2011-04-28

ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/200, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

I feel like this is the week of cheating ... I took this photo yesterday.  It is a bush in my neighbor's yard that has these gorgeous pink flowers on it.  I have no idea what it is, but I thought it was pretty.  :)

I had intentions of taking photos today, but it just didn't happen.  I spent the day basically the same way I spend every day ... gym, housework, dishes, cooking, laundry ... but today I got to (finally!) mow some grass!  

You probably think I'm strange for being excited about that, but it has been so wet this month.  And our grass was getting really high.  Doug had started mowing yesterday but it started storming.  He thought he might finish it today, but he's exhausted from midnight shift and lack of sleep.  So I finished the front yard and did part of the back.  The part he did yesterday probably could have been mowed again already.  It looks like it grew 2 inches already!  Between aerobics this morning and push mowing for an hour, I burned about 1,100 calories today.  Woo hoo!

Anyway, then we got company for a little while.  Doug's sister is up from Florida this week so she stopped in for a while.  And now while I should be packing for our weekend away, I'm posting this photo.  :)  We're heading to Erie this weekend for some kid-free time, so while I will be taking a bunch of photos, I'm sure ... I'm not sure I'll be posting.  I will try, but no guarantees.  :)


I forgot to mention that I used Kim Klassen's Warm Sun and SKC Photography's Grungy Mess textures.







Tracey over at Inspire Me Photography chose this photo as one of her Top 5 picks for the week!  Thanks, Tracey!

2011-04-27

ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/125s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

Since earlier today was so beautiful (like 80 degrees!), Alex and I went to play at the Purple Park after preschool.  Friends from preschool decided to join us, so Alex had someone to play with while her mom and I talked.  I even got a little sunburned.  Hoping for many more days like this!

2011-04-26

ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/200s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

Honestly I did not take one photograph today.  Gym, grocery shopping, housework, and thunderstorms left me with little time and/or desire to take pictures.  So this is from yesterday.  We found this tiny purple flower in the yard.  Sad that it will soon be chopped down by the mower.  I added Kim Klassen's Serendipity texture to it (at 50% opacity) for Texture Tuesdays.

2011-04-25

ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/100s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

I know this isn't the greatest picture, but I had to show that the goslings have hatched!  In between rain drops today Alex and I took a hike down to our neighbor's pond in the hopes of seeing them.  They were moving away from us quickly, but we were able to catch a glimpse.  There are five babies ... see them on the left behind their Mama.  Hopefully we'll get to see them a little closer before they leave.

2011-04-24

ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/100s, D3100 w/18-105mm lens

Easter Sunday I did not even pick up my camera (mainly because I was too stinkin' tired from our trip), so I'm posting another photo from the Creation Museum Botanical Gardens from Friday.  It had just started to rain when, on my way back to the museum, I came across this bumble bee busily doing his job.  He loved these purple flowers!

Week 16 Summary

17 - Playing with a pinwheel on a windy day.

18 - Gerber daisies that I picked up while grocery shopping.  Ray over at Pulling My Mask Off picked this photo as one of two finalists in her weekly photography contest.  I'd love it if you'd go vote for me.  :)  This week's challenge is "Indoors" if you'd like to participate.

19 - Some mandarin oranges we bought.  The kids love them!  Alex calls them lemontimes (aka clementines).  Audrey at The Daily Wyatt picked this as one of her Top 5 this week.  Thanks Audrey!

20 - The Canine Ambassadors visited preschool.  Alex loved all 3 dogs - two golden retrievers and one scotty dog.
21 - Keira at the Creation Museum.  We left Thursday afternoon for Kentucky, spent all day Friday at the museum, then headed home Saturday.  I'm beat after all that traveling (and lack of sleep) which is why my summary isn't getting posted until today. 
22 - One of the dinosaur exhibits at the Creation Museum.
23 - A suspension bridge we crossed on the way home.

Hope you all had a wonderful week!

Linking up with:

     

2011-04-23

ISO 100, f/4.5, 1/1000s, D3100 w/18-55mm lens

On the way home today, we crossed this suspension bridge in Columbus, Ohio, I think.  (It was a long ride and I am extremely tired right now, so I could be wrong about the location).  :)  But the bridge was cool.

2011-04-22

ISO 3200, f/5.3, 1/8s, D3100 w/18-55mm lens

This is just one of the many incredible dinosaur exhibits at the Creation Museum.

(The flare is not added.  It came from a light up above).  :)

2011-04-21

ISO 3200, f/4.5, 1/30s, D3100 w/18-105mm lens

In keeping with my challenge to photograph each of my children every month on the anniversary of their birthday, I present Keira.  I'm technically cheating on this because it was taking on 4/22 at the Creation Museum.  She was at school all day and then we left right after school and spent way too many hours in a vehicle heading to Kentucky that I didn't get a photo of her on the 21st.

Having said all that, she's just chilling on the rock wall.  (Yes, I realize that I cut her one foot off - oops!)  :)  I'm not sure what we were doing at this point.  Waiting for the rest of the group so we could go outside to the Botanical Gardens maybe.  More museum photos to be posted soon on My Perspective.

If you don't mind

Please go over to Pulling My Mask Off and vote for my daisy photo.  I would really appreciate it!

2011-04-20

ISO 3200 (so I didn't have to use a flash), f/5.6, 1/60s, D3100 w/18-55mm lens

The Canine Ambassadors visited Preschool today.  The parents were invited to attend, so I made sure I was done exercising and ready to get there in time.  Preschool is almost over (next month), so these opportunities will be ending soon.  :(

Alex loved all the dogs.  There were two Golden Retrievers and one Scottish Terrier.  They were all very sweet and loved the kids and all the attention.

(I blurred out the little girl's face intentionally.  I don't like posting pics of other people's kids w/out permission.)

2011-04-19

ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/50s, D3100 w/18-55mm lens, used Kim Klassen's Warm Sun texture

We bought a big bag of mandarin oranges yesterday.  They don't last long in this house because the kids love them.  Alex, my 5YO, calls them lemontimes (aka clementines).  :)

2011-04-18

ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/100s, D3100 w/18-55mm lens - texture PTM's Timeworn Soft at about 60%

We bought a pot of Gerber Daisies today while out grocery shopping.  Looking forward to actually planting all these flowers I've been buying.  If only the weather would cooperate.  :)


UPDATE:  I won the photo challenge!  Yay me!  :)

2011-04-17

ISO 100, f/22, 1/20s, D3100 w/18-55mm lens

Perhaps on a day with 40 mph wind gusts wasn't the best day to attempt to photograph a pinwheel blowing in the wind.  :)

Week 15 Summary

10 - My tulips are almost blooming.

11 - Keira's Mancala game pieces.

12 - My baby lost his second tooth already!  Two teeth in less than two weeks!

13 - Nicholas turned 8!

14 - Papa goose protecting Mama goose and her eggs at our neighbor's pond.  To read the story (it is short!) and see the other 2 pics, click here.

15 - Preschool's ABC Celebration.

16 - Celebrated Nick's birthday with the family.

Linking up with ...

          

2011-04-16

ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/25s, D3100 w/18-105mm lens

The family got together today to celebrate Nick's 8th birthday.  He got some fun gifts and we ate lunch with cupcakes for dessert.  Nothing fancy, but lots of fun!

2011-04-15

ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/50s, D3100 w/18-105mm lens

Alex's preschool had an ABC Celebration this morning.  They finished learning all the letters of the alphabet a couple weeks ago.  They barked the ABC's and showed us how to use sign language to "sing" the alphabet, among other things.  Then we ate alphabet (vegetable) soup with alphabet cookies for dessert.  (That's a lot of alphabets!)  :)  Fun times!

2011-04-14

ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/160s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

Alex and I went for a walk down to our neighbor's pond again today.  While there we saw this beautiful Canadian goose swimming in the pond.  I thought it was strange that he was there alone since Canadian geese don't typically travel alone.  After a few minutes I happened to glance over and saw ...

ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/160s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

 this Mama goose sitting on a nest right beside the pond.   As you can see, she doesn't look too happy to see us.  She sat like this the entire time we were there ... giving me the evil eye.



ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/160s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens
But Papa goose stayed pretty close to her while we were there ... doing a good job protecting her and the eggs.  We plan to check back frequently to hopefully catch a glimpse of the goslings.

(And, yes, I realize that I'm breaking my one-photo-a-day rule.  But there was a story to be told.  Thanks for your patience.)  :)


Linking up with Texture Thursday.  Lots of texture going on with the feathers, nest, leaves, and seaweed on the pond.  :)

2011-04-13

ISO 200, f/4.8, 1/200s, D3100 w/18-55mm lens

Today is Nick's 8th birthday!  Where did the time go?!

When I asked him if I could take a few photos of him, I mostly got poses like this.  But, then, again, that is his personality.  Fun and silly.  And a bit goofy.  :)

2011-04-12

ISO 400, f/5.0, 1/60s, D3100 w/18-55mm lens

Back on April 1, I posted a photo of Alex after he had lost his first tooth.  Well, a whopping nine days later, on April 10, he lost his second tooth!  He's growing up entirely too fast!  :)


Linking up with You Capture's SMILE theme this week.  :)

2011-04-11

ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/50s, white balance custom (metered off background), D3100 w/18-55mm lens

Keira has been playing Mancala a lot in her spare time lately.  
I don't know how to play, but I find the game pieces interesting.  :)

2011-04-10

ISO 100, f/5.0, 1/320s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

Almost.  My tulips are so close to blooming!  A few more days like today and they definitely will be.

Week 14 Summary

This is probably the first week I managed to get ALL 3 kids photographed in the same week!


3 - Signs of Spring!

4 - Keira's beads she uses to make necklaces.  She separated the colors in her Mancala board.

5 - In keeping with my challenge to photograph each of my kids on the anniversary of their birthday, I managed to get Alex to be still long enough.  :)  His birthday is December 5.

6 - Some colorful cupcake cups on a dreary, rainy day.

7 - A grapevine with some textures from SKC Photography added.  Audrey from The Daily Wyatt picked this as one of her Top 5 photos this week!  Thanks, Audrey!

8 - Alex wasn't feeling well today, so we took it easy ... watching movies and reading with his Tag Reader.

9 - Nick got a bronze medal and Keira a gold at this morning's Bible Quizzing District Finals. Keira qualified to move on to Regionals in Boston!


Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!  Looking forward to seeing how YOUR week went!

Linking up with ...

          

2011-04-09

ISO 200, f/9.0, 1/200s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

Nicholas and Keira participated in the Bible Quizzing District Finals this morning.  Nicholas got a bronze medal and Keira got a gold.  She also qualified to move on to the Regionals in Boston in June!

I realize you can't quite see Keira's trophy in this photo, but I absolutely love the way they are looking at each other.  I always have a difficult time getting a picture of the kids when they are all looking at me and not making some goofy face, so I'll take what I can get.  :)
I forgot to mention that Nicholas is not, in fact, taller than Keira.  He is standing on our water well thingy that sticks up about 18 inches out of the ground.  :)

2011-04-08

ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/30s, D3100 w/18-55mm lens

Alex ended up not feeling well when we got home from Preschool today.  A bit feverish and just feeling yucky.  We took a nap together this afternoon then just took it easy this evening.  Quiet activities like Tag reading and watching a movie.

2011-04-07

ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320s, D3100 w/55-200mm lens

A grapevine with textures (Minty Soft and Grungy Mess) from SKC Photography added.  

Audrey picked this photo as one of her weekly Top 5!  How cool is that?!