Day 207

This was fun, the straight down slide at Wisconsin Dells. The weather was hot, the lines were not too bad, a ton of kids from teams all over the midwest, it was great! This is our middle one with his 3rd or 4th trip down this slide. I figured I had to capture it one of these days. 

Day 207

ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/800, 75 mm

Day 200

SUMMER! This is what we've been waiting for. Our winter was brutal. Now that we have 100 degree weather..

for the next week...

                      ...everyone out! (for a while) 

So, this mom is completely sick of games and computers. The pool feels like a bathtub, but when there's a nice breeze at night, it's perfection! Here's to the little one who braved the temps and listened to her mommy. :) I went in there today as well. Twice to be exact.

Day 200

ISO 100, f/3.5, 1/800, 50 mm

Day 193

LOVE these along side the road everywhere! They are tiny, delicate, bright blue flowers that sparkle along side the freeways. I found a place on the side I could stop. I couldn't let this season pass without getting a couple shots of them.

Day 193

ISO 200, f/2.8, 1/4000, 50 mm

Day 179

(cue music) It's a pillow - it's a pet - it's a pillow pet! (lalalala)

Little one and her collection. She pays for them herself, because I will not pay $20.00 plus tax and/or shipping on another one! She is just as happy as a little pig in mud when they're all around her. She sleeps with them, passes them out while watching movies, and names them things like, Mr. Fireburper. Gotta love originality. I'm actually scared for my grandchildren.. what might their names be?

Day 179

ISO 200, f/2.2, 1/640, 50 mm

Day 172

I've been down for the count for pretty much 4 days now. Today I caught up a bit, had a fun family photo shoot to do, then picked up my youngest from her basketball camp. The "boys" (hubby and 13 yr old) came home from our son's Omaha baseball tournament, and it's starting to feel a bit like normal again.

I LOVE gerbera daisies! LOVE them I say! But it's also fun to see them from a different angle, and I liked how the backyard seemed to melt into the distance. So, this is the one for the day.

Day 172

ISO 200, f/2, 1/80, 50 mm

Day 151

Water balloons on the sidewalk are always fun. Now, draw pictures with your throws, and you're a pro! My little one was out making and breaking them today. It's 82 degrees and muggy! A little swimming, a little water balloons.. perfect recipe for a 9 yr old. 

She is a sad one as her friends and her family were over yesterday for a "fun" Memorial Day BBQ, and her friend wound up breaking her arm falling off the hammock. Ugh! Fire dept. came, the truck and the ambulance, and put a stop to our otherwise fun evening. Wouldn't you know it, the end to a great day. Poor little one. We were so sad for her. Mom and dad held it together great, her brothers and sister did too, but my youngest was a mess. Good news, though. She's at home and on the mend. We will have to think of some fun things to do with her over the next several weeks. 

Day 151

Settings:

ISO 400, f/22, ss 1/40, 50 mm

(shutter slowed to keep at 40 so I went with S priority)

Day 137

Goodbye Oprah (daytime) Show!

Oprah Studios taped their last show today for her talk show. I drove by it since I'm down there 1-2 times a week, and it was a buzz of people. Not like it isn't usually, but cameras were on the street interviewing people that walked by, that went into her store, and that were taking pictures. I made sure there were no camera guys around when I jumped out to grab a couple shots.

I have attended 3 tapings for the Oprah show. First time ever, a patient from the dentist I worked for, worked for the show and got my husband and I tickets. We saw Halle Berry talking about her movie, "Losing Isaiah." I was 9 mos. pregnant with my oldest! 

The second time it was to see Matt Damon and Billy Bob Thornton for "All the Pretty Horses." 

Third was THE BEST! I actually saw Johnny Depp in person! He was promoting the movie, "Finding Neverland." Kate Winslet and Freddie Highmore also made appearances. Get this.. my oldest was scheduled to come tape questions for Depp the day before, but the lawyers for Oprah decided that kids under 18 could not be in the audience due to Depp's drinking on the stage. Obviously, Highmore's agent worked that out for him. I took one of my very bestest good buddies, and they checked us in, then whisked us away on buses to the theater to see the movie. It was so good. We were all crying, then had to go right back to tape the show. We all looked less than perfect. 

I have several near misses stories about Oprah. Very exciting things, but they didn't work out last minute. Oh well.. wasn't meant to be. :)

Here's Oprah studios. She will still be around with the OWN stuff, but it's iconic for Chicago that her studio was here all those years. 

Day 137

Settings:
ISO 200, f/8, ss 1/80, 18 mm

 

Day 123

Post number 3 for today!

This was my favorite photo I took this morning. I'm not even sure what kind of tree it is. Do you know? I will probably figure it out in a couple weeks. I just love the look of it in the spring! They resemble little pink and purple nerds candy on their branches.

Day 123

Settings:
ISO 200, f/2.8, ss 1/1000, 50 mm

 update!! (8:02pm) This is from my friend who's family owns several nurseries in Ohio..

"Kara, I am pretty sure your "nerds" tree is an Eastern Redbud :)"

Now we know!

Day 116

Today did not turn out to be the best of days. You know how you feel like something's not right for a while, then still still with it hoping for it to get better? Well, we did that, and it actually got worse. Our church let our jr. high youth group leader go, and it was just announced. The kids are upset, we are upset.... just sad. He's the best, really!

Not feeling like going through photos I took today, I am posting one of my daughter playing the piano. Here it is! The piano is such a Godsend! It's funny, when she is upset, she goes to music. When I'm upset, I clean. Since the piano is so much prettier than laundry, I am posting that. 

Day 116

Settings:

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

Day 109

Ask and you shall receive! I didn't want to disturb them too much, but I wanted to see if I could get a good shot. It's decent. At least you can see them. 

When we bought this house, the previous owner told us that a momma bunny has babies every year in the backyard. We thought, well poor her, she won't anymore because of our dog...and kids... This yard wasn't used to a lot of activity, but we certainly brought that when we moved in. 

This has not deterred momma bunny in any way. She continues to have babies in our yard. She just adapts. 2 years ago, she had them in the planter by the swings. Last year, we didn't know where she had them, but we saw them scamper about. This year...AHA! As we were picking up the backyard yesterday, I went to grab a Nerf dart gun out of the Fisher Price plastic garden toy, and the ground moved. I realized there were a couple baby bunnies. I left the gun there as that was half of their cover under that slide. Taking a couple pictures today, I counted five! It has been raining like crazy for the past couple days, so we covered the side of the slide with some plywood. You can see the little one on the far bottom right is damp. Poor guy.. he's fine now!

So, Happy Easter week to all the bunny lovers out there. And, who says there isn't wildlife smack dab in the middle of Chicago? (Well, okay, usually me.... but this counts!) 

 Day 109

Settings:

ISO 200, f/2.2, ss 1/60, 50 mm

mini fusion from MCP Actions

Day 102

Well, after another ballgame, I come home frozen to the bone! Beautiful today, just chilly. 

My son and I drove around a little while waiting for the youngest to get out of a class. Downtown is just gorgeous on a sunny, cool day. An accidental route along the lake found us in front of the Buckingham Fountain. I didn't realize they turned the water on so soon. I think they were still adjusting settings with all the trucks there at the controls, because normally the horses are all spouting water at the same time. 

Some nights they have a light show at the fountain. The different spouts will shoot all sorts of colors. It's really beautiful if you have the time to bring a blanket to just sit and relax.

Day 102

Settings:
ISO 200, f/5.6, ss 1/2500, 18 mm

Day 95

Today became the first softball game of the year. Lots of rain, then spring break, now finally a game! My oldest pitched, and it was SO cold, my fingers were numb. So I only snapped off a few of the game. Then back to my pockets I went! 

Great game, these girls! 18-6, they won! 

Off on the other side of the world (in another suburb far SW as I was far NW), my husband took my son to his game. Guess who had the gear in my car? Oh yeah.. they got there late, and with NO gear. 

(sigh)

It was off to a rocky start for his season, but hopefully it will all come together for us soon! :)

Thank you to all of you who welcomed my friend to the 365 blogging world yesterday! You guys are awesome!

 Day 95

Settings:

ISO 200, f/5, ss 1/2000, 90 mm

Day 88

My oldest and I just needed a day to ourselves. It's tough enough having a teen, who'd "maybe" rather be with her friends than spending a special day together just mom and daughter, but I think it's priceless. There will be a day we won't have as many of these types of days, it will be another chapter in our lives, but I am thankful for the time we get now.

We went to Molly's Cupcakes because we saw Cupcake Wars one night and we were so excited there was finally someone from Chicago! We had to see the shop for ourselves. It was pretty cool, at the bar were swings that were secured from the floor to the ceiling. We sat there for sure. We could watch the cupcakes come and go, and the station where you could put more sprinkles on your cupcake, and where someone was frosting them custom for each order.

We chose "Chocolate Decadence" and "The Jock" which was so yummy! My favorite photo of the day was my daughter looking down at her almost consumed cupcake, enjoying the last bite, sitting on her swing. I just love how the lighting was coming in.

We came home and watched Tangled since it just came out on DVD. My daughter's favorite. It used to be Sleeping Beauty, (as she was that for about 5 years in a row when she was little), but now Tangled has taken over her heart. If you knew her, you'd understand what a big deal that was for her to switch.

Then we were off to to the art store, picked up some more acrylics, and she is happily singing "I See the Light" from...yes, you guessed it.. Tangled. 

Good day. 

My heart is full.

Day 88

Settings:

ISO 200, f/2, ss 1/15, 50 mm

Day 81

Urban - and, I can't decide! Which one do you like for my 365? Most votes on this and my fb wins. :) I really don't know. I like them all for different reasons...and here they are:

1. This one because of the cobblestones. All the streets in Chicago were once covered with this, then paved over at a later time. 

I always look at the old cobblestones. I just love them. Plus it just started to rain, 

and I liked the look of that.

2. This one because I just thought it looked cool, but then I've done a lot of gadgety things lately.

3. This one because it just is typical Chicago. Newspaper vending machines 

on every other corner.

4. This one because we pass it twice a week going downtown. It's in Greektown and I 

just love the outside of it. So much character.

 5. And this one just because there's a church everywhere, it's kind of cool sticking 

out among the high rise buildings.

Day 74

A walk outside checking on my spring plants budding was just up my alley. Lots of growth! Especially when you've been watching every day, you notice when things start to take a bit of a turn in the right direction. Soon they should be busting open.. I'll add a couple that have showed improvement from last posts.

Day 74

Settings:

ISO 400, f/2.5, ss 1/2000, 50 mm

moss in the backyard

lilac buds starting to show a difference

daffodils getting taller

sedum rosettes

maple tree buds showing signs of wanting to bust open

tulips getting taller, and the tippy tops eaten by bunnies

Day 67

I love antiques! I love old scales, clocks, keys, old boxes.. you get the point. I also love garage sales. I love the excitement of hopping out of the car, digging through an old box of people's old junk, to find treasures that I will display proudly! Here is a recent summer garage sale find, an old scale, and it sits beside my stove for me to enjoy every day.

I didn't chart my budding outside, I just wasn't home. My day pretty much went like my day on Saturday, so lots of running kids everywhere. 

 Day 67

Settings:

ISO 800, f/1.8, ss 1/100, 50 mm

Day 60

Congratulations! Day 60 - another milestone! (for me)

Spring has sprung! I finally see some signs. It's been a harsh beginning for some of my little plants, but I'm not really too knowledgeable when it comes to what these are all called. I thought it would be fun to go see if anything is sprouting there now that the snow is finally gone.. and to my amazement, look what I found! I wanted to take a picture each day to see how much they've grown, so after my 365 photo, I will be just adding them for my entertainment. :)

So excited to see the basketball hoop made it through these crazy last few months! I almost thought it would blow away at the 60+ mph winds, but here it stands victorious! I just liked how it stood up tall and proud, and could almost here the kids laughing and playing ball again outside. There is now hope it is almost springtime! A little gloomy skies, but all in all, a nice day today!

Day 60

Settings: 

ISO 200, f/5.6, ss 1/2500, 18 mm

 Daffodils sprouting

 Lilac bush buds

Sedum

 Maple Tree buds

Day 53

Oh noo... only 32 more minutes until the next day! So.. here we have, the sweetest note a little girl could write. 

Our youngest was told to write an essay in her one day a week classes.. she had to write it about a hero.

This is what she showed her daddy today. I had to document this. Too bad I didn't have the camera out when she gave it to him, but she'd just bumped her little elbow and was crying. Her dad loved it, of course, and it will go to a very special place.

The settings are pretty irrelevant, especially since I took this at night, in our room, and through some interesting textures on it.  :)

 Day 53

Day 46

My son! I love this guy, he is great.. 13 is fine.. when you're a boy. Today he had an appt. downtown and little sister was at a class, so he and I drove around. I loved this blue wall, so I basically stopped and said, "Jump out! I love this background." Again, gotta love boys, he just jumped up and ran.. then asked why? :) I'm pretty sure a girl would have had a million questions before she even got her seatbelt off. This one? Jumped! 

Day 46

Settings:

ISO 200, f/3.2, 1/800, 50 mm 

Day 39

I am messing up my days! 39 already? I almost saved my picture under 38 thinking that was getting far. Wow.. we're doing great, you guys! I honestly wanted to do this and stick with it, and I am pleasantly surprised that it is getting done.
The hardest part, I've realized, is keeping up with comments on other people's sites. I want to SO bad! I spend a lot of time hunting down the ones I follow. The only problem, is the commenting board itself. I'm so sick of typing in a code! I wondered if I had it too, after some searching, I found.. I can turn that stupid thing off! 

If you go to DESIGN, SETTINGS, COMMENTS, scroll down, then it asks you
Show word verification for comments? check NO


I am crossing my fingers hoping others will do this too. That will make commenting more pleasant for all! :) *hint, hint*

I do need to read my manual more, but it's getting boring. Am I alone in this department? There are several things I am looking forward to trying out, but oh yeah.. there cannot be a blizzard outside! 

This is bascially SOOC only added a vignette to it (darkened the sides a little bit to focus on those ploomy guys).I loved how they were dancing in the wind. Looked a bit like it could be underwater to me. You know, all those sea anemones? 

Day 39

Settings:

ISO 400, f/5.6, ss 1/1600, 210 mm, no flash