Oh Snap! "Sun Flare" Photo Challenge

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

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!

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

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

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

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!"

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

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

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!