Wednesday, March 31, 2010

89/365 - Shorts Weather

We went from Winter straight to Summer. Remember the start of Spring two weeks ago? Snow and cold rain.

Today, 80degreesF. Wow. Love it.

10.03.31 - Shorts Weather

So I'm celebrating with a crisp glass of chardonnay this evening. Perfect way to end the day.

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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

88/365 - Baseball Assessments

I remember last year's baseball assessments - chilly, damp and windy. We wore our winter coats.

Tonight, warm sun and the smell of spring was in the air.

10.03.30 Baseball Assessments

Taken with the iPhone, because I was too lazy to drag the big camera out of the car.

Erica also started soccer practice tonight, formally kicking off the Spring season of logistics (both kids had to be at their respective activities at the same time).

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P365 - 2010 Week 12 Summary

Week 12 was our Spring Break week, and instead of going somewhere, the kids enjoyed a relaxing week at home, making pizza, cake and generally lazing about. I think they had a fabulous Spring Break!

P365 2010 - Week 12 Summary

Jessica Turner hosts Project Life every Tuesday, a resource to encourage P365 participants. I recommend checking it out.

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Monday, March 29, 2010

87/365 - Positive Sayings

Erica spread some positive cheer on the driveway this afternoon.

10.03.29 - Positive Saying

The full text:

Be Strong now
Because things will get better
It might be stormy now
But it can't rain forever.

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Sunday, March 28, 2010

86/365 - Introducing....

My new baby nephew (and as of the publication of this post, yet to bear an official name):


Picture courtesy of my sister's iPhone and flickr stream.

Born a little after midnight this morning (March 28). The picture was taken on the 29th. And that's proud daddy, Andrew holding the little guy.

I think he's beautiful, of course - makes this new Auntie very proud.

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Saturday, March 27, 2010

85/365 - Lazy Saturday

Well, it was a lazy Saturday for Brian and Scott, who both slept in until 10:30.

It was lazy for me, too, but only after I finished running 9 miles this morning (and yes, I finished before 10:30, only to come home and realize both boys were still in bed).

In reality, Scott did go out and run this afternoon, so it wasn't a completely lazy day for him.

But I didn't go grocery shopping (my normal Saturday afternoon task), and we went out for dinner, where I took this picture of Brian enjoying his milkshake.
10.03.27 - Enjoying that Milkshake

I also figured out what was wrong with the sewing machine (I couldn't get it to stitch properly last night) - of course, it was operator error. So really, nothing was wrong with the sewing machine - I just didn't thread it properly.

And some exciting news - my sister, Michele (whose Flickr stream may be seen on the right sidebar towards the bottom of this blog), went into labor this afternoon. She and husband, Andrew, are just about to enter parenthood with their first baby! More updates tomorrow.

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Friday, March 26, 2010

84/365 - Guest Photographer, Brian

Today's pictures were taken by Brian.

I love that my son shares my love of photography. He often points out things to photograph and if something strikes his fancy, he'll pick up my big SLR and start clicking away.

He was the one who noticed the cardinal at the bird feeder yesterday. Today, he took a couple pictures of Hannah, who was immersed in bird watching herself.

10.03.26 - Hannah is Bird Watching

Because the cardinal is back.
Cardinal, Taken by Brian

He brought a friend, too (sorry, no pictures of the female, but I'm sure I'll have the opportunity to take her picture soon).

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

83/365 - Visitor

Finally, a visitor to the bird feeder! I bought a huge bag of black sunflower seeds back in January with the hope that we would see some pretty birds at the feeder [the feeder has stood empty for the last three or four years due to my laziness].

I knew "someone" was feasting on the seeds, but in thinking that the squirrels or crows had invaded the feeder, gave up on it.

But today, a welcome sight:
Welcome Sighting

And I used The Pioneer Woman's Boost Action for PhotoShop Elements (PSE), freshly downloaded and installed this afternoon. I'll be posting more examples on my photography blog

The rain and wind put a chill into our Spring Break today. Hopefully things will warm up a bit tomorrow!

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

82/365 - Spring Break Cake

After the kids lounged around all day and complained about how bored they were, I suggested going outside to play [response - it's BORING outside]. I then suggested they "make" something - like cake.

Oh, that got them excited, so much that I had to run to the store to buy two boxes of cake mix (the kids can't handle cake from scratch - too much work, they said).

Rainbow Confetti for Erica, Triple Chocolate for Brian.

Both kids can break the eggs without getting shells in them. That's a cooking milestone, for sure!
She Cracks the Eggs Herself

And one MUST taste the batter to make sure the cake will be OK:
10.03.24 - Must Taste the Batter

And the cake turned out just fine. Yummy!

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

81/365 - The Morning Sun

The sun coming through the neighbor's trees caught my eye this morning as I was making my coffee. The camera captures the view a little differently, but I still liked the picture. Just ignore all the dust and spots on the window!

Here Comes the sun

The kids are on spring break this week, which means sleeping in and hanging out all day long. This is the first spring break in several years where we haven't gone away, but I think the lazing around suits the kids just fine. The weather has cooperated, with copious amounts of sun in the afternoon and balmy temperatures.

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P365 - 2010 Week 11 Summary

Here's my Week 11 Summary. Can you believe we are already up to day 80+ of the year?

P365 2010 Week 11
Links to each day:
3/14 - March Madness
3/15 - Flipping Through the Pages of my Past
3/16 - Baseball
3/17 - Braces no more!
3/18 - The Road to Work
3/19 - Texting Inspirational Wallpapers
3/20 - Taking Care of Midnight

Jessica Turner hosts Project Life Tuesday. Stop by to check out the other Project 365 Participants.

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Monday, March 22, 2010

I ♥ Faces Weekly Challenge - Focusing on Angles



Another fun photo challenge from I ♥ Faces - using a different angle to gain a new perspective on your subject.

Here is my entry - a picture of my daughter as she was standing above me. I figure this is a great angle, as she has almost grown as tall as me and she's not even a teenager yet! I guess I should get used to it!

090616DSC_9292_4x6

Head over to I ♥ Faces for this challenge - and check out the other different angles out there!

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80/365 - A Rare Sighting of the Sewing Machine

I don't remember the last time I brought out the sewing machine. I know I sewed some window panels since we moved here in 2002. That was probably 2004 (around the time I got around to putting up the fabric window treatments).

What's the special occasion? I've decided to make some small cushions for a tote bag I'd like to use as a camera bag. The foam cushions will line the bag's bottom and sides in order to protect my camera.

10.03.22 - Rare Appearance

So what you see is the wrong side of the fabric I'm using to cover the foam. I'm sure I'll have enough leftover fabric to make a coordinating lens case for my 70-300mm zoom lens. Maybe even a little bag to hold my phone, too....

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Sunday, March 21, 2010

79/365 - New Moon DVD

I couldn't let the weekend pass without highlighting the DVD we bought Saturday afternoon. No, we didn't go to the midnight premiere parties [we're too old]. We subsequently watched two times on Saturday and once on Sunday.

10.03.21 - New Moon DVD

And we're still "Team Jacob" here. Erica still prefers Edward in the books, but prefers Jacob in the movie.

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Weekly Gratitude - The Basement [Home]

I am late on my Weekly Gratitude entries, but I intend to catch on last week's missed entry. This month's theme is "home":

Weekly Gratitude - The Basement

The picture is a 5 picture panoramic of the "media" portion of the basement. No big screen TV or projector, but it meets our needs perfectly.

It's not too late to join in on Weekly Gratitude. You can find resources, templates and inspiration at Karen and Lori's site and flickr group. Hope to see you there!

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Saturday, March 20, 2010

78/365 - Taking Care of Midnight

Our friends are taking care of the elementary school bunny, Midnight, for the next three weeks, and since they are out of town this weekend, they asked us to look in on the cute black bunny. Of course, the kids were so excited to feed, pet and hold Midnight.

10.03.20 - Taking Care of Midnight

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Friday, March 19, 2010

77/365 - Texting Stuff

Erica wanted some "cool" backgrounds for her cell phone, so she downloaded this Backgrounds App to my phone and she texted the from my phone to hers (after checking with me first, as I don't have a text plan).

10.03.19 - Texting Fun Screensavers

I like this one she picked out:
Positive Thinking

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Thursday, March 18, 2010

76/365 - Along the Highway

A bit of my morning commute this morning. Fog seems standard when our daytime temperatures tip over 60 and the nighttime lows dip into the 30s. With Daylight Savings time in effect, I head down the highway as the sun starts to rise above the fields.

Field and Farm

The sun burned off most of the fog quickly, but left a soft, misty film that allowed the morning sun to cast its golden hue along the highway.

Fence Along the Highway

What did you see driving around today? If you look for beauty, you will find it, even along the road.

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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

75/365 - Goodbye Braces

We reached a major milestone today - the removal of Brian's braces!

A couple "final pictures" with the braces:
Another Last Shot

Show those Braces Off

And an hour later, voila!

10.03.17 - Braces Be Gone!


Can you tell how excited he was to get them off? Now the challenge - wearing the retainer consistently for the next year (or two?). I hope we don't have to go through another phase of orthodontia!

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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

74/365 - Another Sign of Spring

Baseball!

Brian got out the glove and baseball this afternoon to play catch with Scott.

10.03.16 - Caught!

OK, he played catch with me, too. But I really can't catch for beans.

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P365 2010 - Week 10 Summary


My week 10 summary of Project 365 photos.


I am still working through the journaling cards for February. I've been keeping up with March. Then I'll have the 4x6's printed. I've realized that while blogging these 400+ days has been great, I really need to get the pictures into a physical album.

Jessica Turner hosts Project Life Tuesday. Stop by to check out the other Project 365 Participants.

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Monday, March 15, 2010

73/365 - Flipping Through My Past

Last night, Brian discovered Scott's High school yearbook. Flipping through its pages, he and Erica laughed at the fashions and the hairstyles. They wanted to see my yearbook, so this afternoon I pulled mine out for Brian to see.

10.03.15 - Flipping Through History
When I watch my kids turning the pages of my old photos, I am reminded why I am taking pictures every day. Because in 25 years, I want my kids' kids to enjoy these captures, and for my kids to "remember when they were growing up among the cornfields".

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Sunday, March 14, 2010

72/365 - Big Ten NCAA Tournament

10.03.14 - March Madness Teaser

Scott went to the NCAA tournament in Indy on Friday and all he brought back was a souvenir cup. No other pictures, but plenty of exciting basketball games.

Friday - OSU barely won their game, the Illini won the quarterfinal game against Wisconsin, then Michigan State lost their game.

Saturday - Scott updated us on the Illini vs OSU game via text message. Wow, what a heart-breaker loss in 2OT. But the biggest disappointment came this evening as the Illini were not invited to the NCAA Tournament.

Daylight Savings Time started today. Not too much of an issue today, but tomorrow morning will be tough...

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Saturday, March 13, 2010

71/365 - Rainy Afternoon at the Food Court

That's why the mall and the food court are so crowded, even at 1:30pm.

10.03.13 - Scene from the Food Court

Scott is out of town at the Big Ten NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis, so I get to treat the kids to some take out food. We haven't been to the mall in ages, and Brian wanted teriyaki chicken from the Sarku Japan. Brian and I share a combo meal and it was yummy.

Later on, Erica and I went shopping at Kohls, where she bought some summery shorts and tops. Everything was on sale. Gotta love that!

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Friday, March 12, 2010

70/365 - Book Club / Spa Night

Cooler temperatures and rain was the backdrop for tonight's Spa Night at the local country club. Wait - these are my friends from Book Club. That's because several of our book club members belong to the country club, so the rest of us (including me) can participate as guests.

We all received a 20 minute massage and two other spa services. Most of us signed up for the facial and make up sessions. Everything was very relaxing and fun!

The facial station - Karen and another woman, wearing identical sweat suits, just happen to sign up for the facial station at the same time. They thought it was funny and even asked me to take the picture.
10.03.12 - Twin Facials

Lisa and Heather, after their make up sessions.
Monkey Shirt

After

And Kellie, after getting her hair "done". I think the curls are so classy and gorgeous!
Golden Tresses

I'm pretty pleased how the pictures turned out. The lighting conditions were horrid. Thank goodness for high ISO capability. We all had a great time and I can't wait to go next year!

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

69/365 - Kick Ball Weather

Another warm, spring like day! Even though the weather forecast called for rain, we had ample sun. The kids gathered at the neighbors to play kickball. Even Erica joined in.

10.03.11 - The Pitch

She can't wait for soccer to start up, which should be a couple of weeks.

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

68/365 - Open Windows

I couldn't hardly believe it when I pulled up the local weather on my iPhone this morning - 51degF! I ran in shorts this morning - first time this year.

The afternoon warmed up to 70 degrees! I arrived home to find all the windows open - Erica opened them up to let in the nice spring air.
First Open Window Day

The kids were outside playing kick ball, riding bikes and scooters.

And Hannah, our huntress was stalking....
Trotting

.... a leaf or blade of grass.....

She just likes to look fierce.
Fierce Huntress

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Tuesday, March 09, 2010

67/365 - Science, Bugs and Technology

Several great pictures from today, so I'm not limiting myself to just one.

Math and Science Night at Brian's school. So many great hands on exhibits, ranging from chemistry experiments, food science, wild animals, math games, police forensics, minerals and bugs!
Science Night

Brian's previous 2nd grade teacher loves bugs and offers real insect treats to eat. I have a low res picture of Brian in 2nd grade eating a grasshopper. Tonight, he ate several larvae, then sprinkled some on these nachos:
10.03.09 - Tasty Larvae

Brian also "dissected" an owl pellet, which revealed a rodent skull and several vertebrae bones.
Disecting Owl Pellet

Back home, we managed to teach Scott how to send a text message from his cell phone. In the past, he had been unable to send or receive texts, but something changed with his service (the service is provided through work). Erica, resident expert, walked her Dad through the steps.
OMG! Scott's First Text
And a new texter is born! And since Scott doesn't know how to access his voice mail, this is the best vehicle to communicate with him.

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P365 2010 Week 9 Summary

Here's Week 9's summary.
Warmer temperatures are knocking at our door - Spring is just around the corner!

P365 2010 Week 9

Check out all the other Project Life Participants at Jessica Turner's Blog. Have a great week!

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Monday, March 08, 2010

66/365 - Spring Bouquet

The tulips are on sale this week. A great excuse to buy some.

Bouquet 2

Truthfully, I would have purchased them even if they weren't on sale.

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Sunday, March 07, 2010

65/365 - Special Visitor

My friend, Jean, flew into town this evening to spend the week visiting our site. Jean and I worked together six years ago installing a statistical process control system across our division. Back in 2004, we traveled together to Germany for a memorable week. Whenever Jean comes into town, we get together for dinner - usually out at an Indian Restaurant. But since she arrived for the weekend, I decided to have Jean over to our house for dinner. Of course, plenty of good food and discussions ensued.

Discussions with a Good Friend

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Saturday, March 06, 2010

64/365 - Climb Up

George had the coolest birthday party today - at a local climbing wall. All the boys took turns at the 3 story wall. George made it to the top on his first try. Brian tired about half way up on rope number 2, but then was successful on rope 10.

10.03.06 - Reaching
George:
Almost to the Top

Will:
Plotting My Next Move

And Henry:
Concentrate

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Copyright Notice

All images on this blog (unless stated) are the intellectual property and copyright of SLPhotography and shirley319 (© 2009, 2010). Do not steal, borrow or pirate the images here.

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code. and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act) prohibits the use of digital property to be used without the consent of its owner.

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