24 hours later

Nearly 24 hours old, and still all I can say is PERFECTION!
Note to Grandma B: bringing prints and dinner for all of you tomorrow.

God smiled on us today!

The newest branch on our family tree was born today.
Ben William arrived at 4:04 pm weighing in at 7 pounds 7 ounces
21.5 inches long. He is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen and
it was love at first site for all of us.
Congratulations to the new parents, Abby and Joey.

Abby's first call was to her sister, Katie.

Happy Birthday sweet baby Ben.

Hello again!

It's been far too long since my last postcard.
A lot has happened during that time which
you can read about on facebook, but I miss
my blog.
Doing the Shimelle's Explore class has
inspired me to get back here, so I will
start with the project she has me working on.
Oh, and have you met *him? My newest little gem.

When you don't want to be on a boat

Being out on the lake all day is a nice, relaxing place to be
until someone says,
"Look at that!"
and you look over your shoulder to see
the most unusual cloud you have ever seen.
That was the end of our three hour tour.

Options in an Instant

Black and white
or
color?

Black and white?

or color?

Recently I pulled out my film camera after finding a roll of black & white film
in the deep recesses of my fridge.
I haven't used my old film camera for a few years
but it felt good in my hands.
I put on my favorite lens and went outside.
The little neighbor boys were playing in the backyard.
I went over to them and asked them if I could take a few pictures.
They are such cute little guys, with these heartwarming smiles.
Their baby sister and mom came out and posed with them.
Without giving much direction to them I started shooting.
Those 24 exposures went by fast!
I had to laugh when the youngest brother asked to see them
(on the back of my camera).
I explained that this was a different camera and they would
have to wait to see the photos.
That statement even struck me funny.
We are so used to the instant gratification of viewing what we shot
just seconds after the capture, that it seemed foreign to have to wait.
When I finally got them back, I pulled them out of the envelope right away.
The look, the feel, the texture, the NEGATIVES......
I wondered why I ever deserted film for digital.
There is just a quality (in black & white) film that I
cannot seem to achieve in digital.

Until tonight.

The orange lillies are in full bloom under my cherry tree.
I grabbed my camera, switched to the macro lens and started shooting.
I had the sprinkler on earlier and all the little droplets of water
falling from the tree landed all over the lillies.
I don't think I would have got the shot I wanted without
the luxury of checking the led screen and the histogram, telling me
that I had to change the aperature down a couple of stops.
Finally, after way more than 24 exposures I got about 5 shots I loved.

Then my little girlfriend walks over with her paci and pink blankie.
BAM! One single shot and I got this one that makes me smile.
With a macro lens!

Knowing that I can easily change the color to b&w sitting here at
my computer made me happy that I have options.

I still plan on shooting the rolls of film I purchased the other day.
I think it's good to keep a hand in it to keep me on my toes.
But it's always nice to have options.

Baseball Fever

I have been photographing this little guy since he was a baby.
The parents are religious in contacting me on his birthdays
for an updated portrait.
He just turned four years old so it was time for a session.
I think this set has been my favorite of him so far.
Such personality and energy he has!
He loves baseball and has a very good, level swing.
The above is one of several that I just love
so had to share.
Happy Birthday Dominic!

A Little Piece of Peace

Isn't this a beautiful view?
It is what my bff and her man look at
every day, right out their back door.
Calm, peaceful, beautiful.

But - it doesn't come easy.
They work hard to keep it looking so nice.
In fact, my bff's life seemed to be endangered
just last week when her trusty tractor began smoking.
Thankfully, she escaped unharmed.
It meant she was in shape to prepare
a delicious meal and entertain a group
of close friends last evening.
We came armed with chocolate cake and
fishing gear (after a stop at the expensive plastic
worm store, where I was WAY overdressed).

We arrived to warm greetings.
Sure, it rained a little.
Yes, there was a threat of severe thunderstorms
and a possible tornado.
Actually, when I asked D. where we were on
that storm map they show on tv, he
pointed to the highlighted red triangle,
the eye of the storm.

It's funny how relaxed you can be in that
situation with a group of friends
and a few margaritas under the belt.

I thought it was beautiful out after the storm passed.

Just look............

We even saw a huge rainbow, with the moon
just over the top right corner.
You don't see that here in this photo
because I had left my camera in the car.
(That's why I needed it, dh)
J. was kind enough to retrieve it for me,
but by the time he returned the
rainbow was gone.
But I saw it.

Then we saw this...........

I really love stormy days.
Days that you can curl up and sit on a swing,
chat with friends sitting next to you,
eat, drink and be merry.

It was a very nice day.
A little piece of peace.

Stress Relief

There is nothing as calming as strolling down the
paths of Paris while the orchids are in bloom
(even if it is a "mock Paris" at the Botanical Garden).

Come and take a look at what Deb & I saw on
our mission to de-stress last week.

Did you think there were so many types, colors,
shades, and shapes of this lovely flower?

One was more beautiful and unique
than the other.

We even got to see one of our favorites
in the stages of bloom.

The RX for stress-relief worked.
We both walked out happy from our little journey,
each of us bringing home our own potted orchid
to remind us of the beauty we saw today.

Camillia in Bloom

My sweet little Chloe's middle name is Camille.
We took her to see all the pretty
Camillia's in bloom at the botanical gardens
last week. She was so excited to see
her namesake flower.
I still think she is the prettiest one in bloom.

If I were Rich & Skinny

This is what you would see me wearing on the first day of Spring.
I love those boots.
But, since I can't seem to kick my m&m addiction,
or have a spare $790 laying around for a single outfit
I guess I'll just stick with
my cut off sweats and flip flops.

Must be the cold weather and all this snow getting to me.

The Postman Rang Twice

Chloe loves to get packages in the mail.
Today she hit the jackpot.
Not one, but TWO packages
came addressed to her.

The content had been anticipated.
Flat Petunia was returning from her
visit to JoLynn way across the
other side of the state.
JoLynn and Flat Petunia had some
wonderful adventures,
including a trip through two other states.

She traveled all over, learning about
things that were made in Kansas City,
gathering chocolates from their factories,
visiting a Presidential library,
working in the Pembrook Hill School bookstore,
taking a trip to Crown Center,
seeing the beautiful fountains,
going to a minor league stadium,
checking out the best barbecue spots in town,
and visiting some very fancy shops and lunch spots.
She even got stranded in a snow storm in
Iowa with JoLynn and her other friend, Loydene!
She was exhausted when she returned home.

I wonder, if I lay under a steam roller,
would I flatten out enough to be mailed
in an envelope?

Thanks so much, dear JoLynn,
for making this a wonderful and educational
experience for my little girlfriend.
You're the best!

Contemplation

Isaboo

This little girl worked for her chocolate.
She wasn't really in the mood to pose that day
until I showed her the tube of m&m's I had
hidden (from her mom) in my pocket.
Just scroll on down and you will see that
I am the one who was rewarded.

free-falling

her beloved Belle

champion twirler

this pose got her a bonus extra handful

loving the fancy tutu

Thank you, Isaboo, for sharing
your Saturday afternoon with me.
I sure had fun.
xoxo

The Little Girl

I had the pleasure of my little girl's company today.
She is a busy little thing, but so good.
She asked me if I would like a piano concert
and I got a front row seat.
Such talent at 18 months old!

After the concert she pushed a chair to the window.
She doesn't like to miss any of the action going on around her.
When she takes that "pas" out of her mouth
you get to see those cute little teeth.

Life would be boring without this little midget.

Emerging

As I was shooting this photo I was struck by how this little girl
is growing up.
Gone is that sweet round face and the toothless grin of yesterday.
Today, when I saw this through the lens, I could see the beautiful
young lady that she is becoming.

Is it possible to be happy-sad?