Snaps

La Vie En Rose

2012-02-11T00:33:00.000-05:00

It's turned cold outside...

but I don't feel cold.

When is a weed not a weed?

2012-02-08T13:56:00.003-05:00

When your two year old son gives you one for the first time and says "Oooo ou!" (for you)!

That's when a weed is so much more than a weed- it represents little boy love and all that is wonderful!

Scavenger Hunt

2012-02-07T16:33:00.000-05:00

1. Strike a Pose

Gosh, if I had known they would strike such a cute pose today I would have tidied them up a bit before going outside to play!

They were all riding a little tricycle and I said "Hey kiddos! Can you say 'one.. two... three?!'" My littlest guy laughed, then he hopped down and pretended to take a photo just like me! He even said "two, eee" as if he was counting :)
this is what he did...

2. Foot wear

3. Hobby

That's right! Our new hobby involves ten, 10 week old Buff Orpingtons!

Confession: this photo was actually taken by my three year old- granted, I had everything set up and I was holding the camera with her, but she pressed the shutter!

4. Shiny

Our shiny new chicken wire :)

5. Color Me Green

Texture by: Kristi @ Live and Love Out Loud

Delicious Solitude

2012-02-04T00:05:00.000-05:00

It was a gorgeous, sunny day. Cool and crisp.
The house was quiet and I felt excitement as I began to hunt for something to fill the word prompt:

"Stand Alone."

I wanted something with strong contrast.
Maybe a silhouette.
Definitely something striking.

As I looked around the house I thought to myself let's see... I'm at home. At nap time. What fits...?
I look out the window and see a lonesome moth. Not exactly a striking figure but I'm easily distracted.

I change to a macro lens. I think to myself hmm, this little fellow is standing alone in the middle of winter. I begin to wax eloquent in my mind about this beautiful moth but as I glance down at my settings I'm startled by a thud on the window pane. I look up just in time to see a bird flying away, leaving my window empty.

I realize that I am the one standing alone.

Belated Scavenger Hunt

2012-01-31T19:43:00.001-05:00

1. Smile

2. Stand Alone

3. Rusty or Old

4. Artificial

5. Repeating Pattern

Thanks for stopping by, I hope y'all are having a great week!

Scavenger Hunt: iphone collection

2012-01-23T13:31:00.001-05:00

1. Sunset

I'm so happy that we had a sunset in the middle of all the rain!

2. Black & White

(taken in the mirror)

3. Day in My Life

4. Four

5. Colorful

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking up with:

Friday Flower

2012-01-20T17:09:00.005-05:00

Yep, just one flower- this daffodil didn't wait for spring... and I'm so happy to see it!

It's a reminder that spring is coming soon :)

{taken with my iphone}

happy Friday, everybody!

Fabulous... Monday?

2012-01-16T17:22:00.002-05:00

I thought I would link up with Fabulous Friday but as you can see... it's not Friday!

Apparently I got distracted and didn't post this but I love the softness of Darcy's fur too much to leave her in the files.

title: soft

While I wouldn't call today "fabulous" I have certainly had worse. My kiddos are on the mend which means lots of grumping and scrapping but the weather was gorgeous and as soon as we went outside we could feel the angst melting away (well, almost). We crammed all the important activities into our precious outdoor time: riding bikes, swinging, feeding the bunnies fresh grass and drawing with sidewalk chalk. That fresh air and bunny TLC made all the difference in the world- I even feel renewed patience and gentleness (a much needed gift from God) now if it can just last 'till bed time...

How about you? I hope your week is starting out well!

Scavenger Hunt

2012-01-15T09:25:00.003-05:00

My mouse is dying so I've used minimal Photoshop and we'll keep this short and sweet!

1. Stacked Up

oh look, the princess rescued the prince!

2. Winter Wonderland

Are we in Narnia?

3. Sweet

I would gladly use a photo of my husband here but as you know, my sweet husband can be stubborn when it comes to having his picture taken!

4. Hole

5. Frozen

Check out the fabulous Ashley Sisk and other entries here:

This time last year

2012-01-12T15:19:00.002-05:00

So much has happened since this time last year!

For example- I have two new nephews and two new nieces!

My little kids are growing into big kids before my eyes

and I can't help but observe that the Lord has graciously and abundantly provided for all our needs.

Every single day.

I heard a fun song on Pandora, my husband will say that it's cheesy but I like it anyway :)

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?

How about love?
Measure in love

Seasons of love.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand

Six hundred minutes

How do you measure the life

Of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned,

Or in times that he cried.

In bridges he burned,

Or the way that she died.

You know that love is a gift from up above

Share love, give love spread love

Measure measure your life in love.

Weather Update

2012-01-12T15:15:00.002-05:00

58°F

Current: Overcast
Wind: S at 10 mph
Humidity: 51%

Hey look! Blue sky!

We were all moping on the couch this morning when my sister in law sent me a text saying

"the sun is shining!"

We made it out just in time to enjoy the sun for a minute.

Now the sun has hidden and it's chilly again but we don't care.

We are cuddled up inside, watching movies and reading sweet stories like "Bear feels sick."

Not a bad day after all!

Please Shine Down On Me

2012-01-11T23:22:00.003-05:00

So the other day when I said that I like the gray and the rain?

Well, I'm trying not to go back on that but I am starting to pine for the good ol' days

when we basked in the glow of the sun. We played outside for hours every day.
We laughed and enjoyed such good times.

Now every one here is mopey (that's a real word, right?)

and it seems gray and rainy inside too.

(this was taken in the summer, long ago)

I'm not trying to complain.

All I'm saying is that we will really appreciate the sun... if we ever see it again!

U is for Umbrella

2012-01-10T10:05:00.001-05:00

We've had a lot of gray skies and rain here lately... but I don't mind.

We are all a little under the weather so we are keeping warm and dry inside and we are learning simple lessons like loving our brother (and sister).

I'm having the time of my life!

Four Scavenger Hunt Items (and a couple soft things)

2012-01-08T23:57:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I participated in Scavenger Hunt Sunday... so if I find two things that fall under the category of soft do I get extra points? Just kidding, I really enjoyed the hunt this week.

1. One Color

(no photoshop here, I promise! I found this shiny bronze thing on our new back deck)

2. Laundry

I love how it says "energy preferred" -yes please- I would like some energy!

3. Empty

My husband likes this drink a lot. It gives him a little spring in his step but he can drink one
and go straight to sleep, no problem.
I drank one once and it gave me SO much energy,
I felt like I could defeat an army or clean the house from top to bottom in approx. 3 seconds.
So I 'm keeping one on hand in case of a Zombie Apocalypse... or unexpected company... whichever comes first ;)

4. One Dozen

5. Soft

two count them TWO soft and squishy, chubby bunnies! Aren't they adorable?

Check out Ashley Sisk's awesome blog: Ramblings and Photos if you want to join the fun and see what the other hunters have found!

Fabulous Friday!

2012-01-06T11:07:00.002-05:00

Over the Holidays I sort of lost track of which day was which, which was really nice because we were just hanging out and doing fun stuff and enjoyable work like eating candy and playing with new toys (it's a rough job but somebody has to do it). Now I'm ready to get back into the swing of things- you know, like getting up early, regular exercise, healthy eating, organized and productive work...except tomorrow is Saturday so that will have to wait 'till Monday!
Anyhoo (that word looks strange and my spell checker doesn't like it but I don't care. much.), yesterday I picked up my camera for the first time all week and took a zillion photos of my Christmas Orchid with my Christmas macro lens, only to find out that not a single one came out sharp. No worries, I'll just have to try again! When the Orchid was exhausted (or maybe that was me) I stepped back and snapped a few with my 85mm. I know it's nothing spectacular but no worries, I'll try that again too! :)

My husband gave me a macro lens and I'm in love!

2012-01-05T16:48:00.003-05:00

That's right, I married

the most wonderful man in the whole wide world (but I knew that before Christmas).

Anyway, I have taken literally a million photos with this new lens... well, maybe more like 309 *sigh*

My New Year's Resolution is to take more photos ;)

Here are a few of my favorites so far:

Life is good.

That is all.

A Grand Day Out

2011-12-30T13:14:00.001-05:00

Well, they were out of the hutch but in the house so I guess it would be "a grand day in."

I pictured them scampering all around the kitchen, hopping and playing, but it turns out our kitchen is a really scary place.

...but there is lettuce!

Bingley relaxing by the heat vent.

So on the whole I think Darcy and Bingley's first visit was a success! Maybe next time I'll bring them in while the kids are awake :)

December Update

2011-12-29T16:27:00.006-05:00

I think that late last night I promised you more updates- not that anyone is begging for such information but I have some fun news... so I'm sharing anyway!

On December 10th we went to our usual Christmas tree farm and as usual there was a tractor, and a hayride, and lots and lots of aromatic, dark green trees. There was also the usual huge pile of hay

and also goats and bunnies.

But this year we noticed that our children enjoyed the bunnies.

A lot.

They fed them grass. And blew them kisses when it was time to go.

My husband, being the astute man that he is, bought the bunnies and hid them away at his parents house until Christmas!

We named them Darcy and Bingley.

We later discovered that they are females, but the names had already stuck.

So I guess they are Elizabeth Darcy and Jane Bingley :)

On Christmas morning the kids were too full of Holiday spirit to really appreciate the bunnies and I thought maybe they were a miss but now that the glamour of Christmas is wearing off the kids and bunnies are growing more and more comfortable with each other- I think we almost have them domesticated!
The bunnies, of course ;)

can you tell how excited he is about his "bu-eese"?

My little girl has definitely taken on the role of care-giver and when she walks out to the hutch, the bunnies perk up their ears and look to see what she has brought for them. Her confidence is so cute (can you tell she put her pants on all by herself?)!
You may have noticed that there are no photos of my oldest boy with the rabbits.
He does like them, in fact he asked me to take a video of him giving a talk about how to care for "the brave little fellows" but he doesn't want to touch them because he would have to wash his hands. Hmm, that sounds like something the famous Mr. Darcy might say.

Back Deck Update

2011-12-29T00:09:00.004-05:00

After leaving rusty old nail photos laying around here for so long I feel like you deserve an update...

IT IS DONE!

My man did such a good job!

yeah, I really want him in the picture and he REALLY objects- but I'm going to get my way this time. Sort of.
He's so handsome :)

it's true that he had a dedicated helper...

in fact,

it probably would have been easier for him if he didn't have so much help, but who can resist

such a sweet face!

There. Now you have been updated!

Maybe tomorrow you will get an update on Christmas- goody!
Take care and good night.

Delightful Rusty Nails

2011-12-04T00:30:00.001-05:00

My husband is overhauling our back deck- he has torn off the rotten old boards which means that I get to be super helpful and...

photograph the old nails!

Don't look at me like that.

He doesn't mind :)

{It seems like I should have something really clever to say here,

but I can't think of anything

so I'm just going to post my photos}

{So that clever remark you've been waiting for? Nope. Still nothing}

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Truly Thankful

2011-11-26T00:20:00.007-05:00

I started a Thanksgiving post earlier in the week but I have written and re-written it, trying to express some of my thoughts. It's tough! Not because I have nothing to be thankful for, but because my heart is so full.

Now, I'm not gonna lie, this time of year is not easy... I miss my little brother more than ever- I think it's because when he was alive I could be sure I would see him around the holidays and his absence breaks my heart.

But I am learning that joy is not the absence of pain, but the presence of God.

I keep thinking of the first few verses of 1 Peter:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who bore my pain
Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace
And gave me life again
Who crushed my curse of sinfulness
And clothed me with His light
And wrote His law of righteousness
With pow'r upon my heart

My heart is filled with thankfulness

To Him who walks beside;

Who floods my weaknesses with strength

And causes fears to fly;

Whose ev'ry promise is enough

For ev'ry step I take,

Sustaining me with arms of love

And crowning me with grace.

My heart is filled with thankfulness

To him who reigns above,

Whose wisdom is my perfect peace,

Whose ev'ry thought is love.

For ev'ry day I have on earth

Is given by the King;

So I will give my life, my all,

To love and follow him.

-Keith Getty, Stuart Townend

All Boy

2011-11-21T14:12:00.001-05:00

He loves things that go fast...

Things that fly high,

and his sister's pink dress up!

I'm not at all worried :)

Happy Monday, y'all!

Scavenger Hunt

2011-11-20T16:41:00.001-05:00

1. Mainly One Color

2. Around the House

the very first thing that came to mind was the pitter- patter of little feet running around the house!

3. Reflection

4. Writing

I love my little girl's writing- do you see where she has "written" what she is thankful for all by herself?

5. Water

(meter)

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Falling Behind

2011-11-17T00:00:00.008-05:00

Well, I'm behind on processing and posting. Again.

I'm blaming this nice weather. These photos are from last month but oh well!

My little girl scoured the yard for a best friend, and she finally found a little green inchworm.

They quickly formed a strong attachment (well she did anyway)

and then she dropped him.

We immediately formed a search party but apparently

he was the last inchworm in the whole region so she had to resort to gathering pretty leaves...

you can see that she is thrilled.

No, really!

Now, my littlest boy doesn't have the same troubles. He likes things that stay right where you put them.

And even if you lose one, there are always plenty more...

Yes, he much prefers rocks.

Although I'm guessing he has his share of fickle inchworms in his future :)

Another Flower

2011-11-13T15:04:00.001-05:00

I've noticed that I post a lot of flower photos. Are you sick of them yet?

Well, this particular one is significant because it's the last of the Marigolds

-and almost all the flowers-

until spring...

I'm so thankful for flowers :)

I'm going to miss your cheerful glow!

{Insert title here}

2011-11-13T00:51:00.004-05:00

{Inspirational Text Here}

I don't have anything in particular to say, but I still think that fall is inspiring!

Don't you?

Gone missing...

2011-11-08T23:12:00.003-05:00

It's hard to organize my thoughts when I'm so absent minded.

My husband came home the other day and asked is there any particular reason why you have a mug hanging outside?

Hey, I've been looking for that mug!

Vacation {memories}

2011-11-02T15:51:00.005-04:00

The camera can never really capture the richness of good memories... and this trip was no exception. If I could tell the stories, you would hear about the dolphins, the shark, the hot tub on the beach, the Kayak injury, the Pop Tarts and the Pirates of Penzance. You would be in for a good laugh... but of course you have your own memories and stories so I don't know why you would want to see someone else's iphone vacation photos. Well, I'm sharing them anyway and maybe some of your own grand adventure stories will come to mind!

Heading out at 4:30 AM so the kids will sleep ;)

Something for everyone: beautiful beach, blue sky... and a bulldozer!

Classic Treasures

and Jellyfish.

One of many sand castles...

and Putt Putt Pirates!

(he decided to lose the putter and drop his ball straight into the hole).

"Get outta here birds! What are they doing here anyway?"

Rain is no problem...

just go to the Donut shop!

and bowling!

He rolled a "Churkey" as he called it.
When I witnessed his success I decided to try the gutter guards too, but even that wasn't enough to save my game ;)

Little man with his Daddy

Pretending to be a tractor.

And best of all: Grandma!

The End

Macation, Bacation, Dacation

2011-10-29T23:53:00.002-04:00

Vacation! We went to the beach with my husband's family and all 20 of us stayed in one big huge house-
good times were had by all.
In fact we made so many great memories, I don't know where to begin!
The little guys each had their own word for vacation (except for one of the 2 yr olds who clearly said vacation).
Their morning began bright and early each day with Grandma serving them pop tarts and hot chocolate and taking them out to the beach in their Jammies! They spotted dolphins, crabs and jellies and they found a lagoon that was just their size. They called it the little ocean! The children shared the pool table with the adults, and the adults kept the children safe on the beach. And we all spent a lot of time relaxing and laughing with friends (who happen to be family too).
I didn't carry my SLR very much so I only got about 200 photos with it. The other 200 are on my iphone ;)
Here are a few of my favorites:

to be continued...

Rain, rain, go away...

2011-10-14T14:10:00.001-04:00

Well, I know we need the rain but I was starting to think we might never see the sun again.

And here it is, shining away as if it's been here all along! ;)

And now that the sun is shining, I can appreciate my rain drop photos from earlier in the week.

I don't have time to edit any of these so you'll have to imagine what these could be if they were photo-shopped. In fact, you can let me know if you have ideas. Enjoy!

This is my favorite!

I had a baby boy...

2011-10-12T16:25:00.003-04:00

...and now he is two!

He has grown so fast, it seems like he was born just a few days ago.

It was early Monday morning, drizzly, much like today but labor with him was perfect- each contraction felt strong and intense but between contractions I felt like dancing!
Throughout my pregnancy with him I wondered how I would handle three little ones (especially while my husband was at work or out of town) but in the last few weeks my anxiety was replaced with boundless excitement and curiosity about our new little person.

My memory is that when he was born, the sun shone through the clouds and the day became beautiful and clear, and his personality is so cheerful and sunny! Not that those things are related :)

Anyway, he was welcomed with open arms by his whole family, but the funniest was his big sister. Her mothering instincts kicked into full gear and she seemed to think that she should be his primary care giver. She would say "Mine babeeee."

Big brother took good care of him too. The first time he held his baby brother he whispered in his ear and then said
"I told him how to walk."

And even though the time has flown by, this little boy has just as much of my heart as the others. He is my little sunshine. My Bingley boy (those who know Pride and Prejudice will remember that Mr. Bingley was always in a rage to approve of everything and everyone that he met.)

Here's my Bingley boy:

He is such a cutie! Friendly with everyone, playful, ticklish, inquisitive and busy. He doesn't talk much but he makes all kinds of sounds- his word for Airplane is actually the sound an airplane makes!
The kid really likes airplanes- in fact he is SO taken that we decided to put airplanes on his birthday cake...

And now that he is officially two he pitched a classic two-year-old fit and asked to go potty- twice!
I think it's hilarious that he entered this phase literally on his 2nd birthday and I can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeve!

Soup of the Evening

2011-10-07T13:32:00.003-04:00

The much anticipated fall season has brought the relief of cool breezes,

gorgeous clear skies and open windows.

Apparently this time of year has also brought a sore throat and pressure in the sinuses to the point of explosion.

Well, I don't know about you, but I woke up from my NyQuil induced coma this morning and thought
"I can't believe my head is still here!"

My voice is almost gone but I have just enough to croak/warble to the kids. I say something like "Oh, please stop asking me questions that require an answer" and the kids look baffled and amused.

It is pretty ridiculous and I would laugh at myself if it didn't hurt so bad!

Anyway, yesterday evening my tummy was rumbling but the thought of eating scratchy food made me wince. So I fell back on one of my favorite fall soups from our church cookbook:

Curried Pumpkin Soup

So smooth and creamy!

Here is the recipe:

4c chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can 100% pure pumpkin

2tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Heat all ingredients in a large saucepan until thoroughly heated, stirring often.

Top with a dollop of sour cream.

Serves 6.

For dessert, I recommend Hall's Mentho-Lyptus cough drops.

Enjoy!

Scavenger Hunt

2011-10-02T17:23:00.000-04:00

1. Inspired by a Book or a Movie

2. Brown

3. Hazy

4. Coffee or Tea

5. Linger

Cloud 9

2011-09-27T22:36:00.005-04:00

Do you know what it's like to be so stressed and tired that you wonder if you will ever recover? You finally get away for a couple days... and it turns out to be magical? The tension slips off your shoulders, your heart is full, time stands still and you feel a wistful desire that it would last forever... yet, at the same time you feel refreshed and ready to conquer the world!

That was my weekend. And it was wonderful because I spent it with my best friend.

And now I'm happy to be back with my little ones. I know that the warm fuzzies might wear off a bit but I won't forget that I have the best job on earth!

Autumn Beauty

2011-09-20T14:01:00.001-04:00

Last Tuesday, I did some portraits of my sister-in law. She is truly an amazing young lady and also an avid reader of Jane Austen and other great literature. Here is one of my favorites:

Autumn Burst texture by Kim Klassen.

{linking up with Sweet Shot Tuesday and Texture Tuesday}

Blog Run Wild

2011-09-19T15:14:00.003-04:00

Last night I dreamt that cartoon animals took over my blog.
This place has been neglected for so long that I wasn't a bit surprised. While I was away the pesky critters snuck in and, finding no one around, they moved right in. In my dream, I could not get rid of them so I enlisted the help of my husband- this didn't surprise me either because he is something of a computer guru.
Now, I don't think of myself as superstitious but you better believe I checked my blog first thing in the morning! Yep, it was just a dream. But I still wonder...

Do you think my sub-conscious is trying to tell me something?

What day is it?

2011-09-07T15:41:00.000-04:00

I keep asking myself over and over.

I finally settled on Thursday. Wait, is that right? hmm...

Anyway, the last couple weeks have been really crazy. Not bad, just crazy.

So I'm taking a moment to sip my coffee and reflect while the children sleep and the house is quiet.

I have been thinking about... oh, the kids are awake.

I guess it will have to wait!

Scavenger Hunt

2011-09-04T18:25:00.000-04:00

1. Stairs

Yep, it's raining today.

2. Macro

3. Clouds

4. Abstract

5. Smile

my brand new nephews!

Soccer Season

2011-09-03T07:08:00.001-04:00

Yep, it's that time of year again, when the five year old runs his heart out and tastes sweet victory or bitter defeat...

And believe me... he feels it.
He got his competitive spirit from his dad- and it is strong.
Last year was his first year and as dad helped him put on the cleats he said that cleats make him run faster.
Our boy asked "Does fire shoot out the back of them? That would be super awesome."

Fabulous Friday

2011-09-02T23:00:00.000-04:00

I love this because he looks like he's trying to blend in...

...maybe he is feeling bashful because he just molted all his tail feathers.

A Visit from My Niece

2011-09-01T15:57:00.014-04:00

Remember how I told you that my big sister had a baby? Well, one of her daughters came to stay with us for a few days while mamma & baby were in the hospital.

This 11 year old holds a special place in my heart because back when I was a teenager, before I could even drive, I babysat her and her brother almost every weekend.
They were so darn cute and they filled my heart with joy. And they still do!

This girl is the spitting image of her mother, a little lady, a proficient helper and a very sweet girl.

We took her back to her family yesterday evening and by the time I tucked my kids in bed they had asked
when she would come again approximately 100 times :)

Here's a little glimpse of our visit:

On Sunday I took her to meet the new baby. We couldn't hold him that day but he is healthy and home now!

On Monday we just goofed off.

On Tuesday we had a "pool party" with a couple of her girl friends...

and of course my boy thought it was funny to spray them. He is a boy after all!

"You stay here fwoggy, I'll be white back."

a real frog in our pool?!

We visited the wildlife preserve yesterday- the peacocks were molting their gorgeous feathers.
She got to take one home (a feather, not a peacock)!

The ducks and geese were molting as well, but we all know... it's not the same.

While she was with us she took it upon herself to teach my little guy to talk. This turned out to be quite a difficult task -she would ask can you say "taco"? or can you say "high five"? and he would smile and nod vigorously. She did teach him to say "yes" instead of just nodding- what a triumph! She was obviously proud of her success and she said "that's what I love about little kids, I can teach them how to talk."

I thought my little guy might grow tired of his rigorous speech therapy but this morning he found his play cell phone and called her name over and over.

Yeah, I think he misses her as much as the rest of us.

Sunday's Child

2011-08-29T21:53:00.001-04:00

He was born on Sunday...

12:10 AM to be precise.

And he is a cutie!

Now both of my sisters have a little bundle of wonderful :)

How I love those tiny toes.
How I love being an Aunt!

Five Items & A Camera

2011-08-28T06:48:00.039-04:00

This week started out so well.

I took "Old and New" on Sunday and I was so pleased with it straight out of the camera that I felt confident this collection would come together beautifully. As the week went on I was filled with doubt- I chose 5 but I kept on shooting, just in case I found something better.

I uploaded 10 photos instead of 5 and the funny thing is,

I ended up choosing the ones I took in the first place!

1. Old & New

2. Night Photography

3. Music

4. Cheesy

5. Sun

Sunshine and Window Markers

2011-08-26T09:57:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, my littlest little guy was very restless.

My "big" kids were doing their workbooks at the table and my little one rejected all my attempts to distract him: water colors, stickers, crayons and markers- he would have none of it.

That's when I remembered the window markers from my mother in law.

Wonder of wonders, they worked! He was entranced, and I was relieved to have some peace and quiet.

My little girl finished her coloring and matching shapes in her work book so she moved to the window.

She made a big circle and said "Look Mom, I made a sun! and there's you and me under the sun."

Now, I usually resist anything that might make a mess but as I watched them color I remembered the importance of letting them have fun even if it makes a mess. These didn't make a terrible mess but I feel myself turning a corner... a friend once told me that when it comes to arts and crafts, creativity can be measured by how messy you get. Well then... let the creativity begin!

Of all the photos I've taken this week, this is hands down my favorite :)

Underwater Volcano (and other magic potions)

2011-08-24T07:15:00.002-04:00

Over the past couple weeks, my son has been staying up late (from nap time) to work on his science experiments. He claims that it is much more fun than school!

He made liquids change color using acids, bases and red cabbage juice powder, he made jiggly crystals out of polyacrylamide crystals, and an "under water volcano" in a test tube. I really love the one on one time with him- I think he loves the pipette, the measuring and mixing all by himself. We have only tried one experiment that he disliked- cornstarch mixed with water to form a non-Newtonian fluid.

He said it smelled like Ostrich poo. Hmm. Interesting observation.

Here are the polyacrylamide crystals that soaked up colored water.

Here is his "underwater volcano." The ingredients are: water, baking soda, red cabbage juice powder and oil. We counted down "Three! Two! One!" and then he added a small scoop of citric acid which sank to the bottom and created a chemical reaction with the baking soda. Carbon dioxide bubbles! Color change! Fizz! I think my kid liked it too ;)
I decided to photograph some oil and water experiments of my own. Using red cabbage juice powder, baking soda and citric acid, I changed the color of the water several times, with varying results. I showed you one of the photos from this simple experiment on Monday- here are some more!

All I need now is a potion that perfects my photography!

Roasted Corn with Basil Butter

2011-08-23T12:40:00.001-04:00

Simple, Flavorful, Flexible.

A couple months ago, my husband made delicious roasted corn on the cobb for a family cook out. It was so delicious that I still catch myself day dreaming about it from time to time... just last night I thought wistfully about that mouth watering corn as I cooked dinner. Unfortunately I didn't actually have any corn on the cobb and at 6:00 PM it's too late to run to the store with 3 little ones. Apparently I suffer from Planning Deficit Disorder because this kind of thing happens way too often. But, even though I only had frozen corn kernels I forged ahead- and it worked! Who says frozen food has to be bland? It came together very quickly and it can be served with anything (no promises that it actually goes with anything).

Last night it went into a salad!

Bacon, lettuce, tomato, green onions and roasted corn with ranch dressing and fresh ground black pepper.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Basil Butter

Basil Butter
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Corn
5 ears corn, husked
5 sheets heavy duty foil

Directions
Combine all basil butter ingredients in a small bowl; mix well.

Preheat grill (or oven to 350 degrees).

Place each ear of corn on sheet of foil. Spread prepared butter on each ear of corn; wrap securely. Place wrapped corn on preheated grill on medium heat. Cook 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through, turning occasionally during cook time. Unwrap and serve corn with remaining basil butter. 5 servings.

or if you suffer from PDD, simply heat corn kernels and basil butter in a heavy pan or cast iron skillet until hot, about 5 minutes.

I 'm going to start planning dinner now while I have plenty of time... we shall see how it goes :)

Macro Monday

2011-08-22T17:31:00.001-04:00

I ran across some awesome oil and water photos at Chasing Rainbows and I felt inspired to create my own! They didn't turn out like I expected but I had a lot of fun!

F/4.5, 1/160, ISO 800, 210mm

Scavenger Hunt

2011-08-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

1. Geometry

2. Brushstrokes

3. Hanging by a Thread

4. Collage

Summer might be almost over but we're going to squeeze out every last drop of goodness!

5. On the Dotted Line

Friday Favorite

2011-08-18T23:18:00.001-04:00

I love this so, so much- not only because it turned out so pretty SOOC...

but because she's showing me how many times she twirled in the pool.

85mm, f2.2, 1/1600sec, ISO 500

Little Cowboy

2011-08-17T13:50:00.002-04:00

What do you think this caption should be?

Fudgy Buttons

2011-08-16T11:43:00.002-04:00

These "candies" only take a couple minutes to whip together and kids really love them...

not to mention I love them too :)

Like any great recipe, it all starts with melted butter...

...and cocoa!

Add powdered sugar...

...milk and peanut butter...

Form them into little patties and...Voila! You have fudgy buttons!

At this point my little girl LOVES to sprinkle sprinkles... but it adds crunch, which is not my favorite.

It's your choice.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon milk
1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:
In a small saucepan, melt the butter; remove from heat. Add cocoa and mix well. Stir in sugar. Add milk and stir until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper; flatten tops and shape into 1-inch patties. Stick them in the fridge and chill for a few minutes. Yield: about 1-1/2 dozen.

i heart volunteers

2011-08-15T15:34:00.003-04:00

I really love volunteers- flower volunteers to be more specific!

This Zinnia is a volunteer.

And so is this!

And this!

Edit: A volunteer is a plant that re-seeded itself and grew up unexpectedly.
While it is very exciting to find little sprouts popping up, I don't have any tips for how to make your plants volunteer... I guess that's the nature of "volunteering" isn't it?
So here is a way to harvest your own Marigold seeds:

1. Snip off the dead heads

2. Pull off the petals

3. Open the flower

4. Plant your seeds or save them in a cool, dry place for next year.

It just occurred to me that you'll save about $2.00! ;)
Is anyone else laughing?

Happy Monday, y'all!

Let the Hunt Begin!

2011-08-14T00:18:00.000-04:00

1. Against the Light

2. Frame Within a Frame

3. Best Part of My Day

Waking up together, hearing from him during the day, when he comes home at night-
that's the best part of my day.

4. Buttons

5. Ink

Keeping it Real

2011-08-13T07:26:00.004-04:00

As my 5 year old climbed up in the kitchen chair to help make pancakes he said

"Hey mom! Could we make pancakes that look like this instead of burned?"

That kid sure has a way with words! I haven't laughed so hard in a while...

and you can believe he got perfect pancakes this time :)

Give Me The Basil

2011-08-12T00:46:00.006-04:00

The recipe called for basil. I ran outside for a handful and I was in a bit of a hurry so didn't notice
the stowaway...

He kept an eye on me. Even when he turned his head, his eyes turned back to look at me. He stood his ground too! He hung on to that little bunch of basil while I took a few photos, changed lenses and took a few more! He hung on right up until I offered to put him back on his basil bush and it reminded me of the little frog who didn't want to give up his flowers.
I'm beginning to think I have a knack for inadvertently picking up critters. And that's okay with me as long as it's not a spider... I really hate spiders... which I need to get over quickly because just today my oldest boy said that he's longing to hold a spider.

Deep breaths. Just take deep breaths...

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

3 Shoot Basics

2011-08-10T00:22:00.027-04:00

The idea to give a mini tutorial "flew upon my head" as my 5 year old says, when several people commented on my photography and said "if I had a big camera like you, I could take good pictures!"
This always makes me laugh because while it's true that my SLR is a very nice camera, it is also quite capable of taking crappy pictures (don't ask me how I know) and by comparison, the smallest of cameras can take good pictures.
Yes, I said it... even a point and shoot can take great photos.

You don't believe me? Well, to prove this bold claim, I will only use my iphone photos in this post... and I'm not even going to bring up technical terms like "aperture," "shutter" or "ISO." Fair enough?
{Note: my iphone camera had a terrible lag as soon as I turned on the flash. Apparently, when it is set to "on" or "auto" it has a mini panic attack every time I try to take a picture- do we need the flash? Yes? No? OK *click!* So if you hate shutter lag on your iphone camera, turn the flash off. Oops, I haven't even started and I already used a technical term! Sorry, it won't happen again.} Let's begin!

3 Point & Shoot Basics:

1. Lighting: this is arguably the most important element of photography, in fact the word "Photography" literally means Light writing. Without light, you have absolutely no photo.

I'm going to focus on two important elements of lighting: quality & direction.

When we talk about the quality of light we often use terms like hard or direct light and soft or diffused light.

Hard light comes from a single source. The sun is a very good example of a hard light. The light from an in-camera flash is another good example.

(left: notice the direct light from the sun has caused sharp contrast between light and shadow).

(above: not the best example of soft lighting
but you get the picture)

Soft light is very diffused. Cloudy days are a common example of this type of light. Open shade is another example. This form of light will illuminate objects very evenly, and produce very soft subtle shadows, or sometimes no shadows at all.

Think about the quality of your lighting as you prepare to take your photo. Ask yourself if the lighting helps or hurts your photograph and change your location if you need to. Sometimes this can be as simple as turning around!

As you practice seeing the qualities of light, also notice the direction of the light.
There are three general lighting directions:
Front Lighting, Side Lighting and Back Lighting. Each one has a distinct effect on your subject, let's look at a few examples:

Front Lighting.

Front lighting is when the front of your subject is illuminated. In-camera flash is a good example of front lighting. While this may be useful at times, it is more often a way to turn an interesting scene into a flat snapshot.

Side Lighting

This type of lighting is ideal for portraits and for emphasizing the texture of an object.

Backlighting

For this lighting, the sun is in front of you, which often shows off the subject in a dramatic and unusual way. This is one of the more challenging types of light to photograph, but it also can produce some very interesting images.

2. Composition

Composition is the placement of your subject in the picture. Think about whether you want your composition to be vertical or horizontal, whether you want the subject to be centered or off to one side. Go with what the image suggests. People are vertical creatures so try to shoot them vertically unless you have a good reason not to and be careful not to chop off hands or feet, especially when it comes to full body shots.

(don't chop off limbs- they are very important!)

Two important elements of composition are Angle and Framing:

The angle that a photo is taken at tells a lot about the photographer’s perspective on the scene.

Think about different scenes at different eye levels. For instance, what does a field of flowers look like from a bird’s perspective or a crowd of people from a child’s perspective?

Shoot many different angles of each scene (low, high and eye level).

Framing is the technique of drawing attention to your subject by blocking other parts of the image. The simplest way to do this is to move close to your subject so they fill the frame.

Most photographers have a built in zoom in the form of their legs!

Before you take the photo, think about how you will frame the image.... ask yourself if you need to take a step back or a step forward to tell the whole story.

Showing me his treasure: a Cicada shell.

3.Setting: Think about the background before you take the picture. The setting should support and compliment the main subject. Uncluttered backgrounds are good for portraits and isolated objects. Isolating the subject can be very difficult with a point and shoot because it lacks any control over the aperture (oops! the "a" word, sorry) but you can always control the amount of clutter in the background so choose a blank wall, a shady spot or a place where the background supports the subject.

As I played around with my iphone camera, I became familiar with it's strengths and weaknesses.
One of it's greatest strengths is landscape photography! Why? Because of that very same aperture issue. When I take a landscape, I actually want everything in focus from the foreground to the background (deep depth of field)... I'm happy to see the sky, mist, clouds and trees!

So to summarize: Lighting, Composition & Setting are all key ingredients for a good photo, but if you really want to make art, and you're tired of landscapes, buy an SLR :)

Tasty Tuesday

2011-08-09T07:15:00.001-04:00

Remember this photo? Last week I used it to (kinda sorta) show you a beautiful strawberry salad. Now, as promised, I'm giving you the recipe for this delicious salmon sandwich from

Marcia Kiesel for Food & Wine Magazine.

Grilled Glazed Salmon

Total: 20 min.

4 Servings

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup prepared horseradish, drained

2 tablespoons honey

Four 6 oz skinless salmon fillets

Vegetable oil, for rubbing

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Light a grill. In a small bowl, mix the mustard, horseradish and honey. Rub the salmon with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the salmon over moderate heat, skinned side down, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and grill for 3 minutes longer, until the salmon is almost cooked through. Turn the salmon again and spread each fillet with 1 tablespoon of the horseradish glaze. Turn and grill until glazed, about 30 seconds. Serve remaining glaze on the side.

For the sandwich:

4 kaiser rolls- split, toasted and buttered

4 red lettuce leaves

8 thick bacon slices, cooked until crisp

1/2 Granny Smith apple, cut into 12 thin slices

Spread the remaining horseradish glaze from the grilled Glazed Salmon on the rolls. Place a lettuce leaf, 2 crispy bacon strips and 3 slices of Granny Smith apple on each roll and set a salmon fillet on top.

Close the sandwich and serve.

Scavenger Hunt

2011-08-06T23:43:00.006-04:00

Hey y'all, it's time!

I must say, the items on Ashley Sisk's list are always a good challenge, but this week was particularly fun.

I hope you were inspired too!

1. Seeing Double

2. Whatever

Flat tire, in the city, at 5 AM, in the rain. I took this photo from inside my car while I waited for my husband to come rescue me. He came with a smile, and changed my tire as the sun rose above him. Whatever happens, he always takes care of me!

3. Sweet

Oh, yes. It was sweet, and chocolate... and now it is gone.

4. Space

...where a kid can be a kid!

5. Bright

I'm struck by the way the sun is shining in the pouring rain.

Thanks for visiting!
For more entries, click here:

Spider Web and Psalm 90

2011-08-05T07:19:00.001-04:00

"...We spend our years as a tale that is told."
The Vulgate translation has: "Our years pass away like those of a spider." Our life is as frail as the thread of a spider's web. -C.H. Spurgeon

^{Psalm 90}
¹Lord, you have been our dwelling place
   in all generations.
²Before the mountains were brought forth,
   or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
   from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
³You return man to dust
   and say, "Return, O children of man!"
⁴For a thousand years in your sight
   are but as yesterday when it is past,
   or as a watch in the night.
⁵You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
   like grass that is renewed in the morning:
⁶in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
   in the evening it fades and withers.
⁷For we are brought to an end by your anger;
   by your wrath we are dismayed.
⁸You have set our iniquities before you,
   our secret sins in the light of your presence.
⁹For all our days pass away under your wrath;
   we bring our years to an end like a tale that is told.
¹⁰The years of our life are seventy,
   or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
   they are soon gone, and we fly away.
¹¹Who considers the power of your anger,
   and your wrath according to the fear of you?
¹² So teach us to number our days
   that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³ Return, O LORD! How long?
   Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
   that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
   and for as many years as we have seen evil.
¹⁶Let your work be shown to your servants,
   and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
   and establish the work of our hands upon us;
   yes, establish the work of our hands!

Something Smelled Fishy

2011-08-04T22:57:00.022-04:00

Something had to be done.

The longer I ignored the problem, the worse it became.

And I couldn't turn a blind eye any longer...

So I rolled up my sleeves, put the littlest little one down for his nap and

cleaned the fish tank.

Why, you ask, have I put off this job for so long? Well, I have three good little helpers but in this case I can't think of a good job for them and I don't want everything to get out of control. My husband has suggested that I'm a control freak- I don't know why he would say such a thing ;) And now that I think about it they would probably do just fine.

We bought the aquarium a few years ago for our oldest son's second birthday. Since then we've had many fun little fishes, several snails, and a couple aquatic frogs -we bought one little frog because my daughter was certain it was pink. She didn't believe me when I told her that the bright pink rocks were reflecting onto the white-ish frog (she was a bit disappointed when we brought "Pinky" home to our blue rock bed). Anyway, now we are down to three tough little Zebra Danios who,

I understand, are very popular with the scientific research crowd.

Hmm, ours must be living the good life compared to the Danio rerio in the lab!

But still, the tank was so filthy that I'm convinced our little survivors were on the brink of a heart attack,

or a revolt.

I think we all know which possibility was most likely.

Granted, this was nothing compared to the scare of 2008 when my big guy was only two and in classic two year old fashion he FILLED the fish tank with toys while I greeted my mom at the door.

When questioned, he answered quite simply:

"Fishes wanna swim wiff twucks and cars!"

Surprisingly enough, none of the fish were injured in this incident.

And that kid is so darn cute, how could I be upset?

Ok, back to the issue of what to do when you discover that your fish have pulled a "finding Nemo maneuver" and the tank is completely filthy.

To be honest, any good Aquarist knows that it's not ideal to do a 100% water change in an aquarium.

Regular, partial water changes (10-15%) are much more efficient and they don't disrupt the good bacteria, which create part of the biological filter.

But the main reason to avoid a complete overhaul is that the fish totally freak out.

As distressing as a filthy tank may be, it's nothing compared to the shock of moving to a little glass bowl.

The first time I moved the fishes out, one of them jumped right out of the temporary bowl! I found him behind the shelf and- you'll never believe this- he was fine!

You can imagine how I felt.

Upon reflection, these particular fish don't seem to mind the little bowl... for the first time in their life,
they look big.

Never mind, he looks pretty grumpy.

When they plunged back into their warm, bubbly home, they darted back and forth and explored every inch. They even schooled together as if in the ocean. My kids wanted to know why they were in such a hurry!

My husband can always tell when the tank has been thoroughly cleaned because the water is very cloudy, which puzzles me because I scrubbed the crap out of it -literally! No worries, it clears up over night and once again, I resolve to maintain the aquarium consistently so we won't have to go through that ordeal ever again. It's entirely possible that you will see a similar post next month...

Or maybe my little helpers will keep me on track with a new aquarium cleaning routine :)

Love in Layers

2011-08-02T14:33:00.000-04:00

Hey! This is my first time linking up with Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesdays.

This is also my first time to try a texture that I really like!

It's Kim Klassen's Love in layers :)

(I also used Katie Lloyd's Vintage Polaroid.)

I would love feedback!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-08-02T07:06:00.002-04:00

Strawberry Salad

Great for summer and goes with anything: chicken, steak...

I might even try it with ice cream ;)

My friend brought over this salad in December and as soon as I tasted it I had to have the recipe- I've made it many times since then and I have discovered that everyone who tastes it asks for the recipe.

{I know this photo is not really about the salad- my apologies. Tune in next time for the Salmon Sandwich recipe!}

This is a very flexible salad- add more or less fruit or lettuce, depending on your taste.

The original recipe used spinach but I love spring mix- use whatever you like! Make it your own!

My sister-in-law also adds candied Almonds which gives it a nice crunch.

1 box of fresh strawberries, sliced
2 kiwis, sliced
1 box of spring mix lettuce.

Salad Dressing: mix together 1/3 cup sugar. 1/4 cup canola oil. 1/4 cup Raspberry or red wine vinegar.

Just before serving, add dressing to the strawberry salad and toss it all together.

P.S. If my strawberries are too tart, I slice them up ahead of time, sprinkle a little sugar on them and let them sit in the fridge for a couple hours. Not only does this make the strawberries sweeter, it adds a nice juice to the salad.

bon appetit!

Scavenger Hunt

2011-07-31T16:11:00.001-04:00

1. Walking Empty Streets

well, if I'm going to walk empty streets, I'll definitely carry my phone!

2. Repeating Patterns

4. Then and Now

This is me when I was brand new... and 26 years later my hair still sticks up a little bit!
I wonder what my brand new niece and nephew will be like in 26 years?

3. Floor

5. Finger Tips

My nephew Eli- I love his tiny fingers!

Scavenger

2011-07-29T23:59:00.001-04:00

I took my camera out today with a few Scavenger Hunt items in mind...

I must have lost focus because I didn't get any of the items on my list,

but I did get some interesting photos!

*we really should go ahead and do those repairs... j/k!*
This is an old abandoned house and there's no door- this is the view from outside.

Are you scavenging this week?

How's it going?

Wedding Bliss

2011-07-28T14:54:00.003-04:00

A couple weeks ago, I went to a wedding.

And it was lovely...

I've been to a lot of weddings, not only for family and friends but because my husband used to be a professional photographer and I tagged along to help with gear but mostly just to be with him. I didn't know much about photography at the time but I knew he did a tremendous job. Now that I know more about photography I realize just how good he was.

He started back in the days of film.

Of course, all the photos had to be developed so no chimping to see what he got.

How the industry has changed!

But I digress.

This particular wedding on July 9th was important to me because I was an assistant photographer!

My assignment: Details (which included getting ready shots, rings, venue, guests, etc.)

I was working for

{Blythe Parker Photography}

Although the images belong to that studio, I have permission to show you some of my work from the wedding and I am busting with excitement!

(this was Blythe's idea)

I knew that I would be handing over the images unedited so I wanted everything to be perfect.

{the main theme of the wedding was resting on Christ, the solid rock}

{visual illustration of a house built on sand and a house built on solid ground}

{Heidi}

{Blythe}

For me, it was a wonderful experience. It was definitely more of a challenge than photographing my kids

but it was also very rewarding.

I would love to do it again!

Where do I begin?

2011-07-27T22:35:00.003-04:00

The day started early and the sky was gorgeous.

My ride was peaceful and serene.

I took this photo with my new iphone!

Are you curious where I was going?

To see Faith and Eli!

....and her adorable kids :)

If you know us at all, you know that my sister is an excellent photographer and you can see her photography on her blog Simplicity.

And another thing you probably already know about my big sister is that she is

SUPER AWESOME! I'm serious, she is like a rock star to me.

She let me photograph her precious boy so without further ado-

I'll show you a few photos of our newest addition to the family!

ok it's really tough to pose a baby who is not sleepy!

All too soon, our visit came to an end and I drove home at sunset...the sky was beautiful again!

I wish that every day could be this wonderful...

Back in the saddle

2011-07-20T14:09:00.006-04:00

You poor, neglected Blog. I fell off the bloggy band wagon and now we have a lot of catching up to do! First, I want to tell you about my adventures over the weekend.
It began at about 5:00 Saturday morning with a flat tire on the Interstate. In the rain. Thank God for my hero (aka my husband) who came and changed it for me!

And where, you might ask, was I going at such an ungodly hour of the morning?

To a horse show! That's right, I went with Jess my trainer, 6 friends and "my" horse Chocolate

where we earned these :)

All my friends were super nice- they shared tack and hair stuff, donuts and advice and lots of laughs. It was my first show in almost 10 years and I had a lot more fun this time than I did as a kid. I think my perspective has changed... it doesn't matter so much whether I place first or last. I went there to have fun and learn. And it was SO. MUCH. FUN! My one regret is that I didn't take any photos of Choc. I'm so glad my sweet husband took one with his phone :)

The sun peeked out from behind the clouds about half way through the day so I got to do some fun photography after my classes were finished... here are just a few of my favorites!

This is Meghan and Mikey- Meghan is a photographer too. I took this, she edited it, don't you love it?!

This is the board where the jumping courses are posted.

At the end of the day I brought home an extra pink ribbon.

My family was there for me when I was in the ring and my little girl was delighted with the horses but especially the ribbons! When I handed her the pink ribbon she pretended to read the gold writing on it: to Mommy, from Jess.

And now I'm thinking that I have my trainer, Jess to thank for that different perspective. It's the perspective that I want to have through life: do your best, and don't forget to have fun :)

It was quiet...

2011-07-12T15:31:00.000-04:00

Everything was going wonderfully... my house was clean, my husband was bringing home pizza. Everything would be ready when our friends arrived in a couple minutes. I was adding the finishing touches to the dessert, and the kids were quiet. Too quiet in fact. I listened carefully as I finished the frosting.

What was that noise?

It was a familiar sound, but one that I hadn't heard for quite a while.

The toilet roll? Sure enough, my three year old was working fast.

"I wike the wind it makes" was her only defense.

As I took a deep breath and cleaned up the mess I heard the same sound, but far away.

I ran to the master bathroom where my 21 month old was working the same mischief!

He just chuckled.

That's when my 5 year old piped up: "sorry mom, we were both laughing."

Well, if that's the price I have to pay for that lovely moment of quiet, I'll take it!

But I think I'll listen out more carefully in the future.

Especially when they get quiet.

Fabulous Friday

2011-07-08T22:25:00.002-04:00

Oh, how could it NOT be fabulous with a baby this precious?!

That's right, this morning I got to do a session with this beautiful girl!

Let me tell you, she has that sweet brand new baby smell...

and she happens to be my niece so I can hold her (almost) any time I want!

"I need my mommy!"

"Oh, there she is."

This last shot is my very favorite... I think. It's so hard to choose!

Have a great weekend!

A Snappy Little Photo Session

2011-07-07T15:29:00.003-04:00

Hey! I did a real photo shoot yesterday! I was really excited before the session but after the session I was really, really, excited because I got some good stuff. I just new it.

The kids were super cute and although they weren't at all interested in posing, their mom was super awesome. She got her little guy to smile when he didn't feel like humoring me. You see, he was much too busy counting ants, collecting rocks, and throwing dirt. What a boy! :)

And the little girl? Oh, my goodness. So stinkin' cute! She clapped and laughed but the best part was that her Mom taught her to say "cheese" so no matter what she was doing she said "cheese!" every time she saw me! I must have taken about 100 photos of her adorable smile.

She's already horse crazy!

As I uploaded these photos the question crossed my mind... are these "snapshots of every day life"? Well, they certainly are ordinary moments captured, but I hope that they are a little bit more special.

Christmas in July

2011-07-06T08:30:00.000-04:00

My husband bought a new lens for me yesterday- it's an 85mm f1.8 and I really, really like it! As I played with it outside I thought this feels like Christmas in July :)

Scavenger Hunt

2011-07-04T14:35:00.001-04:00

1. Pop of Color

(ok, I admit this is from last year, but the fireworks will look exactly the same tonight!)

2. Crossing Thresholds

Will he get the spare??

3. X-Ray

You can see right through her!

4. Toy

5. Hidden or Farm

Happy Independence Day!

A post without photos

2011-07-03T15:38:00.005-04:00

This week has been unusual in many ways,
one of which is that my husband had to take my camera with him on his business trip. I didn't think much of it at first. I have a couple little cameras in the closet but I guess I'm too snobby to pull them out so I haven't really taken any photos all week. Woah. Weird.
My SLR is almost always with me, it's my baby- and many times this week I have mentally run through my check- list before heading out: Big kid? Check. Middle kid? Check. Little kid? Check. Camera... ???!!! oh yes. It's in Florida with daddy *whew*

So... what did I do instead of shooting and editing?

I played outside with the kids in beautiful, golden light and imagined how I would shoot the scene if I had the camera -and of course everything would turn out perfectly on the first click ;)
I still wasted time on the computer. Yeah, it's tough but I managed.
Last but not least, I got a lot of cleaning done! I was on fire! I got caught up on dishes & laundry, my bathrooms are literally sparkling, I mopped every floor (except the carpet ;) and I vacuumed three times this week (*gasp!*)

Well, my dear husband came home and he brought back my baby!

What does that mean?

I've got some Scavenger Hunt photos to take!

House cleaning just got moved to the bottom of the list... again :)

Don't blink...

2011-06-30T10:55:00.001-04:00

This season of life can be intense- as a stay at home mom of three little ones, sometimes my life seems like a jumble of noise, mess, and answering questions...

…lots and lots of questions.

Sometimes I wonder how we're going to make it to bed time when we've only made it to 10AM.

Well, on Monday I was out with my husband for the whole entire day. Believe me, it was really lovely and refreshing, in fact I didn't want the day to end!

But I missed my little people

and wondered what they were thinking and how they were doing.

I gained even more perspective as I peeked in on them at the end of the day- they were all sleeping and they looked so cute and so big.

I thought about all the things I love about them right now.

Yesterday my 5 year old said

When I was little, I called maple syrup 'mustard' but I don't call it that

since I'm grown up.

Oh, boy. Before I know it he will be grown up.

Have you heard the song Don't blink?

I turned on the evening news

Saw an old man being interviewed

Turning a hundred and two today

Asked him what's the secret to life?

He looked up from his old pipe

Laughed and said, "All I can say is

Don't blink, just like that you're six years old

And you take a nap

And you wake up and you're twenty-five

And your high school sweetheart becomes your wife

Don't blink, you just might miss

Your babies growing like mine did

Turning into moms and dads

Next thing you know your better half

Of fifty years is there in bed

And you're praying God takes you instead

Trust me friend a hundred years

Goes faster than you think, so don't blink

I was glued to my TV, when it looked

Like he looked at me and said

"Best start putting first things first"

'Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand

You can't flip it over and start again

Take every breathe God gives you for what it's worth

Trust me friend a hundred years

Goes faster than you think, so don't blink.

Say Cheese(cake)!

2011-06-28T23:51:00.010-04:00

"Here is something to smile about: luscious, lemony, no bake cheesecake squares with less than 5g of fat"... well, that's what it used to be... before I changed it! I found this recipe by Janet and Greta Podleski a couple years ago in a Taste of Home {Healthy Cooking} magazine and I fell in love with it the moment I read it! I followed the recipe precisely a couple times (which is kind of a big deal for me) and it turned out really yummy but my husband pointed out a few problems: the crust was seriously crumbly, and the cake itself was almost too light -like flavored whipped cream- delicious, but not very satisfying.
So, with the help of my chefly husband (and a little extra butter), I believe I made a good recipe even better! And I really didn't change that much... I promise.

This doesn't have to be low fat, you can use regular cream cheese and cool whip... hey, it doesn't even need to be lemon! I've changed the Jell-O and juice to lime which tastes awesome! Oh, and I also want to do strawberry and maybe raspberry... the possibilities are endless! Well, as long as they make that flavor of Jell-O... anyway, on with the recipe!

1. Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Refrigerate until slightly thickened, but not set (about 45 minutes).

*if you are making this at midnight and you really don't want to wait 45 minutes, you can put the bowl in the freezer, but don't fall asleep! I assure you, the Jell-O will be thickened AND SET in the blink of an eye.
And then it will be Jell-Oooocrap*

Meanwhile...

2. For the crust: combine graham crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar.

Press the crumb mixture into one 9x13 or six(ish) ramekins, depending on the size of your ramekins.

don't forget to use your sieve thingy when you squeeze the lemon!

for the filling: beat together cream cheese, white sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.

Check your Jell-O! It should be slightly thick but not set. Once your Jell-O is finally thick enough, blend it into the filling mixture.

*you might be a wimp if: your arm gets worn out just folding in whipped topping*

pour the filling onto the crust and spread evenly to the edges of the pan. Refrigerate for approx. 4 hours or until set.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (3 oz) lemon Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
1- 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (the original calls for 1-1/2cups)
6 tbsp butter, melted (the original calls for 3 Tbsp)
1 tbsp brown sugar
8 oz light (not fat free) cream cheese brick, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups light whipped topping, thawed

Recipe:

1. Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Refrigerate until slightly thickened, but not set (about 45 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, prepare crust. In a medium bowl, combine graham crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Stir well, using a fork. lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish with butter or baking spray. Press crumb mixture evenly over bottom of pan. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

3. To prepare filling, beat together cream cheese, white sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla on high speed of an electric mixer until smooth. Add thickened Jell-O and beat on medium high speed until well blended.

4. OK! This is the part we changed the most. If you want the original, super-light dessert, simply fold all the whipped topping into the filling, pour filling onto prepared crust, spread evenly to edges of pan and chill for several hours.

OR if you want a slightly richer dessert with two distinct layers, fold 1/3 of the whipped topping into the filling until smooth and creamy.

Pour approx. 2/3 of the filling mixture onto crust.

Chill for an hour.

Again, fold 1/3 whipped topping into remaining filling and pour onto thickened layer of cheesecake. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set.

Garnish with remaining whipped topping and something pretty~ maybe a curl of lemon peel...
...or a random slice of strawberry?

Enjoy!

Scavenger Hunt

2011-06-26T23:08:00.000-04:00

1. Windows/ Doors

2. Eyelashes

3. Paint

4. Leaf Veins

5. Faceless Portrait

What's up with sidewalk chalk...

2011-06-24T16:06:00.004-04:00

What is it about sidewalk chalk that's so magical?

Well, we all know that it can transform the driveway into a big game board, a major highway
or a huge ocean that everyone can jump "into."

We know it's something the kids can do without getting hurt

(well, as long as they don't color down to the nub- concrete can be rough on your knuckles)!

We also know that you can write on anything (except vehicles!)
just wash it off and you can do it again!

For kids, I think they love the colorful, dusty mess everywhere.

For moms, I think the charm is in the clean up- toss that dust bunny in the tub and...

voila!

You have your sweet little child back as if by magic, happy and ready for bed.

What's your take on sidewalk chalk?