59/365 favorite

These are my favorite Easter candy. I like the caramel filled ones the best. I will probably buy some just about every time I go to the store between now and Easter. I wasn't able to eat them last year because of the braces. But now I can. And will :-)

58/365

It's absolutely gorgeous today. 80 degrees and the sun is shining. All the windows in the house are open. And all the dogwoods in the neighborhood are blooming. I love spring, especially down here.





~~~~
We discovered this morning that our shower is leaking. Water started coming through the living room ceiling after both Joe and I had used the shower. Apparently, it's been a problem for awhile. The floor boards underneath the shower are soaked and in one spot there's a hole all the way to the underside of the tile. So now we have a hole in our living room ceiling and an unusable shower. Thankfully, we can use the kids' bathroom. We had wanted to remodel our bathroom-the house is nearly 20 years old and never been updated-but we weren't planning on doing it now. It's quite a ways down the list of things to do. We're going to have to take the shower completely out to replace the floor underneath it. So we'll have to replace the floor in the entire room, too. Oh joy.

It's been a busy weekend and I haven't been on the computer much. I'll catch up with everyone as soon as I can :-)

57/365

My friend Bobbie and I took our girls out today so they could work on getting photos for their portfolios. They are both applying for the School for the Arts at one of the high schools for next year. We had such a great time and the girls did a really good job.


Taylor, willing to do what it takes to get the shot :-) {taken with Em's P&S and the color seems a bit off}

I'll have to post some of their shots later, once we go through them and see what the favorites are.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

56/365

I didn't have a lot of time to think of a shot for today. Joshua was having a hard time at school so I ended up spending the afternoon in his class. On our way home, we walked through the park by our house and I noticed the magnolia trees had bloomed. It was difficult to get a decent shot because it's incredibly windy.


{iso100, f2.8, ss 1/1600}

55/365 reflect

Skipping Joy of Love again today. The prompt is where. Where did we meet, where did we get married, where were my kids born. The answer to all of those questions is 14-16 hours to our north, so it's a bit hard to get a photo of those locations today.

I had to run a few errands this morning and stopped by one of my favorite locations again on the way home.

Doesn't this look like a place where you could sit, soak up the sun and reflect for awhile?

54/365

Today's prompt for Joy of Love is Facebook. Joe, Em and I all have FBs but I really don't want to take a picture off of there. So I'm going to go back and do one of the prompts I missed.

Day 19: When they're gone


When everyone is at work and school, I get to catch up on TV I've missed. In this case, last night's Glee.

{iso800, f2.8, ss 1/40}

53/365 face {a portrait}

Joy of Love day 22: face {a portrait}. Joshua has started cooperating a bit more lately, which I just love.


{iso200, f2.8, ss 1/125}

And just because it's fun....

{iso200, f2.8, ss 1/80}

His deer in the headlights look. I asked him to open his eyes for me. At least he did as he was asked, right? ;-)

52/365 hands

Today's prompt for Joy of Love is hands. Joshua is the only one who will still hold my hand, sometimes.




{iso100, f2.8, ss 1/200. Shot set up by me and taken by Em}

51/365

I went out this afternoon to take some photos of the magnolia buds at the park but saw Jen's cat, Clementine, outside and tried to get a shot of her instead. She wasn't real interested in cooperating with me though. She was watching the boys play basketball.


{iso100, f2.8, ss 1/160}


Joy of Love: When they're home. I shot these last night, planning on using them for today's prompt. I know we're not at "home" in these shots but close enough. We went for a walk in our neighborhood last night. When the weather is gorgeous and we're all together, we like to go out and enjoy it.


Everyone but Em is in this shot. Can you see me?

{iso100, f3.2, ss 1/80}

I love the light in this one. If you look close, you can see Josh and Matthew too.

50/365

Skipping joy of love again today. Some of these just aren't working with our days.

Matthew got new glasses today so I thought I'd get a shot of the 2 of us. I really need more practice on these sps.... I'm really stinking at them lately. He looks like he's about ready to run, doesn't he? LOL. I thought of something we could have done after I had this one all ready to go and he was already off at a friend's house. So maybe later.



{iso100, f3.2, shutter 1/80}

Thanks for all the comments on yesterday's post. That last one is growing on me and I think I'll keep it as it is :-)

49/365

The joy of love prompt for today is going out. But we've had sick kids all week-first Em and then Josh-and Matthew has baseball tryouts tonight. And we can't just up and go without planning ahead. So once again, I'm skipping the assignment for today.

It's been gorgeous here most of the week but because of the kids being sick, we haven't been able to enjoy it beyond opening up the windows. Joshua is feeling a bit better today and his fever is finally gone so we went outside for a little while.


{iso200, f2.8, shutter 1/320}

{iso100, f3.2, shutter 1/800}




Can I get some advice/CC on this one? I love backlit photos but am not very good at editing them. Any and all advice is more than welcome!

{iso100, f3.2, shutter 1/800}

48/365

I only paint my toe nails when it's warm enough to wear flip flops. It's supposed to be in the 70s for the next several days. Definitely flip flop weather :-)



{iso100, f2.8, shutter 1/500}

I'm not sure I'll be able to get anything for joy of love today so I'm posting this right now. If I get something tonight, I'll post it later.

Thanks for all the sweet comments on yesterday's photo. I'm going to be {hopefully} trying another of Em and I soon. We both wear glasses and I'd like to get one of us as we normally are. I didn't have time to mess with avoiding glare yesterday so I'll try again soon.

47/365 self portrait

I've been wanting to get a photo of Em and I together for awhile so today's prompt for joy of love was a good reason to do that. Everyone says she looks like me. I suppose she does look more like me than she looks like her dad but not nearly as much as everyone says.



{iso100, f3.2, shutter 1/250}

I'm not really happy with this. The skin tones seem off to me but I've redone it 3 times and just can't look at it anymore.

46/365 kiss

Today's joy of love prompt is kiss. Since tonight is going to be a bit crazy and I won't see Joe until it's dark, I decided to get Joshua blowing kisses. He likes to blow me kisses, especially when we are in the van and he can't reach me.



{iso100, f2.8, shutter 1/250}

45/365 Love is

patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs.

I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day. I never have been. I think we ought to tell those we love that we love them every chance we get. I don't like that I'm expected to act, say or feel a certain way on a certain day. Stubborn? Yes, yes I am ;-)



{iso200, f2.8, shutter speed 1/100}

44/365

Today's prompt for Joy of Love is Routines. But I'm not really feeling that today so I'm going to skip it for now. Instead, I decided to concentrate on Joshua and what he was doing. He decided he needed to read to me so he brought his blanket downstairs and laid it out on the floor, grabbed one of his favorite books and told me to sit on the couch and listen. He was annoyed when I got up to grab the camera but he kept reading as soon as I sat back down. He read me the first chapter :-)



{ISO640, f2.8, shutter speed 1/60. Light from the door to his left and a window to his far right}

A little later, he brought some books down to make a race track for his Hot Wheels cars. He's been doing this for a long time and if I remember right, Matthew used to do it too. Probably where Joshua learned it.



{ISO640, f2.8, shutter speed 1/125. Light from the window directly behind him}



{ISO400, f2.2, shutter speed 1/80}



{ISO400, f2.2, shutter speed 1/80. All shots taken with the 50mm 1.4 lens}

43/365 eyes

Busy day today. We spent the day helping friends move. While we were waiting for the moving truck, I took Em into one of the empty rooms and sat her in front of the window.


ISO100
f2.8
Shutter speed 1/60

I'm totally exhausted and will catch up with everyone tomorrow.

42/365 dreams

Right now, Em dreams of becoming a photographer. Her first step is to get into the School for the Arts at the high school. I dropped off her application on Wednesday. If they want her, she'll have an audition and interview next month. I need to take her out in the next week or 2 and let her use my camera to get some photos for her portfolio. If she gets in, she'll be in all 4 years of high school. She can focus on one area while also exploring other areas of the arts. We've also been discussing possible college options for her but I'm not really ready to think too much about that yet. lol.


It's not really a surprise that she's chosen photography. Her grandpa-my dad-is a photographer and has been for 30+ years. And I'm getting there. I guess it's in her blood. :-)

I used Em's P&S for this so the settings aren't really important since I couldn't change them, except ISO. Wow, am I glad I don't have to use her camera on a regular basis. She really needs a dslr.

41/365

I think I've mentioned it before but Matthew loves to be outside and with friends. He has a need to be doing, all the time. That doesn't mean that he doesn't play video games or watch TV like any other kid his age. He does. But given the choice, he would pick time spent with friends and playing outside over just about anything else.

Today's prompt was space-where they are comfortable. But since no one really has a "space" that they love, except Em and I already got her in hers when she was reading, I decided to do Matthew outside. This isn't really what I had planned but he didn't want to cooperate and gave me less than 5 minutes and 6 shots. He heard the shutter on the last shot and took off to see if his friend could play before I even had time to look up.



I have gotten a few questions about what I do to get the sharpness I do so I thought I'd start sharing some settings. Thank you to those who have left compliments and questions. It seriously makes my day brighter to read them. I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination and there are plenty of people who are better than me. But if I can help someone learn, I am more than happy to do that.

ISO100
F2.8
Shutter speed 1/500
Focused on his eye.

40/365 passions and hobbies

This one was easy for me. As soon as I saw the prompt for today, I knew I'd do Matthew and baseball. He loves baseball. Says he wants to be a pro someday. He's looking forward to playing in high school. Since they don't offer it in middle school, he plays rec. ball. Tryouts for spring are next week.

And meet Taylor. Taylor is my friend Bobbie's daughter. But I would claim her-and her brother- in a heartbeat and love her-and her brother- like my own. She's an excellent softball player. I mean, really, really good. She's in the 8th grade, like Em, and is playing on the varsity team at the high school this year. I'm so proud of her! I love to watch both her and Matthew play.

So, 2 of my sweeties and their passions....



You should have seen them when I was trying to get this shot. You would think they really are siblings, with all the bumping and bugging that was going on. LOL.

39/365 gift from the heart

Today's prompt is "gift from the heart." At first, I had no idea what to do. Looking over the ideas given as possibilities, I realized I would need to do a shot of my 4 favorite people. Between the 4 of them, they fulfill almost every idea listed: your children, unconditional love, hugs, security, a home, a family, parenthood, in sickness and in health, faithfulness and believing in me. Along with a lot of joy and laughter, love and support. I am so very blessed.



This isn't what I wanted to do for today but it still gets dark too early. I can't wait for spring/summer!

38/365 Generations

Today's prompt is generations. Since the majority of our family lives around 16 hours away, it is impossible to get a shot with them today. And since I'll most likely forgot about this assignment when we're up there in July, I decided to improvise. This is Matthew with his grandpa (my dad) at age 6 and his great grandpa (my dad's dad) playing hockey. Matthew never got to meet his great grandpa because he passed away when Em was a baby. He never knew he had great grandchildren. But I think he would have been thrilled if he had known he's got 4 gorgeous great grandchildren now.



*I probably should have used more recent photos, especially of my dad. But isn't he cute at 6??

Again, I'm not terribly happy with this. It's dark and rainy again today. I am the first to admit that I'm very, very picky and I'm sure it's really not that bad. There are just things about it that bug me. LOL

37/365 who THEY love

So many choices for today. In the end, I decided on Em and Josh. They are 6 years apart. He will be 8 on March 14th and she will be 14 on April 14th. They have always had a special bond, though he does drive her crazy sometimes. But he thinks his big sister is the best thing since sliced bread. He thinks the same thing about his big brother but getting a picture of all 3 of them is pure torture sometimes. So it's just Josh and his big sis today :-)

36/365 love to hate

Today is all about something they do that drives us nuts and we love to complain about. I was beginning to think I wouldn't have one for today. Until Joshua dumped 2 buckets of hot wheels on the living room floor. The boy has the biggest bedroom in the house. (The FROG-finished room over garage) But he insists on bringing his toys downstairs to the living room. Usually Legos or hot wheels. Often both at the same time. This drives me nuts, especially when I step on them. But I know soon enough those buckets of Legos and hot wheels cars will be packed away in a closet or given to younger cousins and friends or donated to Goodwill. Soon enough he won't want to be down here with us. So while it does drive me crazy, I really don't mind that much.

35/365 What They Wear

Today's prompt is "what they wear." I had to think about this one a little while. Until I remembered Em's shoes. She had to have these shoes when we were school shopping. And they had to be black. No pink or purple for her. Or any other "girly" colors or designs. She's so over all that. I'm pretty sure every one of her friends has the exact same pair of shoes too.

34/365 Then and Now

It was a little harder today deciding who I wanted to focus on. The prompt is "Then and Now" and I could have gone with any of the 3 kids, Joe or even the dog. But in the end I decided on Emaleigh, my first born. My Babe. My sweet, happy, silly, full of personality girl.

And, of course, I couldn't stop with just one "Then" so we have 3. ;-) The first 2 were taken by my dad. I don't have a scanner so I had to take pictures of the pictures. So the quality of them isn't what it should be.

Her first Halloween, age 6 months. October 1997.

1st birthday, April 14, 1998

Her 7th birthday. Ready to go see the Nutcracker Ballet with her grandma.

And Now: Almost 14.


It's cold, dark and threatening to rain on us any minute so I just took her outside real quick.

33/365 How they look

Today's prompt for Joy of Love was How They Look. Matthew loves to do this odd thing with his eyes. He keeps his left eye staring straight ahead while he moves his right eye only. It's freaky. And he loves to do it because he knows it bugs me. He was more than happy to cooperate when I told him I wanted a picture of him doing it this afternoon after school.





And a "normal" one ;-)


I'm not especially happy with these but they'll have to do for now.

32/365 What they do

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm participating in Willette's Joy of Love class. It's a free online class focusing on photographing the people I love. Every day she sends an email with a prompt and an example. Yesterday, before I got the email, I wrote a short list of possible photo ideas for this week. At that top of the list was "Em reading." So when I got the email and it said "What they do" as the prompt, it didn't take me long to figure out what I was going to do for today's picture.

Em has been reading since she was 4 years old. In the first grade, she was reading at a 6th grade level. Now, in the 8th, she's at a college level. That makes it fairly difficult to find appropriate reading material that still challenges her. She is always reading at least one book. She reads her favorites multiple times. This obsession with reading can sometimes cause problems though, when she would rather read than do other things. Like homework.

This was her favorite of the shots we took today :-)