misc. photo post-ette! heee!

my girlie and her new little bear....
i just LOVE this photograph...so simple yet it beautifully portrays the grandeur of playing with a pinwheel on a fine summer day...
at the very last teeball game of Ella's...my honey and Will David...
and a few more from the other day of my niece, Sydney...

I Heart Faces, Let's Here It For The Boys Challenge Week

So, this week is "boys" week at I Heart Faces. I have already seen some amazing shots over at their blog. Very, very inspiring. Here are my entries.

First, for the kids' entry, a photograph of my son, Philip, holding a newly found toad. He LOVES toads. LOVES them. He would keep each and every one he found if I'd let him. I think he is actually magnetized to toads..he finds them insintively!



Next, for the adults' category. My husband was playing with sweet Will David this afternoon....

He Does This

lets me go to an Indians game with my daughter and father soon..instead of him...

takes Ella and Philip to fly rockets, maybe 2-3 times a week...

absolutely loves his newest child, Will David, to pieces...

reads the Word...

takes time to pray for each one of us every single night...

calls me beautiful even when I do not feel like I am...

treats his mom and dad with so much love and respect...

shows his love and respect to my own parents as well...

adopted my cat, Kodak, as his own...

cares when Ella is sensitive, or upset up things...

deeply cares for his son and his love of finding toads....

looks adoringly at the baby when he gets excited and waves his arms and feet...

does this goofy dance that makes us all laugh...

plays music on his harmonica that mesmerizes me and so many others...

works hard at work, works hard at home, but knows when he, and us all, need to relax...

loves tenderly, believes fiercly, gives unselfishly...

likes to be a kid at heart...

takes the time and makes the effort for others around him...

keeps himself in shape so he can be here with us as long as possible...

gives the best and warmest hugs....

has the strongest arms to hold me...

has the strongest arms to lift his children up...

has the sweetest voice and smile to melt my heart...

has the sweetest voice and smile to melt our childrens' hearts...

bless us each and every single moment of every single day...

sweetie-- I love you...Happy Father's Day!


(back left-my dad; middle- my sweetie; right- my brother, Bill)

Sydney- the dancer!

the following photographs are of my niece, Sydney...and her dance recital costumes. oh my...i adore the "mary poppins" outfit. to die for, really. i have more i am not sharing, but here are some of my favorites. i cannot wait for my sister in law to see them. i took them at rich's aunt denise's house...her backyard is meticulous, as her husband puts so much time and effort into making it the beautiful landscape it is.

i heart faces adults entry sepia week

I am happy to share this self portrait of me, pregnant with Will David this past fall! It is my adult entry at I Heart Faces! Thanks for stopping by!

I Heart Faces Sepia Week!

Vintage looking photographs are divine! I thoroughly enjoyed this week's challenge at I Heart Faces. Here is my children's entry. These three cousins (from l-r is my daughter, Ella, her cousin, Abigail, and my son, Philip) had fun hiding behind the "tree" from the neighbor at grandpa's house. I love this photograph. It honestly warms my soul. I love the innocence of childhood that it brings to my heart. Each face has a different expression, which is really intriguing- Ella is slightly more serious, or into the game, Philip is really enjoying this and being kind of silly, and Abigail- you can tell she is having fun!

Just for fun....tidbits from our zoo trip last week.

when exhaustion sets in.

it sets in.

i am literally falling asleep on my feet tonight. i am. a. tired. mom. of. three.

please pray for me as tomorrow is the long awaited girl scout trip to the zoo via the railroad.

i am NOT...i repeat NOT...ready for that. i am very thankful Rich shall be driving and joining us for the day there.

this past weekend was super busy- the two oldest kids and Rich camped out in the backyard in his tent. they loved it. we took the same two kids to see the new Night At The Museum movie. they loved that, too. rich and i got new phones...i l-O-ve this new phone...can take pics and videos, and we have unlimited text messaging, too. oh- rich has his own phone now too, i should clarify.

***My winner for the last book/blog tour is actually two winners since I forgot that I actually had TWO books to give away- so, Houston and Kimberly, give me your addresses so I can mail the book Saints In Limbo to you! My email is: amycthphoto@gmail.com****

Well, honestly, that will have to suffice for now. they baby has been very needy lately..and he should be as he recently got his SECOND tooth. so, sleep has been difficult, and very much interrupted.

have a wonderful middle of the week day tomorrow!

keep us in your prayers as we travel and experience the trip! thank you!

Suggestions Please

I am working on a project- so, if you would, please comment on which photos you think would work best on a wall. I would love to do a grouping of at least 3. Big. Maybe adding some small. Possibly adding other children's photos around the chosen "Ella in the Field" pictures at a later date. I am not good at making decision like these- for one, it could be pricey. Two, I just love them all. ;)

Thanks!

Book Review and Giveaway!

It seems to have been awhile since I had one of these! I am excited to have one for you today! I only have one copy of one of the books, hoewever- Saints in Limbo- to give away. Just leave a simple comment and I shall choose a winner by Sunday morning. You may get these books here and here, if you like!

Saints in Limbo

by River Jordan



Ever since her husband Joe died, Velma True’s world has been limited to what she can see while clinging to one of the multicolored threads tied to the porch railing of her home outside Echo, Florida.

When a mysterious stranger appears at her door on her birthday and presents Velma with a special gift, she is rattled by the object’s ability to take her into her memories–a place where Joe still lives, her son Rudy is still young, unaffected by the world’s hardness, and the beginning is closer than the end. As secrets old and new come to light, Velma wonders if it’s possible to be unmoored from the past’s deep roots and find a reason to hope again.


Author Bio:

River Jordan is a critically acclaimed novelist and playwright whose unique mixture of southern and mystic writing has drawn comparisons to Sarah Addison Allen, Leif Enger, and Flannery O’Connor. Her previous works include The Messenger of Magnolia Street, lauded by Kirkus Reviews as “a beautifully written, atmospheric tale.” She speaks around the country and makes her home in Nashville .



Stealing Home

by Allison Pittman



It’s 1905 and the Chicago Cubs are banking on superstar Donald “Duke” Dennison’s golden arm to help them win the pennant. Only one thing stands between Duke and an unprecedented ten thousand dollar contract: alcohol.

That’s when sportswriter David Voyant whisks Duke to the one-horse town of Picksville , Missouri , so he can sober up in anonymity. He bides his time flirting with Ellie Jane Voyant, his unofficial chaperone, who would rather hide herself in the railway station ticket booth than face the echoes of childhood taunts.

Ned Clovis, the feed store clerk, has secretly loved Ellie Jane since childhood, but he loves baseball and the Duke almost as much–until he notices Ellie Jane may be succumbing to the star’s charm.

Then there’s Morris, a twelve-year-old boy, whose only dream is to break away from Picksville. When Duke discovers his innate talent for throwing a baseball, Morris might just have found his way out.

Four individuals, each living in haunted isolation, each harboring a secret passion. Providence brings them together. Tragedy threatens to tear them apart. Will love be enough to bring them home?



Author Bio:

Allison Pittman spent seventeen years as a high school English teacher, and then shunned the advice of “experts,” quit her day job and set out to write novels that bring glory to God. She relishes inspiring other writers and leading the theater arts group at her church. She and her husband and three sons live in Universal City , Texas.

Meanderings.....

Picture taking lately

has been quite satisfactory, for the most part! I am able to get great shots of two out of three of my children....guess who is the one that just doesn't cooperate? Hmmmmm........one is old enough to smile when asked and the other one is so little he cannot HELP but smile! Replace the word smile with "sit still" and you still have the truth of it. I was trying to get a couple pictures, one of each of the kids, to make into canvases for our living room wall, but I am doubtful of that. Maybe if I put two up the third child will realize he doesn't want to be left out and will let me take some of him!

So, here are some more photographs I was tweaking today and last night. I'll share the befores, then the afters. :)






and my brother and his wife---this one is harder to see the differences but they are there...






the baby in the neighbor's wagon---




one of the two CUTEST vintage outfits my sister in law, Jessica, found for me and gave me! **LOVE**




another one of the cute little man outfit!



and then one of the other cutest little vintage outfit- LOVE the little duckies on this and the BOW TIE--get OUT! It is the SWEETEST THING EVER!





okay, well that is enough for now. a couple of these ones that were SOOC (straight of camera) were really bad exposure-wise...don't know what I was thinking at the time! LOL!

Here's a quick run down of the week- today we went to the Columbiana park for a playdate with my friend, Katie, and her daughter, Autumn. Ella had her last girl scout meeting tonight, which met at a park, and she received several honors/badges! Tomorrow and Wednesday we have TBall games (she had one tonight, but there was a scheduling conflict obviously)..whew! Tomorrow Rich is off- yahoo! I plan on taking my Epson 1280 printer to the local computer repair shop to see if they can get it fixed. Crossing fingers....I really want this printer to be working because it prints great photographs up to a VERY WIDE format! Plus, I am just tired of not having a printer that works. :(

I plan to do some major organization of closets around here, and eventually my kitchen cupboards. I am hoping some fairy godmother maid cleans our basement out. Hmmm..a girl can hope!

"Mom, I want to see the skip."

Me: The skip?
Buddy: The skip.
Me: What is a skip?
Buddy: The picture in this book (he holds up a child's book about the human body).
Me: Uh...there isn't a "skip" in this book.
Buddy: Right here!(pointing)
Me: (sees the picture). Oh.
(pause)
Me: Oh...the SCAB!

LOL!

Me: Hey Buddy, what are you going to name your new little baby puppy from Build A Bear?
Buddy: Bladder.
Me: BLADDER?
Buddy: Bladder.
Me: Do you know what a bladder is?
Buddy: No.
Me: (proceeds to tell him...)
Buddy: Ooohhhhh!
Me: You can NOT name your puppy Bladder!

KIDS! LOL!

My husband so graciously allowed me to upgrade my photo software recently to Elements 7.0 and I also have now allowed myself to proceed with using actions! I have had some struggle learning how to install them, but now I think I got it.

Here's a quick sample of a photograph, the original and one I used several actions with. I cropped and applied a chocolate and strawberry cream action. They included some color boost, too.
I am quite pleased with the results! I have more to share later, but this one of my niece, Abigail, is the one to see now! The boys and I have a playdate to go to!
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