Day 124 ~ Bird Watching

Again out the kitchen window and taken from "the white chair". I spied a male cardinal just hanging out on the vines. Never could get a picture of him and the female sharing seed on out the other kitchen window.

Day 123 ~ Awesome french toast

French toast might not be a typical comfort food but when its made with love, by your grandfather, using grandma's homemad bread who can say no? YUM!

Day 122 ~ On the swing

Many say that I am the "little" version of my grandmother. I'm not sure I hold up to the standard she sets but I do love her, spending time with her, and making her smile. This swing is a common spot for pictures at any family gathering. Today it was just us two and a camera with a remote setting. :)

Day 121 ~ Mowing

This is a favorite spot in my grandmothers kitchen. Its the view out the window from "the white chair". Most sit here and watch the birds but today you can see my grandpa on his tracker. Mowing the lawn. For him its a completely different chore than it is at our house.

Day 120 ~ The Alamo in West Virginia?

Who would have ever guessed I'd find a ... a... house? in Wheeling, West Virginia that resembled the Alamo? Very odd. Very out of place but I guess I might have had to capture some other surrounding houses to give you an idea of just how out of plac eit was ... oh well.

Day 119 ~ Why did the Turtle cross the road?

To cause a big commotion. I've never seen this particular type of turtle until I was driving around the mountain around our conference center. By the time we had turned around to capture his picture another vehicle had also stopped to protect him until they could find a way to get him out of the road. (seems he snapped at them if they tried to pick him up and move him)

Day 118 ~ Over the river...

...by way of a cable bridge. I'd never been across a bridge quite like this. I wish the picture showed the "road" part better. It made a very interesting noise as we crossed. (too bad it was raining and the pic had to be taken while driving :)

Day 117 ~ Items in the Garden

If you pass through this gate you will find yourself.....on the other side of the gate. Or, maybe you'll find a magic (light) mushroom.

Day 116 ~ Tulips, Tulips, Tulips

Wow, I have just never seen as many tulips in one place as I did on the grounds of this place where a conference I attended was held. They really are hard to miss and not appreciate.

Day 115 ~ On the Tarmack

While I have been on a plane smaller than the one I boarded on this day I have never been walked out directly to the tarmack to board. This is why I had to take a picture if not only for the purpose of showing my kids.

Day 114 ~ MMmmm...Ice Cream

My "baby" girl and my baby niece sharing an ice cream at Chuck E Cheese on a school holiday.

Day 113 ~ "Let's not talk about it!"

I'm really not sure where my niece picked up this phrase but you know when she's tired of any particular subject because she will let you know. This night was the first time I'd seen her actually plug her ears while saying, "Let's not talk about it!"

Day 112 ~ Love my Job

Ok, so that statement is a variable statement based on the particular day in question, the time of day, number of meetings attended, left to be attended etc. But where else might someone work for almost 13yrs and still get excited when they see "their company" when out for a drive. Its kinda cool I guess. :)

(that would be my "company"...the spec flying just below the red light)

Dya 111 ~ Daddy's not so Little Helper

Ugh, we recently spent a good chunk of cash replacing the transmission in my vehicle. On this day my vehicle wouldn't start for the second time since then. Very frustrating. My husband came and was able figure out the problem, thankfully, and my little dude was right there with him watching and absorbing and wanting to help.

Day 110 ~ Warning Signs

While on the typical practice shuffle the kids and I found ourselves behind this vehicle. I decided it was worthy of a picture when even the kids found it amusing.

Day 109 ~ Let there be Light

Our kitchen has one large flourescent light that is behind you when trying to stand at the sink and do dishes. The problem is when its dark outside. The light behind you causes the dish doer to cast his/her (yes, I do dishes now) own shadow on the sink. My husband installed this light recently after we agreed we liked the light - about two days prior. Man, how did I ever get so lucky? :)

Day 108 ~ Who would have guessed

That when my children and I visited Wal-Mart on Saturday the sombreros would prove too much to resist. I love that my family allows me to capture them being silly. Like father like son...and daughter.

Day 107 ~ The 4th Amigo

I spent a wonderful albeit unexpected day "off" with my husband and we really had a great day doing nothing much. One of our last stops was Wal-Mart on the first day of Fiesta here and he not only let me take the picture of him with a sombrero he started reciting lines from the movie "The Three Amigos". He's a nut and I love him.

Day 106 ~ Doggy Driver

How funny it was to walk out of the store and into the parking lot and see this... I don't know if he realized that he had left his drink on the roof when he was looking for his keys to get back into the car.

Day 105 ~ Overwhelming Emotion

On this Wednesday I had to pick my son up right after school in order to get him to the Dr. at 4 and hopefully out by 5 to get to football practice at 5:30. This isn't the first time he's fallen asleep in the car while commuting. We got to the Dr. about 15min early so I just let him sleep and watched him. I was overcome by how much I love this little man, how quickly the time has passed from when he was a husky toddler with a round face, bald head and no chin to the tall outgoing young man he is becoming. It brought me to tears just watching him sleep. I couldn't help but take his picture. Thankfully it didn't wake him up.

Day 104 ~ Bird Revenge

I'm sorry, this picture is gross but someone was driving around just letting us all look at it. I think the bird had a score to settle with the vehicle or driver or had had some bad Mexican food. Either way, Driver - got a hose?!

Day 103 ~ Photography Class

Not that I will remember anything from it but my IT guy, as we were waiting for software to load on my laptop, was trying to teach me how I could use the effects on my lil old "purse" camera to make things up close be sharp while fading out the background. I doubt I will ever be able to duplicate the effect but maybe I'll try...

Day 102 ~ Big Kisses

I love my niece so incredibly much and couldn't have asked for a better sister-in-law. This is my favorite picture from Easter Sunday. My niece, when she gives "big" kisses, grabs your face in her tiny little hands and plants one on you. This is her giving big kisses to her baby brother who isn't due for another 6 wks or so.

Day 101 ~ Chocolate Bunny Ears

What would Easter be without being able to bite the ears off of a chocolate bunny? My kids got to do this a day early this year because they were not going to see their Grammy on Easter so we met for lunch on Saturday and they both dug in right away.

Day 100 ~ Cake Pops!

I had gotten a cake ball from an employee several months ago. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com but it wasn't until I came across Bakerella's blog that I decided I couldn't wait any longer to try them myself. The kids and I had a good time on Good Friday making these.

Day 99 ~ Polka Dot Baby

Simple - I bought her these pajamas and she's just so darn cute. Is there anything else to say? I thought not.

Day 98 ~ Annual Golf Tournament

This day was our companies 18th annual golf tournament. I typically spend the day as the chauffer to our IT guy, the non official photographer. This year my asst also hung out with us - literally. . . on the back of the cart. This is the picture I took that got all three of us in it. It was a fun day.

Day 97 ~ Jackrabbits

From our office windows we see lots of things, a military base, an RV park, and occasionally - wildlife. Today we saw the first of our friendly jack rabbits...there were 5 in all but this is the best, clearest picture of those I took from our 2nd story window about 50yds away.

Day 96 ~ Silly Antics

My daughter is never at a loss for silliness but these things outside of the local Target as well as the large circular opening in a free wall constantly have her attention! This time I caught her in the act.

Day 95 ~ Angel on my shoulder

Another fluke picture. We spent the day at Sea World and I took a ton of pictures but when we went out just the adults to play pool both my sister in law and I were trying to take pictures at the same time but at different angles...the effect appears to be devine assistance taking the shot.

Day 94 ~ Pictures Pictures

My son was trying to take my picture as I was trying to take him. I like this better than the pictures he took of the birthday boy. (we were at lunch for my father in laws 69th bday)

Day 93 ~ Old Cars

I wish I had gotten to my camera faster. We were at a stop light in a town about an hour North for a regional mtg and these cars were at a hotel in town as we were leaving. Had I been alone I probably would have doubled back...alas...this is all I got. What great old cars.

Day 92 ~ Finally a project of my own

Recently my girlfriends and I went bead shopping. Totally overwhelming. I also posted the pics of the trip I took back to the shop of some earrings I remade. On that day I found beads that I really loved (the round ones in the middle) Until today, I had not found the "other" beads I would use to make a necklace & earrings out of these beauties. I think though that I'll leave the craftmanship to the expert. My aunt has made & sold jewelry for years and so I will give these to her and trust her creativity.

Day 91 ~ April Fool

I realized that there are not too many pics of me in this blog and so, for that reason alone, I give you my most recent self portrait. :)

Day 90 ~ Art Car

As I drove through the grocery store parking lot I had to do a double take....then I circled around to take a picture of this vehicle. I have seen shoes and other smaller items decorated in this manner but never a car.

Day 89 ~ Handcrafted Cabinet

Wow, this thing is massive & I felt it deserved a before & after post. My husand, with the help of one of his fellow firefighters, made this huge 7ft 6in tall cabinet for my daughters room. I wish I'd had one of the kids stand in the pic for proportion. The thing on the rt side of pic is a full size refrigerator. As I type this it has already been installed in her room & is only awaiting sealing into corner and staining. (please, don't ask why he didn't stain it before installing it - I already asked that question)

Day 88 ~ Fireman Fountain

Another one of my husbands projects. He had purchased this quite awhile back but we just were not sure where we wanted to put it. Once that decision was made it was no time at all until my husband had it installed and working. Unlike me who is more of just the "idea" person. But soon I will post the pictures of my projects.

*my niece in the picture is just a bonus! :) She loved the water.

Day 87 ~ Video Games

I honestly thought my picture for this day would've been of my sons first football game but since I don't have a really good camera & I was in the stands instead of on the far sideline I didn't have any picture that was good enough to beat out the fact that after the game my father actually sat in this thing & played the game! Priceless!!

Day 86 ~ Too Sweet

My kids will kill me for this when they find out but last Friday night we were home and heard a loud noise after the kids were in bed and not yet asleep that we were unable to identify. I assured the kids that all windows and doors were locked and that I was awake so they were ok to return to bed and get to sleep. Later as I ventured upstairs with the intent of snuggling with my "baby" girl I found that her bed was already full. Luckily I had my blackberry in hand and grabbed a quick pic before they woke.

Gotta love that even though they fight and pick on each other they still comfort each other when scared.

Day 85 ~ Giant Windmill

Yea, when you take the building out of the shot you kinda lose sight on just how large this windmill is but its well over 2 stories high and always reminds me of a giant flower. I snapped this shot as I drove by it on the highway.

Day 84 ~ Stress buster

My niece was the perfect stress reducer for me on this day when I had left my keys in my husbands car which he had driven to work an hr away! I spent the majority of the day driving to get my keys back and return the vehicle I borrowed, get my vehicle then make all the appts I had for that afternoon. I was with her for only a very short ride from her house to mine but she lifted my spirits. In this picture she's saying, "Brandon!" which is what her baby brothers name will be when he comes sometime in late May.

Day 83 ~ Side bangs

My daughter recently got her hair cut and bless her heart to her it was a HUGE deal (as it usually is with women and their hair) but truth be told it was not a largely noticable difference since it was long bangs and they also cut what used to be an angled bob into a straight/traditional bob. This was the first day she did her hair and wanted pics taken.

Day 82 ~ Decisions, Decisions

I have been wanting a new camera for awhile. I really don't want anything too fancy since I carry my camera almost always which means it gets put in my purse, and various other equipment, uniform bags. I had found myself torn between these two cameras with the main differences being the size and that the larger one has a 20x optical zoom vs. only 10x optical zoom on the other. After researching them both I realized neither has a view finder like on traditional cameras. This is important when you're outside taking sports shots and the sun keeps you from getting a good image on the viewer. Ugh. Am I back to square one in my search?