Surprises are really still the best feeling in the world. This past Friday night, I was just sitting down finishing up some last minute items before officially starting Mother’s Day weekend, when Kevin, Emma and Lily walked into the bedroom. Emma was carrying this large brown mailing box.
“Happy Mother’s Day, Mommy,” she shouted with a big smile on her face!!
Kevin was beaming and Lily just followed along for the ride. I immediately asked what was in the box and was told by Kevin to open it. So open it I did. I found the Canon N Series Powershot that I got to preview back during Easter Weekend. I mentioned it here.
To say, I feel in love with the camera was an understatement, because it has all sorts of unique features, including wi-fi capabilities and even a creative shooting mode, where it takes one picture, but produces six different shots from that one picture, such as the original, plus black and white, zoom in, and even color enhancements.
Canon Series N Camera–My Mother’s Day Surprise!!I was completely psyched and indeed truly surprised. Saturday, we had a cousin on Kevin’s side of the family’s communion up in Middletown, NY at the Orange County Arboretum. And Sunday was, of course, Mother’s Day and also Kevin’s Birthday.
So, we had tons of reason to celebrate for this weekend, as well as take pictures. I was so overjoyed to have a new camera to take pictures with for these occasions. I honestly didn’t think I was getting this camera, because it wasn’t cheap and we are saving hardcore to buy a house in the near future.
I even asked Kevin Thursday night, if he could try to borrow the loaner N Series camera that he had from Easter. When he came home Friday night, he had psyched me out by telling me that it was no longer available. So, I resigned myself to using my older Canon Powershot for the weekend. Yes, Kevin works at Canon and we only do own Canon Cameras, because of this association and discount he receives.
But again, I do have a wonderful husband who went the extra mile to totally surprise me.
However, no surprise comes without a bit of craziness, because I am the mother to two small children. So, of course I have to share with all of you, because that is what I do best!!
Saturday morning getting ready to leave for the communion, which was over 2 hours away from us by car was chaotic to say the least. I was dressing both girls to have Emma crying about needing help getting wiped in the bathroom, while I look up to see Lily, who has yet another cold (seriously so done with cold season already if haven’t mentioned this before) to having yellow snot in her bangs!! Gross and now I had to wash the front of her hair and then dry it before I could even continue to dress my kids. Seriously, it took all my restraint not to blow a fuse and utter a few choice obscenities at this very moment.
But by the time, I finished I seriously needed a stiff drink to relax me, not to mention I still needed to get dressed. Where was my knight in shining armor, you may ask? Showering and then ironing his clothes for the day! Love how he only had to worry about himself at that time!! But I digress.
I had charged the camera the night before, but since I was so busy that morning never actually looked at the camera manual for any last minute details. I used the loaner before, so I thought I would be good to go though. But just in case was going to look on the way up to communion, while Kevin drove.
Well, the road to hell is totally paved with good intentions, because when I turned the camera on for the first time in the car, I found out it was in video mode and recording. I had no clue how to turn that off and get back to just taking pictures. Kevin, of course, acted like I was crazy for not looking at it sooner and told me he would look at it when we arrived at the party.
About an hour later, we finally arrived having gotten lost on the actual park grounds that Arboretum was located on. As soon as we did arrive and park, the skies opened up and it was pouring raining. I swear it was as if the god’s were against us in the moment. I had a huge golf umbrella and carried Emma in as fast as I could. While, Kevin carried Lily.
Thankfully, the rain was short lived and the sun came out after we had the main course. We actually got to go for a tour of the grounds, which were spectacular complete with gardens and a water feature, too. Really just a wonderful party venue.
By the way, Kevin finally did figure out how to get the camera out of video mode by googling the camera manual online. And we actually got some really beautiful pictures of the Arboretum, as well as our family, too.
And we even got to use the camera for Mother’s Day and Kevin’s Birthday too on the following day.
Other then a few bumps in the road on both days, including getting ready as mentioned earlier, Lily getting spaghetti sauce on her fancy dress and waking out of a dead sleep on the way home only to cry so hard she made herself throw up (yes notice a trend with Lily!!), the weekend was a success. And I am happy to report that I am now taking Saturdays and Sundays for myself through the rest of the spring and summer, too to spend with Kevin and the girls.
And now I would love to share the collage I put together on PicMonkey from Saturday. I honestly love this new camera and playing around with the collages, too. And seriously a wonderful surprise for sure. Hope you enjoy!
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Robin Rue says
WOW – what a nice surprise! I have a Canon Powershot (different model) and I LOVE it. I actually got it around Christmas time because we go on a lot of vacations and I was sick of carrying my big, clunky Nikon with me – I wanted a point and shoot and I think mine actually takes better pictures than my Nikon! Happy belated Mother's Day!!
Janine Huldie says
Robin, I am partial to Canon, because Kevin works there and have to be honest never owned Nikon, because of this. But seriously, love the pictures it takes. And hope you too had a great Mother's Day!! 🙂
erintheirishmama says
What a fun weekend!!! The girls look so pretty in their dresses!!!!!
Janine Huldie says
Oh thanks so much Erin and it was fun. And am loving taking off a bit now!! 😉
Dani Ryan says
So glad you got your new camera! That's awesome!!!
And I hear you about the colds. I'm SO done with cold and flu season, and I am seriously considering hibernation next Winter!!!!
Happy Mother's Day!
Janine Huldie says
Thanks so much Dani and I will totally hibernate right alone side of you. Totally hoping your little girl is feeling better today. And huge Happy Mother's Day to you, too!! 🙂
Susan Zutautas says
Sounds like a great camera. So sorry to read that your little one has yet another cold and hope she feels better soon.
Janine Huldie says
Thanks so much Susan and she seems to be just a bit better so far today. I am honestly ready for no more illnesses in my house for awhile!!
Christina (Tina) Mor says
Oh my goodness! I so don't miss the early years! I'm glad you had a lot of happy moments and got a really neat surprise. I think your girls (the youngest will probably have to get a bit older, but time flies fast enough) will love the mermaid e-book that's up for grabs on my blog. I've got 5 to give away. It's a fabulous new series and the author is giving the first one in the series away.
Janine Huldie says
Oh thanks so much Christina and will so head to your site in a few to check it out and enter. So kind of you to mention it and think of my girls!! And hope you are having a great day today!! 🙂
Kera says
So glad that you and the family had such a wonderful weekend, Mother's Day, and birthday for Kevin! I love your pictures from the Arboretum and I know you love playing around with that new camera! So happy that the sun came out for a bit and you could spend some time outside on Saturday!
Janine Huldie says
Thanks so much Kera for keeping me in the loop with the weather up there and really you were so right again. And I too was so happy we got some much needed sun and warmth to have fun and get some wonderful pictures, too. And hope you too had a wonderful weekend and Mother's Day!! 🙂
Kat Biggie says
Love the camera and those are beautiful collages! You are doing so great with your beautiful designs, even just on the collages! I look forward to seeing them cause they brighten my day! 🙂
Janine Huldie says
Oh thanks Alexa for saying that and I really am having a ton of fun with this camera, the collages and playing around a bit here with all the photos I am taking now. And so happy to share with you!! 🙂
4TamaraEden4 says
Happy Mother's Day to you! I'm a Canon girl myself. I've always been and at this point with the lens collecting, there'd be no point to switch to Nikon. Can't wait to see more beautiful pictures!
Janine Huldie says
So happy to know that you too love Canon and will definitely keep sharing pictures here for all!! 🙂
Judy Haughton-James says
Your Mother's Day gift is wonderful Janine. Beautiful pictures! I am glad that for the most part everything went well for you and your family over the weekend. Have a great week.
Janine Huldie says
Oh thanks so much Judy and hope you too had a wonderful weekend!! 🙂
Bill says
What a lovely gift. You really do have the best of all worlds right there in that household. 🙂 Have a great week, Janine.
Janine Huldie says
Oh thanks Bill and I know I am truly so very lucky even through all the craziness. Hope you both had a wonderful weekend, too!! 🙂
Janine Huldie says
Oh you should definitely look into it and if you have any questions ask away. I will try to help you, Michelle!! 🙂
Janine Huldie says
Oh totally awesome and so very happy for you. Cannot wait to see the pictures you take now with your new Rebel T4i!!! We totally think alike and love it, Kelly!!! 🙂
Lanaya @ Raising Rea says
It looks like it ended up being a picture perfect day even with all the slight mishaps! You look beautiful mama and I am so happy you have a wonderful weekend!
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(¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo http://www.raising-reagan.com
Janine Huldie says
Thanks Lanaya so very much and it really was when all said and told a wonderful weekend. Tomorrow, we have Emma's Circus at school. So, a little fun during the week, too will creep up my way!! I hope you too had an awesome weekend and Mother's Day, too!! xoxo 🙂
Dana says
Great pics – I love making collages on PicMonkey – what a great way to highlight your family photos. My husband's birthday was on Saturday, so we had a weekend of celebrating at our house too!
Janine Huldie says
Awesome and sounds like fun was had in your house for sure, too. and Happy (belated) Birthday to your husband also, Dana!!! 🙂
Lalitha Prakash says
Happy Mother's Day !!!
Janine Huldie says
Thanks Lalitha!! 🙂
Chubby Chatterbox says
I love a story with a happy ending and you receiving exactly what you wanted qualifies as a happy ending.
Janine Huldie says
Oh thanks so much Chubby and it really was just an awesome weekend!! 🙂
Cyndi says
Sounds like you had a good weekend and I think I need a Canon camera now, LOL…I love those photos, too. Hopefully I can show some great pics I took over the weekend…it's a teacher workday here so I've been working on report cards and lesson plans…I'll get there somehow, haha.
Janine Huldie says
Oh thanks for stopping by even though you are so busy now. If you do need a Canon and are looking at anything specific let me know, Kevin does get a discount with the Online Store working for Canon. Would love to try to help you get a better price 🙂
Cyndi says
Oh my goodness…it just let me comment! Whaddya know!
Janine Huldie says
Yay for Disqus working for you and thanks for being so very persistent!! 🙂
Janine Huldie says
Thanks Heather and she seems to be doing a bit better today, but it truly is the weather. We were at almost 75 late last week and today we are barely reaching 60 degrees. Just can't wait for summer and a nice stretch of warm consistent weather now. And I had a blast taking these pictures and love Pic Monkey to do play around with their collage features (such fun)!! 🙂
Janine Huldie says
Kevin loves photoshop, but I truly don't know the program well enough I suppose and admit. But PicMonkey, is so easy and so true how convenient, too.
Oh I am so sorry that you have a sick child home today. Seriously, I am so with you that it is May 13th and it is feeling more like Marc 13th today. Just chilly (even though the sun is out). It does need to warm up and stay warm already. Her is hoping out kids get better and stay better now, too!!
Jessica Smock says
What a great present! Happy belated Mother's Day! And you reminded me that I need to start playing with PicMonkey collages too…
Janine Huldie says
Happy Mother's Day to you, too Jessica and definitely enjoy playing around with PicMonkey, but try not to get lost on there, because I must admit I start something and find myself 2 hours later still playing around, because it is so much fun!! 🙂
SarahA says
Not only a wonderful present, a highly useful one! That is so sweet! My husband isn't so much for the surprises. He usually will say-I know you want (insert thing here), we have the money so go get it." That's how I got my cricut and my camera. 🙂
My surprise this Mother's Day was a trip to Starbucks, which was fine with me! Sounds like you had a wonderful Mother's Day! 😀
Janine Huldie says
Usually my husband does what your husband does and just tells me to get something if we can afford it. So this was truly a surprise indeed for me. And Starbucks sounds wonderful to me and glad you, too had a lovely Mother's Day, too Sarah!! 🙂
AnotherCleanSlate says
So glad you had such a great Mother's Day and an awesome gift too!
Janine Huldie says
Thanks Katie and I couldn't agree more!! 🙂
Dara says
love the pictures and the collage!
Janine Huldie says
Thanks so much Dara!! 🙂
The Dose of Reality says
AWESOME!! What a great Mother's Day gift!! I want to be at your house next year!! Why do you never get a manual with anything any more? You always have to google for it. It drives me nuts!! Love your photos! 🙂
Janine Huldie says
I know it is totally frustrating about the lack of manuals. Having to search online at times can be a real pain the butt. Thanks as always and hope you both had a wonderful Mother's Day, too!! 🙂
Jenni B says
So awesome that he tricked you for your present!!! Great shots!! As for the need of a stiff drink… Ya… I think I need one just from reading all that you went through! 😉
Janine Huldie says
Jenni, what is really ironic is today UPS delivered a large, heavy package. Turns out it was 6 bottles of wine my cousin made with my grandfather a family name on it. I lot was totally like divine intervention at play. But seriously was a great weekend minus the few glitches along the way!! 🙂
Linda Roy says
Cool camera! Sounds like you had a terrific Mother's Day weekend! Happy belated Mother's Day Janine!
Janine Huldie says
Thanks so much Linda and Happy, belated Mother's Day to you, too!!
Stephanie Sprenger says
What a great gift! I love taking photos,and I love making collages, and yours was fantastic! You know i feel your pain on the weekend chaos! Sigh. Happy Mother's Day!
Janine Huldie says
Thanks so much Stephanie and definitely know you can relate. Hope you too had a great Mother's Day!! 🙂
Amy says
Aww, I love reading about ya'll. Canon is fabulous. Love the photos and I am glad your weekend ended up pretty nice. Happy belated bday to Kevin. Yellow snot in the bangs……eck the image is stuck in my head.
Janine Huldie says
Oh sorry about that image, but promise you I cleaned he up immediately. But yes it was quite gross and only my child would do such a thing when I was pressed for time to get all ready and out the door!! And thanks so much Amy and happy to share about us here with you!! 🙂
gigigirl says
Enjoy your new "toy" and I look forward to seeing more photos/collages, etc. Glad you had a nice time after all. Hope Lily is better soon. See you soon. Love, Aunt Gloria
Janine Huldie says
Thanks Aunt Gloria and can't wait to see you today now!! Love you and xoxo!! 🙂
Roshni Aamom says
wow! Those really are lovely pics, Janine! Glad it worked well in the end!
Janine Huldie says
Thanks so much Roshni and just happy it did, too!! 🙂
Eddy Jones says
What a wonderful Mothers Day present Janine;I hope you have as much fun as I am having with mine.
Thanks for another gem and here's to a wonderfu day for you and your beautiful family.
Lots of love from Wales.
Eddy.
Janine Huldie says
Thanks so much Eddy and hoping you too are having a wonderful day so far. And as always love right back at you!! 🙂
Michelle Nahom says
Great mom's day present and I love your PicMonkey collage! I am a big Canon fan too! Thanks for coming over to visit me on my SITS day!
Janine Huldie says
Oh I hope you had a wonderful SITS Day Michelle and totally was my pleasure visiting you on your special day!! And thank you as always, too!! 🙂 🙂
Janine Huldie says
Thanks a ton Melanie and I am truly having a blast taking a walk on the creative side!! 🙂
Niki Caron says
That is an awesome camera! What a great surprise! I always have to google the manual on mine, I've had it for almost a year and I still can't figure out half of the settings 🙂 It sounds like you had a great weekend and Mothers Day!
Janine Huldie says
Niki, nothing is worse that having to figure out settings on a camera when you just want to take pictures. I pretty much have figured this new camera out, but still have one or two things that I have to look up like how to take the picture on the touchscreen rather then the button on the lens. But for the most part do love and thank you!!! 🙂
Bianca A says
Looks like you totally scored with a Mother's Day gift! Sounds like my kind of thing. Screw the flowers & breakfast in bed. Glad that you all were able to fix the recording issue.
Janine Huldie says
Thanks so much Bianca and so true about breakfast in bed versus this wonderful surprise. And I am truly glad Kevin was able to figure out the issue with the recording versus photos.
Janine Huldie says
Oh so true Clark and I just have to try to write less and take more pictures I suppose!! Thanks as always!! 🙂
Jessica Dy says
It worked! Your post connected to the Blog Party. Yaay! And I actually like this post too! The collage came out great :). Thank you so much for posting with us @ The SHOW OFF Weekend Blog Party!
Jessica
The Wondering Brain
Janine Huldie says
Thanks Jessica and I did see later on that it did and seriously thank you so much for hosting this awesome blog hop. And so happy to join and share my post from this past week!!! 🙂
anyonita green says
Aww how lovely! As one of the co-hosts from the My Favorite Posts Weekend SHOW OFF Party! Also, I'm hosting a Facebook like party on my blog where you can link up and increase your Facebook likes! I'd love it if you joined in too! It's here: http://anyonitanibbles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/ski…
Diane says
Thanks for linking up at Family Fun Friday at !
Janine Huldie says
Thanks so much again Diana for hosting!! 🙂
Lanaya @ Raising Rea says
I loved the surprise from your hubby and kids … good family!
Thank you for linking to Raising Imperfection.
Please come back Friday to see if you were featured. 🙂
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¸.•*´
(¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo http://www.raising-reagan.com
Janine Huldie says
Thanks seriously Lanaya for hosting again and was so happy to link this one up for sure!! And do hope you are enjoying the weekend!! 🙂 xoxo!!
Leslie says
What a wonderful present. I love the pictures!
Thank you for linking up to Raising Imperfection!
Make sure to check back on Friday to see if you were featured.
Leslie http://www.violetimperfection.com
Janine Huldie says
Thanks again Leslie for hosting and this one I really so very proud and happy to share!! And do hope you are having a great Sunday now!! 🙂