responsibility for her actions. Gianni had strep throat and an ear infection this past week. He saw the ENT doctor Thursday and his tube is out in one ear already. The tubes (his 3rd set) have not even been in a full year and I can't believe that one is already out. We will see how he does, but I am crossing my fingers that he doesn't get anymore infections.

As for Abel and I, we continue our weight loss journey together. He is doing great and recently has dropped about 10 pounds in the last month or so. This week I hit a milestone of 70 pounds lost since I started in 2009. It is a daily battle for both of us but one that we must continue for the rest of our lives to stay healthy for these two munchkins. Being around for your kids is the best motivator ever!

I am on the market for a new camera thanks to my mom. She would like me to upgrade and when she settled her contract she promised that I would get a new one. The search has been on. I wanted a big fancy camera like a Nikon or Canon. We looked and looked and the more I talked with Jenni and Angela I realized that I am not a professional photographer, and I may want something smaller. I did lots of research online, went on to photography blogs from professionals all over the country, went and played with the cameras at the store multiple times and got it down to two cameras: Nikon D 5100 and Sony NEX 5n. The Nikon is big and the Sony is small. Do I really want to lug a big camera around? The Sony it is! I made my decision! I learned about the sensors on the camera and how they help with clarity, and compared them and I truly believe that the Sony is right for me.  In addition, when you change modes on the Sony, the screen displays messages that teach you what to use each mode for. People that have this camera say that they have learned so much from it because at the touch fo a button it tells you what to do, and what the mode works best for. The decision is made, so then it was off to buy it. Nobody has it! Every place we checked is sold out. I can't even get it online at this point. It is a new camera and we just can't find it. Well, Abel has been on the best buy site everyday and this morning they say that they have 2 in stock. He called last night when the truck arrived but they didn't unload before close. He is going to get there when they open at 10am and maybe we will get lucky today. Here is my camera. Some of the reviews of this camera say that it is like a compact and DSLR had a baby together. It isn't the prettiest camera in the world but man is it fast! It will fit in my purse and we can buy extended lenses when we save a little more money. I will probably get the 55 - 250mm lense eventually for those times when I need it. Here it is:

Capture detailed photos with this digital camera that features ISO sensitivity up to 25,600 for clear photos, even in dimly lit areas. The 3" Xtra Fine touch-screen LCD monitor ensures easy viewing and navigation through menus.

What's Included

•Sony NEX-5N 16.1-Megapixel Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens

•E-mount 18-55mm lens (SEL1855)

•InfoLITHIUM rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NP-FW50)

•Battery charger (BC-VW1)

•USB cable (mini B), shoulder strap, lens cap, CD-ROM

•Owner's manual

Product Features

•16.1-megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS image sensor

Captures high-resolution images up to 4912 x 3264 pixels.

•3x optical/10x digital/30x total zoom

Through a Sony E-mount lens for precise zooming and accuracy.

•18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens included

For intricate picture detail. Metal lens construction provides durability.

•3" Xtra Fine touch-screen LCD monitor

With 921K pixels and 45° down and 80° up tilt capabilities for clear images.

•Full HD video recording

Utilizes AVCHD and MP4 codecs and shoots video with resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 pixels for stunning images with intense realism.

•BIONZ image processor

Features chroma noise reduction to ensure high-resolution, low-noise shots.

•ISO 100-3200 (selectable to 25,600) For shooting in most lighting conditions.

•Up to 10 fps (frames per second)
•Preflash TTL flash metering system

With auto flash, fill-flash, rear sync, slow sync and red-eye reduction flash types to capture a variety of shots.

•Advanced 1200-zone evaluative metering

With multisegment, center-weighted and spot metering modes.

•Object Tracking AF

Locks onto an object and maintains focus, even as the subject moves. Intelligent autofocus prefocuses as you compose the shot for reduced focusing time.

•Media card slot