My Little Hobby

Photo Challenge | Best Face Photo from 2011

2012-01-09T07:58:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite shots of 2011. One of my very favorite moms asked if I could come up to the hospital after her baby was born to get some shots of her two older kids interacting with the new baby. It was such a fun photo shoot and I was able to capture some really special moments between big brother and little brother.

Be sure to check out some more great photos at i heart faces!

Photo Challenge | On Your Feet!

2011-12-05T09:03:00.001-08:00

This week's challenge focuses on feet. I love baby feet. Especially my babies' feet. They're cute and so fun to nibble and kiss...AND they don't stink!

This is a common scene after we put our tree up each year. The girls enjoy playing under the tree much like their dad and I did when we were little kids. I still try to get under the tree. I'm a bit too big to be doing that, but in my head I'm still a little kid and I never want to grow up!

Check out more spectacular photos of feet at i heart faces!

Photo Challenge | Autumn Splendor

2011-11-13T16:55:00.001-08:00

Can you hear the crunching of the leaves as she walks through them? It's one of my favorite sounds ever. Besides the laughter of my girls, that is. :)

Enjoy more photos of autumn splendor over at i heart faces!

Photo Challenge | Let Them Be Little

2011-10-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

This week's challenge focuses our little ones. Here is my youngest "reading" about one of her favorite things...animals!

To see more great photos, go to i heart faces!

Photo Challenge | Hands

2011-10-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

Over at I Heart Faces they're having a photo challenge about hands. I have two little girls and I love watching their hands as they discover and make new things. And I love baby feet (because they don't stink), so when my baby first began discovering her feet, this was so fun to watch. Especially because she had so many tummy rolls and it was just amazing that she could reach her toes in the first place.

Discover more hands here:

i heart faces

Photo Challenge | Water

2011-07-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

The girls are enjoying the pool this summer! It's hot here in Texas and the cool water is a welcomed relief!

Check out more water photos from this week's challange: iheartfaces.com

Photo Challenge | May Flowers

2011-05-16T11:58:00.001-07:00

This week's photo challenge is flowers! I love flowers, mostly because they mean SPRING! Since this week's challenge is not a contest, we can post more than one photo and they don't need a face!

These first two photos are from my own little Things in a Jar project:

Ah, dandelions! I love 'em/hate 'em! They mean spring, but they're a weed and they make me sneeze!
To see other beautiful photos of flowers, click on over to i heart faces!

Photo Challenge | Slice of Life

2011-03-27T17:44:00.001-07:00

How fun is this week's theme??? I love candid shots, or "slices of life"! Posed pictures are great, but the candid ones seem to capture the real person--their real smile, how they interact with each other, just REAL life!

Having two little girls, I capture a lot of candid shots. I have several of them destroying the bathroom, playing with toys, and generally being cute. But when I was perusing my archives for a shot that jumped out at me, I came across this one of my littlest girl stacking cans. It was great watching how hard she worked to balance each can, watching how she'd hold her tongue or how her lips would twist in concentration.

And what kid hasn't stacked cans? I remember a particular photo of my older brother when he was about two, standing next to a teetering stack of cans. So fun!

She ended up getting that stack to be taller than her!

For more slices of life, check out the iheartfaces website!

Photo Challenge | Sun Flare

2011-03-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

I love sun flare! So cool and beautiful...

For the challenge this week, I chose a photo from a bicycle race that I had the opportunity to photograph last summer. This was my first try at any kind of sports photography. I absolutely LOVED it! It was very exciting!

To see more beautiful sun flare photos, click go to iheartfaces!

I Heart Faces: "Anything But A Face" Photo Challenge

2011-03-01T15:12:00.000-08:00

I enjoy entering the iheartfaces photo challenges. I get nervous when I enter a photo. I want people to see my work, comment on it and like what they see. I want to be mentioned in the Top Ten or as one of Angie and Amy's Favorites (but it's okay if I'm not). I've actually gotten top ten a couple of times. Plus, it's fun to see all the other photos in the challenge and perhaps find new friends while perusing the week's entries.

The photo I chose for this week's challenge is especially important to me. I was invited to join other people on Facebook affected by Type 1 Diabetes to write the word "HOPE" on a hand, shirt, anywhere and then share the photo on Facebook to raise awareness for this disease, to share in the HOPE to find a cure. This is the photo I shared today. My four-year-old little girl has Type 1 Diabetes and it is our hope that a cure can be found very soon.

My daughter was a bit confused as to why I wanted to write on her hand. "But Mom, we're not supposed to write on ourselves!" It was a little difficult for her to understand the meaning of "HOPE", but after explaining that it means to want something and believe it can happen, that we really hope for a cure for diabetes so she won't have to have icky finger sticks and multiple injections each day, my little girl stated she also hoped she could have a puppy. And ice cream for dessert.

It is my HOPE that even if one person sees this photo, they will have an increasing awareness of Type 1 Diabetes.

To see more "Anything But A Face" photos, click here:

And to learn more about Type 1 Diabetes, click here: jdrf.org

I Heart Faces : "Innocent Wonder" Photo Challenge

2011-01-24T17:27:00.000-08:00

I saw that I Heart Faces was having a photo challenge called "Innocent Wonder". I immediately thought of this photo of Emily. She was looking out our living room window at a nest that some birds made in a window sill of our neighbor's house. I don't think there were any eggs, just the momma bird waiting for her man to bring her some food.

Please check out the many other beautiful "Innocent Wonder" photos at iheartfaces.com.

PS, I didn't do any editing to her eyes. That's what color they are! They melt my heart, which usually saves her from me getting upset when she does something bad. Her sister's eyes are hazel, almost brown, and I get lost in her eyes, too. I'm a sucker for pretty eyes, I guess!

Oh Snap! "Sun Flare" Photo Challenge

2010-09-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

Um, heh... I'm not doing so great with these challenges. I took a photo for last week's challenge and didn't like it, so I took a different photo and it's still on my camera. Then, I thought I was going to do good this week and get my photo in on time. I took my photo early Friday morning, and then I realized that I had just taken a photo for next week's challenge. Puh.

So today, I'm cheating. I'm digging into my files and pulling out an old photo. It's a day late, but here it is:

ISO 640, f/8, 1/200s

This was taken at my parents' house in early spring. I LOVE springtime! Everything is new and fresh. I love the warmth in this photo, the newness of the blooms, and when I look at this photo, I think of my parents and how much I love visiting them and being at their house and always feeling at peace there. The rays of the sun seem to be touching the flowers, telling them to "Wake up! It's SPRING!!!"

I love sun flare. I just think it's cool. I don't know what I would have done differently. Any suggestions?

"Play on Shadow" Photo Challenge

2010-08-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

I was invited by a friend to join a photo challenge group called "Oh Snap!" Each Friday we'll post a photo from that week's challenge. This week's challenge is "Play on Shadow".
I took this photo several months ago of Emily's shadow while she was dressed up in her princess dress and tiara. She loves to dress up and dance.

ISO 100
f/10
1/250s

I love the shot, but if I were to try this shot again, I'd have her twirling or dancing. But at least we can see her piggy tails and the fluffiness of her dress! Emily loves her shadow and I thought it'd be fun to capture her playing with her shadow.

Update on Us!

2010-08-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it has been a very long time since I last updated. Forgive me, but I have an excuse! Uhh...I...got...lazy. Puh.

So, some things about us that have happened since March:

Emily turned FOUR!!! I can't believe it! Wasn't she just a baby? Wasn't it just yesterday that it was going to be for.evv.errr before I had to think about putting her in school? Goodness, time flies when you get old.

She will be starting a part-time preschool in a couple of weeks. We are so excited! We bought her an insulated lunch bag for her to take her lunch to school in. She is WAY excited about that. She immediately packed her lunch in it, and then took her lunch out and ate it. Hmmm, why didn't I buy one of those sooner?

Something else that changed for us is Emily was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in late April. She'd been thirsty and going pee a lot (A LOT) and always, always hungry. I thought this might have been a phase she was going through, and even asked other moms of kids her age if this was something that they were experiencing with their kids. But in the back of my mind, I was thinking "This may be diabetes." I didn't want to think this. My dad has Type 1 Diabetes, and that's the reason I was thinking about it, because I remember him telling me that he was very thirsty and had to go to the bathroom a lot.

I asked a friend of mine, whose little girl that is Emily age has diabetes, and she said, "Take her in to see the doctor!" Not what I wanted to hear. I was so afraid that they'd tell me it was diabetes. And that's exactly what the doctor told me. We had to go straight to the hospital for Emily to be checked in, and we were told to expect to stay there for four days.

We were there for three days, learning about diabetes, getting her blood sugar under control, and adjusting to this new lifestyle that was to become NORMAL for us. It was a whirlwind of information, emotions, all things sharp (needles, fingersticks...)!

But, at this point, we're adjusting, Emily is cooperating with most of this, but we are still struggling with keeping her blood sugar within normal limits. It's a daily struggle, and most days she's too high. We cheer at the normal numbers! And when she's low, Emily cheers because then she gets a snack. *sigh*

Avery is doing great! She talks a lot! She doesn't say much that we understand, but we pretend, and you can tell it makes her feel good that we respond to what she's saying. And if you don't respond, boy, lookout! She will get in your face and yell until you "understand" what she's saying. When she wants a drink, she'll drop her sippy cup in our lap and say, "Please?" How can anyone resist and small child saying, AND signing, "Please?" It melts my heart. She can have whatever she wants!

She going through this stage where she likes to put her hands in her poopy diaper to--I guess--feel her poop. She ends up with poop on her hands, shirt, shorts, floor, wall, toys, and ME pretty much every day. I hate it. I try to put a onesie on her (she's too long in the torso for onesies anymore) and pants, but she always finds a way to get in there. It's gross! She'll come to me with poo on her hands and she'll open and close her hands and say, "Guck!" It's gross.

Avery really knows how to push her sister's buttons. Whatever Emily is playing with, Avery will find any opportunity to take the toy and RUN! She'll run away and giggle and squeal, and of course, Emily will run after her yelling and screaming and tackling. It's kind of fun to watch. Sometimes there are tears, and sometimes they end up in a pile of giggles.

I want to try to do better in keeping up with this blog. I hope I can, so everyone can see what's going on at our house!

"Barefoot Week" Photo Challenge

2010-06-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

For those of you that know me, you know I'm not a huge fan of feet. Feet are stinky. And kind of ugly.

Unless..UNLESS!...they're baby feet. Baby feet don't stink. And they are VERY cute. Verrry.
So of course when I read that this week's photo challenge at i heart faces was "Barefoot Week", I just knew I had to post my girls' feet. I can't resist taking pictures of my girls' feet. So yummy!

This is daughter #1, reaching for something on the table. I had high hopes of her being a ballerina with those strong toes. But alas, she's a clutz. Just like me. *sigh*

I believe this was taken when I first started doing piggy tails in her hair. They're crooked and funky, but who's looking at the piggy tails when you can look at those FEET! Arrgh! And her tushy is cute in those overalls.

Emily discovered an old guitar in the closet and she has claimed it as her own. She strums it every once in a while. I caught her listening to herself strum. Excuse me while I wipe the kisses off the computer screen...

Daughter #2: In her great-great grandfather's baby gown. *droooool*

See, she was a chunky baby! LOVE the chunk, love the toes! LOooOOVe!

So it's a good thing that this week we can post more than one photo. It's a non-competition week. I would have REALLY had a hard time deciding which pic to post. I have SO many more. But what is so special about the theme this week is it is to raise awareness for Soles 4 Souls.

Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. The charity distributes these shoes free of charge to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 7 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently donating one pair every 9 seconds.) The shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States. Soles4Souls has been featured in Runner's World, Ladies’ Home Journal, National Geographic’s Green Guide, and The New York Times. It has appeared on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, BBC, CNN and thousands of regional news outlets across North America. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Anyone can join our cause, and we need your help.

"Smiles" Photo Challenge

2010-04-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

This week's photo challenge at i heart faces is "Smiles." This photo came to mind. It's my daughter with her Nana. It warms my heart!

Want to see more photos with smiles? Click here:

"Dramatic B&W" Photo Challenge

2010-03-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

This week at iheartfaces, the photo challenge is "Dramatic Black & White".

This is a photo of my daughter and her cousin. She LOVES her cousin, who is just over a year older than her. She calls him her brother. I think she would really love an older brother, but instead, she has four older boy cousins that teach her lots of fun stuff and would do anything to protect her.

There are many other awesome b&w photos over at iheartfaces. Click the link below to check them out!

"Jump for Joy!"

2010-03-08T11:57:00.001-08:00

This week's photo challenge at iheartfaces is "Jump for Joy!" In this photo, Avery is enjoying watching her sister jump on the bed. She absolutely adores her big sister, as you can tell! By reading her expression, it's like she's saying, "Oh, I can't wait to do that!!!"

On a side note, Big Sis Emily has bandaids on her legs in this photo. She had mosquito bites and insisted they be covered with bandaids. Scooby-Doo and Dora bandaids...

Alright, head on over to iheartfaces for more jumping pics!

Click this:

"Hilarious Outtakes" Photo Challenge

2010-03-02T17:31:00.000-08:00

So this week over at iheartfaces, the photo challenge is "Hilarious Outtakes". I love outtakes. The blooper reel. Blackmail. Whatever you want to call these outcast pics. They make me smile, laugh, and want to share!

Here are a few of my favorite outtakes, in no particular order.

My ever-so-NOT-graceful daughter falling off her backyard roller coaster:
*she was absolutely fine after this tumble.
Here is the same, ever-so-NOT-dainty daughter blowing spit bubbles during one of our impromptu photo sessions:

Oh wow, my daughter is really going to hate me later in life... The SAME daughter shoving her finger up her nose:

And daughter #2, my sweet baby, letting me know that she wasn't in the mood to have a holly, jolly Christmas:

Oh, what's this? A photo of someone that is not my daughter? This one is from a recent wedding reception. The look on his face kills me:

Click below to head on over to iheartfaces and see more hilarious outtakes!

I Wanna Dance Photo Challenge

2010-02-16T13:08:00.001-08:00

This week's photo challenge at iheartfaces is "I Wanna Dance!"

Here is Emily doing "ballet" in her Easter dress.

To see all the fabulous entries, go here:

You won't regret it! It's a fun challenge this week!

Toes!

2009-03-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Missionary Man

2009-03-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

Love Rocks

2009-02-07T09:45:00.000-08:00

Catch Some Air

2008-09-10T06:48:00.000-07:00

Pink Sparkles

2008-05-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

Bubble World

2008-05-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

Time for a Close-Up!

2008-04-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

My kit lense was attached to my camera and I picked up my 50mm, reversed it, and held it up to the kit lense and looked through both at this flower. It's a tiny flower and I was able to get a good close-up look. It's a new technique I learned, so it's still in the works. I guess you're supposed to crop the black part off when you edit it. So next time that's what I'll do.

Beyond

2008-03-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

Toss Up

2008-03-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

Bundled

2008-03-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

Zoo

2008-03-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

Two Michaels

2008-02-23T08:24:00.001-08:00

Colors

2008-01-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

First Billboard Shot!

2008-01-12T16:18:00.001-08:00

I just found out that one of my photos made it on this billboard truck that drives around Dallas! Very cool!

Jingle All the Way

2007-12-20T20:08:00.000-08:00

A Leaf

2007-12-19T12:37:00.000-08:00

For Kelly

2007-12-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

Baby H Preview

2007-11-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Concentrating

2007-10-27T20:16:00.001-07:00

No Socks

2007-10-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

I love the ruffles at the bottom of her jeans.

Heather Preview

2007-10-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

Autumn

2007-10-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

Latest Photo Shoot

2007-10-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post a preview of today's photo session with my friend Heather. She is a finalist to be in a new reality show that is described as a combination of Survivor and Amazing Race. Heather asked if I'd take some portraits for her portfolio. We visited Downtown Carrollton and had a great time with the shoot.

Just a Sampling of Epcot...

2007-10-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

Old

2007-10-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

St. Augustine is old. And beautiful.

The Vineyard

2007-10-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my other blog, I got lost in a vineyard last Monday. Well, not like physically lost where I was crying-for-my-momma lost, but mentally, emotionally lost in the beauty. It was quiet except for the rustling of the leaves in the wind. I'm not very poetic, so to describe it wouldn't do it justice.

Anyway... I got lots of photos of grapes and grape parts and vines and stuff. I thought I'd add some texture to the photos to make them seem rustic and antique-ish.

Nice grouping...

Where raisins really come from:

I pretended this grape could talk and was saying, "What, I'm not good enough for your wine? Pfft."

Can you see the bee on the top grape?
I loved the way the vines reached out and got ahold of the support wire. Look at that grip! I call this "Grape Knots".

You may notice that I placed my logo in the middle of the photos. I'm trying to discourage people from stealing my work. I haven't had any stolen yet, but I've got a couple of friends whose work has been stolen and the theif uses it as their own. Not cool.

Saints and Sinners

2007-10-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

I photographed the Ideal Image Guy Contest Finale yesterday. It was a lot of fun! After the winner was announced, there was a band that played while people mingled and had cocktails. The band's name was Saints and Sinners. Actually, it wasn't the whole band, just the lead singer and another guy that accompanied him on the guitar. So it was really Saint and Sinner. Anyway, he was excellent. But I felt so bad for him because during his set was when the crowd decided it was time to go. Nobody clapped (except me) and between each song he was cursing the guy who hired him. He was miserable and hating each moment, but one good thing came of his gig--he gained a fan. Me.

Winston

2007-09-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

This is straight out of the camera:

I added a little color pop to this one:

And to this one, I increased the contrast and decreased the saturation:

And this one is black and white:

Which one do you like the best?

Just a Slice

2007-09-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

Looks delicious, doesn't it?

Buddy

2007-09-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

I came across this photo and decided to "fix" it in Photoshop.
What do you think?

The Seeker

2007-08-30T07:07:00.001-07:00

More of The Michaels...

2007-08-22T03:51:00.001-07:00

Random Lock

2007-08-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

I saw this lock yesterday and couldn't figure out what it was locking. It was attached to a brick in a wall, but there wasn't a door or anything. I was confused. Still am...

The Michaels

2007-08-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

I got the awesome opportunity to photograph the Michaels. It was so fun! What a pleasure it was to take photos of such handsome guys!

Antique? Or just junk?

2007-08-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

I came across this little guy while cleaning out a closet. Isn't he cute? His name is Major Morgan.

He's this neat little musical toy that I got many, many years ago. He had these little music cards that you slipped in the front display and you could play tunes. I was good at playing these tunes. Sometimes I could play without the music cards to prompt me. In fact, I entered a talent show at church where I played Major Morgan.

He still works, sorta. One note works. The hi D, up in the top right corner. I was hoping to pass this thing down to Emily. Except I lost all the music cards. It's kinda pointless without those, unless you already know how to play Major Morgan. So my question is, do I throw it out? What about the memories? I get nostalgic when I see him. I realize I'd only be throwing out the toy, not the memories, but I just can't seem to let him go. I mean, really, just look at that face!

Hope...

2007-07-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

Demotive This!

2007-07-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

This is a drain from a water fountain I found in a park. I love all the colors.

Fun with a Canon

2007-07-11T05:10:00.001-07:00

Bread crumbs
And a red twisty tie.

"FACT They say the camera adds ten pounds. Kinda stinks that this was a full body shot."

2007-07-05T07:56:00.001-07:00

Congrats, Kelly!

Demotivate This!

2007-06-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

It's my backside. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with.

Colorful Straws

2007-06-28T17:17:00.001-07:00

Check back tomorrow for a new "Demotivate This" contest!

Snack Fish

2007-06-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

Can you tell I'm bored? It's rainy and yucky out, so it's hard to find something to photograph. So, here is Emily's favorite snack. And mine.

Blue

2007-06-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

Wassat?

2007-06-22T06:47:00.001-07:00

Playing Pool

2007-06-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

Larry...

2007-06-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

Congratulations!

Demotivate This!

2007-06-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Have fun and enter as many times as you'd like!

"We All Need a Little Push to Get Moving. But The Dorky Girl With Pee-Stained Pants and Messy Hair Always Has to Push Herself."

2007-06-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

Congratulations, Michael! This was a close, close call. Stay tuned for another "Demotivate This" contest tomorrow!

Demotivate This

2007-06-07T06:07:00.000-07:00

Have fun and enter as many times as you'd like!

Beautiful Clouds!

2007-06-05T12:13:00.001-07:00

The skies were awesome last night. I tried to get to a place to take pictures where I didn't have to worry about power lines, but I ran out of time. The colors changed so fast, so I just pulled over behind a liquor store. I got pictures of a rainbow, too, but they didn't turn out. BUT, check out The Hayes' blog. They got some good shots of it!

Sunflower Sunset

2007-06-05T11:47:00.001-07:00

Empty Swings

2007-06-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

FIRE!!!

2007-06-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

Fire ants, that is. I upset a fire ant hill while taking pictures of sunflowers. I only got bit by one ant, but it got me several times on the leg. These things are evil. They should be called "hell ants" because they are of the devil.

Yesterday's Severe Thunderstorm Warning

2007-05-31T15:10:00.001-07:00

This was a fast-moving storm. The clouds looked scary, but they were moving in one direction, so I wasn't that scared. It dumped a good amount of rain on us, but then the sun peeked out later on.

ICK!

2007-05-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Uck, yuck, icky, blaaaah! I didn't want to look at these photos ever again, but I've had a couple people ask to see them.

We saw these at Turner Falls in the rundown castle house. Gross. I've got to stop typing now. I've got the heebie-jeebies.

The Light at the End of the...

2007-05-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

...paper towel tube? This looks cool, huh? I copied the idea from someone on Flickr. I thought it was an interesting perspective.

Belly Button

2007-05-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

I played with the colors in this picture in Photoshop.

Little Lady

2007-05-23T16:47:00.001-07:00

Some Fun Pictures

2007-05-21T18:58:00.001-07:00

"Nothing quite like not having your shoes on when you discover why the grass is actually greener."

2007-05-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

Congrats, Anonymous! You get a big ol' picture of my foot. Lucky dog.

Sooo, "Anonymous". Who are you? Are you a stalker? I've never had one of those before. I hope you're a nice stalker. Are you a lurker? Did I make you de-lurk? Are you shy? Don't be shy. We're nice here.

I can't send you your super prize if I don't know who you are.

Demotivate This

2007-05-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Skies

2007-05-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

I couldn't take pictures fast enough this evening. The skies were beautiful and they changed so fast!

We Need to Mow

2007-05-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

I almost got lost in the lawn yesterday! Well, not really. Too bad Rob didn't get pictures of me getting this shot. I was sprawled out all over the place! And I got really itchy.

CLOUDS... God's Way of Telling You to Get Your Butt Inside, He's About to Throw Hail at You.

2007-05-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

I couldn't get the software program to cooperate with me this evening, so I'll get it calendar-ready this week. Since you all were expecting a prize, I'll print the calendar page out for you to put in a frame. Sound good, Michael? Would you hang it in your house? If not, I'll hang it at my house for you. I'm nice like that.

Demotivate This

2007-05-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

This was taken in early April during a thunderstorm warning in our area. I took the opportunity to capture a terrific photo of the edge of the storm.

Have fun demotivating this beautiful photo.

Teamwork

2007-05-05T05:32:00.000-07:00

I would love to take full credit for this picture. I can't. I didn't take the picture. I mean, obviously, I'm in the picture. But I could have put the camera on a tripod and set the timer. I didn't. Rob took this picture! BUT, I fixed the settings on the camera so it would turn out like this. And I told him where to stand. So it was a team effort! Cool, huh?

I took this one. I think it's sweet. Daddy and daughter. Family. Love. It warms my heart.

PS: Tomorrow! The FIRST EVER Demotivator Caption Contest! Are you ready?

Grandma's Church

2007-05-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

Grandma Hayes would take us to church with her every Sunday morning and evening while we visited in the summer. They didn't have a piano in her church, so we sang without accompaniment. This always bothered me. I need a tune to sing to. Grandma had no troubles singing to no music. She sang songs all the time around the house. Maybe she was singing to the music in her head...

Sometimes when we'd go, we'd sit with Grandma Farmer. She'd get after us for staring at the clock. All we wanted was for time to go by faster, but she thought it wasn't polite to stare.

I remember watching the sacrament being passed. I SO wanted some of that grape juice. And just a pinch of the cracker. Oh well, it's just as well I didn't partake since I wasn't in the right frame of mind.

On Sunday evenings, after the sermon, we'd gather in the baseball field and play softball. This was the only reason I was eager to go to church on Sunday evenings. I loved to play. I had this awesome mitt that was way to big for me, but it was perfect for playing short stop. I could snag a line drive with that mitt like a professional player! Or at least a tall player. It was great; my teammates would cheer, "Great job, son!" Whatever. It was awesome.

The Pink Flamingo

2007-05-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

This is the hotel where my parents spent their wedding night. Ritzy, eh? Still standing. Hard to believe, since it's been over forty years! So, which photo do you like better?

Fifties pink?
Black and white?
Or sepia?

My personal favorite is fifties pink.

Just some fun pictures...

2007-05-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

Pretty little flowers in Aunt Sharon's back yard.
Emily's newest bear.

Demotivator

2007-04-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been to Despair.com? I highly recommend visiting their site. It's very uninspirational. Seriously.

I had an idea for a contest. I thought I could post a picture and have you guys come up with a demotivator slogan. What do you think? Then we can make a calendar of our own!

Fingers of God

2007-04-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

There was a Tornado Warning issued in our area last night. We were on our way home from car shopping and we made a pitstop at Walmart off Rufe Snow. We were there for about five minutes when we started hearing banging on the metal roof of the store. At first we were puzzled because it was so loud and not frequent enough to be hail. Then it really started hailing. There was an announcement on the overhead speaker, which we couldn't understand, and we saw a bunch of people head to the front of the store. So, we thought that was where we were supposed to go. Rob sent me to go see how big the hail stones were. I got a glimpse of a shattered hail stone, and the shards were big! Then I saw a stone hit on a grassy area, and it was larger than golfball size! Yikes!

We made our way to the middle of the store to continue our shopping (for some reason we weren't very worried) and found a bunch of people gathered there. Apparently that's were we were supposed to go in the first place. They had the radios turned up and we were listeneing to the weather reports. A tornado had been spotted about a mile from us. Yikes again!

When things cleared up, and we were finished with our shopping, we headed home. The skies were beautiful! I couldn't wait to get home and grab my camera and get some shots! I know the Lord blessed us yesterday. We didn't really need to stop at Walmart. The things we bought could have been bought at another time. We were definitely being watched over!

Who Needs Gum?

2007-04-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Who needs gum when you can blow spit bubbles!

Aren't they amazing? "How can I make a spit bubble?" you might ask.

Step One: Gather a lot of spit in you mouth; enough to coat your lips and chin (coating your chin is optional).

Step Two: Hum the letter 'M'.

Step Three: Slowly open your mouth and say "Aaaaaaahhhhh..." Make sure the spit forms a bubble. Otherwise, spit will just dribble out of your mouth and people will just think you're a fool.

"Aaaaaaahhhhh..."

"Aaaaaaaahhhh..." Oh, and don't forget to concentrate. Note the look of concentration on Emily's face. Focus is key.

"Aaaaaahhhhh"--*POP*
Repeat as necessary.

Elizabeth B&Ws

2007-04-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

B&Ws

2007-04-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

My favorites from this weekend...

Good Morning! Good Friday!

2007-04-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

More from the Back Forty

2007-04-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a ball that was thrown into our yard by some neighbor kids. I want to kick it.

I want to blow on these. It's funny how as a kid, these were pretty cool. Now, they're bad news.

And I love these pretty weeds. They make me happy...until I realize that they're weeds and they have to be pulled.

Until next time...

Thunderstorm Warning!

2007-04-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

What a great opportunity to get pictures!

While I am pleased with how these turned out, I noticed that some are pixellated (is that a word?). I think what happened is during editing, I lightened the pictures and it made it kinda grainy. Next time I'm taking the tripod and leaving the shutter open for longer amounts of time to get as much light as I can. See, I'm learning stuff!

Bee on a Bonnet

2007-04-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

Capturing the Rain

2007-03-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

I didn't use the flash in the first three photos. I used a slower shutter speed and I think it makes the water look like cotton candy.

I used the flash in these last photos. I know, I know, Pioneer Woman doesn't use flash in her photography, but doesn't it look so COOL?

Rain on Glass

2007-03-30T13:13:00.000-07:00