Meet the newest member of the Gates Family!

Drum roll please! (and a slight eye roll from Mom) This is HuckleBerry! She came into our lives on Saturday and we picked her up on Sunday. She is a one and a half year old Blue Tick Hound. She is very calm and super strong. We are praying she is a good match for our family and that she doesn't bite any of my children show aggression. So far so good. Her previous owners could not spend time with her and took her to work everyday. HuckleBerry was the welcoming committee at their work and as such, she is very friendly and used to people. She is also super tolerant of other dogs. Cats...not so much. We took her for a walk last night and I was almost dragged alive under a car to catch a sneaky feline. Im ok. The cat needs therapy. We are praying that if this is not the right move that God will make that decision clear to us.

Fishing Day

The Green Way hosted a youth fishing day after having stocked their pond. Of course we went!  The kids had so much fun.

Look at those little puddums!

She is so thrilled to be posing for another picture! (sarcasm belongs here)

When I saw this picture I thought of the saying "Fathers, remember when you teach your son, you are teaching your son's son."

Yes, we have trees on this side of the mountains.

Is it just be or is he giving me the wonky eye?

Zip up your coat!!-Mom

Beautiful

 

Caught some fish and some cute moments.

Our day started out beautiful.

We caught our limit just as it was getting icky out.

 So far all our pictures look so serene and calm. Now for the real story!!

yep

*head nod*

We had to fish in shifts. seriously. not joking.

I put my camera above my head to get this one. Look who ended up in my shot! Its Flip, our worship leader!! Wow, he is tall. 

It was certainly a fun day and we have taken the kids back 3 times since when it wasn't so crowded. Some one needs to tap the 15 and up at the pond on the shoulder and remind them what a youth pond is for. Then proceed to slap said person on the head with the fishing pole they were using and shove the fish they caught in their.....socks!

Can you guess..

why my children are plugging their wee little ears?

Im obsessed

I cant stop going back to this set of pictures. I want just the right look to it. Which one do you like best? I think I like the center one the best, but I adore the turquoise color in the others. Any suggestions Cari or Kira??!! Its times like this when i wish I had photoshop that just ran one action. I have to do it all myself in PSP(call the Waaaahmbulance).

Still here, still clickin'

Here is a bit of what Ive been up to.  All but two of these(the bottom two of Miss A) were shot in Manual. Ive been trying really hard to get a handle on it vs using my Av or Tv modes. Not easy..especially outside with moving children!!

Yeah, I totally wanted to steal permanently borrow this truck!

This is what happens when I say "Say Cheese". You can smell the cheddar cant you?

Farm Days=too many tractors for one boy to stand.

Tea Party Pics: take two

Crafty Fun

So, we had dinner with some friends from church last month and the couples house we went to was like eye candy. I love going into someones home who has an eye for a specific style. It was refreshing and unique. While there, I saw this "Button Bouquet" and fell in love with it for some reason. So, The Girl and I went to town this morning and are quite enamored with how it turned out. I want to make another one but have no logical explanation for doing so. I mean, really, how many Button Bouquets does one need. I'm standing by to take your orders. Thank you "C" for inviting us into your home and allowing me to steal borrow your decorative style.

sad

I know it may seem kinda morbid, and I have hesitated posting these, but I found this headstone to be beautiful. This is just how I found it. The flower, the leaves. I thought it was amazing.

I could not edit this photo to give it the exact look I wanted. I needed to be closer to ground level. Live and learn.

Yes, it leaves something to be desired, but I loved the slop of the hill leading up to the flag, and I really like the leaf-less tree on the right.

Today my Grandfather's wife passed away. They had been married for 13 years. I am amazed that it has been so long since his first wife, my sweet sweet Grandma D, passed away. I am sad for my Grandpa. His wife, although not my grandma, was a kind hearted, quite woman with a strong spirit. Although she was not my grandma, I would still like to wrap my arms around her frail little body one more time. Id like to tell her she was special and kind to me. Death is not something I deal with very well. The thought of not seeing or feeling the same with that person ever again is painful and hurts. I know we will see each other again someday. I just wonder if when I see my Grandma D, will she recognize me as her granddaughter. Will she remember how much we loved each other?  Or will we be strangers in that respect. I hope not, because I want to feel that same love for her when I hug her and kiss her again. Please keep my Grandpa in your prayers.

May Day and Tea Parties

This post isn't about the quality of pictures I took, cause I didn't edit them beyond RAW.  They are about a great day spent with my kids. Yesterday, we spent the morning delivering 9 plants with Happy May Day notes hand written by The Girl.  It was so fun ringing door bells and running away. The Girl also had the great idea of delivering one to somebody we don't know. So we did that as well. Would have love to have taken one to a certain individual of Irish decent, if they didn't live five bajillion miles so far away.

The other night we had a women's tea at church. I was inspired by these women's memories of tea parties with their grandmothers. I decided " why wait till I'm a grandma" ..............Sorry I blacked out after writing that last word. Where was I, oh yeah.  So, we went to the local antique store yesterday and bought a incomplete tea set. Found a tea pot and an extra cup as well as a tray to put it on. We immediately came home and had a tea/ lunch in the living room. I was a bit worried about how The Boy would do, but he was fine. He occasionally warned us of impending dinosaur attacks, and his table manners were not perfect(he has on no pants). Still, hearing him say "please pass the grapes Sir" was priceless. Sydnie was adorable of course. Pouring Tea(milk) and adding sugar(chocolate quik) and passing out finger sandwiches. I need to get a cute table and cloth as well as some tea party clothes for kids. I can literally see the pics in my head. I did take these with my new 50mm.  woot woot.

The Girl announced that Jesus must be from China cause China makes allot of stuff and so does Jesus!!  Did I correct her? No way. Once again, she does not question his power and existence, just his origin. Its called Faith. I'm learning from her. Great memories were made yesterday.