Been decompressing from the first half of the year by taking some three-day weekends.

Not having to go in to work on a normal week-day is totally awesome. It's so great to hit the usual tourist places when everyone else is working, and it's not really tourist season. We had the Japanese Gardens at the Arboretum and the Conservatory almost to ourselves.

After about a year of waiting and saving, we finally bought two new lenses.

The new lenses are insane. With some practice, we should be able to take candids and portraits to a new level.

Anyway, all these shots were taken with the new Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L IS II and the just-released Sigma 85 f/1.4

Both these lenses are perfect for getting shots of kids on the move, or indoors without flash. I hate flash, so I'm a big fan of super-fast glass.

Fall is so awesome up here compared to LA. This is our 4th Fall season since we moved, and I still can't get used to the colors and how dramatically evrything changes.

Elliot investigates the cacti at the Conservatory

Another cactus with amazing colors

Mom and Lia navigate the narrow isles in the Conservatory

"Elliot, just pretend you're looking at something far away..."

Lia checks out the super-cool fountain with ferns and moss growing out of it

The Japanese Gardens at the Arboretum (we checked this out two years ago)

"You coming, Dad?"

Nicole and Lia lean against a tree at Brian and Jen's sweet new place in Kirkland

Lia bobs in the pool at swim class in Bellevue

Swimming laps in his Bellevue swim class

Lia practices her princess smile in the bathtub, an impossible shot until now with the Sigma 1.4

The gloomy Fall evening punctuated by warm colors

Lia tries out the Lion costume

A cactus at the Conservatory

Mom and Lia at the Conservatory

Smellin' the flowers at the Conservatory

A wall of flora

One of the many rare flowers at the Conservatory

The Japanese Gardens at the Arboretum

Hanging out with Brian and Lilly at Jen's b-day party

"Yep, I'm guessing you're still over there behind that garbage can with your new lens pointed this way, Dad. Nope, I'm not gonna look"

Elliot listens to his teacher at swim class

Another shot, this one at dusk, with the Sigma wide open at f/1.4

Elliot rocks the robot

Our front porch all decked out for Halloween