301/365 tgif

Has this week seemed especially long to anyone else? I am definitely looking forward to the weekend, and seeing some friends we haven't seen in about 4 years.

I didn't have anything special planned for today so I thought I'd walk up the road to get the entrance to one of the parks nearby. I've been meaning to do it for awhile and figured I'd better before the leaves are completely off all the trees. I couldn't decide between the color and B&W so I'm posting both :-)



We had our last regular season softball game tonight. Next week playoffs start. It was cold, windy and started to rain towards the end. But apparently that's what we needed because we won our first game tonight! I didn't do so great {struck out twice, walked once but got out at 2nd when I over ran it and couldn't get back fast enough, played catcher} but over all everyone did a great job. So proud of them all :-)

300/365

Day 300. 65 to go. It seems like I should have done something special for day 300. But I barely have the brain power to remember what I need to do each day. So it's just some pretty berries today :-)

299/365

298/365

297/365

Once again I had no ideas today. The kids all made it clear they were not interested in being the day's subject so I wandered around the front yard for awhile. This fire hydrant is next to our mail box.



I'm posting this one too. It's not what I was going for and the focus is way off but I kind of liked it :-)

296/365

Joshua was nice enough to share his germs with me and Joe. We had a great time at the fair yesterday but came home feeling kinda yucky. Still feeling yucky today. We made it to softball practice but probably shouldn't have~I didn't do so well. I took my camera but didn't get anything I was happy with. So after vegging on the couch for awhile, trying to recover, I went out to the backyard to see if I could find anything.

This is all I was able to come up with. So glad the kids have tomorrow off school.

295/365 state fair

We got there bright and early. There weren't a lot of people there, which was nice.

It meant no standing in line for rides.

Definitely not your average swing ride. Emaleigh and Matthew are up there, 2 behind the guy in red.

294/365

It's a beautiful day so I took a quick walk to the park this afternoon.


Hope everyone has a great weekend! We have a softball game tonight and we're going to the fair tomorrow. Should be fun :-)

293/365

We had a special review of his iep last week. Made a few changes, changed a few goals. There have been a few bumps but overall the changes are helping a lot. He had a good day today. He even earned a special activity at school and DS time at home :-)

292/365

Cloud. Again.

291/365

290/365 autumn

Fall is one season I miss since moving down here. We have it but it starts later, the air isn't as crisp, the temperatures aren't as cool and the colors aren't as....vibrant. But I couldn't resist the sun shining through this leaf on the dogwood tree in the backyard this morning.

Still not as pretty as the colors in Michigan right now but it's a start :-)

289/365 practice

We had softball practice this afternoon. It was a good one. On a personal level, I think it was probably my best. I guess that means I'm getting a little better ;-)

288/365 he ran like the wind

First I'll start with the official photo for the day.



Matthew is fast. We've known that for a long time. The boy can run. Like I mentioned yesterday, he ran his first race this morning. Since it was his first, I wasn't sure how he'd do. I figured he'd beat his dad.


{Major mom bragging coming up, sorry in advance}
He finished 58 out of 274 {male} runners. He missed placing 3rd for his age group by 9 seconds, placing 5th instead. He ran the 5K in 24:32.

Yep, the boy can run.

Joe did well too, finishing at 32:58


I'm so proud of my boys.

Jen also did amazing, finishing the 12K in 1:16.

287/365 ray tanner homerun

Matthew is running his first 5k in the morning. Joe is running the 5k as well and my friend Jen is running the 12k. I'm hoping to have pictures of all 3 of them crossing the finish line at home plate for tomorrow :-)

286/365

It's been rainy/cloudy/windy all week. We need the rain but I'd like to see the sun again soon. It stopped raining long enough for me to grab a few shots while I was out running errands this morning.

285/365

We pay cash for most things {Dave Ramsey, anyone?} so we end up with a lot of change. We save it up all year in our change jar and use it for a fun family activity. Most often, that is the State Fair in October. Joshua was so excited when October hit. He knows that means it's time to go to the fair. Today is opening day but we aren't going until next weekend, probably.

284/365 day 30: self portrait

It's been raining all day {baseball has been cancelled. Matthew will not be happy when he finds out}. I tried a few different things but nothing was really working out. So I stepped out the door and snapped a few. Btw, I am totally loving that I can do an arms length SP with my 35. My arms were always too short with my 50 ;-) {and this has been cropped a decent amount}

I have really enjoyed this 30 day challenge. It hasn't always been easy but it forced me to think and see things I normally wouldn't have paid attention to. I got quite a few shots I wouldn't have otherwise. I have also "met" some people that I didn't know before and have really enjoyed that. I heard that Misti is working on a list of her own and can't wait to see what she comes up with for the next challenge.

So tomorrow I go back to thinking up things on my own. Misti.....how long till that list is ready??

283/365 day 29: black and white

I know I just posted a picture of the cat but it's cloudy out today and I had a bunch of things I needed to get done, leaving little time to figure out what else to shoot. So here's Cloud again :-)

282/365 day 28: flowers

It's kind of hard to find flowers right now and I was feeling too lazy to drive somewhere and look for them. Besides, it's always fun to freak the neighbors out by shooting a dandelion in the street ;-)

281/365 day 27: from a distance

The kids and I went horseback riding today. None of us have ever really gone before and it was a lot of fun. They all want to go back again.

A group of guys was gathering up hay bales in the field next to the horses.


Matthew and Emaleigh getting a quick lesson before heading out on the trail ride.


One of the horses...not one we rode though.


Cell phone photo....

280/365 day 26: close-up

I had to take Matthew's instrument in to get fixed today. I decided it would make a good subject for the day.

Anyone know what he plays?

I'm adding this one because I like it :-)

279/365 day 25: something pink

You would think that between Emaleigh and I, we would have something half way interesting and pink to take a photo of. We do have some pink but it's mostly clothes. I know y'all didn't want to see my pink plaid PJ pants {try saying that 5 times fast} or Emaleigh's cute heart socks. You almost got stuck with a picture of my hot pink shoe laces.

But don't worry, you don't have to look at them. Because my friend Jen suggested a pink crayon. And I went with that ;-)

278/365 day 24: animal

Crazy. Insane. Trouble Maker. Wild Animal.

And occasionally we call him by his actual name. Cloud :-)

277/365 day 23: sunflare

Watching my boy play baseball and sunflare....two of my favorite things :-)



And just because I like it.....mid-game huddle

276/365 day 22: hands

Another one that looked better in my head.....oh well.


Joshua has been doing this with his hands lately while telling us he loves us. I think it's adorable.

We've been having some difficulties with my little man recently and are trying to figure out what's going on and how to address it. We thought he needed a medication adjustment so the Dr. did that but it had the opposite affect. I was called into school yesterday and when I got there, I was faced with a child I did not recognize. That was not my Joshua. It's so hard to sit there and watch a child who obviously has no control over his actions. So I brought him home and called the Dr. While we're waiting for a call back, I've taken him off the new medicine. We will have to figure out something else. No matter what, he is always my baby and I can't imagine my life without him. <3 you too, Little Man.

275/365 day 21: faceless self-portrait

Balance

It's not always easy to achieve, is it?

This didn't turn out quite how I envisioned it but I was afraid I would fall off the railing. So it'll work ;-)

274/365 day 20: bokeh

The place where Joe works buys season box tickets to the USC football, basketball and baseball games. They give them out each year through a lottery. Joe didn't get any last year but for the 2 years before that, he took Matthew to the football games. This year, I decided to go with him. We were too far up for what I wanted to do to work out so I decided to have a little fun with the day's subject.

Marching band bokeh:
{and the official photo for the day}

And what it really looks like:


And just because, here's some crowd bokeh too

And the non-bokeh shot


We had a good time, even though USC lost. But after observing and listening to the students around us, we've decided we're locking all 3 of our kids up till they're 30. LOL