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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

First Day of Summer Break

Had a great start to our first day of summer break.  Beki and I had a class out at Creve Couer Camera store for our first class in digital cameras.  This was a freebe for buying a new camera.  We already new a lot they discussed, but I got a couple questions answered and some of the info was helpful.  We then stopped at the park on our way home to try out a few things.  I'm trying to learn how to use this 50 mm lens I bought.  In the sun, I seem to get way overexposed pictures.  Learning how to make adjustments so that I can still use flash and not washout the pictures.  We just went out and had fun snapping pictures.





I absolutely love this one of Beki.  She is very excited about her photography and asked if she could take the classes with me.  I'm thinking...one of us is gonna have to get a JOB! ;o)

Monday, May 17, 2010

Beautiful Girl!

Beki and I spent some time together.  We went to the zoo and to a park.  She's so much fun to photograph...all smiles and full of enthusiasm.  Thanks, Beki, for helping me practice.  And, of course, being patient with me while I learn.

Weekend with Mom and Dad

My parents came out for a long weekend and even though it rained a lot and mom wasn't completely feeling up to her normal self, we managed to pack the weekend with lots of day trips.  Friday we headed to St. Charles, which is a great Historical District in Missouri with lots of unique shops and dining.





  
Ari got in Friday night from school.  She is home for the summer.  We've got her unpacked, organized and settled back in.  I am completely amazed that her first year is over already.  I'm glad to have her home...next summer she's thinking about renting an apartment and staying for the summer.  She really loves it there and has many friends.  It was still raining Saturday, so we waited until late afternoon and then went to the Gardens to see the Chinese Festival, however, because of the weather, a lot was canceled.  We were disappointed, we didn't see the parade, however, they threw in tickets for the DinoQuest exhibit in the Climatron.  The rose garden was in bloom and Beki and I worked at getting some great shots of the roses with the rain still lingering on the petals.







Sunday ended with a trip to Gus's Pretzel Shop and a trip to Lafayette Park to visit the swans.  I was hoping there would be babies.  There is a nest...hopefully soon the babies will be out.  They were gorgeous and they allowed us to get pretty close to them, though Beki had to push the limit just a little and the big guy shooed her back some.  But we were still able to get within a few feet.


Friday, May 14, 2010

Hummingbirds

This is what it looks like when you are trying to decide what to take to Ethiopia when picking up your child. 
...and this is mom on the happy day they receive their Embassy Date, which means they can go pick up their son.  There is a bit of a snag, however, and I need all my praying friends help.  All military members have been banned during their elections to travel to Ethiopia.  Which means if D can't go, M will have to travel by herself to pick him up.  We are praying that D can get a waiver in order to go.  They cannot wait until July to go because they are moving to Hawaii at that time.  Little E needs to be home before that. 
Here is my futile attempt to catch the hummingbirds in motion.  They are fast little critters.  Discovered...they don't like flash and are way too fast without it.  So I will be patient and wait for a sunny day and try again. 

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Coffee in Lebanon

Today started out with thunderstorms and showers.  Thought it would turn out to be a bad day to take our little excursion to Lebanon for coffee and shopping with my neighbor and good friend, Becky.  But, as we sat in The Sweeter House of Coffee, we were greeted with just a little bit of sunshine.  There are several unique shops in the historic district and we discovered a new wine and tea specialty shop called Fezziwig's Marketplace where we sampled wonderful dips, tea, olive oils, and balsamic vinegar.  They have the cutest little spaces for stopping in to enjoy a cup of tea or a glass of wine.  I mentioned it would be a great place to take pictures...and he said to come in anytime.  So, I'm making a promise to myself to go back and do just that.  Hopefully, pictures to come later.

This is the view out my front window today.  There is beauty even during the storm.

If you look really close, you can see the raindrops reflected inside the raindrops.

There was some bad news in our family today.  My 51 year old cousin passed away at the hospital after suffering a massive heart attack last Saturday.  He struggled all week and was taken home last night to be with his Savior.  May you see Jesus face to face, Scott.  Our thoughts and prayers are with your family today. 

Monday, May 10, 2010

Mother's Day

The weekend came and went, it seems, in a blink.  We spent some time Friday and Saturday nights visiting with neighbors and celebrating birthdays.  John took me to lunch downtown Saturday to one of our favorite cafes, the Benton Park Cafe.   I had a quiet Mother's Day with Beki.  We went back to the Cafe to try their breakfast...it was really good.  We ordered and shared pancakes and a breakfast pizza.  We drove around the Soulard area for a bit and tried to get some pictures of the architecture, we discovered it's not a good picture day on Sundays because all the cars are parked in front of the buildings.
Benton Park Cafe
But we did get a little practice.  Here are a few.

  
...and Beki took this one.  Isn't it beautiful.  She'll be posting a few more of her pictures on her blog.

The rest of the day was spent me working in Photoshop and Beki working on her group project for Lit.  It was a good day.  I missed not having both of my girls home and being able to spend time with both of them.  Ari will be home soon.  Her first year of college is almost over.

For Beki

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Being Mom

(Pause Playlist on right)

As I was thinking about Mother's Day, I remembered this song. I had a dream...and I have 2 beautiful daughters that fulfilled that dream. I love you both. I hope you never forget that. To all the mom's I know...may all your dreams come true!



Swans

Saw the prettiest pair of swans the other day out at Lafayette Park.  This is one of those moments you really wish you had a telephoto lens and could get right up close.  I sat and watched them for awhile.  They were amazing and beautiful.  And since you couldn't be there...here are just a few pictures plus a few other "couples" I met along the way. :o)

The Gift

  Delivered this week, a gift I never expected arrived in the mail.  This story begins, it seems a lifetime ago, when I worked at Owens Comm...