If your a little crazy and you know it....

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T22:42:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving was spent with Mimi and Papa this year. We are always so grateful for the divine hand that played a part in bringing out families together. Mimi spoiled us..as usual.

The Girl always seems to find a way to Mimis bed and the Disney channel. Poor kid is T.V. starved at home. Oh well.

Beau on the other hand is simply starved and had to break out the turkey meat before the rest of us. What is wrong with his wife..doesn't she feed him?

ahh, those Mimi hugs are goooood. They fix whats ailin' ya!

The generally camera shy Beau was locked in the closet. This fellow came out to play instead! The children had a delicious appetizer of...marshmallows before dinner. Cause that makes sense..right?

Camera shy Beau is still locked up.

Beau decided it was time for him to take the controls. Seriously, there were about 20 of this exact same picture. He got a smidge carried away.

Now, here is something to be really grateful for. (no, I'm not talking about the Veggie Tales on t.v.) My boy...love him!

Papa!!!!

The end!

signs of winter

2010-11-28T22:24:00.000-08:00

I am not much of a winter person (understatement of the year). I really dislike being cold (understatement of the year #2). So, I'm making a point of seeing the things of winter in a new light. As is the norm these days, I see it through my camera lens.

Look at those little gloves. Imagine what those hands will do when they are bigger. Pray I lead them in a direction to make the Lord proud. Now, how about those red cheekers??!!

You will recall there were wet pants hanging in the first picture. Here is the bottom that they were on prior to meeting the snow.

Little galoshes and small knit hats that fit so sweetly on my little boy. How I cherish all things that are him.

We recently had our first snow of the year and it was beautiful. All was covered in white and the soft quite that surrounds the snow. I was strongly reminded of how Jesus makes all things new and clean. Much like that fresh snow makes the world look. It is a sign of beautiful things to come.

Giveaway

2010-09-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

Pamela Topping Photography is giving away gift cards for actions and textures!!! Check it out here!

New blog

2010-08-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm finally starting up a blog strictly for photography. You can find that blog here I want this blog to remain my family blog..not photography(except those way to stinking cute pictures of my babies) Please add my new blog to your list and follow it!! I have also started a facebook fan page here . Thanks to everyone for their support in this!! God Bless your own picture taking!

Happy Birthday to the Boy who is my world!

2010-08-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

CLICK PICTURE TO VIEW

Create a collage

My son is...

2010-08-24T23:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm aware that someday he will require copious amounts of therapy due to this. Don't care!

Do frogs really give you warts??

2010-08-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

The other day Beau drove us up the roughest road my SUV has ever been on. The Girl and I knew we were going to die..or be sick. We ended up sick. However, after a 5 thousand mile drive around the mountains, Beau made good on his promise to show us something amazing. Nestled up in the woods was a marshy meadow with a small, shallow pond.

Upon closer inspection of this little pond, we saw more pollywog's than I have ever seen in one place. The whole pond looked like the picture below.

Of course, the kids want to catch them..and Daddy came prepared. However, he first instructed the kids to walk around the edge of the pond and see what else there might be.

With every step the kids took around the pond at least one or two frogs jumped out of their way. It was sooo cool.

Obviously we had to catch some frogs too.

It turned into an education venture as well. We even came across some frog eggs.

I got distracted of course. Hello Bee.

The Girl couldn't get enough of holding and touching the slimy critters. Let me rephrase that. The child who wont get into the pool if there is so much as a nat in it, the child who spazes out at the sight of something crawly was practically french kissing the local amphibians.

Boys, being boys, had to wrestle and fight. After all, that's allot easier than saying "Gee son, I'm having a great time with you".

It was a fun day with minimal mosquito bites.

A boy and his dog

2010-08-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

Really? Need I say more? Look at how darn cute they are!! You would never guess what kind of animals they REALLY are!!!

A jillion pictures of one beautiful girl

2010-07-31T09:03:00.000-07:00

Usually I don't post all the pictures from a shoot. This time..I did. My sister was visiting for a few days and she is a very willing subject. She blames that on me. I was posing and taking pictures of this girl from the time she was old enough to say "Cheese". It was such a great learning experience for me. I was able to try out my reflectors(I have never used them because I never felt comfortable trying them out on someone when I wasn't sure what I was doing) I played with my new flash and with poses/props that I wasn't sure would work. I also played around with post processing more than normal. It was a no pressure situation and Autumn was such a sport.

She is even holding the reflector with her feet in some of the head shoots!!! Love it!

Cute Couple Alert!

2010-07-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

This couple was so cute, fun and easy to work with. It was a great experience!!!

Miss K

2010-07-31T08:42:00.000-07:00

I loved some of the lighting in this shoot..the mosquitoes..not so much. Yikes!

Lucky me!!

2010-07-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

I have been so absent from the blogging world because I have been super busy. Ive had a few shoots, did a little VBS, had a visit from my super special sister and threw in some picnics, swimming and slip n slid in between. So, I will try to catch my blog up to speed. First, I was lucky enough to be asked to capture some moments of cousins who don't see each other very often. What a fun opportunity!

Fix it Friday

2010-07-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

I always am saying that I think turquoise should be in every picture, so this one was satisfying to me. I did some exposure adjusting in camera raw, cropped in on her, burned some color, lightened the background and got rid of the dark circles under her eyes. She looks so Fourth of July Fresh. Go to iheartfaces for more

Beautiful Mama!

2010-07-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my luck!! I got to photograph the most beautiful woman yesterday. Seriously, I am in awe of how stunning she is. Lets not forget the cute lil' munchkins that are always in tow. Thank you so much for this opportunity! Cant wait to meet the newest member of this gorgeous family.

I couldnt love him more if I tried!

2010-07-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Fix it Friday

2010-07-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

Fix it Friday! The first pic is the original. Personally I think its set up great and the girl is adorable. The second picture is my edit. Go to iheartfaces to see more.

Long weekend..Long Post

2010-07-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

The fourth was a busy weekend for us.

We saw lots of family, fireworks, ferries and furry friends!

Enjoy!

This is my darling Grandpa Dean. He and my Grandma are the ones who showed me Jesus

Here we have my little sister, Alex, my Mom and my 2nd Dad.

My other little sister Autumn and her BF.

arnt we cute?

I rode the dirt bike!!

Warning: animals have no regard for personal space!

The Boy did the driving

And I have issues with my nose??!!

In the words of my children "Look at the pea-cot"

He said we had to feed him one of our children!

I have never seen one this close that wasnt stuffed!

Luke was actually wiping buffalo slobber off himself after this.

Totonka

There was also a petting zoo. But, come one people..petting a goat is kinda lame after being licked by a bison.

We also rode on a ferry!

More than once!! Did you know not all ferries take you where you want to go?? We learned that the hard way.

Luke drove allot. In this picture I believe he is telling me to get outta the road!

Be afraid! In 13 years this could be in your rear view mirror.

Stopped on top of the pass on the way home. It was beautiful and the kids loved playing in the snow.

Be afraid!! In 13 years your daughters will be swooning over him!

Down on Baron Farms...

2010-07-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

Went to Kira and Cameron's farm the other day. Im still hearing about the pigs. Im ready to go back already.

A blog about ducks with no duck pictures!

2010-07-01T23:06:00.000-07:00

Me and my chillins' as well as some chillins' that I take care of went to the duck pond today. We were blessed enough to meet up with my BFF ,who's name is to precious to pass these keys. Ducks were hungry and ate 6 loaves of bread. We were hungry too and ate a whole container of chocolate covered-coconut-thigh-builders.(yes, BFF, I finished them before I had walked to my car.) I took no pictures of ducks, or my own children for that matter. The girl was busy peeing behind a bush and The Boy was busy jumping in sprinkler water that was no doubt nasty irrigation water. That would explain the strange purple rash he has now. Kidding. Any who, on to the cuteness. Check out my favorite little man(other than The Boy of course).

Isn't he the best??!! I spent all afternoon trying to talk his mom out of him, but she drives a hard bargain. Luckily, I'm not a quitter!

Here he is with his charming big brother. Are they sweet or what?

Sweet Miss M. Such a blessing!

Here she is....Miss America!! I heart her!!! But that doesn't mean I wont steal your baby when your not looking! :)

Newborn's are precious!

2010-07-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

I was blessed enough to take pictures of two week old Corban! If I could bottle that smell I would cause I love it!!

Summer Time

2010-06-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Summer time around out house is incomplete without many days spent at Mimi and Papa's house. Swimming, snacks, swimming, lunch, swimming, dinner, swimming.

We Beau also helps Papa with the hay a few times a summer.

Hey Farm Boy!!

Howdy Papa!

Daddy was a bit hot at the end of it all!!

Fix it Friday

2010-06-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

It almost feels good that I have been to busy doing other photography related things to do a fix it friday. But, I decided to give it another go. If you want in on the fun, check out Iheartfaces.

and baby makes three!

2010-06-24T23:41:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of taking Miss H's pictures a mere week before she is to become a mommy. As with any new mommy, I pray for her to enjoy every moment as if it were the last..because it is!!

My Dancer!

2010-06-21T00:28:00.000-07:00

Sydnie had her dance recital last night. She danced the best she has ever danced and I was a proud Mama!! The pics from that are still on my camera, but I did take a bunch at home of her in one of her costumes! She is so beautiful..I think Im gonna have to get a bat pretty soon for all those boys that will be knocking!

Family Fun

2010-06-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

We spent the other day fishing. Sort of. The Boy has some serious longevity when it comes to fishing. He will wait all day for that fish and then reel it in all by himself. Its a genetic thing. The Girl would rather be shopping. However she does enjoy tormenting the fish once their caught..and naming them. Daddy must enjoy not fishing cause he spends the whole time untangling lines and getting fish of hooks and re-baiting lines and re casting. All while I watch from the comfort of my camera. Its a unspoken agreement that we have. Here are some pictures from out last outing. These moments are flying by..I wish I had a net to catch them.

Let's hear it for the boys!

2010-06-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

I was a bit concerned about this one. Mr Three Year Old isn't a fan of my camera. However, I believe he has overcame his camera phobia and is a full blown HAM! I had so much fun taking these boys' pictures. Perhaps it is because I love them and their Mommy soooo much. Enjoy ERF!! On a different note, I edited this batch in CS3. I figured there was no better way than to just dive into it and do it. I still have allot to learn, but it was great to 'git 'er done.

Simply because I have a death wish...I post this!

And again!!

2010-06-05T23:36:00.000-07:00

Is this better? I think its much better. OK, Im good. :)

First Maternity Shoot!!

2010-06-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

I am so proud to say I had the chance to do my first maternity shoot. Mrs. W was gracious enough to let me give it a whirl. I ran into some unexpected issues that I could not resolve on the spot. First off, I need a wider black backdrop for more than two people. So, I hope my editing the back drop in looks realistic. Second, I could not get as much of every ones bodies in as I wanted cause I couldn't move far enough away in the room I was in. I could have used a different lens, but there was no way I was taking off my 50mm!!! I need to learn to slow down more and not allow my thoughts to jumble. Thankfully I had written a list down. I need to take the time to look at my view finder after each shot. I think I did better on keeping a consistency with my color balance. What do you say? Now, I will critique myself.

I like this shot. I had to edit in more white blanket cause I didn't have enough laid out for this angle. I am not content with the lighter color on the bottom left, but was not able to make it look right to me.

The only thing that I would change about this is to straighten the oldest's head so its not slanted. They so darn cute tho!!!

needed better hand placement. Still cute. I liked it with little brother in the shot.

Love it!

Love love love this one!! Seriously, it turned out just like I saw it in my head!

I like this one allot too!

I love everything about this picture, but there is something I cant put my finger on in her eyes. I may go back and lighten them up. Otherwise, I think its a fun shot and I like the bold colors.

I'm sure the white is almost blown(its not, I checked my info readings), but I still really like it allot.

I don't know what I was thinking!! I am obviously not shooting at a direct angle on this and that is what I wanted! Arrggh. Still love it. Just eerked at myself for not looking in my viewfinder.

Like it all except the harsh shadows on the second oldest's face. Tried fixing it with a mask layer, and it looks better, but still not right.

I like this one. I love that each child is showing their own personality.

No complaints here!

If there is anything wrong with this picture, I don't think i want to hear it! I worked this one to death because I couldn't get Mom brighter with out blowing out the background. But, I really wanted to make it happen. Two mask layers and allot of erasing. I love the composition and moms pose. The shirt is beautiful are her baby belly. I think she is gorgeous, inside and out.

and take two!!

2010-06-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks again Cari!! I hope I can see those kinds of things next time. By the way, the bear was cream colored.

Tree be gone!

Darker

Darker, background only.

Total redo!! Does my blue sky look believable? Since grey was all Mother Nature was doling out that day!!

Little Miss Sunshine

2010-06-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

Had my first official, but free, shoot last night. There was not a patch of visible sky and zero sun, so I was a bit unsure of how it would go. However, Lil' Miss had personality to spare and made it easy...if you could catch her! Thanks K for sharing your girl with me and trusting me with your moments.

This is the archway Miss Sunshine's Mom and Dad walked under when they got married! Symbolism.

Meet the newest member of the Gates Family!

2010-05-31T15:29:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

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..

2010-05-30T22:20:00.001-07:00

why my children are plugging their wee little ears?

Im obsessed

2010-05-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

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'

2010-05-19T23:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

Crafty Fun

2010-05-10T23:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

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.

Big Brother

2010-05-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

This is Paxton's Big Brother!! He is camera shy. VERY! I had to try to grab pictures of him while he was playing with his mama. He is one to watch cause someday he will play pro...something!

Here is the amazing mama of these sweet boys. She is doing an amazing job of raising caring, Godly boys.

Save the death threats! I'm not taking it down. Your beautiful..inside and out.

I heart Paxton

2010-05-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

I sure do love this little boy. My best friend is very blessed to have such a doll baby. We went over to their home for a play date this week and I had the privilege of holding him and eventually putting him to sleep. At that point I broke out the camera and eventually woke him up taking pictures. Oops. Anyway, look at those eyes. They love freely and that is wonderful.

I had to play with at least on of them. He is precious.

All we need is love(dat da dadada da)

2010-05-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some sweet pictures of The Girl with our furbaby Tucker. This dog means everything to her and is a moving target for The Boy. Even tho I did put a couple filters on these, they actually came SOOC very nicely. The smaller picture of each is the original. I am starting, very slowly, to realize that my pictures don't have to meet anyone standards or look a certain way. For example, I really like the shadows in the last picture. A couple of months ago, I would have been upset because a good picture shouldn't have such harsh shadows(that's what I thought other people thought). I am also finding that I would much rather take pictures that are not so staged. I love the personality that is in them. Kids are full of personality and don't care what the world thinks if they act silly. God gave them that joyful expression and I bet it brings a big smile to his face when he sees my kids dancing round the kitchen to Audio Adrenaline's "Big House". It sure made Mama smile.

i Heart Faces-Fix it Friday

2010-04-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

So, I really like this picture. The girls dress and boots with the bridge are great. I got ride of the yellow signs cause they were distracting. I cropped out the other distractions.Mirrored the image cause I tend to like my subject on the left side of the picture when I cut it in thirds. I did my best to restore pixels that were missing. Adjusted the curves. Cross processed it, and threw a mask(that I have been itching to use) on with the same tint as the bridge. Truthfully, I could have easily quit after the curves adjustment and would have had a beautifully balanced, properly exposed picture. Then again, where is the fun in that??!! :) Happy fix it Friday. Go to iheartfaces if you want to try.

Hail

2010-04-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

Today it hailed. Twice actually. Big icy balls of frozen water coming down and bouncing off my black driveway. It was beautiful. As I lay flat on the cold concrete outside my house, I knew what my shot was going to look like. I was going to set my aperture to about 14 and my shutter speed to about 1/25. I had my camera flat on the ground, cause that was the composition I knew would look amazing. I was going to have blurred action of the hail bouncing off my black drive. What did you say? Where is this amazing picture? Heck if I know, I couldn't get my settings right. It was all blown out and looked like I did a macro of a solar flare. (not the look i was going for). By the time I messed with my settings and was tttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssss close to getting it, the hail stopped. I was not happy and...I was dirty from laying on the ground. So, what I want to know is....how do you know what settings to begin with on a shot like like?? Anyone, Bueller, anyone.

So, I will leave you with these pictures of flowers by husband brought home for me this evening. Today was a bit of a heart breaking and disappointing kind of day for me and he was very kind and understanding. It felt lovely.

Polarization

2010-04-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Kira I know I don't need to buy a polarization lens. I think I may have went a bit overboard utilizing it on the fallowing photo. Couldn't help myself. I took this picture on one of The Girls field trips last year and I loved it. However, I didn't know how to boost the color so that it was more the way I saw it behind the lens. I'm not sure what kind of negative effect over polarizing would have on a printed picture. Anyone know?! Anyway, Kira has been a great friend and source of "Photography for Rhiann the Dummie" check out her website if you want to know what a real photographers pictures look like.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

I heart faces photo challenge: Smiles

2010-04-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm attempting a photo challenge at iheartfaces. The theme is Smiles. I had a hard time picking one for it since I am constantly surrounded by smiling children. If you want to see more entries, check iheartfaces website.

Happy Birthday Huddy!!

2010-04-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

Last night was Huddy's Birthday party. He is my BF's little three year old man! We were fat and preggo together. Don't blink, don't breath, don't be in a hurry. Time will go by fast enough.

(note the finger sneaking in. Its not his)

Have I grown?

2010-04-25T23:29:00.000-07:00

I took this picture last October at the Corn Maze. Loved the picture, was so disappointed in the exposure. Today I decided to look back at some pictures and see if my editing had improved. Last October, I passed this picture off as a failure. While the new one isn't contest material, I believe it is an improvement. An improvement I couldn't have accomplished 6 months ago.

Spring through my new eyes

2010-04-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

As strange as it may sound, I truly do not see things the same way I did a year ago. Colors are richer, details are finer, moments are more amazing and the world around me is more delicate. Generally I take pictures of nature to hone my skills when my children wont hold still. Here are some of my favorite images that declare Spring is here.

Lighting should be my friend

2010-04-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

However, I just don't get it at this point. In the first photo I was less concerned about background and more concerned with lighting. Its still uneven with hot spots.( I didn't use a flash.) I'm not real big on these kinds of staged photos. I find them dull and boring. No personality. But, I was practicing.

I love this picture of Luke cause it captures the adventurous little boy that he is. I like the light coming through from the right, his face is to dark. What a handsome little boy!

i Heart Faces-Fix it Friday

2010-04-22T23:45:00.001-07:00

Friday is here again(insert happy dance). Here is the original and then my edit. Loved the amount of texture in this picture and the turquoise. Please visit iheartfaces for more fun.

Wordful Wednesday

2010-04-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is my daughter. Yes, she is stuck in the laundry basket. Yes, she called for help and I came running. Yes, I left her there while I went to get my camera. Yes, she was unhappy about that part. Yes, I walked away, forgetting to help her, after I took the picture. Yes, she reminded me that I forgot to help her. NO, I have no idea how she ended up in the hamper, in the corner of the laundry room, between the wall and the dryer. Yes, she will kill me when she finds out I posted this.

Sir J

2010-04-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

Did a little shoot with one of my lil' boys I watch. For the most part it turned out alright for a second attempt at a purposful shoot. I need to learn and understand lighting more. Understand the use and set up of reflectors. How in the world do photographers shoot their subject with the sun in the background without getting just a silhouette?

i Heart Faces-Fix it Friday

2010-04-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

There was no fix it Friday last week and I began to have withdrawals. Thankfully it is back & I can stop freaking out. :) The first pic is the original and the second is my edit. If you want to try your hand at it, go to iheartfaces.

I needed this!

2010-04-14T22:59:00.000-07:00

I was feeling pretty down today in regards to photography. The feeling of never getting it down, never being able to take it past just a hobby, never feeling like I had reached my potential. Even tho I still feel those things, the impromptu photo shoot I did today with one of the little girls in my childcare, lifted my spirits. Why??!! Well, number one, I really like how they turned out. Yes, they could have been better, but I really like them. Number two, I spent very little time editing them. My goal is to someday shoot photos that I love SOC(straight out of my camera). Today was pretty darn close. I had to crop because I dont have an area in my house set up for a large backdrop. I did some curve and level adjustments, but thats about it(not counting the vintage filter I put on some). Anyway, I really needed to feel as if I had not stalled out. The last one is my favorite. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T22:15:00.001-07:00

self

2010-04-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

About Boys

2010-04-13T23:33:00.000-07:00

Sfc.Gates

2010-04-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

My patriotic husband had his re enlistment ceremony over the weekend, and wanted us to share in that moment. He is a proud soldier who cares about and is dedicated to his soldiers. He is also a modest soldier. Never one to boast his status or wear his service as means to get respect. Obviously, I took pictures. I love the moments that I captured, but the lighting was more than frustrating. Had to turn on my flash and knew it wasn't going to be good after that. Not sure how to fix this issue. Regardless, this Army Wife is proud.

The girl was tickled pink at the aray of wishing weeds in the armory yard!

Bokeh by chance..

2010-04-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

If you have no idea what I'm talking about and are curious, the definition of Bokeh is below. Not long ago, I had no idea what that word meant. Now, I'm trying to perfect the technique. The first photo is of my sister on my porch. Didn't think much of it at the time. However, I now know that I accidentally "Boked"(my own word there, representing the past tense of bokeh). So, today I went out and stalked my neighbors plants with the purposeful intent of creating a bokeh effect. That is the second picture.

Wikipedia Definition; In photography , bokeh is the blur, or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out-of-focus areas of an image, or "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light." Differences in lens aberrations and aperture shape cause some lens designs to blur the image in a way that is pleasing to the eye, while others produce blurring that is unpleasant or distracting— "good" or "bad" bokeh, respectively. Bokeh occurs for parts of the scene that lie outside the depth of field. Photographers sometimes deliberately use a shallow focus technique to create images with prominent out-of-focus regions.

The only aspect of this bokeh stuff that bugs me is that when I read other photographers talk about this, they seem to only be referring to the light orbs. However, according to the definition, it is merely a blurred background or light that is pleasing to the eye. Well, here's to me learning more tomorrow and the next day and the next etc.

My blossoms....

2010-04-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Isn't he just a doll? He is so full of spunk that I'm tempted to take the "s" off of that word. However, the occasional "Mama, I needa 'nuggle you" that I hear many times a day keeps the halo from slipping all the way off.

Look at those eyes!! I didn't touch them with my editing tool!

If anyone knows of a good canine orthodontist, I'm all ears!

An Easter suggestion from The Girl

2010-04-03T12:18:00.001-07:00

Last night we went to the Good Friday service and our church. On our way home, the conversation went something like so:

The Girl: so, tomorrow is Easter.

Mom: No, Sunday is Easter.

The Girl: But I thought Easter was the day after Good Friday.

Mom: Nope, Jesus died for our sins on Good Friday and rose THREE days

later.

The Girl: *He should have risen in TWO so tomorrow would be Easter.

(*note the absolute faith of a child here. Not only does she not question the validity of Christ's resurrection, she places faith in the fact he could have done it sooner. I love that.)

Easter cookies

2010-04-03T11:29:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the making of our cookies!My lil' chef!

Please notice that their pants are clean in the above picture.

Five minutes later!! Notice the pants that were taken off prior to removing the children from the counter.

Time to decorate!

The Girl is very meticulous and precise.

The Boy...not so much.
Allot of frosting and cookies were harmed in the making of this blog!

Final product: cute cookies & children swinging from curtains.

Fix it Friday

2010-04-02T15:33:00.001-07:00

YES!!! Can I get a Woot Woot! Fix it Friday is here again! Go to iheartfaces to see more edits of this darling little girl. Seriously..is she cute or what??!!

First Fishin' of the Year

2010-03-31T23:47:00.000-07:00

Fishing has always been a big part of our family. Me...not a big fisher "person". Not a big fisher "cleaner" and not a big fisher "eater". However its always nice to get away and see the earth. I now realize the true purpose of fishing. To take beautiful pictures. I am in awe of my children. The Girl wasn't interested in fishing this time(she was busy answering the call of nature and begging us to come see where the conversation took place), so I focused on The Boy. I think he is amazing and I want to freeze time right now. My prayer would be that I don't forget how precious he is right now. The way his little arms feel around my neck. The heat the spreads from my heart to my toes when he says "Mama, I love you much". Please let me remember.

This post was brought to you by the letters......

I heart Faces B&W

2010-03-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

This weeks challenge at iheartfaces is Dramatic Black and White. Not sure about the dramatic, but I love this in b&W.

Yee Yars

2010-03-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

The other day the kids got to spend some time with Mimi and Papa's Yee-Yars. That's "horses" if you don't speak Luke. They are beautiful animals. I have always wished Id grown up on a farm, caring for animals. It seems that the folks I know who take care of others are not so wrapped up in meeting their own demands.

Sydnie was in heaven. I can see this becoming a passion of hers. I would love to get involved with her, if for no other reason than to see her so happy.

Luke on the other hand was not so certain that he was cowboy material. He was pretty sure the Yee-Yar was going to fall over. That and he was crammed into a child saddle with my....dainty bum. Yeah.

What would our world be like without Mimi's, Papa's, Yee-Yars and cute kids. I don't want to know.

p.s. The boy can say "horse" and knows that's what they are called. However when he pretends to ride them, he shouts "Yee-Yar lil dawggies". So, I'm content with them being yee-yars...for now.

You Capture: A Moment

2010-03-26T09:39:00.001-07:00

I love this picture! I think its precious the way The Boy is holding on to the pole. I don't even think Daddy was aware that he had done that. Boys sure do look up to their Dads. That's a heavy load to should, Men, so do so with care. To see more special moments from other bloggers/photographers, be sure to check out I should be folding laundry.

i Heart Faces-Fix it Friday

2010-03-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

YES!!! I really believe that everyday should be fix it Friday!! Seriously..I pretty much just refresh my browser around the time I know a new picture will be up. O.K. now that you know about my fetish...moving on! I was so excited when I saw this picture cause the set up is great and the pink is to die for(i am a princess after all). Besides, look at that face! She is so cute! If your interested in seeing more, check out iheartfaces for some more! The first picture is the one we were given, the second is my rendition. Personally, I love it.

Some Favorites

2010-03-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Possibly inappropriate, but I love this picture of my army boy!

(above photo unedited)

(the above photo is unedited)
(the above photo is unedited)

(unedited)

(above photo is unedited)

Day with the Ducks!

2010-03-22T18:44:00.001-07:00

What a great day we spent at the park!

Ive been wanting to drag the family here for a shoot.

We spent 3 hours....
and five loaves of bread at the park.

The park critters are fat on carbs.

the kids were begging me to stop taking pictures after a bit.

No such luck....

Shut up and smile...

and like it, too!

Just cause we are so crazy like that...
we got a bit out of control...and Beau decided to play coy!

We had fun Through the Garden Gates today!

I heart angles

2010-03-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

This week at iheartfaces, the weekly challenge is angles. Its no coincidence that every time I try to type that word I spell angels. I mean...look at my darling photo subjects.

12th Anniversary

2010-03-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

Twelve years ago today I was waking up to a day full of beauty and excitement. My Mom was doing my hair and Cari was painting my toes. I was so glad she was there. My five little brothers and sisters were as cute as could ever be. I was so nervous to become his wife.. I was so excited to become his wife. My other Mom(Nancy) was helping me get ready. I was wearing her amazing dress. Cramming my dress into the stall when I had to "go" was a trick. My Dad walking me down the isle was a moment I will never forget. Beau and I giggled so much as we walked down the isle as Man and Wife. The reception was so fun and we are so thankful to our parents for all they did to make that day happen. Twelve years later and what do I wake up to?? Two beautiful, loving, unique children that God allowed me to Mother. A Girl who's laughter is contagious and a Boy who's breath smells so sweet I could bottle it. A husband who works towards the betterment of himself and our family. A beautiful home that fills with sunlight in the morning and laughter all day. And my camera(sorry, its kinda my baby now). What will the next 12 bring? I pray that God will continue to work in our family and lead me to be the mother he wants me to be. I pray that my children grow happy, healthy and with a heart for God(because that entails so much). That my husbands relationship with Christ continues to blossom(because that is a blessing to our whole family). I pray my daughter doesn't do half of what I did when I was a teenager and that my son doesn't do and eighth of what his father did!! Like the song we first danced to at our wedding, Your still the one, Beau.

Im the lucky one!

2010-03-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

My daughters classroom was taunted by a wee little leprechaun this past week. In an effort to capture the green jokster, we brain stormed this contraption and sent it to school. In front of the pot-o-gold is a hidden trap door. Much to our dismay, he still managed to steal half our gold!! We had a great time making the trap tho! Doesn't she look so sweet. As soon as she was able to bring the failed invention home...she asked if she could rip it apart!! It is now a pile of lettuce.

I must have done something good.

2010-03-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

This is what I woke up to: "i love mom. She rocks my socks. By the way, Bon Appetite. Love Sydnie"

Who cares about nutritional value, this fed my heart all that it needed.

Yes Erin, it is normal!

2010-03-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

"Mama, Mama. Come wook at what I did! Isnt it uhmahzing(amazing)"! says The Boy. "Yes, son..YOU are amazing" says Mama.

Couldnt pick just 1 or 2 or 5....

2010-03-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

so Im posting them all. I was blessed enough recently to be able to actually try out my immature photography skills with a little boy that is very dear to my heart. I was so excited when his mommy said I could snap away at him...I could hardly stand the anticipation of the day. On my way to their house, I realized I wasn't nervous like I usually am prior to trying something new. That spoke volumes for me. So I prayed for God to be with me at the shoot. I felt very at ease and was just having a blast. I know I learned a few things about what I would do different next time(oh yes, Paxton's Mommy..there will be a next time). In the meantime, I need to get some classes under belt and a bounce flash(ahem, my birthdays in July). So, here are the pictures I presented to my sweet friend. You complete me(Do the hand motions..DO IT).

"Get off the 'Puter"

2010-03-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

You know your in trouble when your two year old is saying "Get off the 'puter, I'm thirsty to death". So, I'm posting these quickly before he dies of the dehydration!!

You Capture

2010-03-04T23:46:00.000-08:00

I'm giving You Capture a go. The theme was "Hopeful" I don't suppose I feel like my entry needs much explanation. Go to I should be folding laundry for more entries.

Fix it Friday

2010-03-04T23:25:00.000-08:00

Yep, its Fix it Friday at iheartfaces and you know I love a good edit!! The first is the original pic of this little blondie, the second is my edit.

Why, Oh why....

2010-03-02T13:30:00.001-08:00

must I be blessed with such a beautiful family!!!! (Thanks Jesus)

Whats your dream?!

2010-03-02T06:50:00.001-08:00

Add this to my list of growing photo obsession. When I was little (like last week) I would jump off our porch everyday after school certain that if I practiced enough I could fly. In truth all I could do was give the neighbors something to gawk at and lots of shine splints. Regardless, what little girl doesn't imagine she is a Princess or a fairy or some magical, glittery and iridescent being? So, that's my inspiration. Ive posted my before and afters for these edits. The first is of my own Princess.

Not my own child, but isn't she a beauty?!

Cant take credit for this shot.This was taken by the uber talented Carebear at Cari Berry photography.

Sweet girl.

No, Im not dead.

2010-02-24T21:20:00.000-08:00

Quad Crusader

Entry for I heart hands that I didnt submit

my Sunshine

Cutest dog ever; enough said!

I know I have not been blogging much, but all I really want to do is post pictures without trying to be witty (I know...your shocked that I actually have to try) or funny. I have discovered a joy and peace in taking pictures and editing them into my vision or how the moment felt to me. So, bare with me if my post are nothing but pictures. I like it that way for now, and hope to learn more everyday about photography and editing!!! For the first time in my life...something calls to me (except the constant call of "Mom" from my little blossoms.)

Santa Baby...Maybe.

2009-12-17T11:29:00.001-08:00

Ive got to be quite honest here, I'm not to sure of Santa Dear Its alright son, hes a good ol' chap. Just have a seat on his big ol' lap.
I'll be right here, but I know your brave. So go tell Santa how well you behave!

"I may be two, but Ive been a good boy. Now can we talk 'bout that toy?"

"Ive been an angel, I'm practically a saint. Luke says hes been good, but I know that he 'ain't"
"These kids are both cute,I like them allot, but the girl wants a car and the boy left a wet spot!"

A boy and his Tractor

2009-11-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

This is for the Hathaway's!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

A child's voice

2009-10-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

Fix it Friday

2009-09-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

Ahh, I did miss my Fix it Friday from iheartfaces. First the original and then my version. So much fun. Look at that innocent little face, crafted by Gods own hands. I suppose he did that with me as well?! Dont you wish we always felt so hand picked and special. I know that I see HIS glory in my childrens faces, I pray some day I see it when I look at my own life.

Back again..er...not quite!

2009-08-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I took the summer off from, well pretty much every thing to enjoy my little blossoms. Our sweet little bloom will be going to school full time and that just breaks Mama's heart. Especially with this stupid ol' Bacon Flu going around. Yes..Im a stress monkey and yes..Im a Germ-a-phob. Im ok with that...pass the sanitizer. Anyway, once the ball gets rolling with school and all the other activities that will begin shortly..I will be jumping back in to the blogesphere. CANNONBALL! Till then I will leave you with some pics from our summer to enjoy, with more to come later Im sure.

Angels are all around us

2009-06-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

Six Word Saturday

2009-06-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

God's Wonder looking at God's Wonder's

i Heart Faces-Fix it Friday

2009-06-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

Yippee Skippy Peanut Butter! (oh stop) Guess what today is boys and girls??!! That's right. Its Fix it Friday at iheartfaces. This one was a great challenge and I loved it. I was not able to get his face to come off the page the way I wanted and I couldn't get his shirt color to change very realistically for some strange reason...but over all I think it turned out well. So. The picture immediately below all my chit chat is the original fallowed by my version of this little guy. Hope you all have a good weekend. If you have no reason to smile...just think...ONE MORE MONTH TILL NEW KIDS. Oooh I just fainted and drooled a bit. Gross and TMI!

WORDFUL Wednesday (Im mixing it up a bit)

2009-05-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

From the word "go", boys are a totally foreign species. They are obsessed with dirt, rocks, tractors(or anything with wheels for that matter), putting undesirable objects into any body orifice. Don't even get me started on the strange friendship they have with their Peanut(that's what we call a penis in our house...story for a whole 'nother post). Luke has decided that he knows what it means to die. How in the world does he know that? What is Elmo teaching toddlers these days? Does Barney teach CPR?! Is Bob the Builders new catch phrase "Can we kill it"? Are they digging graves in the Backyardigans?! My children don't watch T.V. other than what I put in the dvd player so I know what he is watching! Please watch the fallowing video and explain to me what molecular structure causes these spontaneous mutations in our innocent toddler boys.

What else is there to say. I am not looking forward to the post about how I dont allow toy guns in my home and yet Luke is fashioning one out of popsicle sticks and peanut butter. *sob*.

iheartfaces photo challenge-week 20

2009-05-26T22:16:00.001-07:00

Well, here we go. I'm actually doing a challenge this time. Yikes! The theme is Silhouette's over at iheartfaces. Here is my entry. What did you expect from this ol' Army Wife!! Hooah!

Da Boys

2009-05-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

Look at these guys!!! My BF Erin has the cutest little man named Hudson. Our boys are only 4 months apart but they are like night and day. Huddy is so sweet and calm and just laid back. My son on the other hand...well lets just say he has a bit of the devil in him. I guess that comes from my side of the family. The pictures that follow were taken a year ago. You can see the skepticism in Hudson's face.Hudson says "I smell trouble with this one...oh wait maybe that's not what I smell. Ahem..Mommy".

"Ahhhh...I looked in his eyes Mommy. Does that mean Im going to climb, eat and dismantle everything I touch from now on too? Grab the Holy Water A.S.A.P".

"I feel violated. I am going to need a blue sucker and a Curious George movie to get over this traumatizing moment in my babyhood. I mean look at Luke trying to act all innocent and angelic. He just pinched me with his toes. I didn't even know I had toes and here he is putting his to malicious uses. "

Now, here the boys are last week. You can still see the apprehension in Hudson's face and the mischief in Luke's. They were very cute and very sweet together.

Here's the whole gang!My kids are such great influences. Hudson thought Sydnie sticking out her tongue was great fun. Apparently Sydnie got a bit of the hot-horned-one in her blood too. Go figure.
Hahahahah!

Anytime spent with Erin is always good for my soul. I feel very at peace when I am with her. No false pretenses, no catty girl crap that I despise. Just us and our babies who we ADORE! I love you Erin. You had me at "Lock your doors..this is a bad neighborhood!".

i Heart Faces-Fix it Friday

2009-05-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

YES!!! Ive come to love Fix it Fridays over at iheartfaces. Im such a spaz! Anyway, here is my entry for this week. The first picture is the one we were given to work with. The second is my version. Anywho..I just love doing this!!! Have a fun and safe weekend all!!!

Bummer

2009-05-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

Well, Im just finding it hard to get on here as much as I want these days. Luke is so busy and such fun and Sydnie is always on the go. I was going to enter the latest contest over at iheartfaces, but I missed the deadline by about and hour. Im posting my picture here for you guys to see all the same. Its just one of my favorites and I did some small editing on it as well. Love to all.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

Six Word Saturday

2009-05-15T23:16:00.001-07:00

Here Mama, because I love you!