Friendly or Just Freaky

After a little rainfall this evening, LMA and hubby headed outside to "just get out". I thought maybe there was enough water in the driveway to render the "shark boots" and go for a splashfest. Unfortunately, I was wrong but the cloud cover made for some great photos.

The last one though... hubby and I have our different opinions. I absolutely love the photo because of how LMA's eye just pop out at you. Hubby? Thinks he looks like satan trying to give you a poisoned pecan.

I'll let you be the judge.

Picture perfect

Every time I look at this boy of mine, I am totally amazed at what my husband and I have created. His personality is just incredible. He grows and learns something new every day. Yet, he's growing up way too fast. All this makes me wonder what our next little boy will be like.

These pictures were taken by a dear friend of mine who is part of Cooksey Keepsakes and Baby Face Picture Parties. Check them out on the web and see if there is a consultant in your neighborhood. I absolutely love how these turned out. It helps to have a great poser as well.

Butterfly, butterfly

Last week, when LMA and I were leaving to run some errands, I noticed a butterfly in our driveway. When we came back home, I noticed it was still there. After coaxing it towards some ivy in our front yard, I was able to capture these beautiful shots with my new camera.

Have I mentioned how much I love this camera?? As I was looking through the viewfinder, the colors didn't even look this brilliant. Yet, this camera was able to vividly portray the beauty of this butterfly. And yes, this is the same butterfly. Gorgeous blue on the inside of the wings and a stunning orange on the outside.

Hope this brightens up your Monday.

A nice day with a great camera

My birthday was extended by another week. My father and hubby did the shopping for my new camera and picked up an extra large camera bag to boot. I already have enough bags to carry and the battery that came with the bag didn't work with my camera. When we went back to return the camera bag, the deal became even sweeter when my camera went on sale as a bundle offer. I was able to snatch a Macro lens (75mm-300mm) and an extra battery with the camera. So not only can I take excellent close up photos, I can take a picture of the lion's ear when visiting the National Zoo.

Not that I really want to join the realm of photojournalists out there, but I had to show off more photos with my new camera. These photos were taken at our local park over the weekend. I love how the colors just pop!


As a side note, wish me luck. Today I have my second glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. This fun blood test takes over three hours since they are drawing blood every hour after I drink a nasty, flat orange drink. I really don't want to be on a special diet for the remainder of this pregnancy.

A joyful move??

My parents are on the move again. Last year this time, they were traveling across country from New York to California with, believe it or not, only half of their worldly possessions. This year, they finished that trek. Only this time, they are traveling the northern route to drop off goods to my beloved youngest brother who decided to uproot to Seattle, Washington for only three months. Why do they do this you ask?? Because they are our parents.

My parents have been moving us, or at least helping us in some sort of way, since I have been moving back and forth to college. Fortunately for them and for me, I now have the military to move my household goods.

While searching the internet and trying not to fall asleep while Little Man was taking his nap, I stumbled across a new blog, Misplaced City Girl. I found this website via The Dirty Shirt, which I've found has had some excellent giveaways. Anyways, the entry from Misplaced City Girl really caught my attention: "The Joyful Organizer's Guide to a Joyful Move".

Seriously?? What part of moving is joyful? Even moving with the military can be stressful, especially when you have either pets, children, or worse, both to worry about during the move.

Apparently the author, Bonnie Joy Dewkett, knows a few things or two about moving and is sharing her expert advice in this book.

Maybe my parents should have purchased this book last year. It could have helped them. Maybe a little.

Just for fun

I had to show off some of the other pictures that my new camera took. It's just amazing the difference between our little Olympus point and shoot camera to this new beauty.

Happy Birthday to me!

While my parents were visiting, I celebrated my birthday. Although it didn't quite feel like a birthday, just another day, that only lasted until dinner time. The guys were still working on the deck, finishing up the railing, and Mom and I were still painting the kitchen cabinets.

After dinner, we came home and apparently some fairy prince/princess left presents on the table for me. Inside, was something I was not expecting to see:


A Sony A330 digital SLR camera with tilting viewfinder and so many cool characteristics, I wouldn't even know where to start.

I was excited when I opened the present, but apparently not as excited as hubby would have liked. Little Man had been acting up for the past couple days. My mom and I seem to think it was because of all the changes going on in the house. I also had been extra tired and still needed to prep for a yard sale for the coming weekend.

It wasn't until I actually had time to sit down and play with the camera that I completely fell in love. Not only do I get pictures like this where you can see every speck of pollen and dew on the flower petals:


But I can turn them into this:


Just by using the creative functions built right into the camera. Granted to biggest difference between these two pictures was the time of day that they were taken (morning in the first, and evening just before sunset in the second), but the contract and vivid coloration were convincing enough for me.

My next goal: To go revisit my aunt Wenderina and Uncle Carl to take pictures with him at places like Indian Brook.

Back to the Swing of things

It's been awhile since my last post, mainly because we've had quite a few visitors lately to our house. First, my dear friend from Texas came to visit so we could attend the Chantilly American Scrapbooking Convention (what a blast!). Then, my parents to visit prior to them completing their move to California.

While my parents we here, they of course played lots with Little Man - who absolutely adores "Pop-pop" and "Gramma". My father, who had just finished home renovations on their own house in New York, was able to help hubby with the deck reno. Our deck was in desperate need of something, splintering and wearing away, but unfortunately was too worn away to clean and re-stain. So we knocked out the flooring and the railing and replaced it with new wood.



The end result: is absolutely beautiful! The deck even looks bigger, too!


While the men were working outdoors, my mother, LMA, and I were working indoors on our kitchen cabinets. With a fresh coat of new linen white paint and satin nickel hardware, it's going to look great.



Unfortunately, this project is still a work in progress, but already it looks lighter and brighter and more updated in our kitchen. Can't wait to show off the end results.