Day 206

Daddy and little one. I couldn't resist. They went to go check out the fishing over by the Wisconsin Duck path.

Day 206

ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/500, 50 mm

Day 198

Proof that Chicago could actually have it's own vineyards! This is my next door neighbor's grapes growing just fine. Now granted, they're crammed in between a fence and a garage, but they're growing!

Day 198

ISO 100, f/2.2, 1/1000, 50 mm

Day 191

From the excitement of Saturday's game, to a more serene photo today. The chairs at the game were pretty cool with the baseball numbers on each of them marking the section. 

Comiskey Park is a great place to watch the games. It is now called US Cellular, but as we're not thrilled with the name change, it will always be Comiskey Park to us! 

We'll be back, park, we'll be back!

Day 191

ISO 200, f/4.5, 1/160, 75 mm

Day 184

The younger cousins were playing by the lake just as the sun had set. Loved the dress, braids, hair flowing in the semi-silhouettes. They don't have a care in the world.. just to have fun and be little girls. I still remember that...

Day 184

ISO 200, f/1.8, 1/30, 50 mm

Day 177

I am SO thankful for underground sprinkler systems! I have never had good luck with the cool ones. You know, the high ones that go back and forth that the kids get to run through. They'd just stick in one place and not go anywhere no matter how expensive sprinklers I would buy. I'm sure they make for prettier pictures, too. But, all in all, I will just sit here and be thankful. This is my sprinkler shot. I put my camera on the ground, and shot. Pretty decent.. 

Day 177

ISO 200, f/2.5, 1/2000, 50 mm

Day 170

I found one!! SO hard to find these in Chicago unless they are by the expressways in areas that haven't been manicured in a while. I love them! I even dug it up when I was done taking photos and brought it home to my daughter and friends. 

Day 170

ISO 200, f/1.8, 1/400, 50 mm

Day 163

Oh yes, this is what I attempted to do today! Late night last night, early morning baseball game, so it was nice! The smell of fresh cut grass, the wind in my hair.. the airplanes over head.. 

*screeches to a halt* 

Yes, the airplanes. Some people hear birds, we hear the big ones! I'm beginning to get a little more used to it. They're fun to watch. Such is the city life. A lot different from country life!

Day 163

Settings:

ISO 800, f/2, 1/640, 50 mm

(evening)

Day 156

Going to church on Sundays, we walk out of the parking garage and always comment on this cool tree. Every Sunday, I think, "I don't need to bring my camera to church this morning," and then I see this tree again. Then I say, "I really need to take a picture of this tree!" :) So today... I remembered! It's that crazy vine that runs up and down the tree, but no leaves ever grow on it. 

I changed the photo to black and white to look timeless, right MeRa? haha I like to think that she's on my blog every night infatuated with every word and photo of my blog... HAH I'm just kidding.

I liked the black and white because it was less distracting as I was taught. It sort of looks stamped with the way the leaves don't seem to touch the branches in any way.

Day 156

Settings:

ISO 200, f/5.6, ss 1/50, 50 mm

Day 149

Day two! I was so excited to get up this morning and dive into the day...again! Today in Chicago it poured. Thunder and lightening, the whole package. We had family models that were coming, and had to change plans and not work outdoors. This did challenge us, but guess what? We learned so much! I've never pushed my ISO so high on my camera. I just figured it wasn't possible without grain. You know what? IT IS! 

This photo was such a typical moment for this weekend. I love it because it will always be special to me. The people, the instruction, the personal stories of hardship and life challenges, everything! This is MeRa walking us through a shoot before we started. The rest of the day was mostly families and working on Lightroom. I was so excited to learn lightroom, too! Then, see the lens she's using? I actually got to practice with it later. It's the 24-70 mm 2.8 and I'm in love with it! I've had it on my wish list for almost a year. My wish list is a note of one item on my homeschooling wall. :)

Day 149

Settings:

ISO 1600, f/2.8, ss 1/40, 50 mm

Day 142

We sold our playset today. It was a little bittersweet. The kids were ready to get a trampoline, but realizing that the swingset and climbing stuff was over, it was a little hard to swallow. I think the youngest had a bit of a hard time about it, but she helped me pick out a new trampoline to order for the area and hopefully it will come soon!

The flowers that lined the corners still stand, it will be fun to see what lies ahead for our beloved play area... okay, enough sappy stuff. The pool got opened today, and that's exciting! Life moves on in a fresh and fun way, so we're ready to embrace it!

For those of you who asked about the link to the kid's photos taken the other day, I linked them on the photo with the umbrella. I believe it was Day 138. Thanks for the response on that photo. It was an easy find! :)

Day 142

Settings: 

ISO 400, f/1.8, ss 1/6, 50 mm

lightened levels a bit since it was after 8pm

Day 135

Reality Shows Finale Party!! I was so excited for the Survivor and Celebrity Apprentice finales, I actually threw a party for our family!

Well, when I say "threw" I mean grabbed everything I could find, including food bought for making lunches.

And.. when I say "family" I mean whomever happened to walk through the living room while my hubby and I were watching the finale..

Oh, and I should note that when I say "and Celebrity Apprentice finale," apparently I was a week too soon.

ALL IS GOOD though! We had a great night with the kids just hanging out and watching the shows.

...and when I say "watching" I mean one of us was texting the entire time.. (this could go on forever, couldn't it?) because "one of us" happened to be 16....... (sigh)

Here is my take on Survivor this year. I'm pretty sure if you play something for 4 seasons, you better be able to beat it, so the winner was not a shocker. Redemption Island would have been amazing if the final redeemed survivor would have moved on to the final 3 to explain their ordeals to the jury and to also make them fear a little more who they sent off. The way they did it was weak in the end, and non eventful. Here Matt battled the entire time, won 10 of 11 challenges, and got nothing for it. Neither did the final winner of RI. She just went back to a bitter tribe to be unceremoniously voted off at the end of the day. And finally, I really do not want to see certain individuals that wear fedoras come back again! Matt would be okay. I really liked him! Yes, I told you how I really feel. :)

Since I didn't do much other than take the kids to church, wait around for hours for the oldest one to get out of her missions trip meeting, then come home to have to run out to Coscto for groceries, I didn't take many photos. Oh ya. It rained the entire day! So here's my shot. My last minute table of goodies!

Day 135

Settings:
ISO 200, f/1.8, ss 1/10, 50 mm

Day 128 - and, Free Bookmark!

Happy Mother's Day!

..to all of you mothers and those that are mothers in somebody's life! We've had a beautiful day. We missed church because of another double header, but the sun is shining and it's gorgeous outside! 

At the park, there was a pond with huge bullfrogs sitting about 3 feet away from each other all around the edges. You would walk by them and it sounded like a cat meowing or a child's giggle as they leaped into the pond. Great fun for my oldest and I as we were waiting for everyone to warm up in the field.

I am a little sad we missed church, because I was asked to design the bookmarks this year for Mother's Day. So, I hope someone saved one for me! If not, I will have to print a couple off. I am also sharing with you! Feel free to print and use! My little M-day gift to you. :)

Day 128

Settings:
ISO 200, f/5.6, ss 1/640, 300 mm

Day 121

Good morning, all! I am 3 days behind, but adding 3 today so I should be all caught up. I have just been in a whirlwind of busyness. 

I am still in awe of the new growth here. The maple trees are one of my favorites. They represent stability, beauty, strength and comfort all in one! I love their new waxy leaves in the spring, their fluffy huge leaves in the summer, and their reds, golds, yellows in the fall. I even enjoy raking them up as I mourn the last leaves of the year. The kids enjoy jumping into the piles.. everything's wonderful around a maple tree!

Day 121

Settings:

ISO 400, f/5.6, ss 1/1000, 230 mm

Day 114

I hope you all had a fantastic Easter/Resurrection Sunday! It was such a beautiful sunny day today, the only drawback for us was that my hubby had to work. Luckily, he works only minutes from his mother's house, and that is where we celebrated our Easter dinner. 

We stopped back by the firehouse, and said hello. We also delivered some of his mom's chocolate covered strawberries. That made his day. The boys played basketball for a while, and the girls tried out their strength on the weight benches and machines. 

So, it would make sense, my photo would be the strawberries, right? Wrong. The lighting was all off. :) I went with the eggs from yesterday that were on the ground for the little ones to find at church. They were all so precious running off to "find" the eggs that laid before them. I had to do it.

I will also get back on the bandwagon for getting to all of your sites. I've been so swamped, I'm just lucky to throw a photo up here. Thanks for all of your awesome comments! I love to comment on your beautiful photos as well... I'll be around soon! :)

Day 114

Settings:

ISO 200, f/2.5, ss 1/2500, 50 mm

But, with all that said, I also had to throw in a picture of my 3 kids and my hubby. 4 people I love SO much! My family...at the firehouse...at Easter.

Day 107

Do you love Scottish Broom? Is it a nuisance or a welcome site in your yard? Farmers say it's the most stubborn, deeply rooted bush that spreads like wildfire.

For me, it's literally a life saver! These bushes played a vital part in a few of my life threatening car accidents. One night a friend and I went to the town over where we "cruised" around looking for friends and fun. While turning left on a street near a huge gully, a drunk driver crashed into me by trying to pass on my right (while I was turning right) hitting me in the driver side door. I was driving a '65 Malibu SS and the other driver wound up pushing me sideways into deeply rooted shrubbery. Guess what that was? The bushes gathered quickly underneath my car, and stopped me just before the edge of the cliff by the very large gully. The driver side window shattered into the left side of my face, and the rest is history. 

My favorite car was totaled, and a plastic surgeon took a few hours to gently remove half a ziploc baggie of glass from my face.

Do I love Scottish Broom? Yes I do! Every time I see it, I am thankful that it is so deeply rooted and stubborn!

Day 107

Settings:
ISO 200, f/2.8, ss 1/3200, 50 mm

Day 100

Happy 100th day!

We did it, my fellow 365'ers! We made it to 100! Only 265 more days to go..... hooray! It's midnight here, so I thought I'd just post.

I actually shot these photos yesterday. *gasp!* I knew our Sunday had a full plate, but I wanted to get something along these lines. I walked around the block for inspiration, and something that looked like a 1 or 0's without just being a ball or wheels. Thank goodness for the fence posts, fire hydrants and tree branch nubs! It was actually a lot of fun making my "100" photo.

Day 100

Day 93

Garage sale finds! I love them, and I cannot wait until I can get out to pick again. I want to redo my son's room so it's not so "castley." He's not a little boy anymore. So I am going with the street signs (if I can find any.. obviously I won't be out chopping down stop signs or anything) and cool baseball/sports memorabilia. He had his first game of the season today, (they won) but I was behind a fence, so I got mostly the chain link look. I'm sure there will be SO many game photos to post in the near future, that I will take a "find" when I have one.

Here is my license plates score. Illinois plates from 1960 to 1975 give or take a few. Then I picked my birth year and husband's birth year to add to the collection.

 Day 93

Settings:

ISO 200, f/1.8, ss 1/1600, 50 mm

Day 86

Beautiful today, but I can't believe how cold it is by just looking out the window. A couple degrees over freezing isn't that inviting when you step out.
Here's my photo of the neighbor's crocus. Such a pretty color!

 Day 86

Settings:
ISO 200, f/2, ss 1/4000, 50 mm

Day 79

Alrighty, things are better today. Thanks for your encouragement yesterday! Or.. this morning. It was a little late last night..

This morning my son's jr. high group missions team was prayed for in church for safety and God's blessing over their upcoming trip. They went to all 3 services, and it was very nice. They all went in their green missions trip shirts, and it looks like a couple girls dressed it up a bit. :) Cute. 

This was about half the group, I think. Since I opted for service #1 to take photos, some showed up to the 2nd and 3rd only. It's ok. I got the general feel in this. 

The photo is of one of the very eloquently spoken jr highers (no, I didn't think those adjectives fit all together with "jr. high" either, as I was not that way..still aren't). He was just talking about prayer for safety in travel, and cooking their own meals, and their good health (as they cook their own meals). It was really funny. 

 Day 79

Settings:

ISO 400, f/2.5, ss 1/60, 50 mm
(processed with Florabella actions)

(My son is directly behind the girl in white skirt, and in front of the floral arrangement looking up at the speaker.)

Day 72

Happy Sunday! My oldest found this shot. She is pretty creative, and a lot more aware than I realize at times. Since we were jeans shopping after church, this tree about hit us in the face when we parked. I did some searching, and I believe this is called a Ponderosa Pine. That has a nice ring to it anyway. The needles are long, and the pinecone buds were like little flowers. 

Day 72

Settings:

ISO  100, f/6.3, ss 1/30, 50 mm