Point...and shoot!

On Saturday I had the opportunity to attend a photography workshop (her first ever) put on by Elise Marie Photography (if you remember the photos I've had taken of the family, as well as Dalton's senior pics) and I learned a lot about taking pictures and why a digital SLR camera is truly the bomb! I of course have had this one on my 'wish' list for some time now ;0)...some day!

You know, taking photos really is an art! It became extremely evident that you either have a 'creative bone' or you don't. This one 'might' be able to be learned/cultivated, but the ones who have this flowing through their veins naturally...Elise...don't just "TAKE" pictures, they create stories through visual effects! Elise's eye for the UN-obvious is amazing. Though taking pictures as a business is not my goal...I would LOVE to be able to photograph as good as she does. We also learned that taking good photographs is a big part of the process, but editing the photos is equally as important. A lot of the 'magic' you see happens once the image is in the computer and manipulated with photo editing programs. With a 'high-quality' camera, comes less editing too.

So, I took along with me 2 cameras. My 'old' little itty-bitty digital point and shoot and Brian's old school 35mm 'film' camera that he bought 25+ years ago in high school. I realized at this class that my 'old' little itty-bitty digital point and shoot (can you tell how un-fond of this camera I am) actually had the capacity to do more than I used it for. Okay, lets not get ahead of ourselves...it doesn't do laundry, dishes or diapers! BUT...it can, believe it or not, take some pretty darn good pictures (well, at least I think so) by changing some of the options to take the photos more manually instead of just putting it on its usual "auto" setting an thus, pointing and shooting.

Though I don't have the 'film' developed yet from the old school one, here are a few pics with my point and shoot.

The first half of the day was 'classroom instruction' and the second part was 2 different photo shoot opportunities that Elise set up for us.

Because of the number of students I situated myself on the right side of these young girls and the result...I got the truck trailer in the background of the photo - oh well, I was just experimenting with my camera at this point.

I took the opportunity to take this shot of K, the older cousin, adjusting her younger cousins hair

These were just a few of the 'props' that Elise brought along to use - I just loved how they looked by themselves.

Yet another shot of T adjusting the hat for our young model. Wishing the 'toxic' triangle on the building behind wasn't there - yet, a simple photoshop action and it could be gone.

Realizing now that I should have been a lot closer to my subjects to get a better shot/angle.

Once I figured out that I could manually adjust some of the settings (ISO, aperature, shutter speed, exposure, etc) on my camera (or rather once I realized what those settings actually did)...I did a little experimenting on my own while Brian and I took Princess for a walk yesterday. Poor hubby, thought we were going for a nice stroll through the woods ~ didn't realize he and Abigail were my subjects.

And for all of my fabulous friends who already have their wonderful SLR cameras taking amazing photos...bear with me...I'm a work in progress!

...through the woods...

On one of our "sunnier" days a few weeks ago we went for a hike on one of the many local trails we have here in WA. All I had with me was my cell phone so I just now retrieved the pics from it. As you can see we had a great time and Abigail LOVED through all of nature!

Dalton's "Official" graduation photo!

Fun, fun and more fun!!!

Wow, what an incredible week this has been. We had the pleasure of having cousins over for a couple of days. They just arrived home a week ago from Singapore and are planning to live in the States for the next year. It's been a few years since the boys have seen them, as well as their first time meeting/playing with Abigail.

Fun was had by all.

Their first day was spent trying to work on some electrical issues on the truck. Little history...I drove this truck everyday during my junior year of high school! I'm only 5'4" and this truck is a beast so I can only imagine what I looked like it in.My dad bought it brand new in 1964 and it spent half of its life in California and half (well almost) in WA. The day has come that my dad can no longer drive this so its time to pass it on. Tanner has decided that he wants to buy it and fix it up to have for some time. Thus it sits in our driveway while his savings account is growing for repairs.

We also had Dalton's graduation open house party over the weekend (mind you the only sunny beautiful day we've had in many many days) and lo and behold I was so busy mingling with people that I forgot to take pics with my camera. So Brian shot a few of them and managed to get some family shots.

A little of this and a whole lot of THAT!!!

Our official high school graduate!

As we wrap up one chapter of our lives and begin another (having our oldest graduate from High school), I am struck by how incredible God is! As if I didn't already know that, right?! Well, sometimes I tend to be one of 'those' individuals who so easily loses sight of what is right in front of me...you know, the obvious things.

I forget that my "mountain moving, all knowing, incredibly awesome" God cares about me! I mean seriously, I am just 1 small person in comparison to how BIG my God is! My cares/wants/needs/desires are tiny when it comes to some of the stories I've heard/read. And yet, wonders never cease to AMAZE me at how much HE loves me and truly desires to show me how truly able HE is.

My dryer went out about a week ago. I knew there was something seriously wrong with it when it took over 2.5 hours to dry 1/2 a load of laundry. We've had trouble with the fuse popping, but usually when that happens, the dryer won't turn on at all.

This was different.

So hubby took a look in the dryer, found the 'parts' map for it online and made the determination that it was a bad heating coil element sort of thingy (I'm sure there is a more technical official name for this part, but hey I'm a woman). The parts store that we would buy our fuses from was no longer a storefront, thus hubby hunted online for the parts, ordered them and they arrived by Friday! {I'm sure you are all wondering what this has to do with how awesome God is, right?!?}
I am so happy to report, I now have a working dryer! I am even happier to report that it not only works but drys clothes perfectly. I am ELATED and JUMPING for JOY okay rather leaping for joy that our house did not burn down ~ after all haven't I already sustained a flood this year?!?

Enter exhibit A:
This is what the heating coil element should (key word) look like!

Enter Exhibit B:

This is (rather was) our heating coil element!

Enter Exhibit C:

A side by side comparison. Notice our element hanging down - this means it was no longer attached. Not only that but there were pieces of the core that had melted (basically welded itself) to the main bar causing it to somewhat act as a ground - in other words, the only reason I can stand here today (okay sit here and type) is because of how much God loves us!

Our house 'should' have caught on fire! And yet, God in his power created the environment for me to 'find' it!
Yes we are rejoicing!
Yes we are praising the God of the Universe!
Yes we are thankful.

So...onto shoes! This is what Abigail loves to do in her spare time. Get into my closet and bring my shoes out ~ stack them, wear them, what ever she wants with them. Notice (I will admit I had to look at it for a couple of minutes to see it myself) that she deliberately placed them in matching order from middle to outside. Genius?!? I think so (but hey, I'm the mom)

Loving the first warm sunny day of spring...after all we are only what 2 weeks away from summer!

Who could resist this face?!? Okay you guessed it, not me.

Abigail has a friend at the bank - Gemma - who adores to give her suckers every time we go in!