Month: August 2010

homeschool, photography

2010 – The schoolyear we all learn something new

Today is the first day of homeschool – no time to post much, as we’re too busy getting back in the swing of things again. With an 8th grader, a 3rd grader and one in kindergarten, I’m pretty sure we’ll all be learning something new and exciting. I’m going to be in Photography school while the kids are homeschooling. I’ve found some terrific online resources and will be reading and studying through them as I have time between lessons.

Last night, I took my eldest and her friend to a local business park and we took some photos with my new Nikon. I’ve been wanting to do this since I got it, but the timing or the weather just hasn’t been cooperative.

When we got there, a “profeshunal” photographer was there doing a shoot with some high school kids. I tried really hard not to be embarrassed about my lack of flash attachments or zoom lenses. But I did watch him for a few minutes before we decided to explored the back alleys so we wouldn’t interfere with his shoot. We managed to find some really neat doors and painted steps – the girls were very cooperative and let me take a gazillion photos. We had a great time and I think we came away with some really cute shots and then the girls noticed the group leaving, so we scooted over to the park before we lost all our light.

Here’s a few shots from last night:










Make it a great day! I’ll be back soon with an update on how our first day of school went!

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me, photography

It’s Official…

I am the worst photographer ever. But let me back up…

A week ago, I woke up to the most wonderful surprise. My husband left me a note on the toilet seat telling me not to flush it. Oh…that didn’t come out right…the note was on top of a BOX that was sitting on the toilet seat. (Look…I know what you’re thinking right now…”why did he leave it on the toilet seat?” I don’t know why he left it on the toilet seat – he’s the kind of guy that will tell you to meet him at 7:32 pm instead of 7:30. You can’t stop him – he’s a juggernaut of ambition that grabs life by the throat and squeezes everything he can out of it).

Anyway…inside the box was a brand spankin’ new one of these:

And it wasn’t even my birthday. Or Mother’s Day. Or Christmas. I mean, the man bought me this camera…get this…JUST BECAUSE.

I’ve wanted a digital SLR as long as I can remember. It seemed like everyone had one except for me – Rachel, Beth, Dianne, Darcy, Heather, Dawn…and the list goes on and on. Some of them have even taken photography to the next level and have gone to big expos and Photoshop worlds and the like., while I’ve been sitting home editing my photos taken with my point and shoot Kodak in Photoshop so they’d look “cool”. But inside I knew there had to be a huge difference between a point and shoot and a digital SLR.

I’ve been reading a book by Scott Kelby about digital photography and he said that there’s two really good times to shoot outside. Early in the morning when the sun comes up or in the evening before the sun goes down. I like to pretend that he really only meant in the evening before the sun goes down because what mom in her right mind gets up at the butt crack of dawn to take a photo of a kid in pajamas? (Oh, excuse me…I said butt crack — oops, I said it again. Forgive me for being so crass)

So we went to the hospital’s park tonight because there’s a really cool water fountain and bridge and it has a woodsy feel to it and I kept imagining how awesome the shots would be and how great the photos were going to turn out, because I’ve seen photo shoots taken there. I thought it would be *perfect*.

Um…not so much. Let’s just say I have a looooooooooooooooooooong way to go before I’m ready to show any of my photos on this old blog. Pioneer Woman I am not. Nosirreebob.

So, I’ll be doing a LOT more reading and studying up on things like filters and f-stops, apertures and shutter lag. I’ll also be taking a LOT more really bad photos in hopes that I’ll get one good one for every 150 bad ones. The good news? The film is free. 🙂

Plus, I’m actually excited about the challenge and will be sharing some of my photos here – I might even start participating in some photography memes, who knows?

One thing is for sure – I’m going to have fun being bad. Not too many times a Preacher’s wife can get away with saying that! 😉

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dad, me

Bittersweet summer

Summer is slipping by at a fast pace – wishing I could go back and enjoy a little more of it with my sweet kiddos, but as the old adage goes, “time and tide waits for no man.”

Many of you already know that my dad passed away July 25th. I am thankful I was able to be there with him, holding his hand when he slipped very peacefully off into eternity. Harder than facing his death was telling my mom, who was still recovering in a nursing home from her car accident — we brought her home the day dad died. But, thankfully, we made it through with God’s help and here we are a couple of short weeks later, making great strides.

I spent a good portion of today at my mom’s house, cleaning out my dad’s closet. Bittersweet memories wrapped up in flannel shirts and “old man” khaki pants. Fishing trips, tall tales, and many a late night camping memories came flooding back as I removed each item and folded it to give to a local missionary. It tickles me to no end that my dad, a man who lived his entire life not wanting to have anything to do with Jesus, accepted Him a week before he died. And now all of his clothes and shoes will find themselves on a truck to Mexico with a missionary who will distribute them to new converts in Christ.

I found myself chuckling as I went through his dresser — hidden amongst the folded pants were brand new and never-used Craftsman drill bit sets and a myriad of other “special” items. Anyone who knew my dad would know he was probably “saving” those – because he rarely bought anything new – he was a lifelong garbage collector. From his days working in Fairbanks as the head of the Sanitation and Waste department all the way down to to his retirement home in Texas – he owned the key to the city dump.

Mom came in and sat on the bed halfway through and all productivity ceased as we began to reminisce about the man he was and how much we are going to miss him. There were a few tears shed…okay, a lot of tears were shed. But it was such a sweet time of bonding with my mom and I think we both needed it.

He had 91 years on this earth – I pray that Jesus comes back before I’m that old…but if not, I pray that I live them to the fullest and greet each day with a smile and a song in my heart, just as he did.

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