Our Weekend in Pictures -- Some Noteworthy, Some Not

Over the past month, I've found myself not writing as much as I'd like.  Typically I have my "computer / coffee time" right after breakfast.  The girls play [usually pretty well] together, and I sit, perched atop my bar stool, and enjoy the opportunity to warm up to the day.

Many days over the past few weeks, though, we've been up and running.  Either we've had morning swimming lessons...or we've had something to do with the house...or we've been off on an adventure.  It's all been good...but I surely miss my "quiet time" [RELATIVELY speaking] when I don't have it for a few days.  And I really miss my writing therapy, too!

I am trying to keep up with my camera, though.  I continue to try to balance the desire for a photographically good picture with wanting to capture the day-to-day as best I can.  I've definitely gotten better at that balance.  You'll see some "nicer" photos, and some that just had to be taken...no matter the lighting...'cause I had to capture the moment.

Even busy-busy-busy, life is so very sweet!  And even if I don't reflect that in words as often as I'd like these days, I'm thankful I have some pictures to jog my memory.  

Here are some of the highlights from our weekend!

On Friday my Baby B wanted me to take a picture of the "smile" she'd made with her necklace.  Baby A came up behind her for an impromptu hug.  L-O-V-E!!!

Saturday morning we went to a birthday party for one of the girls' sweet little classmates.  I'd climbed to the top of their play structure to try to coax A down the slide, and I snapped this picture of B, swinging below.  [Marcia, do you love the negative space?!!!]

Here's B, showing me some kind of nut (???) she found.  I love those baby hands so, so much!!!

Here are A&B, checking out the birthday girl's chicken coop.  They were talking in baby-speak, "Hey, baby chicks!"  So sweet!

On Sunday morning, Baby A asked for some white paper (NOT cream!), and she drew this house while I was making breakfast.  Perhaps we have an architect in the making???

The girls play "vet" very frequently, but to date they've always had a very humanitarian focus.  Sunday morning they got out both cash registers -- one for each of them -- in their vet's office set-up.  I guess they finally decided to cash in on the deal.  HA!

And Sunday afternoon, Hubby and I embarked on cleaning out the garage.  The girls played SO well while we worked...something I would not have thought possible, even six months ago.  At one point I found some puzzles that were mine as a child.  They were dusty and musty...but perfect for a driveway project.  The girls had so much fun!  And how fun it was for me to see them playing with something I last touched more than 30 years ago!  :)  :)

Pictures.  Some are pretty good.  Some are not.  But I love them all the same!!!

A Picture-Perfect GIVEAWAY!!!

As many of you probably know, we are in the process of selling our house.

With that, we've had what has felt, at times, like a veritable parade of different families, peering into our closets and measuring our bathtubs.

By and large, the feedback has been very positive.  Everyone loves our location, and our backyard has garnered many ooh's and ahh's.  Another comment I've almost come to expect at some point during a showing is about the artwork that adorns our walls.

Yes, there have been plenty of ooh's and ahh's over my babies.  While I really just want to SELL THE HOUSE, I have to say that part has been fun.  To have complete strangers stop in front of a picture and use words like, "Stunning!" or to lament, "I wish I had pictures like these of our family," it makes having polished the baseboards with a toothbrush all the more palatable.

I was so excited to receive an offer to review a canvas from Easy Canvas Prints...it was a complete no-brainer for me!  I'm already a very loyal customer, and I love to share my good experiences.


photo canvas prints


Consider...

Here is the view of our living room, just after you enter our front door:

And a closer look at one of my favorite pictures:

16x20" hanging canvas

And I think this is the perfect complement to our master bedroom:

8x10" canvas with easel back

Both these canvases are from Easy Canvas Prints, and I love them so, so much!  The quality of printing is beautiful...the canvas material has such a buttery hand to it...and cleaning is a cinch.

In exchange for writing this review, I received a voucher for a 16x20" canvas.  By far, the hardest part of placing my order was deciding which picture to use.  Once that arduous decision was made, the ordering process took literally less than 5 minutes.

So...which picture did I choose? 

This picture of our Bama Belles in their crimson-and-white finest will be such a fantastic addition to our "Alabama wall" in our NEW house.

[I also want to mention that I worked with Easy Canvas Prints a couple of months ago to purchase a canvas for a very dear friend.  Instead of buying a gift certificate in a traditional sense, they worked closely with me to allow me to set everything up, so all my friend had to do was upload her photo.  Their customer service was outstanding.]

I'm thrilled to be able to offer an awesome GIVEAWAY from Easy Canvas Prints...an 8x10" canvas!!!

Get as many entries as you can between 6/11 and 6/19 to increase your chances of winning! AND...all entrants will receive a coupon for 60% off their Easy Canvas Prints purchase!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to share this awesome GIVEAWAY with your friends? Click HERE!

Easy Canvas Prints also highly suggests BuildASign:

 
banner maker

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Easy Canvas Prints will select a winner at random on 6/20 and notify the winner directly. In exchange for writing this post, I received compensation in the form of a free canvas. All opinions herein are my own...can ya tell that I truly love these canvases?!  Best of luck...I know you'll love these canvases as much as I do!

GREEN!

I'm linking up with Marcia for her monthly photo challenge.  This month's theme is GREEN.

I limited myself to photos taken this month, several of which were taken yesterday.  I haven't been quite as disciplined about getting my camera out and just taking pictures as of late, but I've had a few fun sessions, nonetheless.

This first one is a bit of a stretch, but I love the picture.  The downtown coffee shop had a special on lattes, as they were getting ready for a "pour" competition.  That prompted me to have lattes two days in a row, including on Tuesday afternoon when I introduced the girls to their first smoothie.  The barista asked if she could take a picture of my latte...and I said only if I can take a picture of you.  :)

There's a GREEN sticker for sale in the lower-right corner.

 These next three pictures were taken yesterday, with this challenge in mind.

A very sweet-natured pup in the downtown square, against GREEN grass.

I even let my girls dig in a sand exhibit for a GREEN rock.  (Go, Me!)

The first time these 20 piggies have ever stood in GREEN grass.

And I had to include one of my favorite pictures from our MoMs group picnic last weekend.

Ring Around the Rosie against a GREEN backdrop at the park.

Check out Marcia's blog for some more great photo inspiration!

These are the Days!!!

I've been taking the girls outside since they were about two-and-a-half months old.  For the most part, I've tried to incorporate some kind of fresh air as much as possible, weather permitting, of course.

For the first year and a half, the girls' outside time was mostly spent in their stroller.  We'd take little family toddles around the circle in front of our house, but we didn't log any significant walking distance -- everybody on foot -- until the girls were a little more than two.

We've been stretching our legs out more and more since that time.  The girls can now walk a couple of miles with me...as long as we keep their pace (not mine!).

The summer the girls were two-and-a-half, we began actually **playing** outside.  The girls loved running around in the backyard, and they were in heaven when we got their bubble mowers.

Still, that time outside was so far from relaxing.  I was constantly in fear that the girls would eat some mulch, or run into a tree, or run in the opposite direction from each other.  I had to keep my eyes fully peeled every single moment.  And it seemed like we didn't get far into our play before someone would have to come inside to use the potty, which was a major production.

Last summer, the girls were definitely easier to manage outside.  I was less afraid of them doing something harmful or disgusting, and I was more trusting of their ability to follow my directions.  Still, our outside playing ventures usually didn't last all that long.

This year, though (in the handful of truly nice days we've had), things are SO MUCH FUN!  The girls are much more easily entertained outside...they still love their bubble mowers...they can play catch...and tag...and follow the leader...they enjoy their beanbag toss...and they even like to hide Easter eggs on occasion.  They like to kick the soccer ball (MUCH to Daddy's delight!).  And they've FINALLY learned to blow bubbles!  Woo hoo!!!

It's going to be a great summer, I know!  I can even foresee needing a lawn chair at some point (probably still in the distant future), as I might even be able to sit down one day!

Here are some of my picture spoils from yesterday's romp in the side yard.  :)

Baby A...I LOVE the face she makes when she blows bubbles!

Baby B, balancing a bubble...

...until Sissy popped it!

And Daddy got home just in time to kick the ball around!

There's hardly anything sweeter than these sweet baby girls in the warm sunshine!

Photo Challenge Saturday: BROWN

I'm linking up with Marcia at The 123 Blog for her monthly photo challenge.  This month's theme is BROWN.  Admittedly, when I saw her post that theme last week, I was a little bummed...it's fall in South Africa, so I'm sure Marcia has lots of beautiful browns to choose from.  What kind of brown could I find here in spring???

It didn't take me long to get out of the idea of brown leaves to find plenty of brown, just in the pictures I've taken this week.

***

I was going to meet a friend for coffee on Sunday afternoon, and I happened to pull into a parking spot in front of our downtown fountain...only to find a couple getting engaged, right in front of me!  I snapped a couple of pictures through my dash (this being one of them).  Then I waited a few minutes and approached them, to ask if they'd like me to take a few more pictures.  I've since emailed the pictures to the lady, and she was so very sweet.  :)  It definitely made my afternoon, too!

 

BROWN shirt and BROWN hair.  I love the way their feet are touching...I can just feel the emotion! 

My friend Karen met me at the park on Monday to play around with some pictures.  I shot into the late-day sun, and this yoga pose is one of my absolute favorites!

BROWN sepia tone.

The sun was shining so brightly on Friday morning.  I asked the girls to pause on the steps so I could play with the sun and shadows, first thing in the morning.  Baby A wasn't quite awake yet, I see now.  :)

Sleepy BROWN eyes.

On Friday morning, we had several errands to run.  The girls and I took a mid-morning break at the downtown coffee shop, where they ordered their first-ever hot beverage, a yummy hot chocolate.  They felt like such big girls when the barista poured heart shapes into their cups...just like the lotus flower Mommy gets in her latte!

BROWN hot chocolate.

Those BROWN eyes again, concentrating on her muffin...hot chocolate smeared on her face...and a "Priority Mail" sticker from the post office across her shirt.  The epitome of a four-year old!

BROWN hair, glistening in the sun...sitting at the bar after our snack, looking out on our downtown square.

And when we got home, Daddy called on his lunch break to check in with his girls.

BROWN eyes sparkling as she tells Daddy of our morning adventures.

 Thank you, Marcia, for the continued photo inspiration and encouragement!  I'm having such fun!!!

A Few of My Faves {PHOTOS}

I haven't been at it every day, but I've had several opportunities to snap pictures over the past week.  Here are some of my faves...

At home...

Making faces in the mirror.  :)

Walking around downtown after dinner one evening...

Standing in Daddy's shadow.

Love the light behind B, and the beautiful stained-glass windows.

 
Walking around downtown before lunch one day...

I love the peach fuzz on her face!

New shoes!  I love the geometry of the shadows of the girls' legs, too.

Playing outside at home...

Beauty through the eyes of a four-year old.

 

 

 

I told her to "Spin around for spring!"  Hahaha!

When the wind won't cooperate, you have to blow!

Love the perspective of this picture...B, playing with chalk, and A, in the background playing beanbag toss.

B's pants after playing with chalk.  (Yes, I let my child get dirty...go, me!!!)

Coffee with a friend on Sunday afternoon...

Stranger in the coffee shop.

Beautiful design in my latte, and another stranger studying in the courtyard.

Sitting across from one of my besties.

So very thankful for spring break AND some beautiful weekend weather!!!

Photography Catch-22

I don't know if "Catch-22" is exactly the right phrase, but I had to give myself a little talking to earlier in the week about taking pictures.

I am having SO much fun in the Superhero Photo class!!!  It's challenging...and there are some things I just can't quite figure out, which is a bit frustrating...but I'm taking lots of pictures and really enjoying it.  I've gotten some great shots, and it feels so good!

Here are a few of my favorites from this week...

Baby Sasha, looking at the neighbor's pup

B, looking for bunnies the first thing in the morning

Sasha again...my most willing subject!

B with a hot chocolate mustache

I love B's precious hand, doing something she loves so much...cutting with her sparkly scissors.

Baby A, deep in concentration...I love the focus on her right hand, with the fuzzy foreground and background.

I am a million miles from having this thing down, though...and I realized I'd been trying to be all "artsy"...and neglecting my "slice of life" pictures.  By "slice of life", I am thinking about those pictures whose purpose is to capture something the girls are doing...something I want to remember, to document...even if the lighting isn't great, and I have to use a flash, or there are yucky shadows lurking.  :)

I forced myself to whip out the camera a little more over the past few days.  While these aren't photographically brilliant, I love them just the same...

Silly faces with Daddy!

Snuggles with Mommy before bedtime

Look at my smile!!!

Last time in our Bumbo seats (more to come in a later post!)

B asked me to take a picture in her silly outfit.

Ideally, I'd love to get my "slice of life" pictures to be photographic masterpieces...but in the meantime, I'm going to keep snapping away.  No matter what the composition, I love these baby girls, and I don't want to miss a thing!