Our 33rd Week ~ 2014

This is going to be quick.  I have LOADS of editing to do.  Especially after having my computer go flaky on me Sunday morning.  I was able to have a friend fix it and I am back in business, but not having it for almost two whole days has put me even further behind than I already was.  :)  I have to admit that I am looking forward to the kids going back to school soon.  That way I won't have so many interruptions and distractions throughout the day.

Just a reminder - I am still participating in Fat Mum Slim's photo a day challenge.  I really enjoy having a prompt every day to try to interpret.  Here are last week's photos ...

{August 10: Art}

The best art is made by the Creator's hands, not human hands.

I got to stop and visit my love, Slick, this evening. (Our neighbor's baby horse.) He's getting so big. He even came up to see me and let me feed and pet him, which absolutely made my day. He still has a blaze in the shape of an F on his face. All natural artwork.

{August 11: Mirror}

When I was cleaning out one of my containers of Monarch caterpillars and giving them fresh food, I found these two snuggled up together on a stem. Looking like a mirror image.  (I think I shared this one before - maybe for Scavenger Hunt Sunday - but it fit this prompt and I hadn't shared it there yet).  :)

{August 12: Gather}

Had to head out today to gather some leaves for my hungry caterpillars. These big guys can really eat! 

We released two more butterflies today - both males. Still have LOTS of caterpillars, as you can see. Believe it or not, this is just a small sampling.

{August 13: Inside}

I love seeing the butterfly inside its chrysalis just before it emerges. Today we had two beauties joining us. Happy day!

Did you know that the chrysalides are actually clear and what you see is the caterpillar (then butterfly) inside? There have always been questions about the gold dots on the chrysalides. While they are still a mystery, I can tell you that they remain there after the butterflies emerge.

{August 14: Give}

My friend, Reva, who also happens to be a relative, shared a photo of a ducky night light on her page last week. I instantly fell in love (yes, I am 5 years old :) ) and asked her if she would buy one for me and I would gladly pay her back. Instead she graciously offered to give one to me. It arrived yesterday from sunny Florida. Isn't it the cutest?  :)

{August 15: Clouds}

Saw these lovely clouds the other evening while walking around our neighbor's property.

{August 16: Clean}

I was totally drawing a blank on this one until I stopped to fill the car up with gas and saw the car wash. So this is my $4 photo for the photo-a-day prompt. Hey, my car needed cleaned anyway.  :)

Linking with Tamar:

Have a great week!  I will be editing my eyeballs out!  And prepping for another wedding on Saturday!

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Our 23rd Week ~ 2014

We are just one short (or long if you ask the kids) half day of school away from summer break!  The kids last day is Tuesday.  They only have a half day, but if you would ask them, it is the longest day of the year.  Those snow days were pretty cool back in January and February, but now that they are still in school on June 9th and 10th, those snow days have lost their appeal.  :)  I hate to tell them "I told you so" but ...  :)

Normally on the last day we go visit our local zoo or something but thunderstorms are in the forecast, so I'm not sure what we will do.  Something free probably since we're trying not to spend much money before vacation.  :)  Maybe a bike ride if it's not raining.  If it is raining, a movie marathon sounds good to me.  I can get some editing done while the kids chill and eat popcorn.

I decided to continue with the photo a day challenge that Fat Mum Slim hosts.  I wasn't sure I was going to continue in June, but I am going to do my best to keep up.  Here are last week's prompts and my interpretations ...

{June 1: Joy}

You are probably thinking - what does a picture of a little spider have to do with JOY? Well, it involves macro photography, which brings me great joy. I love capturing the tiny details that we so often overlook in our busy lives. So when this tiny spider stayed still long enough for me to capture this image - when I was only inches away - I was so excited!  I was also happy that he didn't jump on me or anything because I probably would have freaked out.  :)

{June 2: Doing}

A bumble bee doing what bees do best.

{June 3: Family}

I don't know about you but my family teaches me something every day. Like patience, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. {sigh} 

{June 4: Ordinary}

Nothing great happens when you settle for ordinary.

{June 5: 11 o'clock}

Was running a little behind, so at 11:00 I was getting ready to run some errands.

{June 6: Adventure}

As Ellie from the movie Up says ... "Adventure is out there!" 

{June 7: Pattern}

The pattern on our neighbor's new foal's face looks like the letter F.  They named him Slick, but I think they should have named him F-stop.  :)

Here are a few random shots from the week ...


Keira spotted this young Robin while we were visiting her grandparents.


On Monday I visited my friend Nikki for a few hours.  We wanted to get some photos of her incredibly handsome cat, Lincoln, but it was so dark and rainy that we decided to wait until another time.  Though I did get on the floor and snap a few.  Not bad considering the lack of light and the super slow shutter speed.  :)  Isn't he gorgeous?


Azalea or rhododendron?  Either way, I loved this unusual color.  They are growing in a local park that I like to walk in occasionally.


As you saw Friday's prompt was "adventure".  Well, I had a picture in my brain similar to the movie Up that required helium balloons.  Fortunately there is a little shop that can whip out some helium balloons in a few minutes as long as they aren't too busy.  After we were done with the balloons for the photos, Alex wanted to let a few go.  So we attached notes to them and set them free.  Hopefully someone found them and it brightened their day.  (Focusing on a rising balloon isn't the easiest thing to do!)  :)

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world!  Hope you have a fabulous week!

Linking with Tamar.

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Scavenger Hunt Sunday 05.18.14

Time for another Scavenger Hunt Sunday!  Some weeks I set out to intentionally shoot for the prompts.  Others I just look through what I shot and try to make things fit.  I'll let you decide which kind of week you think this was.  :)

{animals}

During a visit to a local apple orchard, this horse (who I later found out belongs to the neighbors) kept a close eye on me while I walked around with my camera.  He was just one of the animals I encountered this week.  Along with a cat, a mouse, a mule, a donkey, some geese, and a couple ducks.

{in the shade}

On Mother's Day I wanted to be sure to get a photo of my mom with my sister and me.  My mom was concerned that we weren't in the shade and had the sun at our backs.  She didn't think it would make for a good photo.  I assured her that I have taught Keira well and that it would all work out.  Maybe that is why I am the photographer in the family.  :)

{from behind}

Keira was being inducted into the National Junior Honor Society on Monday evening.  She told me not to bring my camera to the ceremony because it was no big deal.  Of course, that goes against every fiber of my being, but I obliged and left the camera at home.  And I regretted that decision.  So I made her pose with her certificate once we got home.  While I was taking pics of her with her certificate, she asked me to take a picture of her hair from behind since she was pretty proud of the style she had done.  YouTube can be a wonderful thing.  :)

{on the ground}

We have had so much rain lately that it is harder to get down on the ground to take pictures.  Unless I want to get all wet and muddy.  But we do what we must to get the shot, right?

{bugs or blossoms}

I had a hard time choosing, so I included both bugs AND blossoms.  The blossom shot is from my time at the orchard.  The shot of Alex is just for fun, though he was using our new magnifying glass to observe one of our butterflies earlier.  And the butterfly shot is a close up of one of the Painted Ladies that emerged this week.  As I write this, we now have three butterflies with two more in chrysalis.  They look like they will be joining us on Sunday.

Thanks for stopping by!  If you are visiting on Sunday afternoon, I am out photographing a senior and then a maternity session.  And hoping the weather cooperates since we already had to reschedule due to rain.  Sneak peeks coming soon!

Be sure to stop over and visit our host, Ashley, and tell her hello!

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Project 52 - Week 41

This month has been a blur.  So very busy!  For those of you that blog daily, I don't know how you do it!

Last week I was able to photograph two different seniors, teach Sunday school, take the boys for their 6 month dental checkups, attend Bible study, organize our Wednesday night kids' club at church, get a quick lesson in paper quilling from my friend Sherry, see a great play called Once Upon a Mattress (think Princess and the Pea) that was directed by a friend of mine, and get in a nature walk with the kids and a visit to a farm.  Whew!

This week I have several more photo sessions.  So I plan to spend as much time as possible this week processing the ones that I did recently so I don't get too far behind.  I'm really enjoying all these sessions, but I have to be honest and say that I'm looking forward to things slowing down next month.  I hope.  :)

So today I just wanted to share a few photos from my recent sessions ...

On Tuesday I went to a friend's farm to shoot Josh.  He was fun to work with.  He thought I should just snap a few quick pictures and be done.  :)

However, he was excited to get his photo taken with his horse, Holly.  That was the one thing he requested, which I why I went to their farm.  She's such a gentle creature.

I had posted on my Facebook photography page that I had Saturday available - the only Saturday this month that I wasn't booked with photo shoots.  A woman that I graduated from high school with then contacted me saying she'd like her daughter's senior pictures taken, so that's what we did.  Sam was a real trooper.  Even though she wasn't crazy about having her pictures taken.  We did have a gorgeous day though!

Friday afternoon, before going to the play, the kids and I took a nature walk at a local nature reserve.  I always try to get a group shot of the kids when we are all together because we seem to be all together less and less these days.  Keira goes to Youth Group functions and tends to be missing from our adventures.  So the boys mostly cooperated when getting their pictures taken.  Nick is still my tough one these days.

That's it for me!  Hope you have a great week!

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