Ribbonless Praises...

Praises...

I learned so much from going to the photography critique. Just walking around as the judge talked about other's work, even before I asked her about my own was so rich. Once we got to mine I could have almost critiqued them myself! You may have noticed I've "fixed" the header picture. Critique was, great picture but it's flat, it needs to be bumped in contrast so that there are true blacks and almost whites, so that the eye is drawn to a focal point. Funny, one little tweak and it makes a huge difference. Her favorite of mine was the city street. She said there were two things separating it from being a great shot to an amazing shot. A little cropping to move the lamp post to a different place and if I had had just enough difference in angle (bent down more) to make the lamp post with the flag on it pop up above the building line. Now have you learned something? I also learned that maybe I should have entered more unique things. There were some incredibly gorgeous photographs, but the ones that one, would not have really been the ones I'd have picked, they were much more artsy. I think I would have had a better chance if I'd have entered this one I took of the Hobby Lobby Ceiling!

I didn't get one of the three ribbons, but that really wasn't my quest. Not to say that each time they pulled up a print my heart didn't beat so loudly I surely thought that the people around me must hear it! I'm not sure if this was excitement or fear of having to stand up and be recognized if I did get a ribbon! The judge turned out to be a woman I had just read a little about online the night before when looking for area classes. Hmmm...maybe that was a clue that I need lessons!

I spent sometime with my camera manual this afternoon and learned a few new tricks. It'll be a long time before I get all the way through that thing! I'm a visual learned. Manuals are almost torture for me!

My neighbors did not call DCFS when my boys shed all their clothes after getting them wet and instead of rushing them inside I just started taking pictures.

I have one baby who is continuing to listen to me. I asked Finn if he was ready to snuggle for nap, he shook his little head no while he played. I told him he had one more minute and then I walked out of the room. Sure enough that guy was climbing on my lap not two minutes later all ready for nap! I'm loving this...but I slightly afraid of how long it may or may not last!

My favorite moment of today... We slept in, all of us, so I guess my second favorite moment was waking up at 8 am and not hearing any noise. So, we didn't make it to church. I was slightly bummed about this, only because a friend was singing and I like hearing her. I figured if everyone was sleeping and it was one of the last Sundays before our Sunday morning commitments kick in for the year that we should take advantage of it. The kids finally got up and started rambling around, climbing in and out of our bed. Then the day really started when Lily and Dax started arguing. Dax went running to his room and laid on the floor under a blanket. Finn took off running out of our room. He rushed in beside Dax, laid down, and wrapped his arms around his neck. He laid there and hugged him until Dax stopped crying. He even put his two fingers together and put them in Dax's mouth, which is what he does when he's upset and can't find his binky. It was so sweet!

To keep me from getting a big head about the extreme listening and empathetic behavior of my youngest, he got really ticked off about something in his dinner and slapped the food bowl right out of my hand in a rage. Lets just say, this didn't make me a happy momma. It did make the Dog a happy dog, though.

Rocketships, Sunsets, and Praises...

It's amazing what little boys can do with a toy kitchen! Logically, you'd think, cook! Maybe even use it as a tool bench or something creative like that, right? Not my guys! I walked into the family room this morning to find Ole Chef Tony and his kitchen looking like this...

Dax looks at me and says "Our wheels are stuck on our rocket ship and they have holes in them" Hmmm...so the kitchen has now become a "rocket ship?" I asked for a demonstration, and this is what they showed me...

Ingenious I say! You notice Finn's extreme agitation? That is cause he wanted to be captain.

That lasted for about three minutes followed by some sort of unexplained tantrum. Who took my sweet baby and brought me this toddler??



Praises...

Dax went to school Thursday even though he told us he would not on Wednesday night. As we walked down the stairs to his classroom he looked at me a with a puzzled look and said, "I told you, I'm not going to play at school today." I left him with a smile, a kiss, and an I love you. He fell to the floor crying saying he was not going to stay. Sigh...I thought it was all going so well!
I returned to a happy guy who seemed to have a good day, and so far, he's going back Tuesday.

A husband who picked up pictures for me tonight on his way home and then willingly took us all to Hobby Lobby and dinner, even stopping the vehicle to allow me to take some pictures along the way!

The sunset tonight! It was incredible!

Simple Grace. This morning started out with me all frazzled, yelling at my peeps. About 9:30 I sat down with my Chai Tea, my Bible, and Him. His grace and peace alone let me get off that couch with a softer, kinder attitude and continue the day with patience and joy.

My little Finn who hears me even when the others don't or tune me out. I asked Dax three times to go grab the new bag of Diapers. Next thing I know here comes Finn with the diapers and a smile. I asked Dax to pick up his trash and toss it in the trash. I hear the lid banging around and see Finn trying to throw it away. H is always tuned in. Lily argues everything, Dax pretends he's completely deaf. Does this mean, maybe, just maybe I have one that can not only hear my voice but even comprehend the words I say?? If this continues it would only be a bit of a miracle! I know, it's probably just a stage, but I'm grateful for it while it lasts!

Sunday in the Parks with babes

This morning in church (at the park) I couldn't resist reaching into my bag for my camera during the service. I asked my husband if he could hear the shutter. He said yes, but "it wasn't obnoxious". I couldn't help documenting how my yard sale find was enhancing my boys church time...and how the sunlight was streaming so beautifully through the trees...

Who would have thought that a pop up table with drink holders would give me a good 10 extra minutes of quieter church moments. I then took this one so that I could remember to ask a question about fruit snacks... If Welsh's fruit snacks are made of real fruit and can be counted as a serving of fruit, if your child eats 6 bags a day, does this fulfill his fruit/veggie requirement? =)

At that point I was feeling guilty that I was taking pictures during the service and decided that parental voice inside my head that was tsk tsking and saying something like, "how disrespectful to be snapping kid pics during the service" got the better of me and I put away the camera. I did this just in time to hear the minister begin the sermon and my darling son say "Hey, can you wind this up?" I looked up, slightly horrified, to see the minister glance our way and Dax handing Mike a wind up car. At that moment I just prayed that no one else heard him, although it was quiet, and his voice wasn't so much. So if you were there, did you hear him?

So, I made it through the service. I actually got a lot out of the sermon after my kids went to Sunday School and Mike and Finn took a bit of a walk. I even thought how can I blog this. It was on God's timing, which I'm getting to be a big fan of, although I do still struggle with patience. Maybe one day I'll re listen to that sermon and write a little ditty on how great it was. I digress. Seems I'm standing all innocently during the benediction. Ok, not exactly standing, I was more perusing the grassy areas around us, searching for all the toys and garbage we had littered the land with, when my girlfriend came up behind me and pointed out a grand photo moment. How could I help at the prodding of friends, not get the camera right back out. At least the service was over when I took it out this time and took a few shots of my kids and hers playing in the dirt. Nothing says Sunday morning at church like burying your feet in the dirt!
She had to take her little people home for a bath I just took mine to a little dive/diner for breakfast. As my kids would say, "God made dirt, dirt don't hurt". They picked up that little piece of wisdom from their dad. It's a phrase he commonly uses it when he picks the pacifier up off the ground and sticks it right back in Finn's mouth. (If you're ewwing right now, come back after you have three kids and it won't bother you so much!)

Hey look, it's fruit of the day #2! The decor may not be much, but the food is good and the people are nice and don't mind our mess. We've been going here alot after church this summer. We fill everyone up then drive around till the little ones fall asleep so that we can all have Sunday afternoon naps. God did say Sundays were a day of rest, right?

After rest we headed out in search of sand to refill the sand box. Still a no go! My son is going to have convulsions if he doesn't get sand soon! So we got ice cream at Dairy Queen instead and headed to a local park. Ice cream seemed to divert Dax from a sand fit. In the four years since we've lived here my husband had never been to this park, he wasn't even sure how to get there! How sad!

Here is Finn coming down the slide on his own. This was the shot I got as he sped down. May not have been what I was after, but I love it!

I tried to get a nice picture of all three of my kids together. This really ought to be a regular segment of my blog until I get it right! Marci's attempt at three kids in one frame" If you look carefully, they are all there...

Ok, so maybe two out of three?

Or if all else fails, lets just do them one at a time... Just to answer your question, because I don't scrapbook and someday I will actually print this blog. When I post so many pics in one blog I can just hear the "why does she post so many huge pictures?? " And just so you know, since getting my new camera for Christmas I have taken more than 5000 pictures, so actually I'm sparing you quite a bit! 5000+ pictures and I have printed exactly 5. Does someone have some sort of print phobia help or advice? I'm in need!