Emily's Dance recital May 2008

Emily had her dance recital last night for this year, 2008. I am soo proud of her! She has really improved and seems to really love to dance. These are two of the three dances that I took with my camera on rehearsal night so that I could enjoy recital night. The one in the tutu was Chim Chim Cherie and the second one is I'll tumble 4 ya (I remember Boy George from being in school, do you?) I moved a little while I was taping and they are the whole song, so if you don't want to watch all of it, don't! Just enjoy a little! They did a really great job! I thought I would add these for the family who never gets to see Emily dance! I hope all of you can enjoy some of it!

On a side note! I am sorry I haven't blogged much! Don't give up on me, I will do more, it's just been hard with the last day of school and figuring out a pattern where I can sit at the computer! Hope you keep coming back as I will keep posting!!!

People with a fuzzy background

Taking pictures of people as your subject instead of flowers is way more difficult to accomplish a center focus with a blurry background. I did talk with a professional photographer and she told me it is more difficult with a point and shoot camera.
Here is my attempt and I think I kind of got it. It's not as blurry in the background as I was wanting, but it'll do for now. I have to save some $$$ to get a new camera. And besides, it is just nice to know that I can do it even against the odds.

I think I did it!

Here are a few shots of some pretty trees at a nearby park that I took the other night.
I think I figured out how to get the effect that I was looking for... in flowers.... it's a bit harder with people. I'm not sure I can accomplish this with my point and shoot. I'm getting some fun pics but not exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks for all of your input. If you have any suggestions for when I "shoot" people, please let me know. Other than a new camera of course!! I've already decided I'll get one of those this year. It's just a matter of which one and that research task is a bit daunting. I've been looking and asking around since Christmas!! I keep changing my mind about what I might want, so for now I'm practing with my current camera. If you have a dream camera, let us all know about it.

Which picture is your favorite!! Mine is the middle one because you can see the v in the tree and there is colorful "bokeh" in the background. Let me know what you think! I love to hear from each and every one of you.

Gardening with Grandma

Last night, finally, after all the rain and stress of worrying about planting corn and beans, we took an hour or so and helped Grandma plant her garden! After all, we will all benefit from this little plot and the kids wanted to help. Carter especially likes to dig in the dirt with plants and flowers. We brought our neighbors along to enjoy the experience. Even the kitties "helped." First, we planted tomatoes. Hopefully, this fall we will make some salsa again. Al loves homemade salsa and I don't always have the energy to make it. Then we went on to plant beans, potatoes, sunflowers, and carrots! The kids had a ball and hopefully learned a little from grandma along the way.

Below, Carter is showing our neighbor A. how to plant a tomatoe plant. He is such a little master gardener!
Casey got bored with the garden and wanted to drive the lawn "tractor."
Emily is mulching the little tomatoes that we planted.
It was a nice evening and a nice time was had by all!! We'll see if they are interested in weeding?...I'll definitely have to post pics if they are!

That's my girl

Here's a funny story...

We went to a graduation party last night of a co-worker of mine's son. They live in the country so everyone was parking on their "yard." The party was hoppin' so we found a place and pulled in. We walked the short distance to their garage and went in and had some yummy food! Blizzards!! What a treat. Anyway, Al and I got to visiting so Emily and Carter (Casey was with grandma because he wasn't feeling the best) went running around outside. Emily has learned to make dandelion chains so they were out picking dandelions and creating. Carter was also trying to plant tree seeds in their yard...Anyway Emily comes in and says,

"I think I'll put this in our car."

We said okay. After a few minutes, she comes back and says,

"I can't find our car! It's gone!"

Wait a minute. Car?? We came in the truck you know.

"Oh. (pause) I was looking for MomaCat" (my license plate on the van)

So she runs off to find the truck. After a few minutes, she comes back again.

"I can't find the truck. Did we park here in their yard?"

"Emily, yes we parked here. Daddy's maroon truck. The license plate is ******."

She runs off again. This time when she comes back, she says,

"I think I found the truck, but I wasn't sure because there were kids climbing on it. Dad, there were kids climbing on your truck"(notice how it is always 'your truck dad')

Al and I just looked at each other and laughed and he says,

"Now there's a bloggable moment if I ever saw one!" and I said,

"That's my girl!"

Art???

Is it art??? I keep reading that one way to take great pictures is to study pictures that you like and try to emulate them. So, the other day, I took the kids outside and we walked around and I took pictures trying to take some artistic shots. Then I came home and tried some new things in Photoshop Elements 5.0. I keep wondering if I have an artistic eye or not or if I like my pictures just because they are of those I love...




I really want to take a picture where the subject is in clear focus and the background is fuzzy, because this is what I have been noticing that really appeals to me in pictures. But, I don't seem to be able to do this. If you have any pointers, please let me know. I have an Olympus point and shoot 6.1 megapixel cameral and I don't think I can do this. I have been camera shopping a bit and this makes me want to try a bigger camera, but I am afraid that I will end up not liking it, thinking it is too heavy, or not using the features that make it cost so much enough. I am torn. What kinds of cameras are you using and what do you like about them?


Also, what do you love about pictures?? What constitues a great picture for you??

Write in and let me know!! I'm interested to hear from you!!

Happiness Journal

Last Friday, our city sponsored an employee appreciation day. All city employees attend and are given lunch, awards, and we listen to a presentation. This year's speaker was Rob Bell and the presentation was entitled "Let's have fun out there!" Now I have to admit, most years I go into this thinking, "How dumb or offensive is the speaker going to be this year?" Some years haven't been so bad, one in particular stands out, but....



Anyway, this year Rob was about giving great customer service and loving your job. If you don't love your job, you need a new one. If you are having a bad day, don't let it show, it's not the customer's fault. He was interesting, fun and lively. He told great anecdotes and didn't belabor his point. One off hand thing he mentioned about his wife that stuck with me was the idea of a happiness journal. I had heard of this before and hearing it again just made me think about it more.



I tend to be the glass is half empty kind of a girl and I don't really want to be. I see some of this tendency in my children and it worries me. So I think I will try a happiness journal to remind myself of all the good I experience in a day. I am also going to have my children tell me good things everyday before they go to bed so they can sleep thinking about all the good in their day.



Today something that made me happy was that extra five minute cuddle I stole from my two-year old before I left for work. He is so snuggly when he first wakes up and he still thinks moma hung the moon!



What is in your happiness journal today?

Mother's Day Extravaganza!!!

Al brought these to me at work on Saturday and said,
"So begins the Mother's Day Extravaganza!"

The flowers are Stargazer Lilies, my personal favorite and also the flowers we had in our wedding.

Then throughout Sunday, he gave me random little gifts with sayings...

This was for the headaches they cause me all year long...

This lighter is because I light up his life.....
The pens are because I am a writer and now I can write down thoughts about my lovely children...(purple because it is my favorite color)
These Lindt Dark Chocolate truffles are "sweet treats for a sweet mommy"... (Did I mention how much I LOVE this candy?)
This movie is because I love fantasy and he does not, but wanted me to be sure and realize that he pays attention to what I like and he is willing to be part of it! (Awwww....)
This is the Yummy Tex-Mex skillet breakfast he and the kids made for me!!! It is half gone, but I didn't think to take a picture until I was almost finished!!!! Whew! I had leftovers for lunch today and they were still YUMMY!!! Brings a smile to my fact just to think about it!
The Coke is to keep me going....(also an absolute fav of mine)
Why toilet paper you ask??? For all the sh** they give me all year long!!!(Only Al)
Finally, the best gift of all is my children and my husband!!! Thanks for all the love and fun you guys!! You're the best!

Happy Mother's Day all you mothers out there! Hope yours was as great as mine!!!

Something about a truck...

There is something about a truck...something about having to use a handle to get in...something about sitting high above everyone else. ..something about having all of that power at your fingertips, power to drive fast, power to pull things, power....something about a truck that gives me an attitude...

I took our truck shopping yesterday to buy a gift (not telling whose or what). When I hop in, it's like I become a different person. I feel "cool" like "look at me, I'm in this awesome truck and you're not!" Then as I'm driving, I'm thinking, "Oh you in your little car, you can't beat me. I'm driving my truck."

I remember when we were dating, Al took me out in his new truck to go muddin' and he let me drive! I was given free reign to drive fast, splash through puddles, skid through mud, anything I could think of I was supposed to do. What an exhilirating experience! I had never driven anything much bigger than my Volkswagon Rabbit before this and certainly not allowed to try and "mess" it up.

Then there are the times that Al helped me move and that "one" couch that my roommate needed moved. What would we have done without the truck?

I remember our first date and locking Al out of his truck while it was still running!

How about when I learned to pull things with the truck? Taking turns wide enough....

Or how about driving through a nearby town and remarking "There's my first truck. That was a good truck."


I know my husband identifies himself somewhat with his truck. I just never knew I did.

My Little Birdie

What you see here is "my little birdie."

The day of Emily's birthday, I went to visit her class at school, so I had the morning to spend at home with Casey before lunch. Something Casey enjoys doing is feeding the birds. I had some heels of bread laying around. Why does nobody eat these? They tast the same, I swear. Anyway, so I thought we could tear them up into pieces and spread around for the birds to eat. Casey was all about tearing the bread up and spreading it around. When I turned my back to check the squirrel feeder, he ran back to the feeder and began picking up pieces of bread and eating them!!!

"Casey my sweet little birdie"

Maiden Voyage

I finally got to camp in my new camper!!! I wanted to blog about using my new bathroom, but since that involved a picture of me on the potty, I decided to spare you. Needless to say, it was still a highpoint for me! Casey woke up around 3 a.m and needed a drink and I needed the bathroom. It was a balmy 30 something degrees so how awesome is it that I could just use my very own bathroom in my very own camper! I didn't have to freeze my tush off (although it could probably use some of that) and squat outside (I have a story about this too) and I didn't have to hike to the bathroom! Yay!! And although it was cold outside, it was warm warm inside because we have a furnace too!!! We did not lose all sense of camping while basking in our luxuries though!! We had an honest to goodness campfire and cooked in my new Dutch oven!!
I was busy setting up inside, you know, playing house in my new camper and anyway, Al was outside starting the fire. Pretty soon I looked out to see a fire and my baby perched on this bench by himself watching the fire! How sweet is that, I ask you?!
This is a picture of Emily, her two friends, Carter and Casey. Did I mention that we took two friends camping too as another activity to celebrate Em's birthday. Boy has she got it figured out, I tell ya. Two parties and an actual birthday in between! And she's only 9! They are posing in some piece of old farm equipment that has gone to the farm equipment graveyard. And the reason we have a picture of this is becasue we didn't actually camp in a campground. We camped out at Al's parents house near a field and by some woods. Since it was our "maiden voyage", Al wanted to be sure and be near his tools! You know how guys are. Anyway, good thing too, as we ran out of LP! That would have been mighty cold!
The kids all had a ball "exploring" in and around the creek in the woods. Yes, you read that correctly, "in" the creek! We told them to "watch the creek bank as we have had Lots of rain." We never actually said, "Don't go in the creek." So, of course, they came back from their adventure wet, muddy and full of stories!!!

And I got to be outside and cook over a fire....

Life is good.

Happy Birthday Emily!!!

Emily wanted soo badly to go ice skating for her birthday!! She's actually been asking to try it since I was pregnant with Casey. That's been about 2 1/2 years now!!
Well, the rink in Waterloo said they could only guarantee ice until 1 week before her birthday of May 1. So, I threw together an ice skating party!! We took Emily, 3 girls from her class and Carter and me! We also met 2 other girl riends and their mom! Wow! Only 3 of us had ever been on ice skates before! Despite the many falls and complaints of hurt rear ends...I think everyone had a great time!! Then we headed back to grandma and grandpa's house instead of ours because I didn't think I could possible get ours clean for a party on short notice!!! We had meat, cheese, crackers and cake and ice cream! One of Emily's favorite things is swimming and going to the beach to collect rocks, tubing, anything to do with water really. So when I saw a picture of this sandcastle cake I had to make it!!! This isn't the best picture...for whatever reason, everything I snapped that day seemed to turn out blurry. At least in this one you can see the cake and tell she is having fun!
The next week, on her actual birthday, Grandpa called and told her that she could finally hold one of the new baby kitties that had been born a few weeks earlier. She was in 7th heaven!!
We also delivered May baskets on her birthday doing the whole process of running up to the door, leaving the basket, ringing the doorbell and taking off to hide. Emily and Carter had a ball!!

I can't fathom that my baby girl is 9 already!! Seems like yesterday that I was planting a garden and telling people I didn't feel like I was ever going to have this baby!!! Then she came and changed my world drastically!! One of my favorite memories, that I probably tell too often, (I'm old, I'm allowed to do that!), is cuddling with her in the big recliner every Thursday night and watching ER which was my favorite show! We don't get to cuddle so much anymore, but I love it when we get the chance. Time goes all too quickly!! Anyway, so I don't go all sappy and cry or something, I'll just say, "Happy Birthday, and I love you baby girl!"