Memories, Dreams, and Reflections ~ 2015

I know it is has been a while since I last posted here.  Let's face it ... blogging takes time.  And I have just not taken the time to post anything.  Summer 2015 was incredibly busy with raising Monarchs.  And dealing with our house being hit by a car.  (More on that soon).  Then fall was incredibly busy with photo sessions and editing.  Then the holidays.  

And even now, when I typically have time to get caught up and work on projects that I didn't have time to do during the summer and fall, I have been blessed with more work opportunities.  A family session between Christmas and New Years and a wedding on New Year's Day.  I'm currently working my way through the wedding images and hope to have them finished up this weekend.  Especially since I need to report for jury duty selection on Monday morning.  Ugh.  Praying I don't get picked to be on a jury.

Anyway, I always like to participate in Ashley's Memories, Dreams, and Reflections recap each year, so I made a point to seek out the photos this year.  I will be honest and tell you that I took less photos of my family.  I had a tough time finding a photo for a few of the prompts.  Between butterflies and photographing clients, I apparently didn't pick my camera up as often as I would have liked.  I plan to change that also in 2016.

So here are my selections for 2015's memories, dreams, and reflections ...

{me}

If you know me, then you know I hate selfies.  But I did want to share a pic of a new t-shirt that I bought last summer.  So this is me.  Kind of.  :)

{i love you}

Doug and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary in November.  I had Keira take some pictures of us while we were both dressed up before we went out to dinner.  However, none of them turned out very well.  So we tried again on Christmas Eve.

{still laughing}

Since I realized that I hadn't taken many photos of my babies in a while, we set out one evening to remedy that.  Of course, the boys started getting silly.  Nick first, then Alex followed his lead.  I giggle every time I look at this photo.

{winter wonderland}

Honey loves the snow.  Although this particular day it was super cold and windy and even she didn't want to stay out long.

{birthday}

Nick asked for cold, hard cash for his birthday.  So my sister-in-law made sure to make that happen.  :)

{friends}

My friend, Sharon, and I met on Facebook through a photo-a-day group.  When we discovered that we lived close-ish to each other, we decided to meet up.  First at Phipp's Conservatory then at the zoo.  We both love photography and both places are great for photographers.  We both love the polar bears at the zoo also, so this was a perfect place for us to hang out.

{i was inspired}

I have been raising Monarchs for 6 years now and I had yet to take a photo of a Mama laying eggs or a couple mating.  Well, this year I got both.  The mating pair was taken with my phone though, so I still need to get a good shot of that.

{spring fever}

Nothing says spring like tulips.  

{travel or vacation}

We didn't take a vacation this year but we did go on several day trips.  This is a phone pic from one of them.

{summer days}

Butterfly season started a little later than usual for us this year thanks to all the rain, but once it got started, it consumed my summer days.  And some of my fall days.  We raised and released 1,062 Monarch butterflies along with some Black Swallowtails and Spicebush Swallowtails.  For a while there it was like a full-time job.  But one I wouldn't trade for anything.

{a day in my life}

These guys are always part of my days.

{all smiles}

Kobe appears to be smiling for me.  I just love her!

{autumn harvest}

Fall was such a busy time for me that I didn't seem to take many photos other than clients.  However, we did take a family day to go to Elk County to see the elk.  We came up empty in the morning but after lunch we were fortunate enough to see a few elk including this bull.

{family or home}

As I mentioned above our house got hit by a car in September.  I had planned to write a blog post about it (and I still might), but short story is the guy fell asleep at the wheel and our house ended up in his path.  This happened on a Saturday around 1:00 a.m.  The kicker is that we live about 100 feet off the road and up a hill.  Not a house that you would ever expect to get hit by a car.  This photo shows the wall that he took out.  Our homeowner's insurance had to cover the repairs since the driver didn't have insurance.  The house repairs just got finished on Tuesday.

{celebrate}

My in-laws celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year.  They didn't want any gifts, just a nice gathering of friends and family.  I offered to take pictures for them.  This photo is of Doug's two sisters, his parents, and him.  It had been a while since they had a family photo taken.

{let's do it again}

Can't wait for butterfly season to start again this year!

{i miss you}

Kobe is so much fun to play with at the zoo.  It has been a few months since I visited her and I miss her.  Must get back to the zoo soon!

{beautiful}

Keira participated in a princess day at a local banquet hall.  All the "princesses" (and the "queen") looked so beautiful.  Keira is 2nd from the left, beside Mary Ellen, the owner of The Gathering Spot, and the host of the princess day.

{dress up}

We're pretty much past the days of dressing up (for play anyway).  However, they do still have a fun costume party at youth group.  Keira dressed up as a Geisha girl.

{macro}



Thanks to my macro lens and my stalking this Black Swallowtail egg, I was able to capture the tiny caterpillar hatching out of its egg and then turning around and eating the egg casing (the baby caterpillar's first meal).

{holidays}

My babies on Christmas Eve.

{my favorite}

It is really hard to pick one photo as a favorite, but I'm pretty happy with this one.  A Black Swallowtail (one of my babies perhaps) depositing an egg on my parsley plant.  They are super quick, so I was excited to capture her.

{don't ever change}

Silly, funny, loving, helpful.  I hope he never changes.

{just because}

I love her!  :)

{hopes and dreams}

Of course, I have lots of hopes and dreams.  For my family, our home, my business.  But I had to pick just one photo, so my hope is to help the Monarch population even more this year by raising LOTS more butterflies.  If you've never raised one, you should give it a try.  But be warned, you will be hooked.  :)

If you made it this far, congratulations!  And thank you!

Be sure to stop over to Ashley's and see her gorgeous pictures!

I hope to be back to blogging soon.  In the meantime, wishing you a blessed and Happy 2016!

Tweet

Weekly Summary ~ 6/21/15 - 6/27/15

Vacation Bible School week!  Fun. Long. Exhausting. But oh so worth it!

{June 21: Performance}

Alex's performance in yesterday's kickball game wasn't stellar, but he still had fun. Until he decided that jumping on the trampoline would be more interesting.  :)

{June 22: Loud}

Nick definitely lives life out loud. He can have fun in just about any situation. He can also get himself in trouble in almost every situation.  :)

{June 23: Tickled Pink}

I was tickled pink to see these two Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies loving on my milkweed blossoms this afternoon. They aren't Monarchs, but I'll take what I can get right now.   :)

{June 24: Photographer}

One from the archives. During Vacation Bible School week my time is not my own. Plus I hate taking selfies. That is probably why I became a photographer ... so I could spend time photographing other people.  :)  This particular photo is my profile pic on my Facebook photography page, Kimberly Vensel Photography.

{June 25: Stands Out in a Crowd}

This gorgeous lady, who surprised us with her arrival, most definitely stands out in a crowd. Say hello to Frances, formerly known as Rambo.  :)  We came home from Vacation Bible School to find this beauty had emerged from her chrysalis. Then we walked up to show her to our recently-widowed neighbor and asked her if she would help us rename her since Rambo isn't a good girl name. Her sister's name was Frances, so we blessed her day by allowing her to name our first Black Swallowtail butterfly.  (Posted this in the group on Friday due to being so busy with VBS stuff on Thursday).

{June 26: Tick Tock}

The window of time to capture a gorgeous sunset is limited. Although sometimes when you slow down, sit, and enjoy watching the sun setting, God treats you to an even more beautiful sky.

{June 27: The Big Day}

The big day for this incredible couple is in just under a month. I have the honor of photographing their wedding in July. I can't wait!
This photo was chosen as one of the Top Shots of the day!  WOOT!


I posted in time to link with Tamar!  :)



Sunday we celebrated Father's Day.  Doug cooked dinner, as he often does on the weekends.  I offered but he said he didn't mind.  That way he can cook what he wants (corn and sweet potatoes).  :)
Monday VBS started.  Need I say more?  :)
We actually had a great week at VBS.  Everyone who helped was right where they were meant to be.  Everything meshed together nicely.  We had an average of 40 kids each day.
Also on Monday my sister-in-law sent me a cell phone picture of a Monarch butterfly she saw while out walking.  Yay!  It was about 10 miles from my house.  I have yet to see one with my own eyes.  Soon, I hope!  If this stupid rain would ever go away for more than a day at a time.
On Thursday after VBS Nick left for Boston.  He qualified to go to the Regional Bible Quizzing event.  It was kind of tough letting him go alone but I knew he was in good hands.  They got to the college in Quincy around 2 a.m.
I was up until almost 2 a.m. finishing up the slideshow for Friday's VBS.  I always take pictures all week and make up a slideshow to show the kids on Friday.  They love seeing their pictures up on the big screen.
The last day of VBS we always host a picnic in the fellowship hall for the kids and their parents.  Everyone had a great time.  We had been raising money all week to help dig water wells in Burkina Faso, Africa.  On Friday at the end of VBS, Jenn announced that we had raised $3,000!   But then during the picnic she announced that someone had put in an additional $1,000 taking us up to $4,000 raised!  It costs around $6,000 to dig a water well so the villagers can have clean drinking water.  We plan to continue to raise money until next year when missionaries from Burkina Faso come to visit our church.  I can't wait to present them with the amount we raise!
Keira had made chocolate chip cookies for the picnic.  They were a huge hit!  Several people asked for the recipe and there were NONE left at the end.  
When we got home from VBS, we had a wonderful surprise.  Our first Black Swallowtail butterfly had eclosed!  She is pictured above as the June 25 photo.  I didn't get to post my photo on Thursday because of VBS busyness.  Some days are like that.  :)
On Saturday we got up early (instead of sleeping in like I usually do after VBS week) and Doug drove Alex and me to Ohio to get some Monarch eggs and baby caterpillars.  A very generous woman that I met on one of the Monarch butterfly groups on Facebook offered them to me.  And since she was just over 3 hours away, we made the drive out.  It rained and poured and rained some more, which made me very thankful that Doug was driving.  :)  Sarah, the butterfly lady, was so gracious.  She took us to lunch at a local diner called The Nutcracker.  We loved the place!  They had nutcrackers all over the place and an old jukebox where you can play 3 songs for a quarter.  And very cool retro decorations.  We didn't let her pay for lunch though.  After her generosity with the Monarchs, I couldn't let that happen.  :)  Buying her lunch was the least we could do.
On the way home we stopped at Cabela's.  I bought a tent for butterfly rearing.  Got the idea from Sarah.  I am hoping to breed some Monarchs this year and have eggs and cats to share with others.  Wish me luck!  We made it back home around 7:00, exhausted but excited to be back in the Monarch raising swing of things!
On Saturday I also got word that Nick was awarded a Silver medal at Bible Quizzing Regionals.  So proud of him!

Here's hoping for another great week!

Tweet

Weekly Summary ~ 6/14/15 - 6/20/15

Our first week off from school!  Finally!  Thanks to all the "snow" days, which were more like "too stinkin' cold to go outside" days, the kids' school year got extended by a week.  After losing almost their whole Easter break.  :/  It was another busy week (aren't they all?) but we had some fun in there too.

{June 14: Within My Reach}

My camera is almost always within my reach so when I see something cool, like one of my Black Swallowtail caterpillars eating while upside down, I can snap a quick pic.  :)

{June 15: Masculinity}

Apparently the proper way to show their masculinity was to scowl at the camera. No smiling allowed when you are trying to look manly.

{June 16: Hat}

About this time last year Nick learned how to make paper hats. This is one of his creations.   

{June 17: Begins with "C"}

I was pondering what to photograph for this prompt and then it hit me. Caterpillars and Chrysalises ... in a Collage.  :)

These are my babies right now. As of today, we have three Black Swallowtails in chrysalis, one getting ready, and two still munching away. Their names are (top row - left to right) Cupcake, Sylvester, and Stallone; (bottom row - left to right) Rocky, Pickle, and Rambo. Nick named four of them and Alex named the other two. I'll let you figure out who named whom.  :)

{June 18: Inside}

Alex bought a new toy at our church's rummage sale today and then we went to buy batteries for it. He loves it! However, he's not allowed to play with it inside because it makes a lot of noise.   :)

{June 19: Casual}

Just a casual, make-believe phone conversation on a cool, old-looking phone that doesn't work.  :)

{June 20: All Dressed Up}

How convenient that Keira was participating in a Story Book Princess day today and the prompt is All Dressed Up. She certainly was all dressed up and had a great time playing princess with some sweet little girls.

About our week:

Doug cooked supper on Sunday.  I love when he cooks!  Even if it does usually involve sweet potatoes and corn.  :)  I'm actually starting to like sweet potatoes.

Monday morning I taught a friend how to use her camera in manual mode.  We had a fun time learning and exploring her property.  Alex came with me and had a great time playing with some trains she has for her grandkids.  After that we went to my friend Sam's to fill up her bird feeders.  She was away on vacation and wanted to make sure the birds didn't go hungry.  :)  Keira's violin lesson in the evening wrapped up our day.

Tuesday we lost power for 9.5 hours.  It went out while I was in the shower.  I was almost done so it wasn't a big deal.  But it is so dark in the bathroom when the lights are out!  :)  We were gone for a lot of the down time.  I had a meeting regarding VBS prep work.  And we finally had a day that was nice enough to get in Abby and David's engagement session!

Wednesday we did more VBS stuff.  :)
Thursday too.  And the youth group's rummage sale started.  Keira helped with it all weekend.
On Saturday morning Keira got to dress up like a princess and help entertain some little girls.  She had a great time.  I stayed to help with registration for a little while.  I went home for lunch and then the boys and I piled in the car with my sister in law and one of her girls and drove to Pittsburgh for my cousin's birthday party.  The kids had a blast!  The rain held off until almost the very end.  My mom and sister were there along with a bunch of other people I didn't know.  :)  The boys swam and played kickball and had a really great time.  We all came home exhausted.  
I have to add that I am proud of Keira for making the tough decision not to go to the birthday party.  She had already agreed to help tear down the rummage sale and didn't want to go back on her word.

Tweet

Weekly Summary ~ 6/7/15 - 6/13/15

I realize that it is already Thursday and I am just now getting a chance to post my weekly pics, but I didn't want to have a super huge post next week.  Besides, VBS starts on Monday so who knows if I'll get a post up next week.  :/  Between VBS prep and having no power for almost a whole day on Tuesday, I'm just a little behind. :)

{June 7:  Inspired}

A friend first inspired me to raise Monarch butterflies several years ago. She gave me 4 big, fat caterpillars to take home and raise. It was the coolest thing. Since then I have raised approximately 250 Monarchs over a 5 year span. This year I am branching out to raise other butterflies. Like this black swallowtail. Sylvester, our largest caterpillar, is getting pretty big and will be pupating soon. I can't wait to see if Sylvester is a male or a female!  :)   I also can't wait to start finding Monarchs to raise! Hope they get here soon!

{June 8:  Urban Geometry}

This prompt taught me something about myself. I very seldom take photos of buildings and such. I'm such a nature lover and people person. However, I did take a few photos with my phone when we went on my son's field trip last month. (I actually left my big girl camera at home). And since we went to the city and this photo has geometric shapes in it, I'm using it.   :)  The artwork is made entirely out of license plates.

{June 9:  Smile}

Somehow I got a "smile" out of Kobe during a recent visit.   :)   She's so much fun!

{June 10:  Balloons}

Or in this case ... balloon. I ordered these "light-up balloons" to try and they just so happened to come in the mail today. Alex couldn't wait for it to get dark(ish) so we could try them out. However, we were a bit disappointed as they don't light up very well. At least this one didn't. We will try the others tomorrow night when the kids can stay up later and enjoy them if they do work. Tomorrow is the last day of school before summer break. Yahoo!

*** This photo was chosen as one of the Top Shots for the day! WOOT! ***

{June 11:  Jagged}

The jagged look of a future coneflower that is ready to bloom in my garden.

*** This photo was chosen as one of the Top Shots for the day! WOOT!  Two days in a row! ***

{June 12:  Forced Perspective}

This was not my original plan but rain keeps interfering with that idea, so when the sun actually came out for a bit today, I ran outside to capture this.

{June 13:  Clever}

Keira is so clever. She sees something she wants to make and figures out how to make it. Like this crocheting project which she says will be a shawl when it is done.

*** This photo was chosen among the Top Shots for the day!  WOOT!  That makes three in one week! ***

Normally I link up with Tamar but I missed the link up this week.  I think things will be hit and miss around here this summer.  Spending time with the family and in my garden instead of on the computer seems more important.  :)  Instead I will link up with image-n-ing this time and see how that works out.  :)

My quick rundown of the week:
Sunday after church Keira and I went to my friend Rainey's for some crafting and girl time.  We did more girl time stuff than crafting but that's okay.  We had fun and got away from the boys for a few hours.  :)  We ran to Panera to pick up dinner.  Yum!
Monday was all about VBS.  Met with Sharon, the leader, about what still needs done.  We were supposed to take Abby and David's engagement photos in the afternoon but Mother Nature had other plans for us.  Just at the time we were to start (after we had already decided to reschedule), the skies opened up.  I did manage to get some weeds pulled in my garden before and after the rain though.
Tuesday I made cupcakes for the 6th grade awards ceremony and Keira had a violin lesson.  And I spent more time pulling weeds.  So.many.weeds!  :)
Wednesday I attended the 6th grade awards ceremony at Nick's school.  Honestly I wasn't expecting him to get much in the way of awards based on his performance and attitude this year but I was pleasantly surprised that he received a few.  Even an academic one!  And every year the teachers give candy awards based on the kids' personalities ... Nick got the Whoppers award for being quite the story teller.  :)  At the end they showed a slideshow of photos from the year.  I somehow managed not to cry.
The kids brought home the yearbooks on Wednesday also.  They turned out great!  Diane did a wonderful job designing it.  It was fun being a part of making the last Oakland yearbook the best one yet!
Thursday was finally the last day of school.  The kids only had a half day.  I picked Keira up at 11:15 and we zipped home to be here when the boys got home.  Once they did we hopped in the car and went to eat lunch at Valley Dairy.  I usually try to do something with them on the last day of school.  The restaurant was busy and the kids were whining about it taking so long to get our food.   I joked with our waitress when she finally brought our food that I wasn't going to be able to take their whining much longer.  :)
Later in the day Alex managed to get a wire stuck in his mouth.  Apparently he was trying to straighten a wire that was in a circular shape - like a key ring - with his teeth, and managed to get it through his bottom gums.  I took one look and knew it was more than I could deal with - beyond my mom expertise.  :)  So off to the ER we went.  They were really great.  The PA that took care of him was incredible.  She answered all his questions and made him feel at ease.  She numbed up his mouth and wiggled the wire out.  We were in and out of the ER in just about an hour.
In the meantime Keira was supposed to be at worship practice at 6:00.  But we were at the ER.  Thankfully Doug got home just after 6:00 and took her.
When we left the ER, we zipped home, picked up Nick, and went to the church for a pasta dinner fundraiser for MS.  I wasn't all that hungry after eating lunch late, but I ate anyway.  The boys both took a few bites and went off to play so we ended up taking their dinners home.  Along with a couple to-go dinners for Doug and Keira.
Friday I spent a good part of the day in my garden pulling weeds.  So.many.weeds!  Wait, I think I already mentioned that.  My strategy is to dig up everything and pitch the bad stuff and save the little milkweed seedlings that are growing.  I have way more milkweed than I will ever need so I plan to give some away to friends.  I'm about 1/3 of the way through the garden.
The sun actually came out on Friday for a while.  We have had so much rain and so many thunderstorms, it was so nice to have some sunshine!  Even if it didn't last.
We also went up to help our neighbor with her pool.  She told me that if I helped her get the pool ready to swim in that the kids could swim in it whenever they wanted.  With all the rain and thunderstorms, however, it has been hard to find time to get it going.  And now with VBS coming up, it may not be ready until July.  She shouldn't have to worry about the water getting low though.  :)
Saturday was spent pulling weeds (when it wasn't raining) and doing stuff in the house (when it was raining).  I made gnocchi soup for supper.  Yum!

Well, I think that's about it.  If you made it through all of that, thank you for stopping by!
I will be posting a movie review and giveaway either later today or tomorrow so be sure to check that out.

Tweet

Weekly Summary ~ 5/17/15 - 5/30/15

Let me just say - I apologize for slamming you with two week's worth of photos.  Memorial Day came and went and we had a great time parading and visiting with family, so blogging didn't happen.  Then the rest of the week was super busy - all with school-related activities, so yeah.  I really should try to get the posts ready on Sunday night.  Someday I'll be that organized.  :)

{May 17:  Windows}

Another photo from our trip to the zoo on Wednesday. (Sorry, not sorry!)   :)   Kobe, the female polar bear, swam up to the window to say hello to my friend Sharon and me. You can see Kona, the male, in the background. We are hoping the two of them make beautiful baby polar bears together.

{May 18:  Laughter}

Okay, so I have been back and forth all day about whether to share another polar bear photo and, as you can see, I decided yes. :)

Our day with the polar bears was filled with smiles, laughter, oooohs and aaaahs, and even some squeals of delight from the kids passing through. I think I'm going to have to go visit them again soon. I'm having withdrawals. 

{May 19:  Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner}

When these Black Swallowtail eggs hatch, my dill plants will become breakfast, lunch, AND dinner for the hungry caterpillars. I'm so excited to be a caterpillar mama once again! Hoping this is the beginning of a great, butterfly-filled summer!  :)

{May 20:  Running}

I have never considered running for an elected office, but I will be sure to exercise my right and privilege to go vote on Election Day. Yesterday was a Primary Election Day in our area. I almost forgot to go vote but thankfully remembered just in time!

{May 21:  Odd}

This odd, unusual thing caught my eye the other day. I believe it is a cluster of leaves waiting to open up. Nature is so fascinating!

{May 22:  Brilliant Invention}

The key fob is a brilliant invention in my opinion. Being able to have your arms full of groceries or whatever and still be able to unlock and open your car doors comes in very handy! Must have been invented by a woman!

{May 23:  Tree}

I really loved the way the sun was peeking through this tree. And I love that there are leaves on it again!

This photo was chosen as one of the Top Shots for the day! WOOT!

{May 24:  Daily Habit}

I have several daily habits, as I'm sure most of you do also. Of them is, of course, photography. I try to take at least one photo a day. Usually for the 365 Photo prompts. Most days I take many more photos.  :)

{May 25:  Street Art}

I spent this Memorial Day holiday with family so I had to pull a photo from the archives for this prompt. We came across this mural painted on the side of a building a couple years ago. Since my youngest is crazy about trains, we had to stop and take a photo.

{May 26:  Fresh}

I'm so excited to announce that I now have a freshly-hatched Black Swallowtail caterpillar happily munching on my dill! Actually I have two, but the one pictured is the first little guy to hatch today. So happy to be a butterfly mama again!

{May 27:  Parallel}

Had a bit of fun with today's prompt. Alex agreed to help me. He wanted to look like he was behind bars.  :)

{May 28:  A Dime a Dozen}

Canadian geese are everywhere around here these days. I have mixed feelings about them. I like seeing them around, but they make such a mess everywhere they go.

{May 29:  Close}

Thanks to my lovely macro lens I was able to get up close to this newly hatched Black Swallowtail caterpillar and watch him enjoy his first meal, his egg shell. I actually had the pleasure of watching him hatch. I was giddy like a kid on Christmas morning! :)  We now have 6 babies happily munching and growing.

{May 30:  Valuable}

It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well, I think value is also. We all have different perceptions on what is valuable. My family knows what is valuable to me. Life. Even the life of a small caterpillar. My 12YO son brought this caterpillar to me this afternoon, so excited because he knew I would be excited. And I was, of course. It is another Black Swallowtail. The 7th and now the largest of the babies that I am currently caring for. (He's only about half an inch long - my macro lens makes him look much larger). I'm so excited to be a butterfly mama again.

Linking with the lovely Tamar:

Since I have two weeks to summarize, I'll try to be quick and just hit the highlights.  Of course, that's what I usually do anyway.  :)  Feel free to skip this part!
Doug was away the 18th through the 21st - in Scottdale working on his plant.  Fun times.
On Tuesday I watched a Black Swallowtail butterfly lay an egg on one of my dill plants!  So I checked the other one and found two more eggs!  WOOT!
Alex brought home a letter he received from his pen pal at his new school.  Turns out it is from my friend Julia's son.  What are the odds?!  :)
Oh, and I voted in the primary election.  I'm happy to say that several of the school board members that voted for the consolidation are no longer board members.
My friend, Sam, and I went to lunch after our walk on Wednesday.  It was nice to sit down and enjoy each other's company.
Thursday evening was Family Fun Night at the boys' school.  Everyone seemed to have a good time.  Before we left Doug gave both boys a Gatorade.  I was thinking I should have let him take them to FFN if he was going to sugar them up like that.  :)
On the days that Sam and I don't walk, I try to go to the bike trail for a change of pace.  On Friday Honey and I went and made it as far as the golf course (1.5 miles from where we parked) and saw a family of geese.  I didn't have my camera (can't carry it while I run) so I snapped a cell phone photo.  Instead of the geese being scared and moving away from us, they hopped in the pond and swam closer.  It was pretty cool.
Keira had a youth group sleepover on Friday night.  Then on Saturday morning the teens served at a prayer breakfast.  It was good food and a great message.
Saturday afternoon I went to a Lemongrass party at my friend Rainey's house.  Our friend, Kim, is a new consultant and this was her first solo party.  She did great!  They have some great products!  I wish I had more money; I would have bought more stuff.  :)
Sunday after church Doug, Alex, and I went for a bike ride on the trail in Emlenton.  We weren't even 1/4 mile down the trail when Doug's phone started ringing - trouble at work.  He told them he couldn't help them right now and we kept right on biking.  It was a beautiful day and a really nice trail to ride on.
Monday was Memorial Day so we went to the parade, as always.  Then my mom, sister, sister-in-law, and nieces came to visit for the day.  Doug cooked for us.  We played UNO, as usual, and just had a great day.
On Tuesday my first Black Swallowtail egg hatched!   I also spent a good part of the day shopping and prepping for our school's staff luncheon which was on Wednesday.
We had our last Wednesday night kids' class at church.  We celebrated with a pizza party and I spoke to the kids about Monarchs and other pollinators.  It was the fastest presentation I have ever done since I only had 30 minutes once they got done eating.
Thursday was spent at the school once again for Field Day.  I was the official yearbook photographer so I could walk around freely.  It was nice since it got really hot in the afternoon.  We had a pot luck lunch (so much food!) and everyone had a great time.  At the end of the day, I got to climb a ladder to the roof in order to take a whole-school photo.  Going up wasn't too bad; going down was a little scary.  :)
Doug and I went out to dinner at Applebee's Thursday evening.  I received a couple gift cards from helping at church and doing my presentation, so we ate for free.
Friday I spent the day editing the field day photos.  Thanks to Lightroom it went very quickly.  Then we had the 6th grade dance that evening.  I can't believe Nick is finishing up 6th grade this year!  The kids had a blast!  Once again I walked around taking pictures for the yearbook.  We don't usually get to include 6th grade dance photos in the yearbook but thanks for all the extra days added at the end of the year (snow days!), we have time this year.  Which is great since our school is closing forever on June 11.
I was able to finish editing all the photos from the dance on Saturday and getting them to Diane so she could finish up the yearbook and get it sent to the printer.  I can't wait to see it!
I found more Black Swallowtail babies on my dill, parsley, and rue plants.  That put us at six so far!  Then, as I shared above, on Saturday Nick was helping me weed one of the flower beds and found another caterpillar on some wild carrot.  The biggest one yet!  He is now inside happily munching on my dill plant.  Once I have a series of photos of the beauties, I will post them.  Gotta wait for a butterfly first.  :)

Okay, so maybe that wasn't so short and sweet.  If you made it through all of that, good for you!  Now that school is winding down, I shouldn't be nearly so busy.  A few photo sessions here and there and a wedding or two, but this summer should be pretty relaxing.  I hope!  :)

Tweet